"Who exactly are you?" Cassian asked, his pitch-black eyes narrowing as he stared sharply at the three figures standing on the tree branch.
"Who are we?"
The figure on the left leaped down without making a sound. His disheveled red hair fluttered in the wind, while his crimson eyes burned with a wild, almost crazed light. Red tattoos covered his chest and arms, glowing like embers that would never die out.
The man cracked the fingers of both hands, the sharp sounds echoing through the air.
"Men speak through their fists!" he shouted with a wide grin.
BOOM!
Without warning, he lunged forward. His speed was so extreme that the pressure wave generated by his movement violently battered the surrounding trees.
So fast! Cassian thought.
His body stiffened. He had no time to dodge.
Yet, only a few millimeters before the enormous fist could strike Cassian's face, it suddenly stopped.
A powerful gust of wind swept past, sending Cassian's hair and clothes whipping backward.
Cassian glanced at the man's arm.
A thick, pitch-black thread was tightly wrapped around his wrist, holding it in place with absolute strength.
"What the hell are you doing… huh?!" the red-eyed man growled, turning around with an irritated expression.
"Stop… Ares," said a calm voice filled with authority.
The second figure descended leisurely, as though there were no reason to hurry. His hair was jet-black, with a single golden streak falling at the front. The whites of his eyes were as black as the night, while his golden pupils gleamed sharply.
He wore a flawless nobleman's uniform, complete with a silver rank insignia on his shoulder.
"We are not here to test his abilities," the nobleman continued coldly.
"Tch!"
Ares clicked his tongue in annoyance before pulling his arm back and lowering it with a frustrated expression.
The black-haired man walked past him and approached Cassian without hesitation.
To Cassian's surprise, he immediately knelt on the ground and lowered his head in deep respect.
Huh…? Why is he kneeling?
Cassian was utterly bewildered.
Ares crossed his arms over his chest and sneered.
"Why are you kneeling before someone weaker than you?"
He then turned toward the figure still standing above them.
"Hey, you up there! You'd better come down already!"
From the tree branch, the third figure finally stepped into the air and slowly descended to the ground.
He was a tall, athletic young man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His muscular arms were covered in intricate black tattoos. His face was stern, with a sharp jawline and narrow eyes. Long, bluish-white hair cascaded wildly down his back.
He wore a tight-fitting, sleeveless black top that revealed his muscular physique, paired with loose white trousers.
An extremely dense and chilling aura of death poured from his body.
His eyes stared at Cassian without the slightest trace of emotion.
Who are these people…?
Cassian took a deep breath before asking firmly, "What do you want from me?"
The black-haired man, still kneeling, slowly raised his head. His sharp gaze was filled with unwavering loyalty.
"We… are your shadows."
"What?"
Cassian frowned.
"My shadows? What do you mean?"
Ares cut in rudely.
"Not only are you weak, you're stupid too! Why should I serve someone like you?!"
The bluish-white-haired man stepped forward.
"Have you ever experienced death?" he asked coldly. "If not… I can make you die a thousand times."
A faint smile curved across his lips.
That was cool… Did what I just said scare him?
Behind his calm expression, he must be terrified.
The bluish-white-haired man was completely convinced of this, his thoughts utterly at odds with the murderous aura radiating from him.
"Stop, Hades. Don't frighten him," the black-haired man sighed, shaking his head.
"They really are strange."
Cassian studied the three figures before him, his mind filled with confusion.
None of this made any sense.
Three strangers had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be his shadows. One of them had even knelt before him and sworn his loyalty, while Ares kept talking about serving him in his own bizarre way.
And then there was the man named Hades…
Cassian stole another glance at him.
The murderous aura constantly radiating from Hades made the hairs on the back of Cassian's neck stand on end.
What exactly is happening?
Their appearance, their overwhelming strength, and all these strange events…
Everything had happened immediately after what had just occurred.
As if the appearance of these three men was directly connected to me.
The black-haired man spoke again, as though he could see the doubt in Cassian's eyes.
"I know you're confused. But for now, just know that we are on your side."
Hades suddenly released an even sharper killing intent.
"If you're still confused… I'll kill you."
"Shut up, Hades!" the black-haired man snapped.
Cassian looked from one to the other.
"Then… what are you going to do? And why are you helping me?"
"We are here to—"
The black-haired man was about to explain when Ares interrupted him with a wide grin, cracking his knuckles.
"We want to beat you until you're black and blue!"
The black-haired man let out a long sigh.
"Can't you two stay quiet for even a moment?"
SWOOSH!
From the shadows beneath Ares and Hades' feet, thick black threads shot outward at incredible speed. They wrapped around the two lunatics, binding their entire bodies and rendering them completely immobile.
"Don't worry. We're only here to guide you. That's simply how they are," the black-haired man said casually to Cassian.
Cassian gave a faint smile at the black-haired man's calm demeanor.
"All right…" he replied quietly. "Then help me take care of these corpses."
His hand slowly clenched.
His fingers tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"These corpses…"
Cassian paused for a moment before turning his sharp gaze toward the assassins' bodies scattered all around him.
"…have no value anymore."
His gaze slowly shifted behind him.
There stood the shattered remains of the wooden house.
The place that had once been his home.
The only place he had ever been able to return to.
And behind those ruins…
lay the two people who meant the most to him.
Cassian's eyes dimmed.
"Help me…"
His voice was quieter this time.
He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the heaviness weighing on his chest.
"…bury my grandfather and grandmother."
The black-haired man glanced at his two companions.
"You heard him?"
He clapped his hands, releasing the black threads binding Ares and Hades.
"Tch."
Ares grumbled.
"Fine, fine! We were going to do it even without you telling us."
He turned toward Hades and gave him a signal.
Hades looked back and understood without needing another word.
"All right."
Hades raised one hand into the air before clenching it tightly.
In an instant, hundreds—even thousands—of assassin corpses scattered throughout the forest began to fade.
They transformed into particles of black light before disappearing completely without leaving a trace.
Even the bloodstains covering the ground evaporated into nothingness.
Cassian's eyes widened.
What kind of power is this…?
"Done," Hades said curtly.
The black-haired man nodded in satisfaction.
"All right. Next, we'll help bury his grandfather and grandmother, then adapt to the world as it is now."
Ares and Hades nodded in agreement.
The four of them turned and began walking toward the ruined wooden house.
However, after only two steps, the three figures beside Cassian suddenly stopped at the same time.
All three gazes locked onto the right side of the forest.
Cassian turned toward them in confusion.
"What's wrong? Why are you…?"
His words trailed off when he saw the expressions on the three shadows' faces become extremely serious.
Cassian followed their gazes.
SREK… SREK…
The thick bushes rustled and parted.
A young man slowly stepped out.
Long white hair hung down over part of his cold face. He wore an all-black outfit beneath a long, elegant bluish-white cloak draped over his shoulders.
One hand gripped the hilt of a long sword, which remained sheathed at his waist.