Baek Mu-Gi stepped forward, his white-gloved hands clasped behind his back.
Then, he spoke his voice carried by Qi, echoing across the courtyard like rolling thunder.
"Listen well."
Silence snapped into place across all six squads.
"I know it's rare for me to call every division together like this. Normally, that only happens when a war's coming… or something even worse."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"But today is one of those days."
He lifted one gloved hand and pointed directly toward the Fifth Division where Mae-Bi and Jin stood in line, the only squad without a leader in front.
"As you've likely heard by now," he continued, "the squad leader of the Fifth Division has… vanished."
Murmurs rippled through the assassins, though no one dared speak aloud.
"He disappeared without a trace," Baek Mu-Gi said, voice cold. "And with him went a very important pill — one that belonged to our Lord, Hyeolgeom Gunju."
The tension across the ranks thickened instantly.
Everyone knew what it meant for Hyeolgeom Gunju to be displeased.
Sadness was not an emotion he showed.
It was a death sentence that hadn't been issued yet.
"But," Baek Mu-Gi went on, "there is a sliver of luck in this storm."
He raised his hand again, this time curling it into a fist.
"A replica of that pill exists."
The assassins remained quiet, but their eyes sharpened.
"Made by none other than the Second Pillar of the Demon Cult — The Thousand Venoms Empress, Cheondok Hwang."
Mae-Bi's eyes narrowed.
The Second Pillar… Yeonghonro-ui Joo-in. Mistress of poisons, toxins, and alchemy. Dangerous even by cult standards. I've heard whispers, but I've never seen her face.
And to reach her?
He would need to become the squad leader.
Baek Mu-Gi's voice cut back in.
"She resides in the Seventh Branch. The pill will be in her possession for now."
He let his words hang.
"Which means this is a recovery mission."
The silence turned cold.
"Whoever I assign must retrieve the pill successfully. If the mission fails, if anyone runs, if the pill goes missing again…"
Baek Mu-Gi didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't have to.
Everyone understood.
Not even the squad leader will be executed but so will be his or her team.
Baek Mu-Gi's voice boomed across the courtyard.
"Now that I've given the mission order—let's address the Fifth Division."
He swept his gaze over the assassins, cold and methodical.
"Your squad leader is gone. Which means we will replace him. Immediately."
A ripple of whispers stirred the Fifth Division.
"What? Already?"
"It's too soon…"
"Who's going to lead us?"
"Silence."
The word cracked through the air like a whip, backed by Baek Mu-Gi's killing intent.
The courtyard froze again.
Mae-Bi remained calm.
Of course they'd replace him this fast.
Last time, they assigned some arrogant fool who got half the squad killed in under two months.
He glanced sideways.
His teammates — six in total, including Jin — were all holding back excitement, hopeful smiles on their faces.
They thought this was their chance.
They had no idea Mae-Bi was about to take it.
Baek Mu-Gi raised his voice once more.
"All right. Step forward. Who among the Fifth Division wishes to claim leadership?"
There was a beat of silence.
Then—
Two figures stepped out of the formation.
The first was a boy with wild white hair, a smirk tugging at his lips. He carried two short curved blades and had eyes like a cornered animal. His name was Jeong Rak.
The second was a girl with sharp crimson-red hair, tied back in a tight braid. Her movements were clean and poised, and a chained sickle hung from her hip. Her name: Han Yuri.
Jin leaned toward Mae-Bi, whispering nervously, "Those two? Damn… they're serious. You're not thinking of—"
Mae-Bi stepped forward.
Jin's mouth fell open. "The hell are you doing? You know what this is, right? They're about to fight for it!"
Mae-Bi didn't stop. "I know. I'm not stupid."
His voice was calm. Confident.
Not arrogant — certain.
They're children. I've lived fifty years more than both of them combined.
Gasps broke out among the division.
Even Baek Mu-Gi arched an eyebrow.
"…Mae-Bi?" he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "You're volunteering too?"
Mae-Bi stood tall beneath the weight of every gaze.
"Yes."
A pause.
Baek Mu-Gi's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Interesting."
He raised a hand, and the entire crowd of assassins shifted backward, forming a wide circle around the three contenders. The training ground now felt more like a coliseum.
"Then you know the rules."
He looked at all three of them.
"No weapons. No poison. No killing. The last one standing takes the title."
Mae-Bi rolled his shoulders.
Jin whispered from the crowd, "You'd better win. Because if you lose… they'll make your death look like mercy."