Upon meeting with Guru, I asked him about the attacker.

“I’ve heard stories of villagers tearing each other to bits in a bloodbath of madness. The Sound of Slaughter is believed to be an ability of a CatBoy General.”

“I heard it too, but it did nothing to me. Is that because of my Black Seed?”

“You’re overthinking it.”

Am I? If I wasn’t part RiftRipper, I would be dead right now. I’m starting to understand why the Black Guild felt the need to evolve. Even so, there’s no excuse for what they put us through.

Guru pats my head. “You should rest.”

“Wait. One last thing. Is Tempera with us?”

“She knows of both sides but is tied to neither of them. Weech, doubt is absolutely vital to growth. It’s okay to doubt me and the Red Guild, but I hope you still trust me.”

I smile at him. “I do.”

“If you have any questions. I’m always happy to answer.”

My mind drifted to WarWolf.

“Have you ever been in love?”

“Only once.”

“I think that’s the difference then. The Black Guild…doesn’t know what love feels like.”

“Things aren’t so simple.”

“Yeah, you’re right. How do you do it? Deal with the loss?”

“I don’t deal with it. Every assassin lost fuels my goal all the more. A true sage can turn misfortune into a blessing. It took me many years to master this art. Don’t worry if you don’t understand it yet.”

“I do understand. BladEagle’s death and CamOctopus too. Wait. Is she dead?”

“She is safe. I cannot say more than that.”

I beam at him. “You don’t have to! And I’ll keep it a secret. Thanks to you, I think I can cope with the loss. I’ll help you usher in a new age of assassins!”

“I expect nothing less from my star pupil.”

Over the years I recruited nearly a dozen students to the Red Guild. Though they were never trusted with knowing the true ringleader, OniGiri took them on several side quests in service to our guild. Recruiting teachers was still too risky but Guru was more focused on the students anyways. After about four years, I knew about every student in the guild. Their hobbies, woes and secrets were all given to me willingly. And though BunBun and I were no longer a couple, we were still good friends.

Friends aren’t the only thing I gained from those four years. The knowledge of Steam I acquired from BladEagle was now healthily supplemented by my actual experience in the many villages, forests, swamps and even mountains. Both the Red and Black Guild agreed on one thing: this was a world worth protecting. I no longer saw the Black Guild as my enemy or even as misguided. They simply had a viewpoint that I strongly opposed.

As for skill, I no longer dodged Guru’s throwing knives. I could snatch them from the air without a scratch. WarWolf and StarBorne got stronger too, of course. Her mechanical legs had truly become a part of her and one that she had mastery over. As for StarBorne, well, apparently gifts can be nurtured too. Even with eyes shut he or she could read the arc of an incoming attack and dodge accordingly.

WarWolf and I grew closer over the years. What had started off as passionate Pup love, had evolved into a deep understanding of one another. We could convey things to one another without saying a word. And there were times when we just spent hours in the others embrace. About two months before our true final exam, she asked VirtueVice to take the two of us to her home.

“Are you certain you want to return there? If there’s something you need, I can retrieve it from you.”

I grab her hand. “The only thing that remains there is sad memories.”

She looks at me and I nod.

I turn to Guru. “Please, take us.”

He carves a portal and we enter.

WarWolf lies on her bed and takes a deep breath. She holds up the blanket. “I’m surprised they changed the sheets.”

The door opens and a five-year old girl with indigo eyes looks at us with shock. “Why are you in my room?”

WarWolf hops off the bed. “Oh, I used to live here. This was my room before.”

“Thanks for all the cooking stuff!” She bows to WarWolf.

WarWolf smiles at her. “I’m glad you’re putting it to good use.”

“Why did you leave your home?” asks the girl.

WarWolf looks at me.

I signal her to lie.

After all, when we succeed, no child will have to kill their parents.

WarWolf grins. “Just got a new place. Hey, is it alright if we stay here for just a few hours?”

