The Tomb's gates groaned open, coughing out a mist that stank of death. Russ stepped into the cold night air, the Bloodbane Seal burning against his chest like a second heart. Every breath felt heavier, his veins humming with fused Blood and Shadow Qi.
The valley below was bathed in silver moonlight—beautiful, until you noticed the silhouettes.
At least twenty assassins, all wearing the obsidian armor of Ravien's Blades, stood in a wide crescent. Their eyes gleamed faint red—bloodlust, but not their own.
Russ didn't need to ask who sent them.
The lead assassin stepped forward, twin curved daggers spinning between his fingers.
"Orders are simple, boy—bring back your head, and the Seal."
Russ smiled, but it wasn't kind.
"Try."
---
The First Kill
The moment they charged, Russ vanished—Shadow Step—reappearing behind the leader. The scythe's blade split him from shoulder to hip in one fluid arc. Blood sprayed into the air—Russ absorbed it, his wounds knitting shut in seconds.
The others didn't slow.
---
The Blood Dance
Russ unleashed Crimson Mirage, duplicating himself into three afterimages made of pure bloodlight. They darted into the assassins, scythes cutting through armor like paper. Each kill sent red energy spiraling into Russ's core, feeding his Blood Surge until his speed was a blur.
But the Blades adapted fast—two slammed talismans into the ground, releasing Spirit Chains that shot up and bound his legs in burning light.
Russ growled. His shadow writhed like a living thing.
Shadow Eruption.
Dark tendrils burst upward, slicing the chains and impaling both assassins. They twitched once before the shadows dragged them into the earth.
---
Moon and Blood Clash
The remaining Blades circled, chanting in unison. The moon's glow sharpened into silver spears raining from the sky—Lunar Qi Piercing Formation.
Russ's Blood Qi flared outward, forming a Crimson Aegis to block the first wave. The impact rattled his bones. Too many hits like that and the shield would shatter.
He gritted his teeth. Fine. Then he wouldn't defend—he'd consume.
He let the spears pierce him—only for the wounds to gush upward, forming Blood Vortex Lances that shot back at the casters, skewering them through the heart.
---
The Last Stand
Only three remained. They were the strongest—qi radiating like burning steel.
They attacked together, forcing Russ into a storm of blades. He bled, shadows splitting and merging around him to dodge killing blows.
Then, he felt it—the Seal pulsing, whispering.
Russ roared, fusing both his energies once more—Bloodshadow Execution, but this time amplified by the Seal's power. The scythe became a streak of black-red lightning, cleaving through all three assassins in a single sweeping arc.
The valley went silent. The moonlight dimmed, almost afraid.
Russ stood among the corpses, the ground beneath him soaked and steaming. His chest heaved, but his grip on the Seal tightened.
Above, on the ridge, Ravien watched with a faint smile.
"Good. The boy's ready."