Following the leader's command, the assassin wielding iron gauntlets rushed off to hunt down the brat's accomplice, intent on preventing any further sneak attacks. At this moment, he was like a wild beast overflowing with rage and fury, swearing to tear his enemy limb from limb to avenge his twin brother.
Yet when he set out with that burning resolve, what he found in the end was nothing but emptiness.
No matter how hard he tried or what methods he used, he could not determine the enemy's hiding place. There were no traces of movement, no signs of life beyond the surrounding plants and insects. It was as if the attacker had never existed in this place at all.
His blazing anger had no target to consume. The assassin fell into extreme confusion.
'Impossible… I clearly traced the trajectory of that bullet.'
What he didn't know was that Tris had been extremely careful in choosing the Sniper's hiding spot.
The puppet was concealed within a moss-covered rock crevice, hidden behind layers of dirt and foliage. It only exposed the tip of its barrel when firing, then immediately retreated into cover.
Even if the assassin stood right next to it, locating the puppet precisely would be incredibly difficult.
Unlike living beings, which reveal themselves through heartbeats, breathing, or body heat, the puppet was nothing more than an inanimate object—no different from a rock or a piece of metal. Once it blended into its surroundings, how could anyone find it without even knowing what it looked like?
Moreover, the area in front of it was clear of obstacles, ensuring that the bullet's path left no visible trace.
Thus, even by tracing the trajectory as he was doing now, the assassin could only narrow it down to a distant area—still far from the Sniper's true location.
Another key reason he never considered that the target might be even farther away was the puppet's absurd long-range accuracy.
And so, no matter how hard he searched, his efforts were futile.
Of course, unless the puppet kept firing repeatedly and exposed itself—but that was something Tris would never allow. The Sniper was not designed for close combat.
More importantly, Tris needed to focus on the main battlefield. Dividing his attention to handle another opponent would mean throwing away the advantage he had gained by luring one enemy away.
Still unwilling to give up, the assassin continued searching. The longer he searched, the more his rage grew—until it eventually turned into helpless frustration.
But just as he turned back toward the main battlefield, a second bullet was suddenly shot toward his back.
Already on guard, he managed to dodge, suffering only a minor graze along his arm.
His fury erupted even further.
He realized the enemy was still there—mocking him like a fool.
And so, he once again plunged into a frantic, futile search.
Thanks to this, Tris successfully kept one of his enemies occupied.
* * * * * * * * * *
Returning to earlier—
Right after the other assassin left, Fang charged straight at Tris with sword in hand.
His speed was astonishing.
Just like before, when he intercepted the attack aimed at his subordinate, Fang once again used the combat technique "Flash Step."
In the blink of an eye, his blade was already thrusting toward Tris.
The boy reacted instantly, twisting his body to evade while slashing back with his knife.
Fang withdrew his sword just as quickly, parrying the strike.
A sharp metallic clang rang out as sparks burst into the air from the violent collision.
From there, the two continued moving and exchanging blows in rapid succession, each strike aimed at vital points—throat, eyes, tendons…
Every attack was filled with calculation.
Their speed was so great that their figures blurred into overlapping afterimages, flickering in and out of sight.
'The brat is using Flash Step and multiple combat techniques too? What kind of mage is this?'
Any normal mage would have been killed many times over by now.
Yet Tris was fighting him head-on—while simultaneously controlling a puppet in the distance to stall Zyron.
'An unimaginable existence!'
Facing such an extraordinary opponent only made Fang's bloodlust burn even hotter.
He could already feel it—the moment his blade would pierce his enemy was near.
Despite the fierce battle, Tris seemed to be at a disadvantage.
The difference in weapon reach played a major role in close combat. On top of that, Fang's sword far surpassed Tris's ordinary knife in quality.
When two masters of equal skill clash, factors like weapons and equipment can become the deciding edge.
And during one heavy collision—
Tris's knife shattered.
Behind the mask, Fang's eyes gleamed with sharp, dangerous intent.
He did not miss that moment.
Or rather, he had been waiting for it.
The instant Tris lost his weapon, Fang unleashed the technique he had prepared.
His blade traced a beautiful arc through the air.
As the knife broke, Tris reacted quickly, attempting to retreat—
But Fang activated Flash Step at the same moment, closing the distance and preventing escape.
The result—
His strike landed exactly as planned.
The blade sliced cleanly through Tris's neck.
The boy's head separated from his body and fell to the ground.
A cruel, satisfied smile formed behind Fang's mask.
But then—
It froze.
The headless body of Tris kept moving.
Because Fang had stepped in too close, the boy's fist struck his abdomen at point-blank range, leaving no room to dodge.
The blow sent a violent shock through Fang's defenses, bypassing his armor and ravaging his internal organs.
And it didn't stop there.
The headless body clung tightly to him.
One arm delivered the punch, while the other wrapped around his waist, locking him in place.
Just as Fang regained a fragment of awareness through the pain—
He saw it.
A bullet is tearing through the air from afar.
In that instant, the world seemed to freeze.
There was nothing to stop it.
The projectile struck true—
Blowing apart Fang's head along with the mask he wore.
And just like that—
Fang was swallowed by eternal darkness.
What remained on the battlefield were two headless bodies.
One is still standing.
The other forever fallen.