The exchange that came and went in an instant was extremely fast.
The hatchet that tore through the air was already repeating idle spins in midair. In the meantime, I, who had risen to my feet, immediately placed my hand on the sword hilt.
Even until then, the Emperor said nothing. He merely stared at me blankly.
In fact, the target I was aiming for wasn’t the Emperor either. The silver trajectory still lingering in my vision was proving that, wasn’t it?
The end of that scar.
A man clad in black robes stood there.
He was an opponent who gave a sense of déjà vu just by his existence. His cold eyes and agile hand movements spoke of life, yet from his body, neither breathing nor pulse could be felt.
Was he alive, or dead?
Even that couldn’t be gauged. It was the unique aura that only a warrior specialized in stealth and escort duties, after long years of training, could possess.
There…