Civil War - 5 (Kill Competition)

Robert began moving toward the basement. Felicia told him some minutes ago and could see the alleys filled with dead bodies from the ones wearing dark clothes specific for Dark Union to Vlad's soldiers, belonging to the Black Army.

The cries of war made his hairs raise up, a bit scared by this atmosphere where death was lingering around them, whispering his death chants.

As he moved to a safe location for Gif and Ramoth, another group of assassins appeared in his face, who charged at him without a second thought.

"Not again! Uncles, sorry for what's about to happen."

Saying that Robert prepared to take on this group of 6 assassins by himself, but a slight doubt concerning Gif and Ramoth was still there, unsure if they would solely focus on him.

Yet he heard another powerful voice, filled with energy, saying to him from the sky.

"Lay low, kid. I don't wish to get you in my attack range."

The moment he heard that Robert dashed close to a wall with Gif and Ramoth on his shoulders and looked with surprise at a blonde young man who held a spear in his hand, charging up with some sort of energy.

'I think I've seen him in the past. Right, the guard from the mining camp, Enjio.'

"[Piercing Rain]!"

The instant Enjio said that he began unleashing a torrent of strikes from the sky that flooded over the group of assassins.

"[Shadow Veil]" called out the assassins bringing a tiny portion of black smoke compared to Wincester's or Oliver's take on the skill.

"It's all useless, you damned rats. How many good people have lost their lives because of your cowardice and cheap attacks."

Just as Enjio said that in the sky, dropping on the ground, he began unleashing another wave of strikes on the assassins who covered themselves in their defensive ability.

Strike by strike, their dark smoke began dispersing and quickly leaving them unprotected, the point their cries of agony resounded in the alley.

"Curse you plebs. You will regret trying to fight Dark Union. Haha, I will see you in hell, you bastards." said one of the assassins, a final curse before a flying spear strike struck deep in his heart, almost leaving him impaled, while the rest followed along, breathing their last.

Enjio, who heard that stopped his strikes and exhausted breathing, said, looking at their pierced and impaled corpses, void of any life signs.

"As if a large organization would spend all their manpower to fight with the Might of Kaysang. We have His Royal Highness Vlad and Marshall Nius. Your organization will amount to nothing in the future if we are prepared for your arrival. With the genius of Admiral Patrick Cochrane, your ships will not be able to approach us one centimetre."

Robert, who moved toward Enjio to offer his thanks, met his hazel eyes and heard him say.

"Get moving, little Robert. General Gif and Vem's lives are far more important than some thanks. We'll meet each other soon, don't worry. Say what you want in that meeting."

Nodding his head, Robert took off, leaving Enjio behind, only focusing on the harbour zone, where the basement was located.

Enjio kept a straight expression, and grasping tightly on his spear, he said to himself.

"I wonder how many of those rats Anastas got. With this group, I got 64 marks. I really don't wish to lose the bet. I'll not kiss a pig ass even in death."

With that said, he began sprinting along the alleys in search of assassins, while on another zone of Dawn city, a blonde-haired young man who was holding a rapier in his hand was giving a helping hand to a team belonging to Brogg Regiment.

"[Moonlight Pierce]"

His long rapier blade began stabbing the assassins, even when they were using their defensive abilities.

He kept these strikes until one of the assassins couldn't hold on to his defense and jumped away with a [Shadow Steps] and appeared to the blonde man's side, moving to go stab him with a dagger covered in a green light, the [Snake Fangs].

"It's all useless, you parasite. I got accustomed to your abilities to the extend I even predict where you would land before you disappear from my view. It's almost like I become some prophet that I killed so many of you doing the same thing.

"[Moonlight End]"

Saying that Anastas, who had his body turned before the assassin appeared in his face, unleashed a strong thrust that seemed to give off some ray of light from the rapier's tip.

"How? The Dark Arts of the Union should be untouchable. Then how comes that a peasant from the South Sea can even compete against us?" said the assassins who found himself touching his stomach, which had a decently sized hole.

"I don't know anything about this [Dark Arts], but it seems quite strong, even stronger than my late master [Moonlight Swordsmanship], but you guys are just incompetent fools who probably didn't try to even study those techniques properly while I know my arts by heart and still have many things to improve each day."

