Shadow of Death

Ren's grip tightened as he stared at the masked assassin before him.

Unlike the scouts who had fallen to their trap, this one was different.

His movements were calm, calculated—as if he didn't see Ren as a threat at all.

That made Ren's blood boil.

"This bastard thinks I'm weak."

The assassin rolled his shoulders, his red eyes flickering in amusement.

You're the Blue Flame user," he said, voice smooth but hollow, like a sharpened knife. "Good. I was hoping for something. interesting."

Ren breathed out, fire already dancing on his fingertips. "You came to kill me, didn't you?"

The assassin cocked his head to one side. "Kill you?"

Then, without warning—he was gone.

Ren's instincts screamed at him.

MOVE!

CLANG!

Ren hardly had a moment to whirl his body around, sending a searing fist flying as a black blade sliced for his neck.

The shock knocked him backward, fire crackling about him as his fire repelled the attack.

The assassin appeared on the other side of him again, turning smoothly in the air before coming to rest on the wreckage with quiet ease. No wasted motion.

Ren's chest was thudding.

"Too fast. Too fast."

He knew. Kaela had said so. Syndicate assassins were not even good—monsters.

And here he stood, fighting one.

Ren breathed hard, suppressing his anger.

Go in without strategy, and he'd be killed before he was able to even land a single hit.

So he focused.

Feeling the air. The presence. The intent.

The assassin came again at him—silent, deadly, fast.

But this time, Ren wasn't caught unaware.

He dodged at the last second, twisting his body as a dagger just skimmed his ribs.

Then, in the same fluid motion—

He struck back.

FWOOOOOM!

A Blue Fire blast went off, and the assassin sprang back.

Ren grinned. "What's wrong? Afraid to get burned?"

The assassin didn't even flinch. He flicked his wrist—and four additional daggers shot at Ren.

"Tch—!"

Ren sidestepped two of them, but the third caught his shoulder—burning agony shot through his arm.

He growled. "Damn it—poison?"

The assassin's voice was amused. "You're observant. Good. But it won't save you."

Ren's breathing quickened. His limbs felt heavier, a numbing sensation spreading through his muscles.

"I need to finish this fast."

The assassin ran again—this time, Ren refused to retreat.

Instead, he walked forward.

The red eyes of the killer widened with surprise—Ren was no longer running away.

Instead of sidestepping—Ren charged head-on.

And at the very last moment—

He disappeared.

"Wait—what?!"

The assassin was confused for once.

Ren reappeared behind him—his body surrounded by blue flames, his speed amplified by the heat itself.

The killer was unable to react fast enough—but it was irrelevant.

Ren's fist—**seething with Blue Flame condensed to a point—**smashed into his back.

BOOOOM!

The energy propelled the assassin through the debris, stone and dust shattering all around.

Ren let out a hard breath, his heart racing.

It worked.

He'd just applied his fire to increase his own speed.

Kaela had shown him how to feel out assassins—but this was the first time he'd actually outsmarted one.

He balled his fists. "Not so untouchable now, huh?"

The dust settled.

Ren's eyes widened.

The assassin was already on his feet.

Not only that—he wasn't even hurt.

Ren's stomach twisted. ".What?"

The assassin shrugged off his cloak, rolling his shoulders as if nothing had occurred.

Then, he exhaled. "Interesting. You're better than I thought."

Ren braced himself.

Then—he saw it.

The assassin's daggers. glowed.

Dark flames—black with red stripes—licked along the edges of the blades.

Kaela's voice echoed in Ren's mind.

"Some Syndicate assassins have the Devil's Flame. If you encounter one. run."

The assassin reversed his daggers. "Let's get serious."

Then—he disappeared again.

This time—Ren was too slow.

Agony flashed across his chest as a dagger drove deep into his side.

"Gah—!"

He stepped back backward—but the assassin wasn't finished.

A second dagger sliced across his shoulder.

Then a third.

Blood filled the air.

Ren labored to draw breath, dropping to one knee.

His body was too heavy.

The poison. The wounds. The fatigue.

The assassin towered over him, spinning his dagger. "You fought well."

He lifted the blade up—fatal.

Ren clamped his jaws together.

No. Not yet.

His fire blazed.

And in that instant—

Everything blue'd.