Rebirth of the Fallen Zenith.-Chapter 38: Assassin.

Assassin.

Orion's eyes narrowed into a razor's edge. His hand hovered near his blade.

"We're not alone," he growled.

The woods fell eerily silent.

Not even the wind whispered between the trees as Orion, Elara, and Lysandra walked the narrow trail lit by slivers of moonlight. The faint chirps and rustling that once comforted them had vanished, as if nature itself had been silenced.

Then—

Crunch.

A heavy footstep snapped a twig.

Orion's body froze.

From the darkened thicket ahead, five hooded figures stepped out, each clad in tattered cloaks and gripping weapons. Their movements were deliberate. Coordinated. Dangerous.

They spread out, forming a semi-circle around the trio, blades drawn and gleaming faintly under the moonlight.

Elara's breath hitched. "Brother..."

Orion's fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, stepping slightly ahead of the girls. His voice was calm, but sharp like a blade.

"Who are you?"

The hooded men didn't respond immediately. Their faces were obscured in shadow, their eyes glinting with cold intent.

Then, the one in the center let out a low chuckle.

"So you're Orion Vale... son of Theo Vale."

Orion narrowed his eyes. "What?"

The man tilted his head mockingly, taking a slow step forward.

"That would make you—" His gaze flicked to the Black-haired girl. "—Elara Vale, the little sister of yours."

Then to Lysandra.

"And you... blonde hair, cold eyes. You must be Lysandra Voss, pride of the Imperial Voss Academy. Tch, quite the pretty trio."

Orion's voice was firm, filled with warning.

"You've got names. But you haven't told me yours... or why you're here."

Elara stepped beside him, blue eyes hard and unflinching.

Lysandra joined on the other side, drawing her sword in silence, the air around her sharpening like a blade.

The hooded figure gave a mock sigh.

"Always with the questions. What do we want?" He tapped his chin in fake thought, then grinned.

"Simple. The heads of you three. The Vale siblings... and the Voss girl. Should fetch a handsome reward."

Orion's gaze darkened. "A bounty?"

"Of sorts," the man chuckled. "But I'll admit... I added your sister's head to the list myself. She's cute."

Rage flickered across Elara's face. Lysandra's grip tightened; her green eyes filled with disgust.

Orion's tone dropped, deadly calm.

"You picked the wrong day to be brave."

He didn't miss the subtle fluctuation in their aura—Apprentice-level cultivators, all five. A threat. And among them, only Lysandra was powerful enough to hold her ground in a duel. Elara was still a Novice, and he... he was somewhere in between, struggling to bridge that gap.

Three enemies would remain unchallenged. A devastating imbalance.

Lysandra's sharp voice cut through the tension.

"Who sent you?"

"Does it matter?" one of them scoffed. "You'll be dead before you can tell anyone."

She grits her teeth, fury burning in her gaze.

Orion took a slow breath, whispering,

"We hold out. Fight. Someone will come—"

"Hah!" The lead attacker laughed.

"You think someone's going to save you? This area's under a silence barrier. No one will hear your screams, kids."

Orion's expression tightened. Elara's eyes widened. Lysandra glanced around. The faint shimmer of a mana field surrounded them—a powerful silencing barrier. They were truly isolated.

"Enough chit-chat." One of the men barked, pointing his blade. "Let's kill them and be done with it."

"Hmph, always so impatient," the leader muttered. "No sense of fun."

"Shut up and finish the job," the other snapped.

Orion exhaled, stepping forward.

"Then come." He raised his sword, taking his stance. "Let's see if you're worth the blades you carry."

Beside him, Lysandra unfastened a silver bracelet from her wrist—the mana-suppression restraint her cultivation.

Her aura flared instantly. Apprentice-level cultivation surged through her veins, her sword glowing faintly with mana.

Elara unfurled her whip, her mana trembling but steady.

"I'll do my best," she whispered to Orion.

"I know," he said softly.

Then—a glint to the left.

A dagger sliced through the air toward Orion's head.

Clang!

He deflected it with a sharp twist of his wrist.

"Tch," the attacker hissed. "You've got some skill, kid."

"You'll need more than that," Orion shot back.

Two of the hooded men lunged.

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Lysandra met one, blades clashing in a blur of sparks. Her expression was cold, composed, each movement calculated.

Elara was engaged with another. Her whip cracked in the air, deflecting the man's blade, but the force sent her skidding back, boots dragging through the soil.

"Elara!" Orion called, seeing her stumble.

But he couldn't run to her—another sword aimed straight for his head.

Clang!

He blocked just in time, the impact jarring his bones.

"They're strong... but not invincible," he thought, exchanging blows.

From the side, one of the attackers smirked.

"I think two of us are enough to kill them."

"Yeah. They're tiring fast."

Lysandra's blade danced—swift and precise. She struck her opponent's shoulder, blood spraying as he growled in pain.

But even she was panting now.

Elara's whip caught the leg of her attacker, but he twisted mid-air, slashing down hard.

"Ah!"

Elara screamed as she was thrown back, crashing into a tree with a dull thud. She gasped, breath knocked from her lungs.

Pain.

Her ribs screamed. Her limbs trembled. She hit the ground with a whimper.

"Elara!" Orion's gaze snapped to her.

He didn't see the sword until it was almost too late.

"DIE!"

A blade surged toward him.

But it never landed.

"Orion—!"

Lysandra pushed her opponent back and lunged, her body colliding with his just in time.

The sword meant for him buried into her side instead.

"Agh!"

Blood poured from her wound as she hit the ground, clutching her side.

"No... Lysandra!" Orion knelt beside her.

"You idiot... why did you—"

She smirked weakly, pain flashing in her eyes.

"I owed you one..."

"Two down," a voice said from the shadows. The remaining three stepped closer.

One of them knelt beside Lysandra's injured body, smirking.

"Now what will you do, Orion Vale?"

Orion stood slowly, trembling—not from fear, but fury.

His body ached. His breaths were ragged. He looked at Elara lying motionless near the tree. Then at Lysandra, bleeding for him.

"Why... why am I still so weak?"

He gritted his teeth. "If I were stronger... none of this would've happened."

Blood dripped from his side where he'd been slashed, his knees buckled.

The leader stepped forward, sword pointed to his heart.

"You're a good warrior, kid. But you had the misfortune of being born into the Vale bloodline."

Orion looked up at him, fury and helplessness swirling in his soul.

"So this is it?"

"Is this how I die?"

"My revenge... my second chance... Elara... Lysandra... I failed them."

The sword rose.

"Goodbye, Orion Vale."

Then—the earth shook.

BOOOOOM!!!

The very air trembled, and a voice roared through the trees like thunder:

"YOU DARE."