03 and 04 left Kaelix's corpse behind as they returned to the Kryndal training hub silently.
Their faces remained blank and their movements were synchronized like a single mind operating two bodies.
The facility was still busy with activity—evolists training their beasts, guards patrolling lazily, and staff members moving between rooms.
None of them seemed to notice the assassins at all, even though they had passed them.
The first to fall was a young Evolist practicing with his 1-Star Hound in a secluded training chamber. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
He turned at the sound of the door creaking open and frowned, noticing two cloaked figures stepping inside.
"Who are you? This area is—"
The sentence was never finished. 03 raised his hand, and one of the Shadow Mantises leapt forward.
The beast's scythe-like limb slashed across the young man's throat in a fluid motion, silencing him instantly.
The Evolist was shocked, clutching his own neck as blood flowed out of it.
He died as he collapsed, not knowing what was happening.
His Hound barked furiously and lunged at the attackers, only to be sliced apart by another Mantis.
03 and 04 stepped over the body cold as they signaled their Shadow Mantises to fan out throughout the facility.
The next target was a group of low-ranking tamers gathered near the cafeteria.
They were laughing, not knowing they were in danger, until the door slammed shut behind them.
The noise drew their attention, and their laughter died as they turned to see two people standing in the doorway.
"Who are you? What do you want?" One of the tamers demanded but trembled the moment he noticed the blood on the Mantises' blades.
Without a word, 03 raised his hand, and the Mantises rushed forward.
One tamer tried to summon his beast, but a Mantis was faster.
Its scythe plunged into his chest, pinning him to the wall as he screamed in agony.
Another tamer attempted to flee, only to be intercepted by 04, who moved with almost inhuman speed.
She drew a blade from her cloak and slashed across his abdomen, leaving him writhing on the floor.
Another one crawled toward the door, dragging his bloodied body and cried.
"Why is this happening?"
"We're Kryndal... We're supposed to be untouchable."
04 saw him and crouched beside him. She tilted her head as if she were considering his words.
But then she immediately pierced his heart with her dagger and said, "Not today."
The guards were next. A squad of four patrolled the eastern corridor, their beasts—the 4-Star Flame Wolves—walking beside them.
They stopped when they saw two mysterious people approaching and prepared for confrontation.
"Halt! Identify yourselves!" One of the guards barked, drawing his weapon.
The Flame Wolves roared and lunged toward the Mantises to protect their master, but they were no match for the Shadow Mantises' precision.
The Mantises' smaller size allowed them to move around the wolf and strike their vital points accurately.
The mantis tore open the flame wolf's throat and cut off its head.
The guard was in disbelief as he vomited blood because of his death beast. "No! How is this possible?"
He raised his sword and charged at 03 in anger, but 03 easily sidestepped and dodged him.
03 then drew his own blade and slashed across the guard's chest. The guard gasped for air before crumpling to the floor.
The remaining guards fell in quick succession. Their desperate cries echoed through the corridor before fading into silence.
The corridor's walls had been painted with blood from the guards, resembling a slaughterhouse.
The assassins continue to move from room to room. They didn't leave anyone alive.
Defenseless Evolists cowered in their quarters and begged for mercy as the Mantises closed in with some screaming for help desperately.
One main raised his hands in surrender and said, "Please! I have family! I'll do anything! Just spare me!"
04 stepped closer and crouched before him. She looked at his tear-filled eyes.
"Mercy?"
"That's not part of the plan."
The man's scream was cut short as 04 pierced his heart with her dagger. She rose without a second glance and moved to the next room.
Meanwhile, 03 just watched as his mantis dismembered another tamer.
The man's cries grew weaker with each cut until he finally fell silent.
03 turned and walked away. He walked without a care in the world, without any emotion.
The facility soon fell into silence as hours passed. Bodies were scattered across the halls and their lifeless eyes stared blankly at nothing.
Blood began to form a pool and seeped into the cracks in the floor. The once-bustling hub was now a graveyard.
03 and 04 stood in the center of the main hall. There were only 10 minutes before Lucius' control of them was released.
The assassins exchanged a brief glance and silently understood each other as they began to do Lucius' final mission.
They took out small vials of black and viscous liquid that were clearly poison.
The poison had been given to them by Lucius as a failsafe to ensure they left no trace behind.
03 opened his vial and looked at 04. 04 also looked back at him after opening her own vial.
Both of them then said, "For Lucius."
They raised the vials to their lips and drank the contents in one swift motion.
The effect was immediate. Their bodies began to tremble and black veins spread across their skin as the poison took hold.
The Shadow Mantises let out low, chittering sounds before dissolving into shadows.
Their existence was tied to their masters. If their masters died, they died.
03 and 04 collapsed to their knees. Their faces remained expressionless, even when their bodies began to dissolve into a dark, viscous substance.
They were gone and erased from the world. They left nothing behind.
Only faint scorch marks on the floor where they had knelt were left.
The facility was silent once more. It was all thanks to the assassins that Lucius had controlled.
The Kryndal training hub's legacy, which was one of Kryndal's most important assets, had ended.