Black crown

Ch7(backfire)

Crown Family Shadow Assassin Headquarters

**Assassin Leader:** We don't have much time. Call all the assassins.

**Assistant:** Yes, sir.

After saying this, he went outside and used the signal that was used to summon all the assassins…

A few moments later, everyone gathered together from wherever they were.

**Assassin Leader:** Today, we have to carry out a very important mission. Some of us may even lose our life here… but we must complete this mission. It is the Clan Leader's order. Everyone, start your preparations.

**Assassins:** Okay, Leader.

---

On the other side, at the Valencrest Family Assassin Headquarters…

**Valencrest Assassin:** Why did the leader suddenly give us a day off today?

**Another Valencrest Assassin:** Who cares why? Today we'll just enjoy ourselves…

They were partying with alcohol, girls, and everything else when suddenly shadows emerged from the darkness. Within just a few minutes, the entire party turned into a graveyard.

The same thing happened to the other six families as well…

Even the Emperor's Assassin Branch headquarters, which had more than 100 assassins, met the same fate.

---

On the other side, the BOW group was preparing to kill Rey…

**CRONE:** Today will be our final mission. After killing that brat, we'll disappear forever. We'll never return to the world of assassins again.

While saying this, Crone walked out from their underground hideout. But the moment he came outside, what he saw completely shocked him.

Not a single person inside the bar was alive anymore. Everyone had been slaughtered. Only the bar manager was barely alive.

Crone quickly ran toward him and lifted him up.

**Bar Manager (low voice):** Run… get out of here quickly… otherwise they won't spare you either…

Before he could finish speaking, the bar manager died.

**Crone:** Brother… who won't spare us? Brother?!

Before he could say anything else, 30–40 shadows surrounded them.

**Crone:** Who are you people?! Did you do this to them?! (rage and grief)

Crone and his companions tried to fight back, but they failed. They were all killed.

While dying, Crone spoke again—

**Crone:** Who are you people…? Why did you kill us for no reason…?

One person stepped out from the shadows.

**Shadow Assassin:** For no reason? The person you were about to kill—what reason did he have? You people were also going to kill without reason. But when we kill, suddenly it becomes wrong?

**CRONE:** Crown Family!!!… hahaha… From the very beginning, I knew our future wouldn't be good after taking this job… but I never imagined it would end this quickly…

While saying this, Crone died.

---

The next day…

Chaos spread across all seven families.

---

**Maike Ashbourne:** This wasn't supposed to happen… how did this happen?! No one was supposed to know about this plan… Then did one of the other seven families leak the information? Or did the Emperor betray us?

**Servant:** Sir, all the assassins of the remaining five families are dead. Only a few assassins from the Nightmor Family survived.

**Maike:** What?! Only some of their assassins died? And what about the Emperor? What's his situation?

**Servant:** The Emperor keeps everything confidential and doesn't let any information leak outside. But from what we've learned, some of their assassins also died.

**Maike:** As far as I can tell, someone from the Nightmor Family or the Emperor's side betrayed us…

---

**Emperor (shouting):** HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! How did the Crown Family find out?! Who told them about this?! Maike Ashbourne?!

**Butler:** My Lord, all of Maike Ashbourne's assassins have been killed… but—

**Emperor:** But what?!

**Butler:** But only some assassins from the Nightmor Family died.

**Emperor:** So they betrayed us? But we don't have enough evidence to expose them. If I accuse them now, it could backfire on us as well, because some of our assassins also died. Dax Crown is very clever… he may have done this to frame us.

**Butler:** Then what should we do now, My Lord?

**Emperor:** Leave everything as it is for now. If we make any reckless moves, it will only create more problems.

---

On the other side, Dax Crown was smiling faintly.

**Dax Crown:** Emperor… you stopped everything too quickly. The game had only just begun… You are not a good player.

---

Nightmor Family

**Alken Nightmor:** We maintained friendship with the Crown Family, yet they still killed half of our assassins!

**Butler (inner thought):** I have never seen such a foolish leader in my life. How did he even become the Family Leader?

**Butler:** Sir, if they hadn't killed anyone from our family, then all suspicion would have fallen on us. By killing half of our assassins, they made the other families suspicious of us as well, but without evidence, they can't do anything.

**Alken (smiling):** Ohhhh!!! So that's the reason. Then it's fine… Thank you, Butler.

**Butler:** That is my duty, sir.

---

**Time Skip — 3 Years Later**

Sir Rax Crown's wife gave birth to twins.

**Dax Crown:** The time for the sacrifice is drawing very near… My chess pieces have landed exactly where I wanted them to.