"Leave a few alive to question later" Ann added, looking right back into the leader's eyes.

It didn't seem like a coincidence for the assassins to show up on the exact day the Nero mercenaries delivered the relic at the headquarters and blow the building into smithereens.

The assassins knew about the relic. Clearly, it was a premeditated event.

Although they could have vanished right after retrieving the prize, they single-mindedly targeted her and even risked exposing themselves to the public eye. The presence of the Frost Knights in addition to that was an even more ominous sign.

But still, there was always a way to make the best out of the worst situation.

"I've been looking forward to this for a very long time"

It was a long-due rematch Angelica had been waiting for, ever since the fateful night at the cliff of Mount Zion.

Back then, owing to the presence of the Frost Knights she was unable to act on the spot. Because the slightest mistake could have made the novel run haywire.

It was not a critical point, Angelica couldn't afford to mess up.

The stereotypically handsome lunatic was the worst part of it. Just remembering his smile was enough to send a creep down her spine.

Had she not followed his commands, that psycho would have killed all the Frost Knights and the maids that accompanied her.

It may have been the circumstance that tied her hand then. But now, there was nothing between her and her sword that was about to tear them to pieces.

All Ann has to do was clean up the masked menaces before the Frost Knights arrive at the scene and vanish without leaving a trace.

Since the road to the square was blocked by the buildings that collapsed from the bombings, it would buy them enough time to accomplish the task.

With a snap of the head assassin's fingers, one of his lackeys stepped forward and threw a fireball at Ann, to finish what they came for.

*slash*

The assassins froze like a stone stunned. They looked at each other, having not expected Ann to cut the fireball in half.

"What? Didn't see that coming?" Ann smirked, taunting them to come at her.

If it were a normal sword she would have been incinerated by now. But, the male lead ending OP weapon that once belonged to the Hero of Orion was an entirely different story.

"This much is nothing" Loki scoffed, amused by the priceless reaction of the dumb mages.

The weak attacks of the half-baked mages were nothing compared to what he had seen in his glory days.

"Well if you couldn't take this much. I would've sold you for a pack of sour candy" Ann muttered and proceeded to cut down the multitude of fireballs aimed at her.

In order to conceal his existence, Ann had instructed Loki not to talk in the presence of strangers with the exception of only the Nero mercenaries.

For Ann, the sword was an excellent piece of weapon that one could obtain except for the spirit that came attached to it.

If word were to get out about her waltzing around with a sarcastic sword, it would put yet another burden on her head.

Thus the fewer people knew, the better.

"Now then. Let's go hunting"

*bang* *bang* *bang*

Fireballs rained down causing the trio to split in different directions.

Noah and Oliver converted into their beast form and charged at the assassins using their claws to rip them apart.

The major difference between Knights and mages was their ability to withstand for longer durations in battles.

For Knights, who train day and night, it was not much of a concern compared to mages who are physically in a lesser stance.

Beastmen, being strong as they come, have high physical stamina that couldn't be compared with humans much less the mages.

On the other hand as mages specialized in long-range attacks, they were less adaptable on the battlefield.

If the Nero mercenaries were to physically take them out, they would be able to win against the assassins without much of a hassle.

With a kick, Noah sent two of the assassins flying in the air.

*thud* *thud*

"Ugh!"

"Oww!"

The assassins crashed on the cold ground and grunted in pain from the impact.

"Why are they so weak?" Noah complained and pounced at another assassin who was in the middle of creating a fireball.

*thud*

It was his first time fighting against mages. Yet somehow it reminded him of the goblins that ambushed the entourage on the way to Parthellam. Similar to the goblins, they were large in numbers but easier to kill.

Even the ogres were better compared to them.

Behind Noah, Oliver raised the assassin he had caught by the neck and suspended him in the air as the latter squirmed.

"Stop shaking like a wet dog" Oliver shook his head in disapproval.

Noticing the opening in his defense, another assassin sneaked up from behind and shot at him, only to be intercepted by a quick slash of Ann's sword.

"Thanks" Remarked Oliver with a bored expression.

He too was disappointed by their poor performance and shattering his long-held dream of fighting against mages.

"Pleasure to be of service" Ann bragged with a smug face as three masked men converged behind her.

"Heads up!" Oliver hollered and threw the assassin he was holding onto the others like a frisbee, knocking them down as a whole.

"Score!" The duo high-fived each other before going on their separate ways.

*slash* *slash*

"Where did he go?" Ann clicked her tongue and looked around in search of the head assassin.

Countless masked men lay sprawled all over the city square but the person she wanted was nowhere to be seen. Right after the fight started, he had disappeared from sight.

No matter how many of them they were able to take out, it seemed that more emerged from the streets to add to their number.

While she was contemplating on what to do, a fireball flew towards Ann aimed at her face.

"Whoa!" Ann ducked down, missing it by seconds.

'That was close' She heaved a sigh and looked in the direction the fireball came from.

"Noah!" Ann grumbled, glaring at him.

It was the assassin he was restraining in a chokehold that shot the fireball at her.

"Sorry!" Noah apologized, awkwardly waving his hand at Ann.

Ann shook her head and got on her feet. It was not the time to lose focus. The tips of her robe were burnt by the fireball that nearly roasted her.

"Ow!"

Then almost immediately stumbled on something that was on her path. The source of it was none other than the Orion relic the assassins had stolen from the merchant headquarters.

'Did they steal it to leave it?' Ann tilted her head confused.

After going through so much pain to steal the relic the masked assassins had left it in the opening for anyone to take.

Seeing the relic tightly bound by rope an idea popped into her head.

Back when Eunseo was in high school, she had seen the live broadcast of the Winter Olympics on the television during dinner.