The assassins noticed that Anastas prepared another to end him, making him look coldly at him and beginning to laugh like a crazy person.

"Haha, you might be right, peasant. But don't get arrogant believing that you won against us, the Union. You will never, ever win against the might of the Union."

"Pathetic. I heard this line so many times that I don't even care. Do you think we don't have our protectors? As much I hate to admit, Zagreus is as strong as Marshall Nius. He is a person destined to be king over many people, not just as the people of Kaysang. Don't wait for me in hell because I will be an ashen-haired old man when I leave this world." said Anastas, delivering the finishing blow to that assassin.

After that, he turned his head to the rest of the assassins and saw Black Army soldiers ending them.

"Ahh, I didn't end them myself! Hey you guys, you should leave them to me. I need to kill as many rats as possible."

"Sorry man, we saw an open window. Master Blood, ah, no, His Highness taught us to never leave a chance for the enemy to breathe.

"Tsk, he is correct. Still, I had to kill them. Hah, I'll just say those guys were my kill when I met that scumbag."

"Sir, we will go back to the camp and report our success. Good luck with your hunt."

Anastas, who looked at the soldiers picking the silver masks from the corpses of the fallen assassins, shook his head and moved to another location while wondering in his mind how many kills Enjio managed to get.

'I got 62 kills. I doubt that scumbag managed to hit the 60 marks. But better don't give him any chance and start hurrying."

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There were so many war zones in Sagletius that it shook every citizen, leaving them in fear, especially inside Dawn, which turned into full-scale chaos.

This caused the citizens of Dawn to be struck in a state of fear, the fear of losing their lives from the unknown enemy wearing masks.

"Run, we have to get to the harbour and go to Sol. Many people told me that Sol is the safest location in Sagletius, the city built by Blood from scratch." said one citizen with a panicked expression while holding the hand of a woman.

"Slower dear, I can't keep up with you."

"Please don't stop, love. We can't afford to pause here when those monsters butcher people at random, and it is unknown if they would target us next."

As the man said that, he saw the figures of some silver-masked, dark-clothed men who drew out their weapons prepared to kill him and his wife.

Grabbing his wife's hand hard and taking her in his embrace, he began running hard, but his expression paled when he heard a cold voice say to him.

"You are trying so hard for nothing. Embrace Death's grasp."

"NOOOOO!"

Suddenly, the man heard bodies drop behind him, which made him turn his head back with a confused, terrified and at the same time relieved.

"They are dead? But how? Love, can you see this?"

"Are we in Heaven?" asked the woman who had her eyes closed the entire time her husband had her in his embrace.

"No, we are still in Dawn. Ahh, we need to get to the harbour since we are one kilometre away."

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While the citizens went through total tragedies and heart attack inducing shocks, on the top of a large building in Dawn city, Prim, the Colonel of Black Army and leader of the marksman battalion, was the guardian angel of a vast majority of citizens who managed to get safe to the zone controlled in totally by them, starting from the harbour area to some shops in the vicinity.

He had around him 6 snail dials constantly functioning and hearing the voices of his man telling him the locations were not watched by their sight.

"Boss, right on the entrance to our perimeter, I see a young man holding two guys on his shoulder, all of them bloody." transmitted one soldier of his battalion.

Turning his sight on the location the soldier referred after he shot dead three assassins on the backs of a man and woman, he could see a familiar face with the telescope.

"That's Robert, His Highness disciple. Watch him closely, and if some parasites jump him, open fire. Also, signal the ground forces to offer him assistance immediately."

"Roger."

After ending his transmission, Prim turned his sight a bit on the Royal Palace to check how the war was going in that direction and could only look coldly at the stalemate happening over there.

"Come on, you dumbass. Bolt, what are you doing at that gate? Have your men infiltrate and open the gates to the fortress walls if you can't open them with sheer strength.

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Back in time, with approximately 30 minutes before Prim had the chance to comment that, and where the sign of the war was only a sentiment.

Bolt, who had most of his men hidden around the zone the Royal Bridge connecting Sol with the Royal Fortress, looked at a beautiful woman that had tied white hair and military clothing, with a sniper rifle on her back and rapier on her side waist belt.

"Dutchess Sofiya, you say we should wait for the conflict to start from Dawn? With the old man opening the blow?"

