Chapter 92

"Shh!"

"---!"

The descending blades. There were five of them in total.

With the momentum from his leap, I deflected the daggers with all my might.

For an ordinary wielder, this would have been the end, as they would have dropped their weapons. However, the black-clad figure that had descended did not resist the force from the side but instead rotated in mid-air and landed at a slightly distant spot.

These guys are strong!

From the brief exchange, I could tell the strength of the opponents. They weren't just thinking of carrying out an assassination casually. I don't know who they are, but they are quite skilled.

"Ha!"

The five blades that came down one after another were handled by each of the guards.

Alusia and Hembritz deflected the daggers with their longswords, just like I did. Gathgar deflected them, and Rose held them off with her pure white kite shield.

Good. At least the prince and princess are unharmed.

"Prince! Into the theater!"

"...No! It's not safe!"

But we can't afford to be complacent.

Gathgar tried to lead the prince and princess into the theater, but given the sudden attack, we can't rule out the possibility of more assassins inside. I raised my voice to stop them.

"We'll fight here! Surround the prince and princess!"

"...Damn! What a pain!"

Gathgar responded with a curse and readied his estoc.

I don't know how skilled the two attendants are. They might be stronger than the assassins, or the assassins might be stronger. It's uncertain. Considering the unknown factors, it's not a good idea to try to reduce their numbers and escape easily.

We need to eliminate the threats within our line of sight.

The guards surrounded the prince and princess. Their faces were clearly filled with shock, and they looked uncertain if they could even escape properly. It seems we have to end this attack here.

"Phew!"

Without a moment to catch my breath, the task of deflecting the daggers continued one after another.

Damn, these guys are strong. It would have been best to deflect their weapons when they leaped down, but they know how to channel their force well.

From their swordplay, they seemed more like assassins than swordsmen. They have a different kind of speed compared to Srena and Alusia. Unlike in practice, they aim for vital points without mercy, and one mistake could be fatal.

And only when a blade passed in front of me did I notice the suspicious gleam.

"...! It's poison! The blades are coated with poison!!"

"Damn! What a hassle!"

The blades were unnaturally wet. They haven't even attacked me yet, so it's not blood. The reasons for the blades to be wet are limited.

Ah, this is a hassle. I'm not wearing armor, and even a slight graze could be dangerous. Given that they are targeting the royal family, it's possible they are using lethal poison.

It's not easy to take down such opponents without taking a hit.

But there's no choice; if I don't, the prince and princess will die. As their guard, I have to step up here.

"This!"

I thrust at an opening, but it was narrowly avoided.

I expected this; their agility is even better than their sword skills. They are indeed assassins. Capturing them will be difficult.

I'd like to capture them and ask questions, but if I hold back, I might lose my head. And even a slight graze could be fatal.

Winning without injury and without killing them is quite difficult in this situation. If I had a wooden sword, it would be different, but I only have a sharp real sword. I could sheathe it and use it as a club, but I don't have the luxury to put my sword away.

No choice. I don't want to kill, but I'll have to make them suffer a bit. They probably don't expect to return alive after launching such an attack.

"Sei!"

"...!"

I deflected the thrust dagger and used the momentum to spin.

I know my limits. I can feel that I don't have much room for improvement.

But there is still much to learn about the sword. This spinning slash is one of them.

My full power.

If you can defend, try it.

At the end of my swing.

Zuburi, and the feeling of cutting deep into flesh was clearly transmitted.

"Ughhhhhhhh!!!"

The assassin, who had been silent since the attack began, screamed in pain from the cut.

The assassin's arm, including the wrist, was cleanly severed as they tried to deflect my sword.

I swung the Xeno Graybull sword with centrifugal force. A blow that would be impossible to defend against with ordinary weapons.

I wouldn't use such a move to capture them unharmed, but in this situation, I couldn't afford to be picky.

In any case, I've taken care of one. How about the others?

"Haahh!"

I turned my gaze to the direction of the angry shout and saw Hembritz swinging his sword with all his might. There were some dents in his armor, but no visible injuries on his body.

However, it seems he didn't have the luxury to capture them alive. The assassin, with a single slash from shoulder to side, sank into a pool of blood without a sound.

"Phew!"

Next, Alusia thrust her sword into the shoulder of an assassin with a speed worthy of her name.

Looking at her, she had already stabbed the right thigh and left side. As expected of Alusia, she avoided vital points while capturing them alive. Her fluid swordplay is a skill I can hardly imitate.

"Guu, guuuu...!"

"Whoa, you're not getting away."

While I was distracted, the assassin whose arm I had cut off was trying to escape, holding his wound. Despite losing his arm, he seemed quite lively. He was bleeding heavily, though.

I grabbed the assassin who was about to flee. Since he's still alive, I'll at least stop the bleeding and get some answers.

"I'm done here~"

As I was holding the captured assassin, a somewhat drawn-out, distinctive voice came from the side.

Turning to the source of the voice, I saw Rose sheathing her estoc, holding a kite shield stained red with blood.

The assassin who had attacked Rose was already dead, struck in the head with the estoc.

...Hmm.

With Rose's skills and equipment, she could have captured the attacker, even if not unharmed.

Perhaps she, too, had a moment of tension or a slip of the hand, I thought, a slightly out-of-place observation. Well, it's much better than losing.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't capture them~..."

"No, the opponents were strong, so it's understandable."

While I was tying and stopping the bleeding of the captured assassin, Rose looked apologetic and lowered her head.

The opponent was a skilled assassin. It's understandable that she couldn't capture them alive. I should praise her for handling them well.

"I could only manage to kill mine... I am ashamed of my own inadequacy."

Similarly, Hembritz had also killed his opponent with a single strike.

Hmm. In this situation, we should be satisfied that we didn't lose to the assassins. The fact that we protected the prince and princess is a win in itself.

"Princess Salakia, Prince Glen. Are you hurt?"

"Yes, we're fine. Thank you..."

Alusia addressed the prince and princess. In her hand, an assassin with multiple stab wounds was restrained with her hands tied behind her back.

The prince and princess couldn't have handled the sudden attack, but that's understandable. They are to be protected, and it is the duty of the knights to protect them from danger.

However, this means we can't enjoy the play. A major revision of the schedule is necessary. Given the attempted assassination of the royal family, it's possible that the entire royal visit will be canceled.

In any case, it's not a good idea to stay here.

The commotion among the crowd is getting out of hand. I was too focused on the assassins to notice, but screams and angry shouts were echoing from the outer perimeter of the security.

"Captain~... Captain?"

Rose spoke to Gathgar.

Come to think of it, did Gathgar manage to repel the assassin? He must not have lost, as he is still standing, but the black-clad figure he was facing is nowhere to be seen.

Did he let them escape?

Gathgar stood there, as if his mind was elsewhere.

That's strange. I don't know him well, but he's not the type to be stunned in such a situation.

He didn't seem to hear Rose's question and was staring at a point. It was a narrow alley, probably the path the assassin had taken to escape.

He didn't chase after them, nor did he finish them off. He just stood there, looking far away, estoc in hand.

"...Hinnis...?"

Gathgar muttered the name.

It was a name I had heard somewhere recently.

The author enjoys games that involve eating gods or sacrificing humanity.