A Rainy Day [1]

Have you ever gifted yourself in such a way? 

"What a foolish young man. When we return home, I want to be informed about that boy's family. They all must be eliminated, even if it means tearing down the foundations of that family." 

Gilgamesh's eyes gleamed with a crimson hue, but unexpectedly, there was a smile on his lips. He knew that all of this was merely politics, and his older brothers' factions were acting on their own to remove him from the future struggle for the throne. 

"Bite the gold ingot and weep for the fatherless bastards!" That phrase was what victors in a succession for the throne told the families of the opposing faction that had fought against them. Suddenly, at that moment, everyone realizes that getting involved in a agonizing battle was unnecessary. It's only when death is about to drag you into darkness that you think it wasn't worth it. Regret follows like an eruption, and tears blur the vision. 

That was what distinguished kings from nobles, commoners from nobles, and animals from humans. He died with a smile on his face, a sword in his right hand, and the conclusion of a noble war that had inspired the entire world. 

"Come, I will cut off their heads and give their bodies to the lions!" Gilgamesh declared while raising his right hand with an euphoric smile. 

It was then that the sky grew increasingly dark, and a lightning bolt shattered the somber silence that had fallen over the surroundings. A massive shadow covered the ground, and the rain intensified. 

From the darkness of the night, several masked men in black attire, resembling large night ravens, descended from the skies. Even before they touched the ground, numerous blades were directed at the carriage where Gilgamesh was. Buzzing through the air, those blades gleamed in a red hue. 

Dismal cries could be heard one after another as dozens of men descended from the building's rooftops towards the guards protecting Gilgamesh. Many of the guards, who were already prepared for any kind of surprise attack, shouted upon seeing the enemies: "Protect Prince Gilgamesh!" 

Each of them unsheathed their swords, which shimmered in a golden hue, while immediately assuming a defensive position around the carriage where Gilgamesh was located. 

The sound of swords clashing filled the air, creating an unending metallic clash, causing the commoners in the surrounding houses to take refuge deep within their rooms, daring not to come out and observe what was happening. 

Two more men with a powerful battle aura descended from the roof and headed straight for Simon. Observing the aura emanating from their bodies, they were both Sword Kings. The previous Simon might not have been able to defeat such powerful foes, but now that he wielded such a powerful weapon, it would be a shame not to confront these two formidable enemies. 

"Have two Sword Kings mobilized? It seems they are giving a little evaluation to Prince Gilgamesh," Simon said with cold determination as he raised his sword toward these figures in black. To have beings of this caliber in their ranks, the enemies must be led by one of the two factions, either the princess or the first prince. 

In total, there were two Sword Kings, seven Sword Saints, and twenty highly skilled experts below the top rank. For this group of experts to go up against Prince Gilgamesh's entourage, which seemingly lacked powerful guards, this assassination would be as easy as breaking a wine bottle. 

The two Sword Kings raised their swords, and they gleamed with a menacing battle aura as they advanced head-on. The two pairs of eyes behind those masks emitted a thirst for blood and cruelty, while their strikes were intended to take the lives of those before them. 

Faced with these two attacks, a variety of strategies flashed through Simon's mind. But no matter which one he chose, it would ultimately expose the true power of his relic. 

His position as a royal guard had been granted with the blessing of the King, and he had sworn to protect the prince Gilgamesh from harm. With Prince Gilgamesh's strength on the rise, forces being trained, and warriors growing stronger, it meant that they would eventually showcase their strength to the world without restraint. This, in turn, meant that no faction would have foolish ideas regarding Gilgamesh. 

Only because of this, everyone now believed that Gilgamesh would be the next king of this kingdom with absolute certainty. But if it were discovered that Gilgamesh was preparing himself in such a way that he was creating his own army, suspicions would spread, and that meant the idea of forcibly seizing the throne would lurk in the hearts of many. 

If Simon revealed his full strength, there was a possibility that everyone would take even stronger actions against Prince Gilgamesh, which would greatly anger him. If this were to happen, Gilgamesh had said he would conduct large-scale purges and seize the throne by force, even if it meant exterminating all of the royalty. 

The level of slaughter among the higher-ups would be so intense that other kingdoms would look suspiciously at what was happening in the Asura Kingdom. And if that were to happen, noble families outside the capital might unite and launch an attack in the name of a usurper who had eliminated the entire royal family. 

If this happens, then it will no longer be a matter of noble families, but hundreds of thousands of warriors and that is something that Simon cannot allow to happen. 

"You will die here!" Simon shouted as his sword emitted a powerful force and his speed increased in an instant as he headed forward. 

Boom! Boom! 

Two powerful clashes of swords were heard and it was at that moment that Simon faced two Sword Kings face to face, creating a formidable battlefield. 

As Simon faced two Sword Kings, a figure emerged from one side of him and rushed towards his back with a poison-filled dagger in his hands. But at the same time, Simon's feet slipped and his sword slid behind his armpit, cutting into the chest of the assassin who was attacking him from behind. 

Arrr! 

A brutal wound appeared on the chest of that murderer who had been sent flying towards one of the houses. The killer spat blood while trying to hold his chest, but died seconds later after the bleeding was so much that it made his body feel weak. 

The two assassins became increasingly nervous as the brutality of Simón's attacks became more and more ferocious, causing them to now take a defensive stance and retreat constantly. 

The blood from their wounds began to stain their clothes, and it seemed that they were not in a favorable position but they had to reach the prince Gilgamesh's carriage and end his life. 

Everyone thought it would be easy, in their minds Prince Gilgamesh only had the support of a few families of knights, but unexpectedly they could not advance towards the chariot and each of the knights who protect him still hold their weapons tightly. Instead, the bodies of the assassins were lying on the ground with brutal sword wounds on their bodies. 

However, the assassins' attacks were deceptive and they only needed to cause a small wound to their enemies for them to fall to the ground paralyzed by the poison. In front of the door of the chariot where Gilgamesh was, the knights began to fall one after another. Under these unprepared circumstances, less than a dozen knights had to deal with dozens of enemies who suddenly ambushed them. 

Strangely, Gilgamesh's chariot had not suffered any damage and it itself remained silent. If anyone saw this, they wouldn't know if Prince Gilgamesh was alive or dead.