The substitute caught only two strikes from Brian before his weapon was deflected away.
"Rather than being part of the patrol, they're just a bunch of thugs," Brian thought angrily. "What else have these people done besides extortion and blackmail?" He and Grayhound were meticulously carrying out Lord's orders, yet they had become the odd ones out in the team.
Yet... it was precisely these scum—those despicable individuals who would go so far as to destroy the town just to join the fortress—that killed the Grey Dog, using the most despicable means imaginable.
Terminus des anges !
He swung his sword at the terrified opponent's neck—just then, a dark shadow lunged from the target, closing in on Brian's heart in the blink of an eye. The strike was so concealed that by the time he noticed it, it was already too late to block.
In a moment of desperation, he kicked the ground violently, his body rebounding backward, accompanied by a sharp pain in his chest.
After rolling twice, he rose to his feet and immediately assumed a defensive stance. The sneak attack had only pierced his coat and skin, fortunately without serious harm. The real issue was the attacker! He couldn't recall any patrol member possessing such swordsmanship.
"Wait? You actually dodged it." The man shoved his weaponless teammate aside and advanced step by step.
In the flickering light, Brian realized he didn't recognize the man at all—his stature was unremarkable, yet his arms were disproportionately long, hanging down to nearly knee level. The face was unfamiliar too, and Brian swore he had never seen such a face before.
"You're not from the patrol... Who exactly are you?" Though he rarely interacted with the five men next door, he recognized them all. The man before him had clearly replaced one of them, infiltrating the castle with the group. It was no surprise he hadn't noticed during their midnight journey, but Scar and the others couldn't have missed him. Since they showed no surprise, there was only one explanation: this man had been deliberately planted by Scar.
"You've already guessed the answer—why ask me?" he said with a nonchalant smile. "You're dying anyway." "Damn it, he injured me!" the scarred man snarled. "Snake, chop off his limbs! I'll drain his blood slowly!" "Regrettably, Mr.Hills, I must complete the Earl's mission first," the snake-like figure said, lunging forward with a viciously angled strike and an arm so long it pinned Brian against the wall. He was forced to retreat relentlessly, unable to find a chance to fight back.
Oh well! Brian grew increasingly anxious. After walking through the underground corridor for so long, surely the people above had noticed him by now.
I had planned to avenge Greyhound myself, but now I can only hope to hold on a little longer, waiting for Your Highness's personal guard Knight to arrive and crush this bunch of villains.
"You seem to be waiting for something," the venomous snake suddenly paused its attack. "I suppose you're waiting for Prince's men to rescue you? Unfortunately, this stone-built castle differs from the taverns and inns you're accustomed to. Those wooden-framed houses creak underfoot when people revel in revelry. Here, you can shout your lungs out and the upper floors remain completely silent as long as you keep the doors shut." Brian was taken aback by the words, and the snake had been waiting for this moment. He maintained his sword-pointed downward stance to paralyze his opponent, while his other hand lifted slightly to trigger the trigger of the crossbow hidden in his sleeve.
A bowstring arrow, no longer than a finger, shot out from the sleeve. Brian heard only the faint hum of the bowstring as the arrow pierced his lung.
Intolerable excruciating pain suddenly erupted in his chest. Brian hurled his longsword at the advancing venomous snake and turned to flee backward. However, blood seeping from his lungs rapidly flooded into his trachea, rendering him unable to breathe. Before he could run far, Brian tripped over a threshold and stumbled heavily to the ground.
The venomous snake lunged forward, intent on killing its opponent, but was stopped by the fierce scar.
"Let me handle this," he growled, teeth clenched. "I'll make sure this bastard knows what it takes to stab me!" A cold glint flashed across the venomous snake's face, but it still sidestepped. "Do it fast. Don't forget our main business." The scarred man yanked Brian's hair and growled, "I know you'll die a painful death." Brian wanted to spit blood in his face, but his strength drained away like water. He knew his time was short. Memories flooded back—his unmet love, his unfulfilled Knight dream. But the deepest regret... was failing to avenge Greyhound.
Wait, what is that?
He blinked. A woman sat on the box ahead. Though her face was faintly visible in the dim light, her slender figure unmistakably revealed she was a woman.
Damn, is this some kind of hallucination... When he crashed into this room, he didn't see anyone inside at all. Could it be that God in heaven heard his complaints and deliberately conjured up this fantasy to comfort him?
"Hey, you're making a scene on someone else's turf and even planning to kill in front of me? That's not exactly appropriate, is it?" Bright felt the Scarred Hand tremble violently, causing him to yank his hair loose. The sound of weapons being drawn rang out around them, followed by a chorus of shrill shouts: "Who are you!?" Their reaction was... Wait, Brian thought in a daze. Was what he saw an illusion?
"I am, of course, one of these people," the woman said as she leapt off the wooden barrel, bending to brush the dust from her robe. In the dim glow of the fire, Brian noticed a peculiar embroidery on her robe—three side-by-side triangles with a large eye embedded at the center. The eye's outline shimmered with golden specks under the firelight.
"Are you the rats that slipped through the sewers?" Her voice was clear and pleasant, yet devoid of any emotion. This was illogical... No one should remain so composed when witnessing a murder scene.
The venomous snake, sensing the danger, shifted its stance with a solemn gaze, then lunged sideways and thrust its blade forward with a sudden, lethal strike.
Without even glancing back, the woman waved her hand with a casual motion. The venomous snake didn't even notice her weapon, only feeling a cold wind brush against its body.
A piercing scream echoed as Xiongba stared in disbelief. The venomous snake lunged forward but recoiled instantly, leaving the sword's grip completely empty.
His arm, along with the sword, fell to the ground.
Fear instantly gripped the scarred man's throat. Though others might not know, he knew the venomous snake's true nature. "A ruthless, cunning, and treacherous foe," the Count had said of him. Those he recruited were no ordinary men—Bryan himself could barely survive half an hour under his assault. Yet now, a woman's careless strike had severed his entire arm.
'What are you still waiting for? Go and kill her!' the venomous snake shouted, clutching the wound.
With blood loss, Brian's vision grew hazy. He heard chaotic footsteps, weapons clashing, and... the muffled thud of bodies collapsing. What was happening? He strained to turn his head and look ahead—then the patrol captain saw a scene he couldn't comprehend.
The woman's figure glided like a phantom, weaving through the crowd in and out of sight. Each strike pierced the enemy's vital points with lethal precision. It was less a battle than a dance—she had never seen anyone wield a weapon with such rhythmic grace. Her sword danced in the air, tracing mesmerizing arcs across the battlefield. The surrounding figures stood as clumsy clowns, their futile counterattacks and collapses adding to the spectacle... In the end, only she remained, standing tall and proud.
That was the last thing Brian saw before he lost consciousness.