"That's right, Bolt. You have to understand that our front isn't that important in the grand scheme. Grandpa Nius and Vlad are fighting the hardest wars. Yet Vlad told me to wait for Nius to give the signal for the war to start because his targets are Cranfon Oliver and Allestar Wincester."

Hearing Sofiya's calm voice and staring at her serene emerald eyes, Bolt, who was prepared to storm his way first and take all the bridge gates down, calmed this thought after listening to Sofiya.

"I understand, my lady. I will wait. Shouldn't you get prepared with the men under you?"

"I designated their tasks, and they will listen to their captain's orders, while I will act more independently and only take over the battalion when I need to. Why? Are you afraid I will take your spotlight?"

"Haha, no way, my lady. It will be a pleasure fighting alongside the future queen of Kaysang. A story worth so much gold that my descendants will keep telling this story about their peasant ancestor to all sort of noble houses."

Sofiya chuckled a bit and patted Bolt's shoulders while saying to him.

"Don't belittle yourself Bolt, no one cares you were a pirate in your early years. You only killed pirates, which is the reason Vlad gives you a chance to change your life. A peasant boy, you call yourself? But why do I only see a Colonel of Black Army, holding the fates of 3.000 of people in his hands?"

"Sigh, my lady, please don't inflate my ego, or I will even get guts to argue with boss." said Bolt to Sofiya, while his officers listening to their conversation began laughing a bit.

"Hmmm, I suggest you don't. Especially after the war because Vlad will be pretty irascible and easily annoyed. I know him quite well to tell you this. He will for sure find something to get pissed by after the war." added Sofiya, while looking calmly at the soldiers laughing at Bolt.

"What are you laughing at, you dumbasses?? Aren't you too, just some peasant boys who got the chance to change their boring lives by joining the Black Army?"

"Well, boss, you are right on that. So I will not comment on anything. Your Grace, I heard from some friends from the marksman battalion that you can beat Prim in marksmanship. Is it true?"

Sofiya looked at that officer, who seemed to hold the rank of Captain from his stripes, and with a slight smile, she said.

"It remains for you to judge how good I am. Why waste my energy on what I can do or can't do in terms of ability. However, I will say this. Everything you went by in training, I also experienced."

"No need to tell them this, my lady. If they want to remain frogs, let them be." commented Bolt while mocking his men before his expression turned serious as if he got a plan in his mind.

The instant he had that expression change, he got a dial snail from his pocket and called out some that responded immediately.

"What do you want, kid? Haven't your prince told you I have full autonomy to act as I wish." said an old voice that belonged to Admiral Patrick Cochrane.

"Wait, you annoying old man, don't close. Listen, I got an idea to make my entry in the fortress easily, but I need your help and that new cannon of yours."

"Go on, kid, I am listening. Better be a good idea, or I will beat you until you apologize for any of my wasted time." replied Patrick, in a calm tone, who seemed to be preparing for an interesting idea.

"Okay. You know about the Royal Fortress and how many gates I have to pass together with my boys to kill those bastards, yes?"

"Continue."

"Because it is unknown to me how fast those bastards can close the gates, I might only succeed in taking over the bridge, but the problem is the fortress which has 3 gates to access the interior part. Here comes your fleet that will help me with the gates, destroying them with your cannons. How does it sound, old man?"

"Decent. However, have you thought about the possibility of them having cannon installed on the walls? If you did, I need cover fire to focus on my job. But I will not be able to come to you immediately. I have to fight those noble fleets, and only after that will I make my way to you." replied Patrick in a casual tone before saying something that made Bolt silent.

"How long will your fight last?" asked Bolt, thinking about his plan.

"Should take me about 20 minutes to sink their fleet if everything goes as I planned. Otherwise, I can expect a 30-50 minutes battle. Kid, if you can resist that much and you still haven't opened the gates to the fortress, I will deliver my support."

"It is all good, geezer. I will cook another plan in the meanwhile."

The moment he said, he felt an earthquake unbalancing his footsteps. He didn't take long to command his men, who were taken by surprise too.

"Assault the bridge gates! Let those noble bastards know about Black Army's might!"

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A/N: The plays are slowly being played by all actors, where they will slowly set up the stage for the main actors who will close the play they worked so long to be on full display.

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Hope you liked this chapter and enjoyed so far the end of the volume.

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