Ryu's every attempt to flirt with his master, Nyx, failed spectacularly.
"Good morning, beautiful!" Ignored.
"Your eyes are like two shiny blades, ready to stab my heart!" Ignored.
He even tried, "If you kill me with your sword, I'll die a happy man!"
Nyx's cold gaze didn't even flicker. The more she ignored him, the harder he tried. Ryu was like a puppy chasing a cat that wanted nothing to do with him, yet he cherished every moment—she was the only person in the palace who did not trigger the agony of his curse.
One afternoon, Queen Qurika came to visit the training grounds.
"Thank you, Nyx," she said warmly, placing a hand on the assassin's shoulder. "For everything you're doing for my little Ryu."
Nyx, sipping her tea without emotion, replied flatly, "I'm only doing this because I owe you one. After this training, even if you die, I won't care."
Queen Qurika chuckled softly. "You can say that, but I know the truth. You're not as heartless as you act, little Nyxy."
Nyx's cold eyes twitched ever so slightly. A flicker of seven-year-old memories surfaced…
Flashback: Seven Years Ago
The sound of hooves clattered against the mountain path. Queen Qurika's royal carriage rolled along the cliffside road.
Suddenly—SHRING!—A black shadow dropped from the peak. Chaos erupted. "Ambush! Protect the Queen!"
Inside the carriage, Queen Qurika calmly opened the door. "So," she said, stepping out, "you must be the famous Nyx… the strongest assassin in the kingdom. Why don't you tell me who hired you?"
Nyx's hooded face tilted slightly. "It was King Drakheart's third queen… Fluorescent. She paid me to kill you."
Before Nyx could strike, a roar echoed. S-rank royal soldiers swarmed the path, surrounding the assassin.
"You think this little army can stop me?" Nyx challenged.
Suddenly, the air pressure shifted violently. Two figures descended from the sky like gods—or rather, like two incredibly expensive mercenaries. These were no ordinary royal guards.
The Knight, Sir Arthur, The Iron Sentinel, landed with a heavy thud, his golden aura flaring. Beside him, the Archer, Kiz, The Hawk-Eyed Hunter, was already nocking an arrow.
These were the 11 Great Warriors—a private organization consisting of the world's strongest individuals who took only the most lucrative and high-risk contracts.
"Nyx," Arthur's voice boomed. "Queen Fluorescent has been captured. She can no longer pay for your mission."
Kiz drew his bowstring taut. "We do not allow unpaid work, and the Queen has paid us handsomely to protect her. Surrender, or die."
Nyx's feral grin vanished. Facing two members of the organization simultaneously was suicide. She hissed, "I don't care about your coins or your titles!"
TWANG!
Kiz's arrow pierced Nyx's hand, forcing her to drop her dagger. Arthur charged, his greatsword aimed for a killing strike.
Just as the killing blow was about to fall—
"STOP!" Queen Qurika's voice cut through the battle, sharp and clear.
The warriors froze. Arthur's greatsword stopped inches from Nyx's throat.
The Queen stepped past the knight. "Leave her alive," the Queen commanded. "I forgive her."
Nyx blinked, utterly stunned. "You… forgive me? Why?"
"The soldiers you killed were traitors," the Queen said softly. "You were simply doing a job that the world's power brokers paid you for."
The Queen then placed a hand near Nyx's wounded shoulder. "But Nyx, I see the price of your power. I grant you the debt of my mercy."
The unearned kindness struck Nyx with the force of a physical blow—a sudden, deep warmth that she couldn't understand. She owed a debt she could never repay—a debt of life, not money.
Queen Qurika then addressed the two elite warriors with quiet dignity.
"Arthur, Kiz. Take the traitorous guards' bodies. The Drakheart Dynasty is protected by the 11 Great Warriors, the strongest private organization in the world. They enforce the balance. You will stand down."
Nyx, paralyzed by the Queen's mercy, knew she had been spared by an insurmountable kindness.
Present Time
Nyx sat quietly, sipping tea with Queen Qurika in the palace garden.
"I still don't understand," Nyx muttered. "I should've died that day… yet you forgave me."
"That's why you're here today, Nyx," the Queen said with a knowing smile. "Because some hearts can still be saved."
Suddenly—
BANG!
A guard burst into the garden, gasping. "Your Majesty! Master Ryu is in danger!"
Nyx's cup shattered in her hand. Her cold eyes narrowed.
"…Who dares?"
To Be Continued…
The 11 Great Warriors (Organization)
The 11 Great Warriors are an elite, independent mercenary organization, consisting of the most powerful individuals in the world.
Cipher, The Faceless Shadow (Leader): Strategy, Global Intelligence.
Nyx, The Death Whisper (Assassin): Stealth and Quick Kills.
Sir Arthur, The Iron Sentinel (Knight): Defense and Unbreakable Will.
Kenshi, The Honorable Blade (Samurai): Perfect Precision and Duel Mastery.
Rai, The Silent Shadow (Ninja): High Speed and Espionage.
Bao, The Fist of Tranquility (Monk): Inner Energy (Ki) Control.
Kiz, The Hawk-Eyed Hunter (Archer): Unshakable Accuracy.
Bjorn, The War Beast (Viking): Brute Strength and Siege Breaker.
Lira, The Silent Fang (Hunter): Survival and Tracking.
Spartacus, The Arena Lion (Gladiator): Unpredictable Combat Style.
Valerius, The Arcane Master (Wizard): Elemental Mastery and Ancient Magic.