"You don’t belong in this world, Shadow," he said. "Look around you. Look at the number of people moving through the streets, living peaceful lives, seeking protection from the strong, while serving them in order to have food on the table and a stable job."

"They are just ants. They don’t know how to climb the social ladder, and when someone tells them how to do it, they cry out ’impossible,’ revealing how poor-minded they are."

Zhan looked at him again. "But you’re not like that. You know it. Being here, taking care of this little town, is a constraint for you. You are talented, Shadow. You can be even more powerful! You just have to come to us. That’s all."

Maverick smiled. "Do you think your dark guild can compare to my true Masters? It seems to me that you have become really arrogant."

"No." Zhan raised his hand to stop him from continuing. "The dark guild is no longer what it used to be, when it was persecuted by all races. We are no longer the same."

"Even then, you couldn’t defeat us, let alone now!"

Maverick stared at him.

In part, Zhan was right. The time when the dark guild was persecuted by all races was over. Now they had the strongest alliances with humans and were a prominent organization comparable to the great ones of the world.

But...

"The darkness..." His expression changed to one of seriousness. "The darkness that surrounds you is not one that can be hidden forever, Zhan. That is not the darkness I want, and even if I did want it, I would seek it from Morgan; I would expand my own shadow to bring it! Because they were the ones who gave me a hand when everyone else hid theirs."

"Zhan, raise your sword." Maverick raised one of his daggers and pointed it at Zhan. "You are one of the most veteran assassins whom I have only heard legends about. But you have fallen low. Your curse... I want to see if it’s real!"

Zhan looked at him and sighed.

"The Shadow of Morgan, Maverick the First..." Zhan smiled and gripped his sword. "I’ve heard stories about you, too, which is why I wanted to give you a chance. You’re the most outstanding clean assassin the races have ever had; you’d be great in our hands. But..." He caressed his sword lightly and turned it slightly.

Suddenly, a bright light seemed to shoot out from the sword, heading toward the moon. But it happened so fast that by the time Maverick could react, his eyes were already blinded.

Suddenly, Zhan’s voice rang out. "A clean assassin will never match the powers of us, the Cursed Assassins!"

CLANK*

The sound of an impact echoed as Zhan’s sword struck Maverick’s crossed daggers.

Maverick’s body flew backward and slammed into the rubble of the old abandoned building.

"Oh..." Zhan smiled. "You’re really good, stopping my attack when your senses were blocked. It’s no wonder you’re the greatest Clean Assassin."

Maverick rose from the rubble and brushed the pieces of wood and stone stuck in his skin.

It was a single blow, and it didn’t even hit him directly, but the force and speed with which he slammed into the rubble was enough to make him start bleeding.

"So this is the strength of a Cursed Assassin..." He smiled with some mockery. "It’s not as amazing as I expected."

Zhan frowned. "What are you saying?" His words had not yet finished coming out when his sword had to move upward at great speed to stop an attack coming toward his eyes.

CLANK*

CLANK*

BOM!

Zhan’s body was thrown back with a speed incomparable to before. His old bones cracked, and he ended up hitting the wall behind him, leaving the mark of his body on it. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The shock overwhelmed his eyes, but he had no time to rest.

CLANK*

His sword once again stopped another attack.

"That speed..." His eyes flashed as he looked into Maverick’s red eyes, shining with a bluish tint. "Damn you, you’ve reached the pinnacle!"

Zhan was suddenly filled with absolute fear as Maverick’s teeth glowed in the moonlight and smiled at him.

At ridiculous speed, his body was subjected to continuous, powerful attacks that left him wounded all over.

’Shit, shit, shit!’ Zhan was forced to take a step back, in pain, and let go of some of his surprise attacks.

"HUAAAH!"

The cry was not one of pain, but of war. Suddenly, the "feathers" on Zhan’s clothing became covered in blood, as the blood gathered on his face began to run through his veins and leave his body to gather in them.

Then they became powerful surprise weapons that shot out at Maverick, forcing him to retreat and defend himself.

For a brief moment, the speed of a man who had reached the Pinnacle of Assassins was surpassed.

Zhan took advantage of this to orchestrate a major attack... He had changed his plans. He could no longer play games; he had to kill him!

The Pinnacle.

It wasn’t something just any fighter could achieve. It wasn’t a stage anyone could reach.

It was known as The Pinnacle or "The Assassin" because reaching it was extremely difficult.

His speed, reaction time, and power had reached a new milestone. Although being a clean assassin, he wouldn’t have any skills, it didn’t matter. Skills don’t matter when your strength and speed can overcome them.

Besides... never in history had a clean assassin reached that stage!

’Shit. Shit. Shit.’ Zhan wanted to rush his attacks because he was unfamiliar with that realm.

Even he, a Cursed Assassin, had not been able to reach that realm!

He didn’t know what a Pinnacle Assassin could achieve, could do. He only knew one thing.

His life was in danger. Perhaps it was difficult for a Cursed Assassin to die, but... against a Pinnacle Assassin, anything was possible.

Immediately, all the blood drained from his face; half of it turned white and pale, while the other half became dead and skeletal.

All the blood from his face flowed into his sword, which glowed with a demonic appearance.

"Divider Curse," he whispered and moved his right leg forward to take a step... when that step was taken, everything before him would die. No matter what it was.

Maverick, who had managed to escape the feather attack, stared intently at this attack.

It was the curse that had struck Zhan. Rumors say it was the result of a battle, but Maverick believes that someone gave it to him to deliver this final blow. He accepted it willingly, and it was not the result of a battle that was almost lost.

"A curse..." Maverick smiled.

It was dangerous.

In fact, it was too dangerous.

"But..." He gripped his daggers and made the same gesture as Zhan, lifting his right leg forward to take a step. "A shadow never dies."

Suddenly, both legs touched the ground at the same time.

SWOSH-

A flash. Both figures disappeared.