Their arrival was so sudden that Kyle's blade slid to a bitter halt mere inches from its mark; he was forced to dart back into safety, the glow on his sword dissipating.
He frowned in annoyance.
He recognized the other assassin he had been fighting earlier, before the man fled, and Sebastian's own opponent was here.
'Did Sebastian lose?' He thought. It was a possibility, one he had considered, but did not want to think about too much at the time either.
If that were the case, it would complicate things for him. Even though he was confident in his abilities, Kyle was not confident in dealing with a core formation realm cultivator.
'Wait? He could have taken the opportunity while I was striking his teammate to try and kill me, I'm sure I had a lot of blind spots open to exploit.' Kyle thought casually while he put his guard up.
He then noticed the leader's weary appearance, tattered clothes, and deep gashes in different places around his body.
Regardless, attempting a simple strike at Kyle would not have taken much effort from him.
'Maybe he has something else in mind. Are they stalling? Never mind, I cannot pretend to comprehend an assassin's thoughts.'
His mind drifted back to the matter at hand. Sebastian's situation.
Luckily, the old butler appeared right after, walking briskly into the clearing, intending to walk closer to Kyle.
Nuna and Sebastian moved in unison; they stood on either side of their young lord, blades at the ready, their forms sharp and composed as they closed ranks beside Kyle.
"My apologies, young Lord." Sebastian spoke, "I was about to end him, and then he put up a wall of smoke between us before vanishing before my eyes."
Sebastian bowed low, offering his sincerest apologies to Kyle, who only nodded in response and then turned his eyes forward.
Between them stood the three assassins, all of them battered, bruised, motionless for a heartbeat, before the two fresh arrivals helped their wounded comrade to his feet.
It was very evident which was the losing and winning side.
It was an outcome the assassins had not been prepared for.
Between the three of them, their thoughts were churning so rapidly that beads of sweat began to collect on their bodies.
The leader, who was a core formation expert, was the most shaken of the three.
'Fuck that Von Gaussian brat! He said this was a simple assassination order for a useless aristocrat! All three of them are fucking monsters. Hell, I could not even land a clean hit on that old man. That old man is not so simple. If he wasn't here, I'm sure we could have dealt with the other two brats.'
He was right to be pissed.
Sebastian's clothes were still as crisp as they were, his figure so graceful, his breath so even, you would never guess that he had just been in battle a few seconds ago.
Even Kyle was surprised by the one-sided outcome.
The core formation expert made a decision.
'The money is just not worth it; we are fighting for our lives here, we have to withdraw.'
Looking at his two brothers, he nodded to them as a signal. They both understood his meaning.
With a swift, practiced grace, they began to back away, eyes still watching. They popped a bunch of smoke bombs for cover.
The trio melted into the underbrush before any further confrontation could unfold. Even though Kyle and co could still make out the silhouettes.
They could easily catch up to them if they tried to.
Sebastian exhaled sharply. "Young Lord? Should I give chase?"
Kyle's heart pounded with exhaustion. He eyed the forest's shadows, gauging the options available to them.
"No, there's no need," he said firmly. "We don't know how many more could be waiting. Let's move before another group finds us."
A tense silence followed. Kyle's gaze shifted to Nuna, caring hints of affection mingling with concern. "You handled your opponent flawlessly, even though he was a stage above you, up until he unleashed his demonic Qi. That was impressive."
He commented.
Nuna offered a tired smile, brushing a loose strand of blue hair from her face. "The assassin relies on raw speed and surprise. I held my center and turned his forward momentum against him. A calculated wrist-flick, a sidestep… one moment he had the advantage, and then he didn't."
Sebastian nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Precision and patience. Your trademark, as ever."
Kyle sheathed his sword with a slow breath, the dull thrum of his bruises reminding him of his own fatigue.
"We're good. Let's keep going before daylight fades… and before any other surprises find us."
He manifested a flying treasure; Nuna and Sebastian did the same. They could all use a single one, but the speed would be greatly reduced.
Using individual treasures would ensure that they traveled at the highest possible speed.
...
The night sky had long since swallowed the horizon by the time three streaks of light blurred into view across the Ravenshade domain.
With a final descent, they touched down in the broad gardens of the Ravenshade Manor.
The garden stirred at their arrival. Leaves rustled in the still air, the lanterns by the walkways flickering faintly.
Kyle's boots hit the gravel softly, his frame stiff with exhaustion, though his expression betrayed none of it.
Nuna alighted next, her balance pristine despite the faint bruises darkening her arm.
Sebastian's descent was as refined as the man himself, graceful, noiseless, like a feather settling on still water.
The manor's main doors opened before they could move further. Kyle's father emerged from within, not wasting a step.
His tall, austere figure framed by the light spilling from the hall, his presence alone carried an invisible weight. His gaze swept over them once.
"You returned a bit later than intended," he said, his tone calm yet probing.
Kyle spoke calmly, meeting the Marquis's eyes. "We... were delayed, things unfolded as expected, well, not everything went to plan, but mostly."
Kyle chuckled dryly, lifting the tattered ends of his once pristine robes. His father understood his meaning.
The Marquis's eyes lingered on Kyle, then on Nuna, taking it all in.
The faint smudges of dirt on their robes, the bruises not yet hidden by Qi circulation, the slight drag of weariness in their movements, none of it escaped him.
A subtle change flickered across his face, fleeting and nearly imperceptible, like a crack in winter ice.
For a heartbeat, the air shifted. A cold wind whispered through the gardens, rattling the branches, carrying with it the marrow-deep chill of his displeasure.
But just as quickly as it came, it passed. The Marquis straightened, the storm hidden once more behind his composed mask.
"Welcome back," he said evenly, his voice steady as stone, a warm, welcoming smile playing out on his features. "You have done well to return. Sebastian, I must commend you for keeping my son alive."
Sebastian stepped forward and bowed, his tone warm but deferential. "Lord. The young lord and Lady Nuna performed admirably, my lord. Even when the unexpected arose, they conducted themselves with distinction."
The Marquis gave no reply, only a quiet nod. His gaze rested on Kyle again, eyes like tempered steel, assessing not only the state of his son's body but the measure of his spirit.
Whatever he found seemed to satisfy him for the moment.
"Come inside," he finally said, turning with. "You must rest. Be at ease within your home. I will get all the details from Sebastian while you do."
Cassina spoke, indicating that Kyle did not need to make an immediate report to him. Kyle exhaled slowly, his guard easing for the first time since the day began. "Yes, father."
They walked in relative silence deeper into the mansion.
Once inside, they did not waste time on pleasantries. Kyle gave his father a respectful nod, and Nuna bowed to the man.
However, before they could separate, the Marquis spoke, "Oh, you will need these." Five bottles of translucent blue liquid flashed in his palms, and he handed them to Kyle."
"Greater healing potions." He exclaimed in surprise. Even though they had taken care of most of their bruises along the way with the potions they had on hand, Nuna and Kyle still bore visible, shallow wounds.
He only had normal healing potions on hand; these were considerably more expensive, and subsequently more effective as well.
Of course, there were still lesser healing potions, only capable of alleviating wounds or ailments.
You would not expect very much from these. The best they could do was ease pain and stop you from bleeding out.
But, they were still better than nothing.
"Thank you, Father." Kyle thanked the Marquis, who only nodded and walked on.
Meanwhile, Nuna and Kyle took a different route to Kyle's room.
'A long warm shower would help.' He thought. And of course, he had every intention of pulling Nuna along with him to bathe.