Timeless Assassin

(Sanfe City, Dupravel's POV)

Dupravel had grown up during the same era as Su Pei and Su Tang, so he needed no introduction to understand just how monstrous Su Pei had truly been in his prime.

He remembered crossing paths with the man once or twice at informal banquets, back when Su Pei had still been regarded as the Su Clan's golden child.

And even in those brief encounters, there had been something undeniable about his presence, an ease in the way others deferred to him, which had made quite the impression on Dupravel.

He had not liked Su Pei back then, not particularly. But he had respected him. And now, it was precisely because of those memories that Dupravel believed this to be a challenging mission.

For unless Su Pei had truly regressed as a warrior over the past century and lost his edge completely, this was most likely going to be the fight of a lifetime, one that would demand every ounce of cunning and every trick Dupravel had in reserve to win.

—----------

Unlike the cautious approach he had been forced to take while infiltrating Cult Territory, Dupravel did not seem to be worried at all about being caught inside Sanfe City.

He moved swiftly and with intent, for unlike the Transcendent realm of power he had been bound to during that last mission, he was now back to his best as a full-fledged Monarch.

And that made all the difference.

He knew exactly how he wanted this fight to play out, and hence, before moving towards the City Center, he first moved through abandoned alleys and sharp corners, which he identified as perfect locations to set up traps.

Some of these traps were meant to stall, others meant to injure, and a few designed purely to force Su Pei into movement patterns he could predict.

He used every trick in the book to gain an undue advantage, starting with drinking two rare-grade potions in advance, one to temporarily boost his agility and another to accelerate his mana recovery rate, despite knowing that the backlash from drinking these potions would be large once their effects wore out.

However, with him not planning on dragging this fight out anyway, he was not worried about that outcome, for he planned to either finish this fight quickly, or retreat back to safety.

He had also taken the liberty of lacing every single blade and throwing dagger in his arsenal with a fast-acting paralytic poison that was strong enough to weaken the muscles of even a Monarch-class warrior, if not halt them outright.

Still, even after preparing all of that, Dupravel knew it might not be enough.

Because Su Pei was not a target that he could sneak up on.

From his memory of Su Pei's legend, Dupravel recalled the man to have a skill called [Danger Intimidation] in his arsenal, one that alerted him to the presence of any killing intent being projected in his direction, which acted like a sixth sense that made him nearly impossible to ambush.

Hence, Dupravel did not even bother wasting time attempting a surprise strike.

Instead, he chose to stand openly at the edge of the city square, cloaked in his Gray and Blue assassin robes and white mask, fully deflecting every archer shot that came his way with effortless, contemptuous flicks of his blade, as he simply waited for the enemy commander to walk out.

And sure enough, moments later, a calm voice called out.

"Stop... There's no need to shoot!"

The command came from the central tent, and the soldiers immediately froze in place as Su Pei stepped into view, his expression unreadable and one hand raised to signal a halt.

"He's a Monarch. You people can't take him," Su Pei warned as he stepped forward alone, while unsheathing his longsword with a slow, deliberate motion.

*SHINGG*

The metallic ring of the blade echoed faintly, but Su Pei didn't seem to notice.

His eyes were fixed on Dupravel, as he studied him in silence, noting every inch of his frame.

There was something undeniably off about this man.

Su Pei had never heard of any white-masked assassin under the Cult's command, and he had been keeping close track of their upper-echelon warriors for decades now.

Aside from Monarch Charles, no other operative had been recorded at this level of power. Which meant that either this man was new, or some old monster that had defected to the evil side.

"Who are you?" Su Pei asked, his voice sharp but measured, as he continued to study the man's posture—the stance, the blade angle, the air of confidence he carried without a shred of hesitation. "I've never heard about the Cult having any other Monarch except Charles."

Dupravel tilted his head slightly, his movements almost theatrical.

"You may call me Viper," he replied, voice calm and light, as though this were merely a polite duel and not a blood-soaked assignment.

Su Pei's lips curled into a slow grin, one not born out of amusement, but from the simple recognition of what stood before him.

"Everyone else, get out of this square. Now," he said, his voice loud and commanding without needing to be harsh. "This man is too dangerous for you to be around….. leave him to me."

There was no argument. No hesitation. The soldiers began scattering quickly, boots clattering against the stone pavement as they dispersed along the perimeter, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the incoming clash.

But they hadn't made it far before Dupravel moved.

With a flick of both wrists, a dozen daggers burst forth from his sleeves like flashes of silver light, slicing through the air with pinpoint precision.

*SHUA*

*SHUA*

*Thud*

The whistling wind was the only warning they received before bodies dropped, some pierced clean through the throat, others grasping at their chests, already dead before their knees hit the ground.

"Oops... My hand must have slipped," Dupravel said, lowering his arms slowly, like a man easing back after a long stretch. "I was aiming for your head."

Su Pei didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

His expression turned stone cold as his grip on the longsword tightened, and with a sudden burst of power, he dashed forward, launching himself directly toward Dupravel in a high-speed charge.

*CLANG*

Steel collided with steel in a violent spark as Dupravel parried the incoming strike cleanly, and without wasting a second, kicked off the ground and vanished into retreat, slipping between the narrow streets of Sanfe City, as he controlled the tempo of the battle.

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

He led Su Pei towards the part of the city where traps had already been set in advance for this very confrontation.

And despite knowing the dangers, Su Pei gave chase without hesitation, not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice.

Dupravel had just killed a dozen of his men with ease, without even needing to try, and if he was allowed to roam free, there was no telling how much damage he could cause.

Unchecked, Dupravel could potentially wipe out half his forces by tomorrow, and Su Pei could not take that chance.

Since the enemy had an unexpected Monarch within their ranks, he had to deal with him now while he still had a chance.