Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

Farewell Greetings

“What are you all doing here?” Letty inquired, her hand resting on her shortsword, her voice low and restrained.

A chilling atmosphere began to fill the air, causing Ellie, who stood behind, to shudder involuntarily. The men however, whether slow-witted or simply unperturbed, approached with grins plastered on their faces.

“What’s it to ya? We got some business to take care of, but before that, I got a question for ya, miss.”

Letty narrowed her eyes. “Answer me. What happened to Ted?”

“Ted? Oh, that guy… Yeah, he’s probably takin’ a dirt nap inside.”

At the sound of the unpleasant laughter, Letty swiftly commanded, “Ellie, left.”

“Understood.” Without hesitation, a shimmering projectile of light shot forth from Ellie, who had been silently gathering mana, piercing through the chest of the man positioned on the left among the trio.

Simultaneously…

In the blink of an eye, Letty’s figure vanished as if she had never been there just moments before.

“Huh?” A voice filled with disbelief.

Unaware of what had happened, the man on the right crumpled to the ground as if his strings were cut. And there stood Letty, her sword, somehow already unseathed, dripping with a trace of blood.

The remaining man, stunned and blinking, finally registered Letty’s presence. But before he could react, she smoothly sidestepped, swiftly moving behind him. Letty crouched low and drove the tip of her shortsword forcefully into the base of the man’s right thumb—the very hand that tightly gripped his sword.

Taking advantage of the recoil from retracting her sword, Letty shifted her weight, leaning into her stepping foot, and sliced through his Achilles tendon at the back of his right ankle.

“Aargh!” Howling in pain, the man released his grip on the sword. In a heartbeat, Letty swiftly angled her blade, cutting diagonally through the tendons behind his left knee.

She then straightened her body and rose up. Skillfully twirling her sword, Letty unleashed a rapid succession of strikes, piercing his left shoulder, then his right. With his legs robbed of strength, the man collapsed to the ground with a thud, mirroring his fallen comrades on either side.

“Argh! It hurts! It stings!” Finally feeling the excruciating pain throughout his body, the man screamed loudly and writhed in agony. His arms rendered feeble, he was powerless to resist.

Without sparing him a glance, Letty kicked his sword away, sending it flying into the distance. “Sorry, Ellie. Keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, um, please be careful.” Numerous questions swirled in Ellie’s mind, but she knew they’d have to wait. With that in mind, she watched Letty’s back as she strode into the cabin.

As Letty entered, the scene she had feared came into view. Ted lay sprawled on the floor, his hands and feet bound, his face battered beyond recognition. Stab wounds covered his body.

“Ted, you’re alive?” Letty scanned the room quickly, ensuring there were no other threats, before rushing to his side.

“…Uh… Ghost…? Why… you here?” Ted’s weak voice trailed off.

“I finished the job sooner than expected. Let me tend to your wounds first—”

Letty’s words caught in her throat as she assessed the severity of Ted’s injuries. The wounds ran deep, blood gushing profusely, and the unmistakable signs of impending death etched on his battered face, shattered any hope of saving him.

“Th-thanks… for… your… concern… but… I… know… my… body… better… than… anyone… cough… it’s true…” Ted managed a feeble smile between fits of coughing, or what remained of his smile. His facial muscles were barely functional.

“Don’t strain yourself to speak. Your injuries…” Letty started, her voice laced with genuine concern.

“Heh… You… cough… made it… in… time… lemme… speak…

“They… They clearly… knew about… this place… and about me…”

Letty froze, trying to comprehend Ted’s desperate words. “Does that mean… betrayal? Someone leaked the information…?”

“Yeah… they knew… about you… too… cough… they were… searchin’ for you… guess you… found them first… serves ’em right…” Ted chuckled weakly, finding a sliver of amusement amidst the chaos, realizing the situation from the commotion outside.

There was no use holding back now. Letty clenched her fist tightly and leaned closer to Ted’s ear, speaking in a hushed tone, “Do you recognize them?”

“Unfortunately… cough… but… I’m an informant, after all… sorry… I can’t… talk more… maybe… cough… go to… Old Bob’s place… there… maybe…”

Ted’s coughing intensified, a stream of crimson liquid trickling from the corner of his mouth. Each convulsion worsened his labored breathing, and his body trembling uncontrollably.

“Okay… Ted, just one last thing…” Letty furrowed her brow, troubled by the weight of her next question. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke slowly. “You… Do you want to be relieved from the pain?”

Ted’s eyes widened slightly, “Sorry… but… please…” He gave a subtle nod. “Yeah… I’m truly sorry… for always puttin’ burdens on you…” He managed a smile that seemed on the verge of tears but carried a desperate cheerfulness.

Letty couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. “Then, close your eyes…”

“Yeah…”

Perhaps finding an end was a form of liberation. Ted’s breathing eased ever so slightly. Letty drew her dagger and knelt beside him.

“Goodnight, Ted…”

“Yeah, goodnight…”

Silently, the dagger descended. The frontal bone, considered as the hardest bone in the human body, offered no resistance. Letty’s technique, harnessing the weight of the blade and seamlessly accelerating it with gravity and her own strength, effortlessly pierced through the bone as if slicing through paper. And beyond that, it penetrated the brain.

Yet, Letty’s expression remained undisturbed. In a painless instant, Ted’s life had ceased to exist.

With her hands clasped together in front of Ted’s chest, Letty, for the first time in her life, felt a sense of gratitude for her own skills.

***

Author’s Note:

You cannot chase those who have departed, but those who remain strive on. We find solace in tending to each other’s wounds. Even if there’s more darkness awaiting ahead.

Up next: Sentiments Towards the Departed

Surely, it’s not without meaning.