He's blatantly lying without batting an eye.
F_ck.
'An assassin?'
If there's "hostility" coming from someone in this situation, what other things could they be?
No, shouldn't they be after the MC's group that I had sent to another place? Why am I meeting an assassin like this?
My bad luck is simply impeccable.
"...Sure."
I answered with a forced smile.
Still, I think I can make do with this.
●
'This is easier than I thought.'
Hanzo thought as he looked at the student in front of him.
The man looked like an ordinary student without any particular features. It was foolish of him to be deceived so easily without having any doubt.
Of course, even a quick-witted person would easily fall for Hanzo's performance. So you really can't blame the kid.
Crescent Moon's Hanzo.
The head of this assassination squad.
He was a famous face-changing assassin, known for perfectly copying his victim's identities.
And his next target was this student.
'If I'm a fellow student, even that Lirielle girl won't expect it.'
He'd heard that an earlier team was already caught and wiped out by that devilish woman.
However, even such a human being should lower their guard toward a student.
Even now, Hanzo, disguising himself as a faculty member, had worked flawlessly on this student.
"So, this is the facility room."
Hearing this, Hanzo insidiously smiled on the inside.
Making this student 'guide' him was all for evaluating their skill.
A professional assassin, such as him, could easily figure out a person's level just by observing their movements.
This guy was a total noob.
KiIIing him is the same as butchering chickens.
'Yosh, let's seize this guy's body and kill Princess Lirielle.'
Info says that Princess Lirielle and the other students are gathered at the central hall.
Once they're distracted by his subordinates, it would be very easy to sneak in as this guy.
"Is that so?"
Hanzo smiled and pulled something out.
"You've worked hard. I'll give you a reward."
He lifted a blade and said it in a dreary tone.
Of course, the said reward was death.
At this point, the victims usually ask questions, then deny the situation, and finally panic and fear.
He enjoys such reactions the most—
"Ah, thank god, it's Hanzo."
"..."
However, the student in front of him just thanked god…
Obviously, this guy wasn't asking questions, nor was he panicked, let alone scared.
On the contrary, he's wiping his forehead with a sigh of relief like he just finished taking out the trash.
"It could have been dangerous if it was a half-strong guy, lucky~."
"... What the heII are you talking about?"
"I wasn't sure at first so I hesitated. And if I tried to fight a half-strong guy, it could've been really dangerous. I probably would've been jumped, wouldn't I?"
"What?"
"Rhinitis, shaking fingers, weird walk… it's relieving to see the habits I knew."
"...!"
Hanzo's face hardened.
This guy was also looking at him.
This was unexpected.
He was always hunting others, but now he was in a position where he was being hunted by his prey!
'I can't let this guy die easily.'
Hanzo has to make him spit out how he knew all that before killing him.
After vowing so, Hanzo rushed immediately.
Even if the other person knew all that, his combat power remains nil. Hanzo will finish him at one go!
"Let's see, Last Resort is at A Class…"
However, this guy was acting strange, mumbling unknown sounds despite Hanzo rushing at him.
He even picked up a stick on the ground nearby as if it would do something.
'Ridiculous!'
He sneered inwardly and swung his blade for a fatal blow.
However.
The scene that followed was completely beyond his expectations.
---
"What, you're nothing special like I thought?"
"Ye, yeah…"
No, that's because you guys are way beyond the student level.
Elize thought so as she looked around at the groaning assassins sprawled across the floor like trash after a festival.
From their skills, it was obvious they had lived on the edge of knives for years. It made no sense that students had just flattened them like this.
'Of course, there are people who can't be judged with common sense…'
Her eyes drifted to the person calmly retrieving their sword with a faint smile, as if they hadn't just soloed an entire kill squad.
Even the other students—who were plenty strong themselves—looked at that figure with a mix of awe and unease.
But really, that reaction was normal. After all, someone had just subdued this many assassins without even drawing their sword.
Among the greatest swordsmen on the continent stood the Princess, praised as the brightest talent of her time.
The swordsmanship she displayed didn't just bend logic—it snapped it in half. Even Elize, who had weathered countless battles, couldn't help but admire it.
'How many people on the continent could even try to imitate that?'
The Caldwell Style Swordsmanship was so advanced that simply copying its form already made you a genius. Mastering it meant you could crush common sense with whatever was in your hand.
