Rolan raised his arms up, preparing for a fight.
He scanned the two beggars who attacked him out of the blue. Based on their engagements just now, he can tell that they are not your run-of-the-mill fighters. They are pros who are trained to fight, like Karim, the first Black Hand agent he had encountered five years ago in Finland.
"Black Hand demands it, you say?" Rolan repeated the words of the Black Hand operatives. "Then that means you two are working for that infamous international syndicate…"
Rolan paused, contemplating for a second. How did those two find him here? Did someone follow him here? No, he had been keeping an eye out around him whenever he went for a trip to the safe house. Then that means they have snuck past his senses. They are truly seasoned pros. In that case, the safehouse location is compromised. He has to inform them to evacuate the safehouse immediately. But he knew he couldn't, not at this moment. He has to kill the two Black Hand operatives standing in the way.
"He's the one with the Emperor, brother. It must have been him who killed Karim in Finland."
"Karim died to this guy? He must've not taken him seriously in a fight. Well, he deserves it if that was the case."
"But be careful brother…this guy has a reputation in the Ruthenian Army, the man called 'The Reaper'."
"Then killing this guy is worth the while. Okay then…"
The Black Hand agent who is armed with a crowbar stomped his feet forward, dashing towards Rolan with his crowbar raised over his head.
Rolan braced and looked straight at the crowbar agent. One could see the intention of any person from the eye. By doing so, he'll know what his enemy is going to do.
The Black Hand operative brought down his crowbar, attempting to smash Rolan's head. Rolan nimbly sidestepped and the crowbar hit nothing but air.
Now, the opportunity opened. The Black Hand armed with a crowbar is wide open due to the momentum pushing his body forward. It'll be easy for him to punch him in the face.
Rolan threw a punch and just as his fist was about to land in the man's face, Rolan stopped midway and pulled his arm back.
"What the…" Rolan was stunned, the crowbar agent had already regained control and swung the crowbar up. If he hadn't stopped his fist there, his arm would have been broken.
The crowbar agent continued swinging his crowbar wildly, pushing Rolan to the corner.
Rolan cursed inwardly, he can't afford to get cornered by the two assailants with weapons. So he sprang into action by slanting his body to the left and turned around to reposition himself in the center of the alley.
The crowbar agent pursued. Rolan performed a spinning kick.
The crowbar agent who saw the attack slowed abruptly and ducked, while the knife agent behind him flipped over the crowbar agent's back and swung his knife downward, gashing Rolan's cheek.
Rolan winced in pain but the wince turned into a groan as the kick landed on his solar plexus, sending him rolling down the ground.
"Brother…is this what he got? Come on, he is the feared Reaper, I am expecting more from him," the knife agent sneered, ridiculing Rolan. "I'm very disappointed."
"You're right brother…maybe he earned that title for killing hundreds of conscripts with no formal training. This must be his first encounter with an enemy who knows how to fight," the crowbar agent sniggered.
"Well Karim was a real fighter…maybe it was really luck," the agent smiled deridingly, flashing the blade of his knife with Rolan's blood trickling in it.
"Do you guys always blabber in the middle of the fight?" Rolan stood up, his eyes twitching from the pain pulsating in his stomach. "You have been talking nonsense ever since and it's getting irritating. So why don't we end this?"
The Black Hand agents looked at one another and broke out in laughter.
"Brother…do you believe this guy? He is still not realizing it."
"But brother he is right, we should end this and get our reward from the shepherdne—I mean shepherd."
The crowbar agent sighed as he reluctantly accepted his brother's words.
He attacked again with the same predictable strikes. Rolan had to give it to him, he was strong and fast. But he is going to show him the sliver of his talent here. Rolan swayed aside from the first blow, ducked the second, and parried the third with his arm. He spun inside the crowbar agent's guard and hammered his elbow against the side of his head. The crowbar agent's sight swirled and he went down on one knee with a grunt of pain.
Rolan didn't give him a moment to still the ringing in his head as he proceeded to cave his face with a knee strike. The crowbar agent fell to the ground, and his vision blackened.
It all happened quickly and the knife agent was too stunned to speak or move.
"You…what did you just do?!" the knife agent yelled hysterically as his mind tried to process the scene in front of him.
"I knocked your brother down if you are wondering. He's been too feisty that I had to knock him out," Rolan said with a neutral expression.
"I'll kill you!" The knife agent dashed forward and threw two small knives at Rolan.
Rolan stamped his feet to the butt part of the crowbar, sending it spinning up in the air and catching it. He swiped the crowbar, batting the knives away.
The two then engaged in close combat. The knife agent attacked with his two knives in a series of blisteringly fast cuts that went high and low, a mixture of sweeping slashes, lighting thrusts, and overhead cuts. Rolan parried them all, his crowbar in constant motion as it deflected the knife agent's blades and delivered stinging, bruising ripostes to his arms and legs.
Rolan feinted right and hooked his crowbar around the knife agent's legs, putting him on his back. He stamped his feet into the knife agent's belly, doubling him up and leaving him gasping for air.
Rolan could've killed the two on the spot, but since they are working under the direct order of one of the shepherds, they hold valuable intel that they can use to find the real mastermind of their attack on him and possibly their plans of ruining the crown ceremony tomorrow.
"Stand down," Rolan ordered. "If you value your life then I suggest that you don't move."
"I would rather die than take succor from you," said the knife agent, trying to get up.
"Is that so? Then," Rolan swept his feet powerfully, striking the man's face. The knife agent blacked out and drifted to sleep.
Moments later, Rolan could hear footsteps sounding from behind.
"Sir Rolan…what happened here—" the man Rolan talked with earlier gasped as he saw two men lying unconscious on the floor.
"You…the safehouse's location has been compromised. Contact your main headquarters and prepare for evacuation. And also, we'll take these two with us. These bastards are working from the Black Hand and are planning something tomorrow."
"Understood, Sir Rolan. We'll contact the main headquarters," the man dashed off and went back to the safe house to inform his crew.
Rolan on the other hand gazed up into the night sky and watched the stars twinkling above. "Ahh…Your Majesty, tomorrow will be a very long day."
