Kingdom: The Black Moon Assassin

All this time in the darkness, Shen anxiously ran toward the border, hoping to encounter spy shadows.

But no matter how far he ran, he found nothing. So, he thought of leaving Xia in a safe place; the top of a tree was the best spot he could think of.

"I know I promised my Lord I'd take you to a safe place without looking back, but I also made an oath. Be smart and stay here silently," Shen said as he lifted Xia into a tree tall enough to protect her from any predators.

'The time is coming when you should return, so I have to go find you.'

Before staying behind to face the assassins, Jun had promised he would return before anyone could worry. The image of Jun saying that looked like someone determined to fight.

Maybe something happened, or maybe it didn't. This thought crossed Shen's mind, making him feel the need to go back before anything went wrong.

In hindsight, it might just be unnecessary worry. Beyond being an apostle bearing the stigma, Jun was unimaginably strong; even the former god of martial arts couldn't compare to him.

Yet Shen was still concerned.

Despite his strength, Jun was a young man who had barely reached adulthood. To Shen, an 18-year-old was inexperienced, likely to fail rather than succeed.

As an adult, it was only natural to worry this way.

Shen had fled because Jun had grown attached to Xia—not in the expected way, but symbolically, which was different.

Jun saw himself reflected in Xia, a young girl who barely understood the world. That's why he ordered Shen to take her away from a potential death at the hands of the enemy ambush.

…

"You're poisoned…" Zong glared at Jun coldly. Even if he were to die, he wouldn't be able to erase the thought that Jun would die soon after.

The satisfaction of fulfilling his comrades' wishes for freedom felt immensely satisfying.

Now he could die in peace.

But when his eyes tried to find a desperate expression on Jun's face, he encountered something unexpected.

"Poison?" Jun touched the open wounds from the numerous cuts on his body and smiled a bit.

"What?"

"As assassins, how could I not develop a resistance to poison? That was the first thing I became immune to."

Those eyes, that fear-filled expression the old man gave him, were all too familiar.

For as long as he could remember, he'd always been afraid of not being strong, afraid of becoming a slave, or losing everything he'd worked so hard to achieve to thieves.

His former self reflected in those fearful eyes staring at him.

The reason? He'd always thought he'd be the one looking up at those who wished him harm.

But now that he'd obtained a strength he'd never dreamed of, a question crossed his mind.

'What am I doing?'

It was a question he pondered.

In the moment he saw blood, he felt excited and swung his sword, recalling the irrational madness from before. That's why he asked himself.

Now that he was strong enough, would he give his life just to protect someone else?

As his empty left hand brushed across his face, he felt the sticky sensation of blood dripping onto it.

A warm, unpleasant feeling.

"You'll die anyway! More assassins are on their way!"

Jun heard Zong's threats as he thought. At that moment, he swung his sword again and decapitated the old man.

Crack!

The sensation of the sword cutting through flesh was the same as before, but this time there was no pleasure.

Jun's eyes scanned the surroundings.

Pieces of flesh scattered everywhere; pools of blood covered every corner of the place. And he was the only one standing among them.

At that moment, Jun heard horses approaching in the distance.

Realizing his own vulnerability, he thought this time he wouldn't win.

He looked at his left hand. His reddened palm, soaked in blood, held a burning heat.

Jun felt the warmth and fell into deep thought again.

'The sword I wield.'

Meanwhile, hundreds of horses closed in on his location.

Jun walked toward an open field with trees behind him. He held his sword, his eyes fixed forward, his senses numbed.

"Guess I'm out of luck." Jun had never been lucky; from the beginning, everything he had achieved or done was through his own efforts.

But now, it wasn't just about him.

He could no longer run, nor would he turn his back on an enemy, not when the odds of survival were so low.

That's why he chose to fight.

"Come on!"

Jun was ready to fight to the end. Behind him, he heard the wind break, and without expecting it, dozens of hooded figures appeared, wielding dual swords.

"Protect the Black Moon!"

"Arrrggghhh!"

At that moment, the twins stood before Jun like two immovable walls. Vera asked, "Ready for the show, we'll leave for Zhao's dogs on their border."

"You're late," murmured Jun, feeling a weakness overcome him.

His body was poisoned; though it didn't affect him directly, it was causing mild paralysis, and with the blood loss, he was becoming completely numb.

Jun was about to fall to his knees, but just then, a pair of hands caught him. Shen, covered in many wounds himself, looked at him and said, "Sorry for being late."

"You did well, Shen," said Jun, leaning on Shen's shoulder, who quickly called for medics to treat Jun's wounds.