Reincarnated with SSS-Rank Trait and Unique Ability-Chapter 24: Guild of Assassins

"W–What’s the meaning of this?" the instructor croaked, blood bubbling from his lips with every word.

Teon twisted the blade in his gut—once, twice—each rotation widening the grin on his face.

"Your brother and that Mad Prince have been a real thorn in our side. So, we figured it was time to send him a gift..." He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "Your head."

"Your... work?" The instructor’s face twisted in confusion and agony.

"The Guild." Teon paused, the grin slipping slightly as a frown crept in. "Don’t tell me... you really don’t know what your brother’s been involved in?"

The word Guild slammed into Ares like a hammer.

"Guild? The Guild of Assassins?!" The realisation hit hard. Rage, long buried, erupted from deep within, molten and violent. His grip on the weapon tightened, knuckles white as he stared down a man tied to those who had butchered his father.

"Doesn’t matter," Teon said, casually yanking his sword free. The instructor collapsed to his knees, blood gushing from the gaping wound. "We just need to send a message. Quick and clean."

"What about the kids?" asked Aster, the second soldier, in a low voice.

"What else, you idiot? Kill them." Teon snapped, not even sparing the students a glance.

Aster stepped forward.

But before he could go any further, a desperate voice rang out.

"W–Wait! You’re from the Guild of Assassins, right?" Castor blurted, stumbling backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Our family—we’ve sponsored your Guild for generations!" He pointed frantically between himself and his twin.

Teon paused, gaze flicking toward the twins with a curious, almost amused expression.

Ares, however, didn’t share the assassin’s interest. The moment the words left Castor’s mouth, something inside him cracked. Rage burned brighter. Hotter.

"They... sponsored the Guild?" His voice dropped to a growl as darkness crept into his expression.

Recognition dawned on Teon. "Ahhh... the headmaster’s sons." The grin returned full force. "Well, well... this just keeps getting better. We kill the brother of that bastard and win a favour from the headmaster?" He laughed darkly, nodding to his companion. "Leave the twins. Kill the rest."

Aster turned back to the students.

But what he saw next froze him in place.

A black blade jutted from Castor’s chest, driven in the same brutal fashion Teon had used on the instructor.

Silence fell, and time seemed to stop.

Ares stood behind the twin, face unreadable, hand gripping the hilt of his blade as blood dripped from the steel.

He pulled it free.

Castor’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud.

Everyone stared, frozen in place, before the second twin let out a deafening scream.

"You!!! I’ll kill you!" He charged forward, fury blazing in his eyes—but before he could reach Ares, something shifted.

Ares activated the enchantment of his Soul Weapon. From the darkness, a shadowy figure emerged—an exact replica of the slain twin. The spirit surged upward, its blade already embedded deep in the chest of the second twin, who had rushed in blind with rage.

The second twin froze mid-stride, confusion and pain flickering across his face. He looked down at the weapon in his gut, then up—into the cold, empty eyes of the phantom that wore his brother’s face. The spirit twisted the blade cruelly, then tore it free in a sweeping arc.

With a dull thud, the twin collapsed to the ground.

Aster lunged forward in response, and even Teon almost abandoned his target—the instructor—only to halt at the last moment, eyes snapping toward the man who, despite the grievous wound in his side, was rising to his feet.

Another shadowy form emerged, coalescing from the gloom. It joined the first spirit just in time—both phantoms now standing against Aster with their twin blades drawn.

Their daggers met Aster’s sword with a clash of steel.

At that exact moment, Ares stiffened. A surge of fire burst within him, coiling in his abdomen like a living flame. Killing the twins... had done it. He finally reached the threshold.

He had reached the third stage of the Intermediate Rank.

Ares grinned as mana roared through his body, his breath sharp with exhilaration.

He glanced up. Aster was still locked in battle with the twin spirits, but they were faltering. The phantoms were fast, but not fast enough to keep up with the attacker.

With no time to waste, Ares dashed forward.

Then, movement caught his eye.

The instructor now stood tall, the gaping wound in his abdomen sealing shut as waves of dark energy pulsed around him. He had activated his Soul Weapon’s enchantment.

Teon scowled at the sight. Without hesitation, he adjusted his grip and lunged, unwilling to give the instructor another second to recover.

But the instructor was ready. Their blades met with a brutal clang—steel clashed against steel, echoing through the cavern like thunder.

And just as they clashed, Ares turned, eyes narrowing as he swung his weapon in a wide arc toward Aster.

The blades collided just a moment after the instructor clashed against Teon.

The battle now unfolded on two fronts.

The two remaining students stood frozen, their expressions a mix of awe and confusion as they watched their instructor and fellow student battle against the relentless assassins from the Guild.

Ares could feel it—every clash of their weapons, every burst of mana—it all told him the same thing.

He was on equal footing now—strength, speed, power. In every way, he matched the attacker.

With one key difference.

A grin tugged at Ares’ lips.

During one of their furious exchanges, the spirit of the twin slipped through the chaos and drove its dagger deep into the assassin’s leg.

A sharp gasp tore from the man’s throat as pain contorted his face, but he gritted his teeth and kept his blade up, fending off Ares’s relentless strikes.

The soldier countered with a wide, desperate swing.

Ares leapt back, skidding across the stone floor, narrowly avoiding the slash.

But he hadn’t chosen his escape point at random.

At his feet lay the lifeless bodies of the twin assassins—his fallen enemies.

And above them, glowing in the air, were words only he could see—crystal clear, like sunlight piercing a cloudless sky. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

*****

[ Requirement met. ]

[ Extract Soul Weapon? ]

[ Yes ] [ No ]

*****

Ares’ grin widened as he answered, "Yes," to both.