Draped in a black coat fluttering in the night wind, wearing a mask—a large-built someone was looking down at them.
"Who are you?"
"You're Leonhard Pheles, aren't you?"
"I'm the one asking here. But fine. So? If I am, what do you want?"
"I have no grudge against you, but this is business. I'll take your life."
With that, the black-clad assassin leaped from the streetlamp and dove toward them.
"Sylpha, Elfie. Protect Honami, Haruka, and Mio."
"Yeah! Got it!"
"Leave it to me!"
Following Renya's instructions, Elfaria deployed a barrier covering herself, Honami, Haruka, and Mio.
Sylpha positioned herself outside the barrier to be able to move freely.
By the time Renya confirmed their actions over his shoulder, he had already entered the combat zone with the black-clad assassin, swinging a demonic spear he had instantly created.
Renya's demonic spear and the assassin's greatsword clashed, ringing metallic sounds through the deserted streets, illuminating the night darkness with sparks.
The black-clad assassin unleashed super-high-speed sword strikes—vertical chops, diagonal slashes, rising cuts, thrusts—unbelievable for a greatsword. Their speed and skill rivaled—no, even surpassed—Zolgia, the survivor of the Great War who had been called "Sword King."
Yet Renya evaded such storm-like slashes with minimal movement, deflecting them with his demonic spear, and counterattacking whenever an opening appeared.
The assassin occasionally attacked from blind spots using their speed, but Renya reacted as if he could see through it all, leaving the assassin at a loss.
The assassin's coat edges were being hit, but while the black-clad assassin was steadily taking damage, Renya had not even grazed his uniform, let alone his body.
"I don't intend to ask who you are or why you're targeting me, one by one. There are plenty of people who want me dead."
Not only that, Renya even had the composure to speak. That was precisely why he found it puzzling.
"For someone targeting me, I don't sense any killing intent from you. Ah, I know that skilled assassins don't emit such things. I'm saying this even knowing that."
Contrary to his imposing appearance, his menacing weapon, and his sword strokes, Renya could not sense any genuine will to kill from his opponent.
Their aim seemed to be for non-vital spots—the kind that would only knock someone unconscious even with a critical hit.
"...Nonsense."
"Is that so? Then is this getup also nonsense!?"
Saying this, Renya naturally spun his demonic spear and struck the assassin's mask from below with the butt end.
Slightly delayed in responding to the abrupt change in pace, the spear grazed the assassin's jaw and sent the mask flying.
"...Just as I thought. I found it strange. Despite such refined technique, there was an awkwardness in how you wielded your weapon and moved your body."
Having found it odd that the level of skill and the movements didn't match after only a few exchanges, Renya was convinced upon seeing the face beneath the mask.
"Eh, eh!? S-she's a girl!"
Mio, who could see clearly through the night darkness due to being a Devil, voiced their collective shock.
Revealed beneath the inorganic mask was the face of a girl around the same age as Mio and the others, contrary to her large build.
Moreover, she was a beautiful girl, as if blessed by the moon itself.
"I'm not sure about the details of that build, but you're disguising your true physique with Eastern arts, aren't you? That's why your movements lacked sharpness."
At Renya's observation, the black-clad assassin lowered her head and bit her lip.
"...Next time, I'll finish you."
With those words, the black-clad assassin turned on her heel and ran off, melting into the night darkness.
"Hey, wait!"
"Hold on."
"Renya, why!?"
As Mio prepared to unleash magic, Renya stopped her, but she seemed unconvinced.
Sylpha and Elfaria appeared to feel the same.
"She didn't seem to have any serious intention of killing me. If she were fighting at her true ability, I wouldn't have had such an easy time."
At Renya's words, Elfaria and Mio were surprised.
Sylpha seemed to agree with Renya's assessment, looking convinced.
In particular, Mio, having watched from an overhead perspective, could see that the assassin's skill rivaled Zolgia's from the other day.
And she had been holding back? That meant her true abilities surpassed at least Zolgia, the "Sword King" and survivor of the Great War.
"Besides, we have two non-combatants with us. We shouldn't give chase recklessly."
Sylpha voiced Renya's thoughts.
While Honami and Haruka were fully protected defensively, they naturally had no means to fight.
Taking non-combatants into a battle against someone of that level would have been somewhat reckless.
Above all, Renya himself didn't want to keep them on the battlefield any longer.
"Renya. Is something bothering you?"
Elfaria asked with concern, sensing Renya's state of mind.
"Yeah. That hesitation was a reluctance to kill me. That was also evident in her attacks."
Renya gazed quietly in the direction where the black-clad assassin had disappeared.
"But at the same time, there was also anxiety. And it was mixed with fear."
"Meaning what?"
"For someone of that skill to be afraid means there's either someone even stronger behind her, or..."
Renya cast his gaze after the retreating assassin, beyond the now-crowded streets as the barrier had faded.
"She has something she needs to protect."
While embracing Honami and Haruka to reassure them, Renya said this.
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