Sera's head lowered as she walked back to the military grounds, her steps slower than usual, as if each one carried the weight of everything she had just learned.
The air felt heavier around her, pressing against her chest, making it harder to breathe. As she arrived at the gate, her feet suddenly stopped, as though an invisible force held her in place, and her gaze slowly lifted.
She stood there, torn between confronting Azron and demanding answers, or turning away and hiding the truth she had uncovered deep within herself.
Her gaze looked blank when General Wang found her, but beneath that emptiness was a storm she was trying desperately to suppress. It had been an hour since the four generals had been looking for her, their worry growing with every passing moment she remained missing.
"Sera, there you are." The general held his waist as he approached her, catching his breath, relief evident in his voice.
He looked at her more closely, and his hands slowly lowered as he noticed the look on her face. It was the same look she had at the temple roof during the assassination attempt.
"What's…wrong?" The general asked, his voice softening despite himself as he noticed Sera's hands curled tightly, her knuckles faintly whitening from the tension she was trying to contain.
Then General Jidu suddenly came from behind him, his steps quick, his expression tense.
"Sera! Why did you…" He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed the fierceness in her eyes, something sharp and burning that made even him hesitate.
"I was bored." Sera suddenly spoke, her voice calm but carrying a subtle edge as she tried to make her face hide what she was really feeling, forcing a casual tone that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her hands were no longer curled now, though the tension had merely shifted inward.
"Bored? You knocked my men unconscious because you were bored?" Jidu's disbelief was clear, his brows knitting together as he struggled to process her answer.
Sera blinked, feigning innocence as she tilted her head ever so slightly.
"I was just…testing them." She faked a smile, one that appeared light but felt hollow. "You should really make their training a bit more aggressive. I wasn't even challenged."
She patted Jidu's shoulders in passing, her touch brief and almost dismissive, then walked towards the gate as if nothing had happened, leaving the two generals standing there, staring after her in stunned silence, unable to decide whether to scold her or question her further.
Sera had chosen. She'll hide what she had known, burying it beneath layers of indifference and distance. Her next move will be determined by what would happen next, and more importantly… by what Azron would do.
Sera immediately saw Azron pacing outside the Officer's Quarters, waiting for her, his presence impossible to ignore even from a distance. He stopped the moment he saw her walking, as if the world itself had paused at her arrival. Their eyes locked on each other, and for a brief moment, everything else faded away.
Azron's eyebrows slightly furrowed down as he studied the look on Sera's face as she saw him, his gaze searching, almost restless. Her gaze looked disappointed and angry, emotions she did not bother to hide from him anymore.
Azron was waiting for her to get closer, his body still, his attention fixed entirely on her, but Sera didn't want to talk to him, not now, not when her thoughts were in chaos, so she moved her feet to walk to another direction, choosing distance over confrontation, but she was stopped.
"Sera!"
Azron called out to her, his voice firm, loud, and carrying a sharpness that made the air tremble.
Sera's eyes widened together with the other generals and all the warriors in the area. Their Lord, who barely spoke, had just yelled, and he only does this whenever he is angry or annoyed, making his entire army tremble under his authority. But this time, his voice didn't carry what it usually did… beneath the command was something unfamiliar, something softer, something that unsettled even those who heard it.
It was worry.
And they didn't know.
He was worried Sera had escaped and totally left him, a thought that had gripped him tighter than he cared to admit. He knew she was capable of doing that—more than capable.
If she ever tried to escape, his armies could never stop her. With her skills, she could easily slip out—even in Mort City—like a shadow that refused to be caught. But why didn't she do it? It was a question that lingered in his mind more often than he allowed himself to acknowledge.
Time paused as the whole army looked at Sera and Lord Azron, the space between them heavy with unspoken tension.
It was getting uncomfortable, the weight of all those gazes pressing against her, so Sera shifted her direction and just walked towards him, her steps steady but her heart anything but. She didn't talk or look at Azron; she walked past him as if he wasn't there and stepped inside the Officer's Quarters, choosing silence over confrontation.