It was even said you could kiII a man with a stick. (And looking at her, Elize didn't doubt it one bit.)
"…?"
Lost in her thoughts, Elize suddenly noticed something.
Lirielle's hand was trembling.
It wasn't fear—it was the kind of shake that came from holding back.
From an experienced eye, it was clear.
She was frustrated. Frustrated that she couldn't just "kiII" the other person.
It looked like her entire body was screaming: Please, for the love of god, let me draw my sword already!
"…"
Elize felt a ripple of goosebumps across her arms. Then, as if noticing her stare, Lirielle subtly tucked her hand away and said, low and even,
"…It looks like we've subdued them all."
It was a clear signal: don't speak of what you just saw. Elize nodded; she had no desire to be the one to test whether Lirielle's calm had a blade behind it.
"Yes, I think we should hand them over to the academy—"
Elize stopped mid-sentence. Her eye caught something glinting on one of the assassins' bodies.
A small blue jewel. A short-range comm device. She'd seen that sort of thing before while cleaning up monster nests.
That meant they weren't alone. There were others in the building still in contact with them.
"-It's not over yet."
Elize stepped closer to the nearest assassin, forcing her voice casual. "Hey—are there others? Anyone else in the building right now?"
The assassin only glared.
Elize laughed quietly inside. Of course the easy answer didn't exist.
-!
Before she finished the thought, the assassin's arm snapped with a sickening crack.
"…!"
The sound turned the assassin's silent glare into a scream of pure pain. Elize's eyes widened. She turned in time to see Lirielle sliding the sheathed sword back onto her waist.
"If you don't talk, I'll break your neck next," Lirielle said flatly.
Silence.
"Hmm. No. That just wasn't appropriate."
When Lirielle made that offhand correction, Elize found herself smiling despite the situation — half relief, half disbelief.
Yeah, but you really can't just say that out of the blue.
"If no one speaks, I'll fold everyone's throat."
…
A heavy silence fell.
Lirielle spoke as if this were an idle remark in a salon. That casualness was what made it terrifying — everyone understood she meant it.
Eventually someone answered for the arm-broken assassin.
Lirielle listened without expression and simply nodded.
"Yes. Hanzo of Crescent Moon. He steals the identity of his victims."
At that, Lirielle, who had been silent for a while, spoke up.
"That assassin — is he here with you?"
"What?"
"Answer the question. Is he in this building right now?"
"…I can't tell you that—"
The assassin choked off mid-sentence.
Anyone would stop talking if one of their arms had just been slashed.
It was Lirielle who had drawn her sword in an instant.
"A, aaaak—!"
The man's scream sprayed the floor red, but Lirielle didn't bother wiping the blood from her face. She grabbed him by the collar; her red eyes burned in the dim light.
"Is that assassin here?"
"A, aaaaak—!"
"If you don't answer, I'll cut off the other side too."
"Y, yes! He's here!"
Lirielle tossed the screaming assassin to the ground and dashed off, leaving the remaining students frozen.
"Wait! What the heII is this madness?"
Breaking an arm and threats were one thing — actually pulling a sword and removing a limb was another.
Lirielle's entire demeanor had flipped the moment she heard the name Hanzo in the building.
She slowed, turned to Elize who had just caught up, and sighed.
"Because I needed an answer urgently. Lives are on the line and there's medical equipment nearby."
"…"
Who could do that without flinching?
"What was that for…!"
"They said the assassin kills and steals his victims' identities. Who do you think would be the easiest target in this building right now?"
Elize fell silent.
Now that she thought about it, there was one person.
One person who had insisted on splitting from the group, claiming it was 'necessary.'
"…No way."
Elize said firmly.
"Did he use himself as bait to lure the strongest opponent here?"
Logically, this was only speculation.
You can't just predict an assassin's arrival in the first place. And even if you could—why would anyone risk their own life on such a dangerous move—
—I… quite like that person.
"…"
—It's possible.
Now, it was clear this assassination attempt was aimed at Princess Lirielle.
And it was evident that Lirielle agreed, seeing as she kept her mouth shut without answering.
"I'll have to go there and check."
"Why are you doing this? What is the relationship between you two…?"
"…Didn't you say there's nothing between you two?"
Lirielle said.
"At least, as far as I know."
But unlike before…
She wasn't even sure of herself now.