Forsaken By The Gods, I Made A Contract With the Demon King

The first arrow had only been the beginning. More projectiles filled the air, each one humming with deadly purpose, their trajectories forming a lethal web around our group. Jin's barriers flared brilliantly as they intercepted the attacks, but even I could see the strain etched across his features. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he maintained the shields, his hands trembling slightly with each impact.

"These arrows... they're enhanced with essence," Jin called out, his voice tight with effort. "Each hit is degrading the barriers faster than I can reinforce them!"

Clearly, whoever was targeting was stronger!

And those didn't seem like they were ordinary arrows - each impact seemed to eat away at Jin's essence-reinforced shields like acid consuming metal, leaving patches of sickly purple corruption that spread like cancer through the protective field.

Derek's voice cut through the chaos: "They're trying to split our formation! Hold the line! Sara, strengthen the eastern perimeter!"

"I'm trying!" Sara's voice carried an edge of frustration I'd never heard before. "Something's interfering with my connection to the Radiant One's essence!"

But I knew better than all of them.

Their seemingly scattered attacks followed a pattern - one that became clear only if you were looking for it through experienced eyes. Every major strike, every feint, was designed to create openings that would force me to move in predictable ways. They were herding me, like predators coordinating to isolate their prey.
Your adventure continues at empire

"Watch your left flank!" I called out to Jin, spotting a pattern in the attacks. He managed to reinforce that section just as three arrows struck simultaneously, their corrupted essence sizzling against his barrier.

He shot me a quick, questioning look. "How did you-"

But his question was cut short as a figure burst from the treeline, moving with unnatural speed that defied normal essence enhancement. Sara's chains of light lashed out with deadly precision, but the attacker seemed to phase through them like smoke, their form distorting in impossible ways.

"Impossible!" Sara gasped. "They should not be able to bypass the Radiant One's bindings that easily!"

But they had, and as the attacker straightened, I caught sight of their mask - carved from some dark material that seemed to devour light - and my blood ran cold.

The unmistakable mark of the Shadow Walkers' Guild stood out in stark relief against the darkness - three intertwined serpents devouring each other.

"Shadow Walkers," I whispered, drawing confused looks from my nearest classmates. Professional assassins, and if they were here...

'But which contract?' The thought raced through my mind as I dodged another poison-tipped arrow, my body moving on pure instinct.

'The Malakani's wouldn't risk their political standing with such a public hit. The D-Company prefers quieter methods. Unless...'

"Everyone, tighten formation!" Vyse ordered, her essence-enhanced bangles pulsing with protective energy. "Channel your essence into-"

My analysis and her commands were cut short by a scream that turned my blood to ice. One of my classmates - Chen, I think his name was - stood frozen in mid-step, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the ornate dagger protruding from his chest. The weapon pulsed with corrupted essence, spreading dark veins across his skin like ink bleeding through paper.

"Chen!" his friend Maya screamed, reaching for him.

"Don't touch him!" Derek barked, but it was too late. Chen collapsed without another sound, his body hitting the ground with a finality that seemed to echo through the clearing.

The sight of their fallen classmate broke something fundamental in the other students. Years of academy training, all those practice drills and simulated emergencies, crumbled in the face of real death. Panic spread like wildfire through their ranks.

"He's... he's dead?" someone whimpered. "They killed Chen!"

"We need to run!"

"They'll kill us all!"

"Stay in formation!" Vyse's command cracked like thunder, but it was too late. The carefully maintained defensive line shattered as students began breaking away, their fear overwhelming their discipline.

Kris tried to contain the chaos, her essence reaching out to create barriers between the fleeing students and our attackers. Her movements were still graceful despite the pressure, but I could see the strain in her eyes.

"Get back here, you idiots! You're running right into-"

An explosion of dark essence cut off her warning, the blast powerful enough to scatter our remaining defenses like leaves in a storm. Through the smoke and chaos, I caught Lyssandra's eye one last time. There was something in her gaze - not just the usual suspicion now, but a dawning understanding that made my skin crawl.

I ignored her for now and made my decision in that moment. Staying would only put more people in danger, of course I didn't care about that but if they fail to defend - then I would become a pig waiting for slaughter!

Also, I needed time to think, to figure out who was behind this. The chaos of fleeing students provided the perfect cover.

'Sorry, seniors,' I thought, already moving. 'But I don't want to die.'

"Levi!" Derek's voice carried over the chaos. "Where are you going? Get back in formation!"

I pretended not to hear him as I slipped away from the group, but not in the same direction as the panicked students. Instead, I chose a path through the denser vegetation, where the shadows grew deeper and the footing became treacherous. The familiar weight of my kusarigama provided small comfort as I moved with practiced silence, my steps leaving barely a trace on the forest floor.

Behind me, I could hear the continuing sounds of battle - the crack of essence discharge, the sharp commands of the seniors trying to regain control of the situation, and the occasional scream that told me the price of failure was still being paid.

"They're after Levi!" I heard Lyssandra shout. "The attacks are all focused on-"

Another explosion drowned out her words, but the damage was done. She'd figured it out, and now others would too. Questions would follow, investigations would be launched, and my carefully constructed cover might not survive the scrutiny.

I didn't know where I was running to, but I knew I had to keep moving. These weren't amateur killers who would give up easily - the Shadow Walkers were infamous for their persistence. Years of survival instincts screamed at me to maintain my pace, to use the terrain to my advantage, to keep my essence signature suppressed.

A whisper of movement to my left - Eternal Vigil flared up!

I ducked instinctively following its command and a blade sliced through the air where my neck had been. The assassin materialized from the shadows, their mask gleaming dully in the filtered light.

"Impressive reflexes," a feminine voice emerged from behind the mask, tinged with genuine appreciation. "The contract didn't mention those."

I didn't waste breath on a response, instead using the momentum of my dodge to put more distance between us. Another assassin dropped from the canopy ahead, cutting off my escape route.

"You've led us on quite a chase," the second Shadow Walker spoke, his voice deep and resonant.

"But it ends here. Our client was quite specific about your death being witnessed."

The morning light that had seemed so beautiful earlier now felt like a spotlight, exposing my position to whoever was hunting me. As I stood between the two assassins, my mind raced through possibilities. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble and expense to arrange this attack. They'd known exactly where I would be, had prepared thoroughly, and weren't concerned about collateral damage.

The list of people who both hated me enough and had the resources to hire the Shadow Walkers was longer than I'd like to admit. But something about this felt different - more personal, more desperate.

"Your client," I spoke carefully, buying time as I assessed my options. "Would they happen to have a connection to the D-company?"

The slight tensing in the female assassin's posture told me everything I needed to know. So that's who it was - and suddenly the timing made perfect sense.

"Clever boy," she purred, drawing a blade that seemed to drink in the surrounding light. "But knowing who sent us won't save you."

As I heard the subtle whisper of movement in the canopy above - indicating at least two more assassins moving into position - I realized my run was about to become a fight. The real question was - how much of my true capabilities would I have to reveal to survive?

I looked around, just to be sure - there was no one in surroundings.

"You made one mistake from the beginning"

I said as I prepared to activate my skills.

The female assassin must have seen something change in my stance, some shift in my demeanor that set off warning bells.

"Wait," she started to say, but I was already moving.

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