Royal Princess of Blood

There were forty ninjas that went on the hunt, consisting mostly of graduates, with a few students brave enough to come along. There were a few more who were willing to come and get their revenge. However, they couldn’t be too big, or it would be hard to move with haste and sustain the travel. Still, they believed, with all the skillful ninjas they had, they could complete their objective.

Never before had so many ninjas moved altogether out of the city just to hunt a single target. They were all so determined to complete their objective, as what was just right. They all moved on foot, running across the dead plains. This was not an issue for the ninjas. They were trained for speed, and they traveled light. They wouldn’t tire easily.

Of course the one to lead them all was Mashai. He was so looking forward to eventually killing their enemy. They knew what the enemy convoy consisted of, and where they were going, and the route they were taking, and their purpose. For their other purpose, they were irrelevant to the ninjas; their target was the only one they wanted.

Eventually, they caught up with the target’s convoy. They decided to attack during the night, when most of the people in the camp were asleep. Guards were expected to still be awake. But with the ninjas’ skills, it should be easy to take care of them. As long as stealth was on their side, everything should go well. They were intending to kill everyone while they were at it, if they could.

But what’s important was getting to the target.

Their forces quietly infiltrated the camp, gradually taking out the guards in the area. Eliminating them was completely silent and swift. Mashai was observing from a distance. With his current ranking, his life was valuable. Unless everything went south, it was best to leave the job to the others first.

From what he could see, everything was going perfectly. It shouldn’t be too difficult to eliminate the guards and search for the target. However, suddenly, a ball of light ascended into the air.

What’s that?

Mashai frowned as he watched it rise in the air, and suddenly explode into a bright flash of light encompassing a wide area.

“What?!” He was dumbstruck as he covered his eyes. The light was so bright that it clearly illuminated the area, exposing those who were hiding in the darkness.

We’re found out?! How?

There was no way that his ninjas were discovered just like that. They were just getting started. But the bigger question was…

Who cast that light?!

The ball of light was still shining, like a small sun dispelling the night. He had not seen such magic before. But not like spell casting was ever common here in the first place.

“We’re under attack! Ninjas!”

A woman’s voice shouted, alerting everyone in the camp.

Mashai quickly jumped up onto a big boulder and narrowed his eyes, looking over the camp. And there he saw her, a person who stood out so much with her long white platinum hair, glistening under the bright light like gemstones. No one would be able to miss that.

Finally found you.

“Mashai, now what?” His close aide asked, feeling a bit frantic. They had lost their advantage after all.

Mashai gritted his teeth. There was no reason to give up now, they had gone this far. Even if they lost their advantage all of a sudden, it would be cowardly to back out now. They were still competent and deadly fighters when fought directly and out in the open. They were trained to be swifter and quicker than anyone else.

Giving up because of such a simple thing would be utterly shameful.

“Send in everyone. Kill all of them. Go!”

With that, the remaining ninjas all rushed onto the battlefield. Stealth and hiding in the shadows was no longer an option, so these ninjas fought like ‌soldiers would. As they charged forward, Mashai watched his closest aide try to throw a dagger into the ball of light up in the air. However, it merely went through. Did he just perhaps miss the center? It was hard to aim precisely while looking directly at it, the light was blinding.

“Ignore it,” Mashai said. “They’ll just send in another one anyway.” They had a magic caster out here somewhere. “Find the caster.” It was the only way to snuff out that light.

With that said, how did they even find them? It would seem Jin’s warning was accurate. Their target truly was a person to be wary of. Superior to the ninjas. She may even be the one who sent that light. Still, they didn’t expect that their battlefield would change this instantly. No one expected someone could just cast a bright light that would expose all ninjas hiding.

The criminals had all come out of their tents and carriages, weapons drawn.

“How the fuck did these guys even find us?! This is bullshit!” shouted a criminal. He appeared to be someone with authority. “Fuck it, kill ‘em all!”

The criminals charged at the ninjas.

Mashai rushed into the crowd, intending to head to his target immediately. The quicker they were done, the better. A man rushed at him, his sword raised. Mashai skillfully dodged the blade and subsequently slashed the man’s neck in a smooth motion, blood spurted out all over.

As he continued on, he dodged another enemy charging at him, and then he kicked the man’s face with a powerful force. It was only enough to stun the enemy, but another ninja came in from behind and struck him down.

Another couple of criminals were slain. However, a ninja fell when a pair of criminals ganged up on him, stabbing him in the chest from the back.

Mashai clicked his tongue and threw a dagger at the two of them. One was hit in the neck, while the other blocked the flying dagger with his blade. Mashai charged at the man, and their blades met, sending sparks as their weapons ground against each other. However, Mashai was quicker, and he swiftly came up behind the enemy and slashed the back of his leg.

With the enemy off balance, Mashai struck the back of his enemy’s neck, killing him. More ninjas and criminals fought; each side had someone dying. However, the criminals were having a harder time, the ninjas had the upper hand in this fight.

However, before they could execute more criminals, it was then that Mashai noticed a bronze-haired man holding a plain sword walking towards a group of ninjas. The ninjas charged at him. However, he did not move whatsoever. It was utterly stupid. And thus, a pair of ninjas stabbed him, without even a sign of resistance.

