Chapter 79: Ambushed in the Mist

Dawn came with fog.

The forest was quieter than usual. Too quiet. Shisui paused as they reached a narrow mountain trail, Irylia trailing just behind him.

Suddenly, Shisui's eyes narrowed. They were being watched.

"Stay close to me," he warned.

Too late.

A barrage of poisoned arrows whistled through the mist. Shisui grabbed Irylia and twisted midair, deflecting the incoming arrows with a burst of Arch Energy: Reflective Dome.

From the trees and cliffs above, a squad of masked assassins descended — beastkin mercenaries with black armor and curved blades.

"They're after me!" Irylia gasped.

"Let them come," Shisui growled.

He vanished.

One of the attackers lunged forward — only for his neck to snap from a brutal spinning kick. Another screamed as a Genjutsu of Eternal Howl broke his mind. Shisui blurred through the mist, a living storm of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and raw arch energy.

He weaved through fireballs, parried with kunai, and retaliated with Arch Art: Phantom Wolf Barrage — hundreds of ethereal wolves erupting from his fists to tear through the ambushers.

It took only minutes.

When the battle was over, only silence remained. Irylia knelt beside him, panting. "You're hurt—!"

Shisui shook his head. "Just a graze."

He sealed the corpses away, hiding all traces of the ambush.

"They knew your location," Shisui muttered. "Which means someone from your kingdom may have betrayed you."

Irylia's eyes widened. "No… it couldn't be…"

Shisui placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find out. But until then, stay close. I'll get you to Lunaris alive."

She nodded, more determined than ever. "Then let's keep moving."

As they disappeared into the trees once more, the road ahead grew darker — not just with danger, but with secrets waiting to be uncovered.