Azron stood speechless as the door closed behind her, the sound echoing louder than it should have. That was the first time she ignored him. She usually greeted or bowed, acknowledging his presence even in the smallest way.
He stepped inside and saw her standing with her back facing Azron, her hands crossed on her chest as if bracing herself, like she was waiting to be scolded. She thought Azron was angry at her knocking his warriors out and slipping out of the army grounds.
"Talk." He ordered as he stood and looked at her, his voice returning to its familiar firmness, though something beneath it had shifted.
Sera was surprised he didn't scold her, but his voice was still in its usual commanding tone, the kind she always hated. Whenever Azron speaks like this, she can't stop her body from reacting, from wanting to obey, as if her instincts recognized him as someone she should follow.
But Sera was angry as well. And this time, she doesn't want to see him as the ruthless Warlord she needs to serve anymore. She refused to let that part of herself win.
"I don't want to talk to you." Sera finally spoke honestly, her voice steady but laced with something deeper. Her back was still facing him, creating a distance that felt far greater than the space between them.
That was the first time she disobeyed his command.
Azron exhaled, the sound quiet but heavy.
"Your face was spilling curses, so…talk. Don't take your anger towards my men."
Sera bit her lip, her thoughts briefly returning to the warriors she had knocked out earlier, a flicker of guilt passing through her before it was swallowed by everything else she was feeling.
She does have a lot to say to him.
"Fine." She turned to face him, lifting her head slightly to meet his tall figure, refusing to look small in front of him.
"You didn't tell me about the Ghosthoof. And you made me ride on him."
A short silence took over, stretching between them like something fragile.
"It was to protect you." His voice became softer, the edge gone, replaced by something more honest. Azron had decided not to hide his feelings from her anymore, even if he didn't fully understand them himself.
Protection?
Sera's mouth stopped, her thoughts faltering. She looked confused at his words, as if they didn't belong in this world, or at least not in relation to her.
Who am I to you for you to protect me?
Their gazes locked to each other, both of them holding back words that refused to be spoken, emotions that neither of them fully understood.
Sera wanted to ask why he was protecting her, to demand an answer she feared hearing, but she couldn't. She didn't have the courage to know what he truly felt, because that truth might change everything.
"I didn't need your protection." Sera finally spoke, choosing her words carefully, building a barrier between them with every syllable.
Being trapped in this brutal, unfamiliar world is already enough. Being entangled with the Warlord is too much for her. For her, Azron was a huge cage trapping her, one she could not easily escape from, no matter how strong she was. And she had decided to finally break free from him this time.
"You can't leave."
Azron knows she already had a plan of escaping. He can sense it.
"Or what? You're gonna make the whole army stop me?"
"No. It'll be a waste. You'll just knock them all out. My army was never the reason you haven't escaped Mort City. We both know if you really wanted to escape, you already did… but why haven't you?"
Sera stood speechless, her chest tightening at his words.
He was right.
At first, Sera never dared to challenge Mort Army without knowing their capacity. She studied the force during the times she was working in the government office. And by the time she had left Mort Mansion, she studied the walls and knew for a long time that she could make it if she wanted to escape. She was skilled enough to do it successfully no matter how trained and equipped Mort Army is. But why did she never attempt to escape?
Azron waited for her answer, his gaze unwavering, but she didn't speak. She doesn't want to tell him the reason, because the answer might expose something she wasn't ready to admit.
"No matter what your reason was, you can't leave now."
"I'm not one of your soldiers. Don't order me around anymore."
Sera turned her back to leave the room, her resolve firm, but Azron stopped her by grabbing her arms. His gaze locked on her as they both faced each other, the tension between them immediate and undeniable.
"General Loran had already put you on his list to get to me. If you leave, you'll be hunted." His voice was firm and serious, leaving no room for doubt.
Sera looked at his hand grabbing her arm, noticing how strong his grip was, yet how careful he was not to hurt her.
