Chapter 130

"You look like something straight out of a nightmare."

Asuka narrowed his eyes. Seeing him up close, he appeared even more menacing. Clearly, with his superior height, he would be a tough opponent to face.

A strong and merciless enemy. A man who wouldn't hesitate to kill three young boys. A shiver ran down Asuka's spine.

'I could die if I make a mistake.'

Asuka reviewed his plan. Despite the overwhelming tension, he still managed to smile. The fear of death couldn't overpower him.

"One bold kid here."

Pacho was also smiling.

No matter how prestigious the Greta Academy's martial arts students were, they were just three 15-year-old boys.

If Pacho couldn't handle them, he wouldn't have belonged to the Hawk Eye.

Pacho was a veteran with countless real combat experiences. This situation wasn't ideal for showcasing his assassination skills, rather it was a disadvantage.

He was pressed for time, and his targets were alert and in their right minds.

What he needed to do was to dispatch them quickly and efficiently.

He had made arrangements for their target's destination, so even if he managed to return, he would be weakened.

Witnessing the bodies of his friends would surely cause a crack in even the most steely of resolves, especially since they didn't seem to abandon their friends easily. It would be a significant emotional and physical shake-up, creating an opportunity for Pacho to strike. That was his method of hunting his targets.

'But, I don't necessarily have to kill them all.'

Pacho preferred to minimize complications.

"Hmm, how about this? I have a proposal for you."

"What's your proposal?"

Asuka quickly asked. The other two were too tense to speak up.

Pacho smirked.

"If you leave this commoner here and back off, I'll spare the other two nobles."

Asuka's expression hardened. He seemed conscious of the two behind him. Naturally suspicious, Asuka knew if the weaker two attempted to backstab him, all his plans would be for naught.

Pacho, with his devilishly androgynous voice, was persuasive.

"How about it? Noble young masters. Handing over one commoner to save two noble lives shouldn't require much thought. After all, the life of a noble and a commoner aren't weighed on the same scale!"

That was largely true, at least until they joined Greta Academy.

However, hearing an assassin say this somehow made the previously normal thought process seem objectionable.

James and Andro's faces hardened.

"There's no need to doubt. We at Black Hawk don't harm nobles without cause. I'm offering you gentlemen an opportunity. An important choice in life!"

His voice dropped ominously.

"Being weak isn't a sin. The choices you make when your life is on the line aren't sins either. Now, it's in your hands, young masters. Live or die!"

Pacho enjoyed seeing the ugly side of humanity. If the two noble academy students abandoned the commoner, it would be an amusing outcome for him. A real example of pragmatic friendship.

Asuka snorted. The assassin sounded more like a salesman, speaking enticingly.

Feeling slightly anxious, he nevertheless asked nonchalantly.

"So, Andro, James, what do you think? Will you hand me over and return to your comfortable lives?"

His tone was accusatory, suggesting they couldn't possibly sleep peacefully after making such a decision. But his worries were unfounded.

"Of course not. How could we believe that?"

"Don't underestimate the pride of a sword family!"

The former was James, the latter, Andro. Andro's statement was more impressive, making James feel somewhat embarrassed.

'Kids these days. Ah well, if we die, we die!'

If they were meant to live, they would; if they were meant to die, they would. All that was left was to struggle. James raised his sword.

"No matter what you say, it doesn't matter. If you're going to fight, then bring it on!"

His bravado exceeded his actual skill. Pacho clicked his tongue.

"Young ones really don't know the value of their lives."

A sharp dagger appeared in his hands. Dual dagger skills were Pacho's forte.

"It's too late for regrets now. You've chosen death, so I'll make sure you pay the price!"

He lunged towards the three boys. The battle had begun.

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The large rock hill was no longer aptly named. The massive rock had fallen, and its collision with the ground shattered part of it, sending dust flying.

At the edge of the collision point, near where the rock's head had been before it fell, broken pieces of rock piled up like a tombstone.

As if devoured by the loud noise just moments ago, the area was now enveloped in silence.

Then, a scraping sound was heard, and a large rock was flung aside, rolling on the ground.