The girl thinks to herself and then nods. “I’ll be in the kitchen.” She then rushes off.

WarWolf gives me a look and I sit on the bed next to her. “I want to…I want to be a mother.”

“No way too risky. Plus you worked too hard to be an assassin to just drop out.”

She grabs my hands and looks at me with flushed cheeks.

Oh. She wants to…make a baby.

I pull away and keep my eyes to the ground. “Is that why you wanted to come here?”

She nods. “This is where I fell in love with you. So…it just seems right.”

“Won’t we get discovered?”

“Nobody will notice if I’m two months pregnant. Please. I’ve waited so long for this.”

“Is it safe raising a kid in a crazy world like this?”

“It’s not…but I still want to. The choice is yours too.”

I hug her. “I want to. Of course I want to be with you and to be a father too. Okay, let’s do it before doubt takes over.” I start to remove my cloak.

WarWolf blushes and then tears off my clothes.

“Haha! Careful. I don’t want them torn.”

“BunBun can sew them back up like she always does.”

I take off WarWolf’s leggings and her top. “We’re no longer kids anymore, are we?”

“I don’t think I ever was. My parents treated me like an adult since I was old enough to walk.”

“Yeah and mine spoiled me into becoming an idealist. They really loved us. I think they’d be happy seeing us like this.”

WarWolf slugs me. “Eww. I don’t want my dad seeing me naked.” She giggles.

I giggle too and then we both stop.

“I’m nervous too,” she says.

“Should I start?” I ask, taking a gulp.

WarWolf pins me to the bed and grins at me. She then hesitates. “I…I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

I hold her cheek. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Weech, after BladEagle died…you knew things that he knew. Not just facts about things but even things I told him. Sometimes the way you touched me…it was just like he did.” She holds back her tears.

Not knowing what to say I lean in and kiss her. “I love you.”

“And I feel the same, but I can’t go through with this until I know the whole story. I’ve been terrified to ask but its even scarier not knowing. Did you do it. I know you did. Known for so long, but…why?”

I look directly in her eyes and solemnly nod. “He was overcome with guilt. His mother was his lover too. He said she was his real love. It made me angry how he used you and…he wanted to die. I…never wanted to tell anyone the truth about it, but you…deserve the truth.”

She nods in tears. “We used each other. I never loved him. What he and I had wasn’t real, at least not like this.” She leans in and kisses me.

“You don’t hate me?”

“Never. I feel the only blockade between us is gone. I love you more than ever.” She wraps her hands around mine and kisses my neck.

I squirm around and giggle.

“You’re too cute.” She removes my underwear with her feet and then twirls them around.

“And you’re too sexy.” I grin.

WarWolf lowers herself onto me. Her cheeks go red and she growls a bit as we become one.

“I’m really inside you.”

“Yeah.” She smiles at me. “I’ve never felt anything so amazing.”

I look at her beautiful bare body.

Blood.

Flashes of my victims’ death torment my mind.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry.”

She puts her finger to my lips and gently pumps my member in and out of her garden. “Assassins must spill blood to reach their goals.”

“But not your blood. Never your blood.” I start to pull away.

“Relax. It’s natural. I’m not hurt. No more words, okay? Let’s just be in the moment.”

My whole body heated up as her body went up and down on me. Every time we parted our reunion felt all the more incredible. My seed went inside her four times. We only stopped because my secret dagger wouldn’t stand up for her.

She clenches as she pulls out, keeping my essence from spilling out. “I didn’t expect you to blank out the last three rounds. Was it too much?” Her hands move to her tan breasts and pinch her perky pink nipples.

“I didn’t blank out. I was fully in the moment all four times.”

WarWolf giggles. “Four? You filled me seven times.”

“Seven?”

Keheh. Had to help us out a bit.

My face goes red.

I never want you touching my girlfriend. I swear if you hurt her…

I only assist us, never impede.

