Divine Beast Ascension

636 Battle for Prodson Palace

Of course, Leader Rokkal noticed the cocky, scheming grin on his son’s face. “If you’re so happy to die, then just kill yourself already! Stop wasting my time!”

The three assassins parted to give the incoming Rokkal a free path forward. They shook their heads to forcibly stop thinking about Rofar’s strange smile. Instead, the three of them started to focus on Captain Khas and the drake.

Chrrring! FRRRIP! Splat…

“Oh? You saved your life, just barely… Not bad.”

A clash of battle and a splash of blood… Both sounds appeared from behind the assassins, sending shivers crawling up their spines.

“HOW ARE YOU HERE?!!”

Rokkal stopped his sprint to fully face his new opponent. And Rokkal’s overboiling anger had immediately been reduced to a simmer. Because, despite Rokkal’s shock and newfound frustration, Rokkal knew that survival was officially on the line.

The territory advisor also stopped running, speechless.

Unwilling to look away from Rofar, the low-perennial assassin nudged the early-perennial beside him. “Tell me what’s happening!”

.....

“VLOZ! DEAN VLOZ?!” that early-perennial cried and shivered.

“Hiddar! Stop Rofar while I deal with this cowardly cat!” Rokkal shouted while leaping straight for the leopard. Powerful, pulses of wind and earth essence erupted from Rokkal as he readied his saber and hammer.

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At the same time, the feline figure faded out of existence as the saber slashed through it. Vloz’s voice drifted from the territory leader’s side, “Already critically injured and you think there’s hope of survival? … Pride truly enables the foolish.”

The territory advisor quickly nodded and rocketed away in a burst of lightning. Hiddar was grateful for the diversion. And Hiddar was most glad to get away from the leopard assassin.

That was the moment that the true battle broke out. Everyone bolted into action!

Rofar leaped forward with a saber in one hand and a hammer in the other. Both weapons were arching toward the low-perennial assassin in search of a free strike.

All three assassins backed off while banding together. Dark and earth essence appeared around the two, early-perennial assassins.

Wind gathered around the low-perennial to guide his feet away, narrowly and expertly evading Rofar’s charge. “Advisor Hiddar, I’ll assist you!”

Despite how much the low-perennial didn’t want to face Rofar, he understood that victory and survival were only possible if he joined Hiddar in battle. Then, as soon as Rofar was killed or gravely injured, the low-perennial could flee. And that needed to happen fast! Before there were any chances of Vloz finishing off the territory leader and coming for everyone elses’ heads!

‘Take the dark assassin. I’ll handle myself against the earth assassin.’

Just as a Khas drew his sword, he felt a draconic hand slap his back and heard a voice inside his head.

So, the captain didn’t waste time with questions. Khas clad himself with wind as he stormed after his pre-selected opponent.

Crunch…

A flying wind blade blew past the dark-wielding assassin, barely missing the assassin’s torso. That assassin groaned in displeasure as he was forced to accept the captain’s charge in some way, whether with an attempted retreat, cautious evasion, or blocking the threat outright.

As the earth-wielding assassin was left alone, he was the only Prodson supporter left feeling relief. All he had to do was kill the drake and his escape was certain!

Construct shortswords appeared in the assassin’s hands as he threw himself toward the drake. His early-perennial aura was evident.

But Oli was unfazed. With a smirk, Oli telepathically said, ‘I’ll create a window of opportunity. So act fast when it comes.’

A slew of shadow tendrils rushed toward the incoming assassin from both sides. When the assassin’s construct swords hacked through them, another, thicker flood of shadow tendrils appeared from both the ceiling and the floor, entirely blocking the man’s view for a moment.

Still, the tendrils were no match for the earth essence swords of the early-perennial. The tendrils were ripped and torn asunder with the next few swipes.

“You’re just a mortal!” that assassin cackled. His feet landed only three steps away from the drake, leaving the beast just outside the reach of the assassin’s swords. “As a perennial, I’ll put you in your place and claim vengeance for my fallen comrades!”

Oli rushed backward with help from his wings and his speed-boosting battle art. He watched as both construct swords grew in length, narrowly missing Oli with the next swing.

“Is a noble, draconic beast retreating?!” yelled the assassin. “Either turn and flee or die by my hand!”

Oli cracked a sly smile in reply, “Sounds to me like you lack battle experience after spending your life as a coward killing from the shadows, hoping only for a chance to flee.”

That calm retort infuriated the assassin. With a furrowed, half-twisted brow, the early-perennial lunged forward again. While swinging his swords, this time the assassin also raised stone walls to cut off the drake’s backward retreat.

But Oli could predict such a tactic with his eyes closed.

Leaping upward, Oli used his claws to cling to the corner between two stone walls and the ceiling. His lethal leer never left the lunging assassin. And his sly smile never wavered.

“Come here! I’ll give you some true battle experience!”

Of course, the assassin had battle experience. But after relying mostly on cultivation from cores and funding from assassin jobs, it was hard for the early-perennial to feel safe while an infamous, peak-perennial leopard was just down the hall.

All the earth-wielding assassin wanted was to flee. And having his true motive called out so bluntly, by a mortal no less, was aggravating and thoroughly provoking.

So, the early-perennial leaped after the drake. The assassin’s mind raced, thinking, *Kill him and go. Just kill the drake and run!*

Suddenly, an ethereal miasma appeared on top of the drake’s murky, black essence armor. And more shadow tendrils erupted out of the corner’s shadow, threatening to latch onto the assassin and slow him yet again.

*Soul assassin!* the early-perennial instantly adjusted his thoughts, preparing to extend his construct swords yet again. *Don’t get too close, or escape will be impossible!*