The Martial Unity

The four royals prepared to meet the Voidreaper.

The plan was simple and straightforward.

There was no need to complicate it.

Divulge their identity.

Acquire the body.

Kill the Voidreaper.

There were sixteen Martial Masters.

Against a single Martial Senior.

Yes, he was an extraordinary assassin. They could all honestly admit that he was probably the best Senior-level assassin that they had ever come across. In fact, they felt silly hiring anybody else except the Voidreaper.

Had they hired the Voidreaper alone, he would probably have succeeded with his extraordinary, almost God-like ability to snuff life and bestow death. Sierra had been exactly on the mark when she said he was too good to be excluded due to his condition to learn their identities. Had they not hired him, Rui Quarrier would have escaped and gone to the Martial Union.

Yet, as amazing and extraordinary as he was, he was not defeating sixteen Martial Masters.

Granted, each of those Martial Masters was a bodyguard, not an assassin. Their absolute priority was guaranteeing the safety of the four royals above all else, including their orders. However, such distinctions did not matter when there was a difference of a Realm of power between them and their target. The Martial Masters could easily protect their marks while effortlessly killing him on the spot simultaneously.

Thus, they didn't have anything to fear.

'Then why do I feel so ominous?' Prince Randal narrowed his eyes.

Currently, the four masked royals were moving to the drop-off location in a disguised carriage. The Voidreaper had not been informed about this location beforehand. This was to ensure that there was no way he could spring a trap.

Yet Prince Randal could not help but have an instinct that something was wrong.

Yet he didn't know why.

'Stop,' He shook his head. 'You're good. Everything will be just fine. Rui Quarrier is dead. The Voidreaper will soon die. We will erase their bodies from existence and reality itself. There will be no proof they ever even existed. The Martial Union will not immediately assume Rui is dead and instead assume he's abruptly and erratically traveled as he has many times in the past, and there will be no murder investigation. By the time any suspicions about his death arise many months or a year later, it will be too late. They will never have any reason to even begin to suspect us or me.'

The rationale was calm and collected. It was logical.

Yet, he couldn't shake off the feeling that it was dead wrong.

Regardless, he forged on. It was too late to make any changes, even if he wanted to. And there was no doubt that the outcome of Rui Quarrier's death was highly desirable to him.

Soon enough, the carriage arrived at the drop-off.

An old warehouse in a remote, backward district had been secretly fitted with sensory disguisers, meaning they would not prevent a Martial Artist's senses from peering into the building but would trick them into seeing something else.

It was the best measure that they could muster to ensure there was no way of anybody getting suspicious.

The carriage paused such that the door opened directly to a discreet passage with anti-sensory measures to ensure there wasn't a single moment where their persons were exposed.

The passage directly led to a shabby room with a large table and chairs on both ends.

They took their seats with heavy hearts.

"When is he arriving?" Princess Ranea turned to Sierra.

"Very soon, Your Highness," Sierra casually replied. "Rest assured that we have made all necessary preparations. We will acquire the body. And the Voidreaper will not leave this place alive. No Martial Senior can resist a Martial Master."

They nodded, growing more relieved.

Several tense minutes passed by.

The silence was deafening.

The district they were in was in a remote, boring town that didn't have much going on. It was actually a village a year ago that had finally just barely crossed the population count of ten thousand to be considered a town.

Silence was all there was.

"He has entered the district," One of the Martial Masters behind the royals informed them several minutes later. "He is carrying a large case with anti-sensory measures so strong that my senses are unable to peer into it."

"His caution and care are highly professional, as expected of the Voidreaper," Prince Randal nodded.

It would be devastating if the Voidreaper crossed paths with a Martial Artist of the Martial Union whose senses peered into the suit only to discover the dead body of Rui Quarrier.

In that regard, they were grateful that the Voidreaper took such extreme precautions.

"He has arrived at our location." The Master helpfully added. "He is entering the building as we speak."

The four royals prepared themselves.

STEP

STEP

STEP

STEP

STEP…

The door squeaked open as the Voidreaper entered the room, beholding the four masked royals before him.

A moment of silence emerged as both parties beheld each other for the first time.

The Voidreaper's eyes behind the mask shifted to each of the royals, one after the other, before moving to the sixteen Martial Masters behind each of them.

The air grew electric as the silence lingered for a moment too long.

Until it was broken.

"Welcome, Voidreaper," Prince Randal addressed the Voidreaper as the original proposer of the assassination operation of Rui Quarrier. "We are your contracters."

The Voidreaper stared at him.

A single remark escaped his mouth. "Your identity. Not your masked visage. Remove the masks or..."

The Voidreaper opened the case, showing it to them.

It was empty.

The air grew perilous.

Pure rage flashed across Princess Ranea's face. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Violating our contract voids it," Princess Raemina whispered. "Do you want to die?"

Princess Rafia stared at him with emotionless eyes. "Your actions are irrational."

"Identity first," The Voidreaper's distorted voice was firm and clear. "Body after. Rui Quarrier will be here. That much, I promise."