The shadowless assassin, Emmanuelle Chevron, was one of the main cast of ICUWSA and also the most mysterious person.
The only reason Kai knew about her past was because of the question he asked the author.
'How exactly did the shadowless assassin come to be?' and the answer was simple.
A young girl who got sold to the Lincoln family just so her father could have a connection with a Viscount family; after being maltreated for over ten years, she gained the courage she needed to end it all.
And soon she became a figure that sent fear to any enemy that stood in her path.
After gaining a celestial code she was known as The Shadowless Assassin.
That same harbinger of chaos was trembling in front of Kai.
Exhaling heavily, Kai sat on his bed and looked at the masked figure.
"Emma, right?"
Hearing her real name, Emma couldn't help but stutter. "I no longer go by that name," she said, her tone barely audible.
"Is that so? How should I address you?"
"I have no name."
'Sounds just like her.'
[Feels like you are seeing your children right before they grow.]
Kai's smile widened at Alpha's words. "Sion."
"What?"
"Your name is Sion, don't you like it?"
"It isn't as if I don't like it but you aren't my master." She said trembling vigorously while clenching her fists.
"And who says I want to be your master."
"Huh... I thought.."
Relaxing his posture Kai said while looking at the ceiling. "Must you have a master?"
"Yes, that's my..."
Kai's gaze darkened. "Do you know what I hate the most? Someone who isn't free; they remind me of a part of myself I would rather leave forgotten." He paused. "So answer me: do you want freedom?"
She remained silent for a moment, her trembling body slowly becoming still. She wasn't sure who the young man was or why her young master wanted him dead, but something told her this man was anything but normal.
If this was a chance.
If this was how the gods decided to answer her prayers.
Even if it meant her doom, she wanted to grab hold of it.
The faint thread that the man had let loose was endless, and it felt like it could swallow the world.
She knew she wasn't in her right mind; the raging worms still clawed inside her.
"If you trust me, you can drop the mask."
Without any hesitation, she put her hands on her face and removed the black demon-like mask with two horns.
Long black hair, green eyes, elf-like ears.
Like every member of ICUWSA's main cast, she was stunning.
"Do you prefer Ivy or Sion?"
"Maybe Ivy." She said, her face a little flushed.
"Ok, Ivy." Kai added. "I can see you have a lot to think about. I will be waiting downstairs." He said as he dropped a glass bottle on the desk and left.
The last thing he could see as the door shut was Ivy opening the bottle and the loud sounds of weeping.
*********
[You didn't have to do that?]
'Why?'
[She could have still been free either way and you spent your ability point on the potion.]
Kai lingered for a moment, a cup of water clenched in between his palms. 'You could say, I saw myself in her."
[I have told you over and over again don't let your emotions cloud your judgement.]
'I didn't.' He sat on one of the leather chairs in the castle's smaller living area. 'I never let my emotions cloud my judgement.'
[Then why did you....]
'You have figured it out, right?'
[No way…?]
Kai chuckled confidently. 'I'm a genius, aren't I?'
[You thought that far ahead?]
'Yes, as things stand now, we don't have any money, vespers or a big organisation backing us, and I still know nothing about the Vanguard family.'
[So you plan on using the shadow girl to get things done while you are at the academy?]
Kai nodded. 'Though I still wanted to make her free, maybe because her backstory annoyed me when I read it.'
[You're really a fanboy, aren't you?]
'What's so bad about that?'
The sound of loud steps made Kai's eyes drift towards the door of the room as a figure clothed in a large black shirt entered.
"Isn't that my shirt?" Kai asked springing to his feet.
"Yes, my liege, I thought that it would be rude to appear with that vile clothing."
Kai paused for a moment, visibly confused, as the female figure tilted her head.
"My liege?"
Snapping himself out of the trance, Kai looked at the figure, who was dressed in only his shirt and answered. "Can you not call me that?"
********
Kai stood by the side of the courtyard with his sword gripped tightly in his palms, his breathing stable and cold sweat dripping onto the floor.
Somehow, his male physique had begun to appear after only two days of doing the daily task.
Though it was still excruciating, he had to complete it or face death.
His muscles contrasted with each swing; each line of his firmly built abs moved with each strike.
---------
[CUBE INTERFACE]
YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE STRANGER SWORD DANCE HAS INCREASED
---------
Kai exhaled heavily, falling onto the cold stone floor.
With a single thought, a large water sack appeared in his hands.
"I'm happy I spent my entire points on this."
[Your breathing is stable; so is your core.]
'So how strong am I for an apprentice?'
[You are well above average, but the problem is you have no control over your ability.]
'That is something I can learn in the long run; no rush.'
Kai stood from the floor, dusting his trousers before picking up the tachi blade.
"Come to think of it, have you completed the sequence for the ability you said I will have to weave for the upcoming league?"
[Hmm... Around 87% completed.]
"That's good." He paused, staring blankly at the blue sky. "I wonder how Ivy is doing?"
[It has barely been two hours.]
"Don't forget that Rodri still attends this school; he might still try to find her."
[I guess you are right, but don't forget that once a raging worm dies, it is taken that the assassin has died, too.]
"That's true."
[Why don't you concentrate on the task at hand, weaving the blue flame ability?]
"Yes, ma'am."
**********
(Ivy's POV)
Since I knew myself, people have always treated me the same, nothing but a tool to use and dispose of.
Rodri Lincoln sent me to kill off the man who, according to him, mocked him, and I, as a slave, had no other option but to obey.
I was given every piece of information on my target, a striking, slightly pale-skinned man with cat-like ocean blue eyes and black hair.
He was said to be the weakest in the entire academy, and the mission was meant to be easy.
Maybe I hesitated for a moment; maybe I felt that the young man was similar to me, an outcast. I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice.
But now I'm grateful for that choice, because I went for that ridiculous mission; I met my liege.
I know he didn't do it out of total goodwill; he also had his own selfish reason for doing it, but at least he wasn't afraid to show it, nor did he act like a hero when he had bad motives; just two tasks, that's all he sent me.
One, I should look for a man called Sinbad in the cattle region of Olthia City; when I meet him, I should say only five words: 'At the end of the tunnel.'
Not like I understand it; after I say this, the man will take me into a money house and give me a large sum of money. Use that money to go to the largest auction that will happen in Olthia and bid on the third and tenth items.
The third will be a plain tachi blade and the tenth a worthless crystal. Once the two items are in my possession, I should leave and then shout at the front door; 'This item is what the heavens blessed.'
Two days later a group of people will approach me called the Asura; give them the crystal and tell them your superior sent you and he said they have to complete seven tasks.
If they are the Asura, they will smile and say nine tasks, hand the crystal to them and tell the leader to look for information on the Vanguard family and a group called Roleca.
"Though I don't understand any of these words or how my liege even knows them," I said, clenching my fists as I leapt from building to building. "I promise I won't fail you."
*********
(Later That Day)
"Achooo."
[Did you catch a cold?]
"Nah, maybe someone is talking about me."
[You are the weaver OF! life after all.]
"What does that mean?"
[Oh, nothing.]
Kai sighed. "Are you done?"
[Construction of weaving process complete.]
"So what now?"
[You have to do some craftsmanship if you want the flame ability.]
"Like with a needle and a thread?"
[No, with your fingers and a thread.]
"Let's get to work then."
7 HOURS TILL THE LOCK LEAGUE