Mark faced an extremely difficult challenge, being attacked from both front and back by two First-Rank Children of Diabolos.
The other ten Second-Rank Children of Diabolos surrounded them, preventing any escape.
Shishiko Kouren wasn't in good condition either; he had inhaled some poison earlier.
His opponent, Hacksaw, was an elite among the First-Rank Children of Diabolos, already considered half an executive.
Initially, they were evenly matched, but as the battle continued, his condition worsened.
Mark, facing the attacks of two individuals, narrowly dodged several fatal blows.
Each attack could have taken Mark's life, but he managed to evade them at crucial moments.
Had there been even the slightest hesitation, Mark might have died there.
Every exchange brought him to the brink of death.
Mark felt his body boiling.
His body heated up, as if he had unblocked his meridians.
He became increasingly composed in the face of the two attackers.
"This kid is a bit strange, come help!" one of Mark's attackers shouted.
He could clearly sense that Mark's strength was growing during the battle.
From being in a sorry state moments ago to now being calm and unhurried.
It felt as if this kid should have died with the next attack, yet he somehow never did.
Sino watched Mark evade attacks from the brink of death again and again, feeling fortunate to have joined Shadow Garden, the strongest organization in the world.
If she wanted to, she could kill everyone here in under five seconds.
Someone like the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Knight Order couldn't even withstand one of her normal attacks.
But she wouldn't intervene; she was merely observing.
Currently, Shadow Garden had no plans to move against the Loki faction, so she couldn't alert them.
Upon hearing the words of the First-Class Children of Diabolos, codenamed Nightingale, several Second-Rank Children of Diabolos surrounded them.
Four individuals remained to guard the four directions.
Six individuals plus two First-Rank Children of Diabolos, a total of eight, launched a continuous assault on Mark.
The number was too great; Mark dodged the attacks of the two First-Rank Children of Diabolos but couldn't evade the assault of the Second-Rank Children of Diabolos.
He felt his mind exceptionally clear.
He couldn't allow himself to be hit by the two stronger opponents, so he could only block their attacks, choosing to endure the attacks from the Second-Rank Children of Diabolos with his body.
Shishiko Kouren watched the scene unfolding with Mark, regretting deeply. Why hadn't he come alone earlier? Mark had warned him of danger.
In the end, it was Mark who suffered.
Shishiko Kouren ignored Hacksaw's attacks, letting the opponent's blows strike him.
He endured the pain and rushed towards Mark's side.
"Mark, run! I'll hold them off!"
Shishiko Kouren simultaneously attacked the two First-Rank Children of Diabolos who were besieging Mark.
Like a cornered beast, the two dared not ignore Shishiko Kouren's attacks and defended themselves.
This gave Mark an opportunity to escape.
But Mark did not flee.
Instead, he and Shishiko Kouren attacked the two First-Rank Children of Diabolos from front and back.
Mark gritted his teeth, unleashing his potential.
"Die!"
The two, busy defending against Shishiko Kouren's desperate attacks, had no chance to block Mark's full-force strike from behind.
Mark's magic sword instantly severed the head of the First-Class Children of Diabolos, codenamed Nightingale.
Although this attack involved an element of surprise, being able to achieve such a feat showed that Mark's current strength was much greater than when the battle began.
Just as Mark cut off Nightingale's head,
Hacksaw's magic sword also pierced Shishiko Kouren's heart.
Shishiko Kouren felt an intense pain from his heart, and blood automatically flowed from the corner of his mouth.
His vision became incredibly blurry.
"Mark, run!"
"No! Master!"
Mark cried out loudly, his eyes fiercely fixed on Hacksaw, who had killed his master.
"Hmph, merely a powerless roar!" Hacksaw scoffed.
Mark, disregarding his own life, frantically swung his sword at Hacksaw.
Hacksaw remained calm and composed, steadily parrying Mark's attacks.
Mark was now like a beast consumed by a desire for revenge.
There was no need for him to clash head-on with Mark.
The First-Class Children of Diabolos, codenamed Bat, also attacked Mark from behind.
Mark narrowly dodged the vital spot.
The magic sword wounded his shoulder.
Mark had little magic power left.
He was about to collapse.
At this moment, Shishiko Kouren, whose heart had been pierced, suddenly erupted, grabbing the legs of both Bat and Hacksaw.
"Mark, run, run... run!"