Normally, a person would have fallen dead. However, the man remained standing, confusing the ninjas. And then, the man swung his blade, slicing the two ninjas in half instantly.

Mashai’s eyes widened in shock.

What was that? What just happened?

That man should be dead. So how was he still standing? It didn’t make sense. Those strikes should have been fatal. It should leave anyone writhing on the floor at the very least. However, the man was still standing. And the way he killed the ninjas, it appeared so easy. Strangest of all, he was not bleeding as much as Mashai expected.

He was warned that the girl’s team would be dangerous, but he didn’t expect it to be like this.

A man with a rapier struck a ninja sneaking from behind the bronze-haired man. His strike was swift and elegant.

“Don’t tell me you’re letting them strike you again,” he said.

“Hey, you’d never know.”

“... Let’s just finish this quickly. The princess said she doesn’t want to lose a lot of guards.”

“Hehe… Alright.”

Mashai groaned in irritation and decided to continue on. He decided to go straight to their main target. As he ran through the camp, he saw the daughter of the lord of Nishinoa fighting against the ninjas, her bodyguard fighting alongside her. But she was not the priority, not for Mashai. So he disregarded her.

A criminal ran up in front of Mashai. He was already feeling impatient, he couldn’t waste time. They must accomplish what they all came here for. It can’t be all for naught. They must avenge their master. He swiftly took out the criminal and went past him instantly, fatally slashing his body all over.

It was then that he found the white-haired girl. Unlike the agitated people, the people in danger, she was casually sitting down on the crate, completely taking it easy. There was a single guard with her, a towering man, with a couple of dead ninjas before him. However, what bothered Mashai right now was how indifferent the girl was acting.

The girl looked at him. Her guard was about to move in and attack Mashai, but the girl held out her hand, stopping him.

With a blank expression, she waved her hand at Mashai. “You look important.”

Mashai clenched his fist. “Everyone is fighting for their lives, and here you are doing nothing.”

“My allies are excellent, there is no need for me to expend my strength. They are sufficient.” She leaned back ever so casually. “And you are?”

“I’m the one who will avenge our master.”

“The master ninja, of course. But you should have let it go.”

“There’s no way we’d let it go after all the damage you have done. You damn outsider.”

“It was nothing personal.”

“Nothing personal…?” He found it absurd that she had just said that. “I can’t let you go without suffering the consequences.”

She shook her head. “No no no, you’re the one that will suffer the consequences of his actions. The foolishness of your choices today. I defeated your master, and you’d come after me?”

“You must pay for what you have done. You plunged the island into chaos. Justice must be served.”

“Me? You’d blame me?” She raised an eyebrow, she seemed taken aback to hear that. “What a wrong sentiment.”

“You’d think yourself free of responsibilities?”

She crossed her legs, laying her elbow on her lap and placing a hand on her cheek. Her deep crimson eyes looked deeply into him. “Of course. Not my island, I have no stakes here whatsoever. Whether this island gets obliterated, I care not.”

“You evil witch.”

“What I did was merely for a job. Nothing more, nothing significant. The results after the job has nothing to do with me.”

“Nothing significant…?” Mashai was flabbergasted. Such indifference he never thought he would face.

“And your master… he died because he got in my way. He merely suffered the consequences of his actions. He should have left me alone when he had the chance, just as you had.”

“You will die.”

She chuckled. “Ninjas who prosper in the dark, what makes you think you can win in the shade of my light?”

“Your light?”

“You believed you could surprise me? Attack me in my sleep? Such arrogance, such idiocy, has cost you your lives.” She got off the crate and slowly stepped forward. “I am the light that robbed you of your strength. Without the darkness, you people are naught but pups.”

“You’re a fool for believing a little light could guarantee your victory. As the new lord of the Nightshades, I swear I will kill you.”

“I am tired of constantly facing ninjas like you. Let this be the last.” She extended her hand forward. “Come, fight me in the light. Let it be shown how utterly feeble you all are.”

Mashai frowned in anger. She was completely looking down on him. However, he knew how dangerous she was. He had been warned about this. That was why they brought many allies to face her altogether. If their master could not defeat her alone, then together, they should be able to.

“My friends! Our target is before me! Heed me and let’s take her down together!” He shouted, raising his hand, calling upon his allies.

The several ninjas who were free immediately rushed to his side. Through teamwork, they shall defeat her.

“Princess…” the towering guard called to her with concern.

“Pointless,” the girl curtly said. “If you’re the new leader of the ninjas,” she grinned for the first time. “Then killing you now, and the rest of you here, that will surely wreck your clan beyond repair. Am I right?”

Mashai gritted his teeth. She was right. The Nightshades were utterly unstable right now. If Mashai dies, and all the ninjas here die, then there is no way to repair it. The other ninjas were not keen on taking up the mantle, while the others were considering joining the other clans. The clan was barely holding on.

Mashai’s silence was already an answer the girl was looking for. And her smile widened.

“Then it shall be my pleasure to utterly destroy you.” She snapped her finger, and a bright flash of light blinded everyone.