A hand emerged from where the rock had been, followed by more rocks tumbling down.

Helmut crawled out from the rubble, exhaling in relief.

"That was close."

It was the first time since being chased by Nahoh in Pache's Forest that his heart raced so fiercely.

He had learned not to be overconfident.

Why take such risks? Was it out of arrogance, wanting to complete everything perfectly?

Or had he become more human, unable to leave a friend to die because of him? If that was the reason.

Helmut pulled Dino from beneath him. Still unconscious, Dino was relatively unharmed, aside from the previously severed finger.

Being crushed by a person is better than being crushed by a rock, after all.

It was probably for the best that Dino was unconscious. Witnessing the event could have caused a panic.

There were plenty of mages at the academy to heal minor injuries.

"My hand hurts."

Helmut finally sheathed his sword, which he had been gripping painfully.

As the rock fell, Helmut had drawn his sword while simultaneously grabbing Dino.

He couldn't escape the collision entirely, but at the edge, he managed to shatter part of the rock with his sword.

That was Helmut's plan in that instant.

It was the most uncertain plan he had ever concocted. After all, he had never split a rock before, only people.

"What matters is that it worked."

He was covered in wounds. No major injuries, but numerous scrapes and bruises ached.

His energy was significantly depleted. Burning the magical energy and shattering the rock had taken its toll. Maybe a little more than half was left.

Yet, he didn't think he would lose to Pacho. It wasn't arrogance.

"Now to deal with that pervert. I wonder if those kids are alright."

Having rescued Dino, Helmut, with Dino in tow, glanced back at the rock.

He could guess how the massive rock had fallen. The rock had already been unbalanced, and the magic maintaining its balance had been withdrawn.

"A lackey, perhaps?"

He hadn't sensed anyone, but Helmut had been focused on dispelling the magical energy. It wouldn't be strange if he hadn't noticed someone approaching from behind the rock.

The person was likely not skilled enough to approach Helmut and stab him.

Otherwise, they would have taken advantage of the moment Helmut was focused on Dino to attack.

'There's no time to waste.'

Helmut immediately leaped up, heading back to the campsite in the same way he came. It would take a bit longer than the journey there.

He hoped Asuka, James, and Andro could hold on until then.

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"Ugh!"

James cried out as his shoulder was slashed. Sharp pain surged through him.

James was already soaked in blood. The dagger had sliced through various parts of his body, bleeding profusely. Watching from the side, Asuka and Andro were horrified.

"Quite the drama queen, young master."

Pacho licked his lips, enjoying the blood's scent. The fresh scent of his prey's blood and their moans were all satisfying.

This mission was a rare opportunity to kill nobles. He had offered them mercy, only to be rejected, so what choice did he have?

'It's not just for fun, even if there's a time limit.'

It wasn't solely for enjoyment. With the three forming a defense, and despite being weaker, Pacho couldn't just rush in.

Though they hadn't practiced together, the trio's coordination, honed by daily training, was solid. But Pacho knew how to deal with them.

'Attack the weakest point, and the formation collapses.'

Pacho immediately identified the weakest among them: James.

He blatantly targeted James, seizing every opportunity to strike with his dagger.

A second-year academy student couldn't fully block a first-class mercenary's dagger.

James, battered from multiple hits, resembled a living piece of meat.

'This won't do.'

Asuka frowned. About ten minutes had passed, but time seemed to drag. Even if Helmut ran back as fast as he could, he wouldn't have returned by now.

Given Pacho's actions, he must have planned something for Helmut too.

They had to figure out how to defeat Pacho on their own, just in case.

Pacho took a moment to breathe. He knew how to control his pace, switching from relaxed to aggressive in an instant.

Each time, his attacks effectively targeted James.

Whether it was reflexes or technique, the difference was stark. Although Asuka was somewhat quicker, it was impossible to cover for everything.

'If this continues, James won't be able to fight any longer.'

He was already in a precarious state. With continued bleeding, James visibly weakened.

Weakness in the body leads to weakness in the mind. Fear crept into his eyes.

If James collapsed, their formation would shatter. The assassin wouldn't miss the opportunity to strike.