The knights, with their superhuman physiques, scaled the wall top effortlessly despite their light armor.
"Yo, welcome to my castle..."
Just as they tensed to stay alert, a voice—definitely not theirs—gently echoed nearby.
Its owner leaned half against the wall corner, under the moonlight like a noble maiden awake at midnight.
This scene wasn’t in the knights’ plans.
For a moment, an eerie silence swallowed the air.
Their quiet didn’t mean Yuri would stay silent!
In a flash of crimson light, like teleporting, the girl appeared before the nearest knight.
Then...
Slish!
Amidst steel and flesh tearing, the knight’s head flew high!
Warm blood sprayed over the others.
"However, I hate uninvited guests in my territory."
Licking liquid from her lips, Yuri’s crimson eyes slowly turned to the remaining knights.
With one comrade dead instantly, the survivors finally snapped to attention.
"Die!"
Professionally trained knights, stunned by Yuri’s speed, knew retreating meant faster death!
All four drew swords and charged without hesitation.
Silvery blades wreathed in white light tore through air, sealing Yuri’s escape routes!
Facing the assault, the girl stood frozen as if scared stiff.
Thud!
Four refined swords pierced her petite body simultaneously.
Hit?!
In Kate’s eyes—a forty-year-old, decade-seasoned knight—a flicker of shock flashed.
With her eerie speed, dodging should’ve been easy.
But the sword-hilt feel never lied.
All four blades struck true, aimed at the heart.
Even Monsters died from a pierced heart!
So, victory this easy?
No—something was missing!
Kate’s pupils contracted sharply. He spotted it...
Blood.
Not a single drop flowed from her wounds.
What’s going on?
His question died as he met the eyes of the girl who should be dead.
"Is that all?"
What?! Kate tried to shout but no sound came.
His last sight: her eerily calm face. Then endless crimson swallowed his world.
Four heads flew up, crashing onto the ground.
Headless bodies collapsed limply.
Watching the blood-soaked earth, pitch-black Shadow spread from Yuri’s feet, swallowing corpses and blood.
Detached, she pulled swords from her body and tossed them aside like illusions.
Then she snapped her fingers lightly.
Humanoid shadows rose slowly from the ground.
Ominous glows flickered where pupils should be.
...
"No response yet?"
Gazing at the castle, Wes’s brows furrowed tightly.
His men entered long ago but gave no reply.
Killed already?
Just as unease gripped him, a faint light glowed on the distant wall.
It flickered intermittently several times.
Seeing the prearranged signal, Wes’s tension eased.
Knight order members could read it easily.
Something felt off, but the "safe" signal meant no major issue.
"Charge!"
At his command, light-armored knights—perfect for forest terrain—surged like swift white wolves toward the castle.
A dozen led the charge; all scaled the cramped wall top swiftly.
Though young, Wes was undeniably strong.
In this strength-ruled world, power earned respect.
As commander, he stood at the peak.
A wall ordinary knights climbed was effortless for him.
"What took so long?" Wes glared at his subordinates atop the wall, displeased.
"Oh dear, don’t blame them, young man. They tried so hard."
But the reply wasn’t from his men!
A voice echoed from nowhere in every ear.
Who?!
Wes frowned. Eerie green light coiled around his arm. A massive longbow materialized, gripped tight.
Simultaneously, all knights drew swords, scanning warily.
"Ahh!"
Amidst tension, a scream pierced the air.
Heads turned to a young knight impaled through the chest!
Blood soaked his armor as he howled.
The attacker was one of their own!
"Damn it!"
Wes paused briefly, then sidestepped.
A longsword slashed past where he stood.
Slish!
He drew his bow instantly. A spiritual-energy arrow flew, pinning the traitor to the ground.
"They’re enemy-controlled! Kill them!"
As knights hesitated, Wes’s icy voice cut through.
No mercy. One strike, one kill—clean and efficient.
Comrades? No. Just puppets. Humans spare no pity for puppets.