Shishiko Kouren shouted to run while spitting blood.
"I... I haven't avenged Master, how can I run away like a coward!"
When Mark's gaze fell upon Shishiko Kouren.
The other person was using the last moments of his life to help Mark escape.
Shishiko Kouren's eyes seemed to convey the words "Live on."
In that instant, Mark made his decision: to flee.
Following his master's wish, he fled, desperately running into the distance.
Mark escaped.
Shishiko Kouren held onto Bat and Hacksaw's legs tightly, preventing them from pursuing Mark.
Bat and Hacksaw directly pierced Shishiko Kouren's neck with their magic swords.
At this point, Shishiko Kouren completely lost his life and became a corpse.
His eyes, looking in the direction Mark had fled, closed in peace, completely dead.
Sino watched everything with indifference from beginning to end; she did nothing.
She could have saved Shishiko Kouren.
She could have prevented such a tragedy.
But when she was at her lowest, Mark hadn't appeared, hadn't offered her help, not even a meeting or a word.
And she wouldn't extend help when Mark needed it.
The two were merely acquaintances, and it was limited to that.
Just familiar strangers.
Sino suddenly appeared behind Sino.
"What happened here?"
Sino, on a whim, wanted to see what Mark, who resembled a protagonist, was doing.
Then he discovered Sino.
Sino looked at Shadow, her eyes filled with admiration.
Sino, like everyone else in Shadow Garden, adored Lord Shadow.
Lord Shadow was omniscient and omnipotent, and also kind and friendly to people.
Sometimes he would even help everyone fulfill their wishes, and everyone liked him very much.
As for what fulfilling wishes specifically meant, it was certainly what everyone desired most: to become Lord Shadow's woman.
Even if it was just once, they would be completely satisfied.
Sino sometimes went to the Shadow Garden headquarters to draw lots randomly to fulfill wishes.
The lottery box contained numbers representing each member.
Of course, not everyone's wish was to have a wonderful night with Sino.
Sino would also try his best to fulfill their other wishes.
Some people wanted Sino to give them a ring or something.
Or hold a wedding.
Sino would also fulfill the other party's request.
Beta was always there, but unfortunately, she was never chosen.
Sino also participated in the lottery, but her luck was also a bit poor, and she wasn't chosen.
Sino told Sino everything that had happened here.
"A script where the master dies and he escapes? A protagonist with a deep blood feud, a lone wolf seeking revenge? It certainly seems like it. He has a bit of a protagonist's look about him."
Sino muttered to himself.
"Are you talking about Mark?"
"I suppose so!"
"Are you referring to the kind of protagonist found in books, like Lady Beta's 'Chronicles of Lord Shadow'?"
"You've read that book too?"
Sino had read Beta's 'Chronicles of Lord Shadow'.
He could only say it was trashy, especially trashy, a trashy wish-fulfillment novel aimed at female readers, but it did seem genuinely enjoyable.
Because Sino was a man, he couldn't empathize with the female protagonist's emotions, and to him, the book was a little sappy.
He hadn't expected that Sino, who seemed so emotionally detached, would also read such things.
"Yes, Lord, I also read that book," Sino said, slightly bashfully.
Reading that book, in other words, meant she also liked Sino.
After all, that book was not a proper book; it was full of 18+ content.
Moreover, Beta had actual experience, and her writing was quite explicit.
In the dead of night, Sino actually spent many a wonderful evening with this book.
At the thought of this, Sino's face involuntarily flushed.
"Why are you blushing? I shouldn't have done anything to make you blush, should I?"
Sino asked, a little puzzled.
"Lord Shadow, it's not you, it's me... I was thinking inappropriately, I'm sorry."
"Then tell me, what exactly were you thinking?"
Sino's face turned even redder.
What was she thinking? What else could it be but all 18+ content?
She really couldn't bring herself to say such things.
"Lord Shadow, that... can I not say?"
"I don't like riddles. Just say what you have to say, I'm very generous."
Sino leaned close to Sino, her head near his ear, standing on tiptoe, and whispered into Sino's ear.
"..."
The voice was extremely quiet; no one but Sino heard what was said.
"Just thinking is boring. I'll take you to practice it!"
Sino directly picked up Sino and headed to the Mitsugoshi Company.
The two arrived in Sino's room at the Mitsugoshi Company in less than a minute...
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