Michael arrived at the snowy forest first. And about ten seconds later, Dean arrived next. This was confirmation that Michael was the faster one.
"Describe to me what happened," said Michael.
"I entered the forest, and I encountered archers made of… ice. It might've been glass, crystal, or something. I couldn't check clearly."
"Then, someone approached me from behind. They told me to 'go back' in the voice of an old man. When I blinked, I was back here, in the entrance to the forest."
"That's everything, Mr. Michael." Dean finished explaining. He didn't dare use informal speech to someone who was very superior to him.
"Please, just call me Mike or Michael. No need to be so formal, we're working together now," Michael said this with a calm expression. His smile was warm.
Damn you, Tiero… I'm just a cleaner, now you're making me participate in missions…
Michael continued, "Let's go, then."
With that said, Michael walked towards the snowy forest, and Dean followed behind.
The red-haired Michael was carrying a decorated red umbrella. It also seems that his umbrella has some tech modifications to it.
The blizzard weakened with every step they took deeper into the forest.
"Something's not adding up here, there are too many unknowns. Why aren't they firing at us? And from what I heard from Tiero, they shot arrows at you guys earlier."
"Is there a trigger to it or something? Do they only fire at a certain time?" Michael said as he continued walking forward.
Michael's thoughts were also the same as Dean.
They then arrived at the spot where Vincent's Blazing Arrows had hit. Dean explained to Michael what exactly happened here, then, he told him to go on a straight line from here, left and right.
"You deal with the right, I'll deal with the left side. Sounds good?" Michael asked, turning to face the direction to where Dean pointed.
"Alright." Dean nodded.
With a burst of speed, they disappeared from the spot, leaving behind a cloud of snow.
Michael spotted the icy archers Dean talked about, and he swiftly dispatched them with his red umbrella.
One by one, they fell to the snow, decapitated by an ordinary-looking umbrella.
Michael's umbrella, obviously, wasn't sharp. It was a blunt object. But the two classes—Fighter and Assassin—can turn their umbrella's surface into something like a sharp sword.
It could penetrate through the body of a Reaper-type Annihilith, even with their seemingly indestructible armor.
As Michael murdered every single one of them, not even one of them cast their gaze to him. They were like lifeless machines, facing only one direction.
Michael continued sprinting, and arrived at the spot of the next archers. He quickly took care of them with precision and ease.
Meanwhile, Dean slit the throat of the last archer in the first spot with his dagger. Or rather, second.
I should take care of two or three more spots, and that should be enough for everyone to pass through this forest safely…
Dean took up a running stance.
Suddenly, he couldn't move. It was just like the first time!
"He's here!" he shouted. Earlier, Michael gave him a communication device, similar to an ear piece.
The sound of footsteps, and the sound of an elderly sigh.
Then, the next moment, Dean heard a voice coming from behind him, "You are not… The Mirrored Soul. Where is he…?"
As the mysterious man finished his sentence, Michael immediately appeared out of nowhere, his red umbrella aimed towards the man behind Dean.
Dean regained control of his body, and he immediately took a few steps back. He made his daggers disappear, readying his umbrella.
There was a cloud of snow after Michael had "struck" at the mysterious figure.
The next second, blood mixed with the snow, followed with Michael and the mysterious man launching high up into the air.
Dean was finally able to see what the old man looked like. They were wearing a dark cloak, and they had an obvious beard. They were hooded, so Dean couldn't clearly see what their face looked like.
A ring, or rather, a circle of blood surrounded the two. Dean was mesmerized, he didn't know how to help his fellow Assassin.
The mysterious man snapped his fingers, and the circle of blood surrounding them shrank, and Michael was at the center. If it fully shrank, Michael's body would be in two pieces.
Michael's body was being hoisted up in the air by the man, it was as if he was a puppet in strings.
As the circle of blood fully shrank, Michael's body disappeared in thin air. The next second, his body appeared down below, standing in the snow.
Then, blood surrounded the red-haired Michael. The blood "solidified," turning into the shape of sharp blades.
"Dean!" Michael yelled Dean's name. Dean understood why Michael yelled his name, it was a request for help.
The sharp blades made of blood rushed towards the mysterious man floating in the air. But when this mysterious figure pointed his palm at the blades rushing towards him, each and every one of the blades halted in midair.
Then, it changed directions, some pointed towards Dean and most were pointed at Michael.
Sensing the danger, Michael and Dean instantly ran. An Assassin's sense of danger was higher than the other classes.
Sharp blades made of blood followed them from behind, as if they were homing missiles.
Damn! He's turning my attacks against me!
The circle of blood that surrounded him and the mysterious man earlier came from Michael himself. But the man had turned it against Michael somehow.
The two Assassins ran around the snowy forest, trying to shake off the blades made of blood that were following them.
I can't even dispel them! Michael had tried dispelling these blades, since it was his own ability in the first place, but to no avail. The mysterious old man had gained control of his own ability.
With a burst of energy, he leaped off the ground, headed towards the mysterious, floating man.
This all happened in half a second, all thanks to the speed of an Assassin.
In that split second, Michael saw the mysterious man's mouth open slightly, as though they were caught by surprise.
With a swing of his umbrella, Michael struck the man in the chest.
But this was blocked by something, like a barrier.
Michael made a "tsk" sound, but then, the man pressed his palm on Michael's chest. The next moment, Michael was launched downwards, hitting the snow with excessive force.
The sharp blades made of blood were still heading towards him.
Michael smiled, blood trickling down his chin. "Ah, Tiero better pay me extra for this…" As he stood up, the sharp blades struck him from behind, followed by another, and another, and another.
Dean saw this while he was running from the persistent blades of blood.
At that moment, he gritted his teeth and rushed towards the man who froze his body earlier.
But suddenly, Michael, who was standing with swords, spears, and axes made of blood that were stuck in his back, suddenly turned to a dark red liquid. Blood.
A second Michael had appeared. This momentarily surprised Dean.
The Michael who was seemingly killed was a trick, an illusion. The mysterious man, sensing the intense killing intent behind him, immediately turned around.
He saw the blonde-haired Dean who was already right in front of him, about to deliver a killing strike.
Dean swung his umbrella at the man, but this was blocked by an invisible barrier.
As the man was about to press his palm at Dean's chest, the man suddenly felt a sharp, absurd pain coming from his chest.
From Dean's point of view, Michael was right behind the mysterious, bearded man. Michael had successfully plunged his umbrella at the man's back.
Not even giving the mysterious man any room to retaliate, Michael twisted the umbrella, and swiped it upwards. Blood gushed out, and Dean fell to the ground.
Michael was clinging to the floating, defeated man. He was able to hear the man's dying words, "The stars will bleed… The Mirrored Soul shall open… the final gate. Must… warn him…"
The two of them fell from the air, and Michael landed with ease on the snow. The man's dead body fell on the snow with a thud, his blood mixing with the snow.
The sharp blades made of blood that were following Dean earlier had been dispelled the moment Michael struck the man in the back.
As for how Michael was able to successfully take down the mysterious man… When he first swung his umbrella and was blocked by an invisible barrier, he decided to test something.
Conjuring a tiny drop of blood, he made it go around the man. And just as he expected, the tiny drop of blood was able to land on the surface of the man's dark cloak.
Which means that the man didn't have his back guarded by an invisible barrier.
Michael chuckled, and said, "Well, that's a wrap." He was glad that he didn't get to use the item that his assistant, Vi, gave him. It'd be a total waste if he had.
Stretching his neck, he walked towards the corpse of the man.