"For a petty coach! You're really something else to be able to detect my presence" A voice spoke amusedly.
"Petty coach? You know, you assassins do have a big mouth!" Rex sighed. This dude was literally calling a demi-god petty.
As the voice spoke, several dark tendrils of dark energy shot forward at Jefferson but before they could even get close to him, he disappeared from the spot and reappeared farther away while also dragging Seraphina and Rex away with him.
"Wow, so fast... it doesn't matter though!" The voice spoke again...
Jefferson steadied himself "What's your mission here, what do you want?"
A loud eerie laugh reverberated through the room, sending a chill down Rex's spine "What do I want you say? Well.....my money of course! They only tell me who to kill and I kill that person!"
"Oh... an assassin uh?" Jefferson replied and then casually put his hands in his pocket "This'll be enough for a warm-up!"
"You really think you stand a chance against me?" The assassin's voice drifted closer, the shadows around him writhing as if they were alive. Dark tendrils extended from the gloom, slithering like snakes toward Jefferson.
With a simple movement, Jefferson vanished, dodging the dark energy effortlessly, reappearing right behind Rex and Seraphina, pulling them back to a safer distance. "Stay out of this, kids. He's mine."
"Wow, so fast..." Rex muttered under his breath, wide-eyed. Seraphina stayed silent, her piercing gaze locked on Jefferson, clearly impressed by his speed.
"You fool," the assassin's voice came again, more frustrated this time. "You can run all you want, but you won't find me in the shadows." His dark tendrils lunged forward once more, this time with blinding speed, aimed directly at Jefferson.
Jefferson tilted his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Running? Nah, you're the one who's hiding." With a sudden burst of speed, he moved faster than Rex had ever seen, dodging the dark tendrils without even breaking a sweat. In a blink, Jefferson slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave through the floor. The very shadows themselves rippled as if disrupted by his sheer force.
"Found you," Jefferson said calmly.
From the trembling shadows, the assassin suddenly stumbled forward, his invisibility shattered by Jefferson's blow. His hooded figure became visible, his body encased in shadowy armor, and his eyes widened in shock. "How... How did you...?"
"Not so tough without your little tricks, are you?" Jefferson shot forward, his movements a blur of raw power and precision. The assassin barely had time to react as Jefferson's fist connected with his chest, sending him flying across the room and crashing into the far wall. The force was so intense that it left cracks in the stone behind him.
The assassin groaned, struggling to his feet, but Jefferson was already on him again, a swift kick to the gut knocking the wind out of him. The assassin coughed, gasping for breath. "Y-You... you're just a petty coach... how are you able to..."
Before the assassin could say another word, Jefferson grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground as if he weighed nothing. "Let me guess, you've never fought someone who can see right through your shadow tricks, huh?"
The assassin's eyes widened in disbelief. "You... you can see me? Even in the shadows?"
Jefferson chuckled, his grip tightening. "You forget who you're dealing with. Your little tricks are nothing against me."
Without warning, Jefferson slammed the assassin back into the wall, pinning him there. His eyes glowed as he examined the assassin with a cold, calculating gaze. The assassin flinched, his bravado crumbling under Jefferson's intense scrutiny.
"Now..." Jefferson said, his voice dangerously calm. "Let's see what's really going on here."
After some time, Jefferson turned to Rex "It seems Lord Valenbrrok is already after you now! There's also another one after Brenda! I'll go take care of that one! Watch over this body, you two!"
"B...Brenda? Why's she involved in this?"
"My dad wants to take over the wolf-fang guild but Voss wouldn't allow it... so they're at each other's necks now" Seraphina quickly explained.
"The Wolf-fang guild? You mean the one Brenda referred me to?" Rex asked.
"Yes..." Seraphina replied.
Rex's heart skipped a beat. His mind raced. "Brenda's in danger?" The words hit him hard, but he masked his worry behind a calm expression. He looked over at Jefferson, his mind made up. "No," he said firmly. "I'll be the one to find her."
Jefferson raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I can handle this."
Rex clenched his fists, his tone growing serious. "Brenda was the one who brought me into all this. She vouched for me. This isn't just about a guild rivalry; she's my friend, or so...I guess. I need to protect her."
Jefferson stared at Rex for a moment, his glowing eyes assessing the sincerity in Rex's words. After what felt like an eternity, he finally nodded. "Fine. You've got a point. But don't get yourself killed. Brenda's life isn't the only one on the line."
Rex smirked, determination flashing in his eyes. "Don't worry. I've got this."
With Jefferson's approval, Rex sprinted off without wasting another second. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, Brenda, danger, assassins but he knew he had to stay focused. He moved quickly, his footsteps echoing in the empty halls of the academy as he asked everyone he encountered about Brenda's whereabouts.
Each answer led him closer to her, and finally, someone mentioned seeing Brenda heading toward the deserted cafeteria with Magnus.
"That place?" Rex thought, his heart pounding faster. He broke into a full sprint, not caring who saw him.
When he reached the deserted cafeteria, the scene before him was worse than he imagined. Brenda was there, struggling on the ground. Magnus was slumped against the wall, unconscious, and standing over Brenda was the same assassin, this time with a dagger in hand, raised to strike.
The assassin smirked, his voice dripping with malice. "Time to finish the job." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
But just before he could bring the dagger down, a voice cut through the tension. "Not so fast."
The assassin's eyes flicked up in surprise, meeting Rex's smirking face as he stood in the doorway. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," Rex said, rolling his shoulders, a confident grin plastered on his face.
The assassin's smirk faltered. "You? What are you...."
Rex stepped forward, his gaze locking onto the assassin's dagger. "Let's just say you're about to have a really bad day."