"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"

Seraphis sat at a quiet corner of a bustling tavern, the scent of roasted meat and cheap ale thick in the air.

She wore a dark hooded cloak, her silver eyes peeking over the edge of a folded newspaper she held in her gloved hands.

The headline?

"Bandit Leader Confesses to Brutal Noble Slaying – Capital in Uproar!"

A slow smirk played on her lips.

Everything had gone exactly as planned.

The article detailed how the captured bandit had broken down in interrogation, sobbing and screaming as he confessed to the gruesome murders.

The nobles were furious.

The royal guard was on high alert.

And the bandit?

Executed at dawn.

Seraphis took a slow sip of her tea, listening to the murmurs around her.

The entire city was buzzing with fear and speculation.

But no one even suspected her.

A New Target

She set the newspaper down and casually listened to the conversations around the tavern.

"It’s madness! A noble family wiped out like commoners?"

"I heard they’re hiring assassins to hunt the rest of the bandits down!"

"Good! Those bastards deserve it."

Seraphis exhaled through her nose, amused.

They could send all the assassins they wanted.

The real killer was right under their noses.

Then, one conversation caught her attention.

Two merchant-looking men sat at the bar, speaking in hushed tones.

"You hear about Count Armond and Baron Lennox?" one of them whispered.

The other man nodded quickly. "Yeah. They left the city yesterday. Didn’t even wait for the investigation to settle."

Seraphis's eyes narrowed.

She recognized those names.

Count Armond. Baron Lennox.

Two nobles with deep connections to underground dealings.

And now they were fleeing the capital.

Interesting.

A Shadow in the Sky

Seraphis didn’t waste time.

Within the hour, she was once again soaring through the night sky, her white raven form blending with the moonlit clouds.

She followed the main roads leading out of the capital, her keen eyes scanning for any luxurious carriages or heavy-guarded convoys.

And then—

She saw it.

Two carriages rolling along a secluded forest path, flanked by a dozen mercenaries on horseback.

They were running.

And she couldn’t have that.

Seraphis folded her wings and dove.

The Forest Massacre

She landed in a tree just ahead of the convoy, shifting back into her human form as she crouched low on a thick branch.

The mercenaries were alert, their hands gripping their weapons as they scanned the darkened woods.

They knew someone might come for them.

They just didn’t expect her.

Seraphis summoned her cards, the metal blades whirling around her fingers silently.

She waited.

And waited.

And then—

The first carriage rolled directly beneath her.

Perfect.

She dropped.

A single flash of silver—

The first mercenary’s throat was slit before he could scream.

Chaos erupted.

"AMBUSH!" one of the riders roared, yanking his horse around.

Too late.

Seraphis was already in motion.

Her metal cards shot forward, slicing through the legs of the horses, sending them toppling into the dirt, their riders crushed beneath them.

The air filled with screams and the sickening crunch of bones snapping.

A mercenary swung his sword—

Seraphis ducked, twisting behind him, and plunged a card into the base of his skull.

Another came at her—

She flicked her wrist, sending two cards flying into his chest, piercing his heart.

Bodies fell.

Blood soaked the ground.

And then, as the last of the mercenaries collapsed, Seraphis turned her gaze toward the carriages.

The doors were locked shut.

But she could already hear the frantic breathing inside.

A Noble’s Final Bargain

Seraphis approached the first carriage, her blades dripping with fresh blood.

With a simple kick, the lock snapped, and the door swung open violently.

Inside, Count Armond was pressed against the back wall, his plump face pale, his fingers trembling.

"Y-You…!" he stammered, his voice cracking with fear.

Seraphis tilted her head.

"Me," she said coldly.

"P-Please! I have gold! L-Land! Anything you want!" he begged, his body shaking.

She stepped inside, crouching in front of him.

"You nobles always think gold is enough to buy your way out of death," she whispered.

The count swallowed hard. "It—It can be, right?"

Seraphis smiled.

Then she slit his throat.

The Baron’s Fate

The second carriage was even more pathetic.

Baron Lennox had tried to run, but Seraphis caught him by the hair, dragging him back into the bloody clearing.

He sobbed, his knees sinking into the dirt, his hands raised in surrender.

"P-Please, please—"

Seraphis yanked him forward, forcing him to look at the pile of bodies.

"Tell me," she murmured, her lips brushing against his ear.

"Did they beg like this?"

The Baron’s body tensed.

She could see it in his eyes.

Guilt. Fear.

He had done the same to others.

Begging wouldn’t save him.

And he knew it.

Seraphis didn’t give him the chance to finish his plea.

Her blade found his heart.

A clean, merciless kill.

A Perfect Cover-Up

Now came the final touch.

Seraphis dragged the bodies into the dirt, making it look like they had been ambushed by bandits.

She scattered weapons, burned one of the carriages, and even cut wounds into the dead horses to mimic a sloppy raid.

Then, she planted fake evidence—coins, a forged letter implicating a rogue mercenary group, anything to send the royal investigation in the wrong direction.

By the time she was done, it looked like a random attack.

Untraceable.

Perfect.

Seraphis exhaled, stepping back to admire her work.

Two more corrupt nobles erased.

Two fewer problems in this rotten city.

And yet…

She could feel it in her bones.

This was only the beginning.

The capital would not remain quiet for long.

And soon, the real hunt would begin.