"It was because you marked me… with the Ghosthoof!"
Sera removed his grip forcefully, her anger flaring, making Azron's eyebrows furrow as the tension between them sharpened.
The atmosphere was intense when the door was suddenly opened by General Dan.
"Lord Azron, a report arrived…" He stopped as he saw Sera and Azron staring at each other fiercely, their bodies close, their emotions barely contained.
"Speak."
Azron's gaze still didn't leave Sera, as if looking away would mean losing control of the situation.
"…Vaiels reinforcements of 10,000 were seen approaching just a day away. As per General Loran's troops, we still haven't located their hideout."
"Ready the army and prepare for battle."
"Yes, Lord Azron!"
General Dan immediately stepped out of the room, the urgency of war pulling him away, while Sera tried to walk to follow him, her instincts telling her to act, to move, to do something.
But Azron grabbed her shoulders and stepped forward.
Sera's feet were forced to step backwards, his strength overpowering her body. She sparred with him, trying to remove his grasp, but it was stopped every time, his movements precise, controlled, until she was already pinned on the wall.
Azron's hands held her arms, restraining her, their bodies close enough to feel each other's warmth, their breaths almost mingling in the narrow space between them.
"Stay here. I forbid you from leaving. I'm going to fix it. I promise."
The look in his eyes softened, the hardness fading into something almost vulnerable, like he was asking rather than commanding, like he needed her to stay.
Sera looked at him bitterly, her heart unsettled, determined not to be swayed by his words, no matter how they affected her.
Azron removed his arms and took her sword, the action decisive, leaving no room for argument. He left the Officer's Quarters, leaving Sera alone with the echoes of everything that had just happened.
Sera didn't follow him. She paced the room, her steps restless, uneven, as her thoughts clashed against one another. The walls suddenly felt smaller, suffocating, as if his presence still lingered even after he had left.
She couldn't just wait for Azron to keep his promise—not when that promise came from the very man who had unknowingly placed her in danger. Trusting him meant surrendering control, and that was something she had never allowed herself to do.
She needs to make sure she'll never be hunted, no matter what it takes—even if it meant going against him.
It was already dark. The night had settled quietly, but the camp was alive with movement. She peeked outside the Quarters and saw the army preparing to depart, the sound of armor and footsteps blending into a distant rhythm.
She looked for Azron, her gaze instinctively searching for him despite herself, but he was already outside the City preparing the army, far from her reach.
She looked around again, cautious, calculating—no warriors were guarding her. Then her eyes landed on Pearl just across from where she stood. The mule was looking at her, still and watchful, as if he had been waiting all along… guarding her in Azron's place.
Sera silently stepped out and went to the back, her movements careful, controlled, but Pearl followed her without hesitation, his hooves soft against the ground. She tried to stop the mule from following, turning slightly, raising her hand as if to command him to stay—but he wouldn't stop. No matter how she tried, he remained close, stubborn and unwavering, like a silent shadow tied to her.
Then an idea entered Sera's mind, sudden yet sharp. She remembered what the legend said—that the Ghosthoof had been to countless battles, had walked paths soaked in blood and victory alike.
If he was… then he surely knew every path in this place.
"Pearl, take me to General Loran." She said as she patted his head, her voice low, testing, uncertain whether she was speaking to a mere animal—or something far more.
Sera looked at the mule, waiting, but he didn't react.
Maybe he didn't understand.
She stepped closer and held his head gently, her fingers brushing against his fur as she stared into his big round eyes, searching for something within them.
"Loran."
Pearl's head suddenly lifted up, and he brayed, the sound cutting through the quiet night like an answer.
Sera's breath caught.
Sera mounted him and crossed her chances, her heart beating just a little faster—not from fear, but from the thrill of uncertainty—as she tested Pearl, wondering if he would truly take her to the enemy.
And he did.
Sera's eyes widened as she glanced at Pearl, amazement flickering across her face, something almost childlike breaking through her usual composure.