Of all the competitions that were being held, the one sport that caught her undivided attention was the hammer throw. It was fascinating to see the athletes rotate the metal sphere attached to a chain in a circular path before releasing it onto the field.

And now, in place of the spherical metal ball, there was the metal box and instead of the chain, there was the rope.

Taking a few steps back from the relic, Ann placed her sword on the sheath, removed the burned robe, and threw it in the face of a nearby assassin.

"This damn thing better save the world!" Ann grunted as she pulled on the ropes, moving in a circular motion, gaining momentum in the process.

In a matter of seconds, she was able to lift the relic from the ground.

"I got it" Ann's eyes lightened up, satisfied that her plan had worked.

She made a mental note to boast about her achievement to Gilbert the next time she saw him, for always hanging on top of her head just because she skipped a few lessons.

"Noah. Oliver. Move out of the way!" Ann yelled, loosening her grip on the rope.

Following the circular trajectory, the relic swung towards the assassins taking out more than half of them in a single move.

'Oh no... I'm losing grip' Ann grunted, struggling to maintain her hold on the rope.

"Careful, you maniac!" Oliver cried out, jumping over the rope as the relic crashed into the Theodore statue decapitating it in the process.

*bang*

'Maybe I should leave out a few details when I meet the old man...'

Opposed to what Ann had estimated, it wasn't as easy as it seemed. Holding onto the rope felt like controlling a wild bull that was going on a rampage.

*BANG*

When Ann let go of the rope, the relic crashed into the wall taking out one of the assassins who were unfortunate enough to be standing in the way.

"Ooo... That's gotta hurt" Ann winced, feeling pity for the man.

Although her hands were burning from the rope, it was worth the effort. Her stunt had thinned the herd to an extent that only a handful of men was left standing. If they were to keep up the pace, it wouldn't be long before all the assassins were wiped out.

Just as Ann relaxed a bit, a big ball of fire flew past her face as if a reminder that the game was far from ending.

The head assassin had finally returned, mimicking the actions of the boss character in video games, appearing right after all his minions were wiped out.

In his hands was a ball of fire the size of a basketball as Ann reached for her sword.

*slash* *slash*

Sparks flew as Ann mowed through the fireballs launched towards her as she got closer and closer to the head assassin.

'I'm coming for you creepo. Just a little more...'

Once she catches him, the fight between the two sides would come to an end and their old score would be settled.

Suddenly the head assassin stopped attacking, inadvertently urging Ann to pause.

"?"

Disregarding her presence, he was intensely staring at something on the side of the road.

'What is he looking at?'

Ann followed his line of sight to find a little boy hiding beneath the bouquet stand arranged in front of a flower shop.

The little boy was trembling in fear, clenching his hands over his ears with his eyes closed.

"No..." Ann alternatively looked between the assassin and the little boy.

'He wouldn't...'

Ann's heart started beating fast, hoping to avoid the worst.

But contrary to her wishes, the head assassin fired a ball of flame aiming at the little boy. It was a foolish act to have expected morale from a person like him.

"NO!"

Ann's body had moved on its own as she flung Loki towards the fireball in an effort to dispel it midway.

"Eeep!!" Yelped the little boy, feeling the tremors of the battle taking place at the city square unaware of the danger headed his way.

Tears the size of bullets streamed down his eyes, as the fireball got closer and closer. Right as his vision was blinded by the bright light, a sharp blade pierced it and observed the fire before jabbing into the wall beside his face.

*thunk*

"Sup' kid" Loki tried his best to console the boy.

In spite of Loki's good intention to calm the child, hearing the sword that almost killed him talk, was enough to snap the last string of courage he was holding onto.

"Waah!!" The little boy broke down in tears unable to contain his fright.

Fortunately, his voice had alerted the owner of the shop. An old lady opened the door and ushered the little boy inside to safety once she saw him hiding under the bouquets.

"Phew..." Ann sighed in relief, placing a hand on her chest.

It felt as if her heart was about to jump out.

In a moment of self-reflection, she understood what Bea had felt like every time she returned home dead drunk.

While Ann was distracted by the scene, the head assassin used the opportunity to get closer to her without her knowledge.

However, he had underestimated Ann's internal instincts which acted faster than the speed of light.

He was about to hit her in the back of the neck when Ann caught his hand, similar to the way she had seized the man who tried to stab her earlier.

Unlike the other guy, the head assassin was swift to act and broke out of her hold before she could incapacitate him.

A full-on brawl broke out between the two, each trying to get the upper hand against their adversary.

The head assassin somehow managed to stand toe to toe with Ann.

'He's not bad...'

Surprisingly he was good at hand-to-hand combat compared to the lackeys who passed out with a single knock on the head.

"Uhhh!" Ann felt a stinging pain in her chest.

For some reason, Ann was starting to feel tired. Her body was steadily draining of energy when she needed it the most.

As the brawl escalated they were tied in a knot, strangling each other, neither willing to let go.

While fighting off the head assassin, Ann reached for his mask to expose the face of the person who pushed her off the cliff.

'Got it'

Once she caught hold of the mask, Ann kicked him with all her might, both of them falling in opposite directions.

*rip*

"Haa... Haa..."

At that moment, Ann felt something break inside her. Unconsciously her hand around her neck to find it completely empty.

"My necklace!" Ann exclaimed, noticing the gold necklace dangling from the head assassin's hand.

Nevertheless, the feeling was short-lived when she recognized the face of the familiar person holding the necklace.

"You..." Ann's eyes widened.









Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, an army of Knights dawned with the emblem of the Silver Wolf marched towards the square clad in armor.

"What a mess..." Spoke a deep virile voice standing at the front hold.

"Your Grace"

A Knight stepped forward and asked him bowing,

"Shall we proceed?"

"Yes" answered the man, as his blood-red eyes narrowed on the women in the distance.

"Looks like we're right on time"