WarWolf puts her clothes back on and puts the blanket over me. “I’ll go see what’s in the kitchen. Get your clothes on and rest up, okay?” She leans down and kisses my lips.

Still just as warm as our first kiss.

After waking up I meet with them in the kitchen. We enjoy a meal together and everything about it feels so magical.

I have a family again.

When Guru comes to pick me up, he doesn’t ask me what happened. He simply gives me a thumbs up with his tendril.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask with flushed cheeks.

“Congratulations to both of you.”

“Have you ever wanted to be a father?”

“I am one.”

We hug him. “You sure are.”

“You are my new family. But I was a father long ago.”

WarWolf’s eyes widen. “You never said that before. What is the child’s name?”

“Not important. Ah, her mother and I went our separate ways. Each fighting to save our people. The reinstating of the Red Guild is only the beginning. One day, the two of us will join again and bring about global change.”

WarWolf smiles. “And we’ll help you.”

Guru turns to me and smiles. “Yes you will.”

The final exam was fast approaching putting the entire school on edge. Guru said he’d tell us what it was if we asked, but WarWolf and I decided that knowing may just cause us more dread. No secret the Black Guild kept was ever pleasant when revealed.

The day before the exam I was pulled aside by BloodBlade, another Department Head.

“How may I be of service?” I ask with a bow.

“Usually it is the teachers who manage the failures, quitters and the traitors, but we’ve decided to do something different this year.” She carves a portal and gestures me to enter.

So many new faces greet me and a few familiar ones. The room itself is almost blindingly white.

“Ten percent is all we need.” BloodBlade puts my father’s knife in my hand.

I look at her but say nothing.

“There are seventy here so…” She moves her bladed fingers in a rotation.

“Seven,” I say.

My stomach sinks.

BloodBlade clangs her knives together. “Bravo. You choose which seven live. Some will be teachers, the others parents.”

This is what happened to my parents. They gave up being assassins knowing that they only had a ten percent chance of survival. They gambled so much for their dreams and now I’m supposed to…decide who gets a future.

I look around. There’s no exit. No escape.

“Weech, it’s me VigorViper. What’s going on?”

“Only seven of you will be allowed to live!” I look at all the faces in the room. “That’s what my mission is.”

The room goes completely silent. It then explodes with sound. Some of the students scream. Some turn on each other. Others come after me.

I clench my knife and slice my cheeks.

The guild wants the leftovers to be pawns for them. I can put an end to it. They’ll regret trusting me with this assignment. Take over.

Time for our blades to sing a song of suffering.

My vision leaves me.

An assassin with a black cloak embraces me as he pierces his blade in my throat. As the pain from the blood comes out like a fountain, I’m suddenly stabbed through the heart in another body. Death never reaches me as he slaughters my new forms one after the next, embracing each with warmth before the kill. When only eight of us remain, he cuts us until we all go into a corner. The dark aura surrounding him then juts out, embracing us before the tips become blades and slice their heads off.

My awareness returns to me. The vertigo makes me wobble in place. I keel over and nearly vomit but stomp my foot down.

I look around me to see windows of space, tiny portals. Inside are the watchful eyes of the students.

Everyone was watching.

Good. They saw our dance.

I use all my strength to keep my hand from shaking. “All those who fail or who dare to stand against the guild…they are not worthy of the truth.”

The Black Guild wants me to be their icon, then I’ll bring them down by becoming their monster.

Blood-drenched and with a mad grin I raise my father’s tainted dagger into the air.

“Glory to the assassin guild. Glory to Isekai!”

“W-Why?” asks one of the dying students.

I step up to them, my vision still hazy. I then plunge my dagger all the way in.

I feel the blade enter me, but something else too. My hand reaches out and touches my attackers face.

“Don’t you recognize me?” she asks, choking on blood and misery.

My mind is a blur. I don’t even recognize myself.

BloodBlade appears before me.

I leave the red room.