"Wow. You're just like a dog. How did you find them? And how did you understand me?"
There was a faint warmth in her voice, a softness she rarely showed, as she patted his head, her hand lingering just a little longer before her gaze shifted forward—toward the enemy camp waiting in the distance.
"Good boy, Pearl… now go. Don't let them see you."
Pearl immediately followed and left her, disappearing into the shadows as if he understood the danger, leaving Sera alone with the path she had chosen.
Sera stared at the enemy's camp while lowering her body, her movements instinctively shifting into silence. She scanned the surroundings with sharp precision, her senses heightened.
Pearl had taken her to an area in the mountain that was far enough from the camp, just beyond the enemy's line of sight, where the guards wouldn't notice any movement unless they were looking directly for it.
Her eyes studied the area carefully, mapping every shadow, every possible escape, every risk. Then she reached for the gun from her backpack, her fingers familiar with its weight.
She stared at the gun in her hands, her expression unreadable for a moment. This world doesn't use such weapons, and she knew it would be unfair if she uses those on them—almost cruel in its advantage. But fairness had never been part of her survival.
This is how she works.
Back to her reality, she doesn't allow anyone to hunt her. Nobody who has laid eyes on the Angel of Death Assassin was kept alive. She makes sure that nobody knows her, that no one lives long enough to remember her. And she will kill everyone who dares threaten her by hunting her down.
She makes the hunter… be the hunted.
Sera removed her armor and the men's clothing covering her suit so she can move freely, the layers falling away one by one until only her true self remained. She was wearing her black assassin suit, the one she always wears whenever she has a mission to kill someone, the one that felt more like her skin than anything else in this world.
The suit fitted her body, revealing her beautiful proportions, both graceful and deadly, a contrast that made her presence even more striking. Her hair flowed freely down her back, moving with the night air, before she tucked the gun securely at her waist.
The enemy had hundreds of warriors—but Sera wasn't afraid.
Fear had no place in her world.
I just need to kill their General. That's it.
Her thoughts were cold. Focused. Absolute.
Sera moved. Her movements were swift and invisible as she entered the enemy camp, her body blending with the darkness.
The dark corners of the camp helped her hide, wrapping around her like an ally, concealing every step she took until she reached the biggest tent in the middle of the encampment—the heart of the enemy.
She checked the people inside, her breathing steady, her gaze sharp, making sure the General was in.
"General, Azron had made his move, surrounding the entire city with his army. He knows about the reinforcements."
"Good. We're gonna have a proper fight tomorrow. Once our reinforcements arrive, we will start marching."
After confirming that the General was indeed inside the tent, Sera didn't waste a time. Her body moved before hesitation could exist, and she stepped inside, her sudden presence slicing through the space and surprising the four warriors inside the tent.
General Loran stood up at the sight of her, his expression shifting instantly from confusion to alertness.
"Who are you?" One warrior asked as they all unsheathed their swords, the metallic sound echoing sharply.
"Wait, you're Azron's wo—"
General Loran tried to speak, but his words never reached completion.
Sera shot him on the head.
The sound was almost nonexistent, swallowed by the suppressor, but the impact was brutal. Blood gushed out as he fell to his death, his body collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
The other warriors' eyes widened at the sight of their General lying dead before them, killed by an unfamiliar weapon in Sera's hands.
They dashed forward to attack her, their instincts driving them, but it was already too late.
Sera shot them in the head as well, her movements precise, unhesitating, each shot final. The four men had no time to even think what awaited them.
The whole encampment had no idea what had happened, the silence of her weapon keeping everything hidden, as if death itself had passed through unnoticed.
Sera stood and stared at the bodies in front of her, her expression calm, untouched.
She felt no remorse for the murder she just did.
It has always been her way to survive.
Her law: to kill… or be killed.
And tonight, she chose to live.
She then took General Loran's sword and cut off his head, her movements steady, sealing the end of a threat before it could ever rise again.