Rising Fame and the Masquerade Banquet

"Violet Swordsman!"

"Violet Swordsman!" The young socialites and spectators shouted the Violet Swordsman's name together.

"He must have a handsome face. Just look at how captivating his eyes are." Someone called out the Violet Swordsman's name.

"Keep dreaming. He might be pockmarked and scarred too..." Another socialite curled her lips.

Masked figures were hardly unusual in Braavos. After all, Braavos itself was the Secret City.

People turned to look at the young swordsman who had appeared by the Moon Pool. Recently, the Violet Swordsman's name had become exceptionally well known.

The Violet Swordsman possessed superb swordsmanship and a pair of extraordinary eyes. The tales about him had become almost mythical.

Yet the swordsman moved in secrecy, and not everyone was fortunate enough to witness the Violet Swordsman in action.

Viserys gripped Silver Flash. Few people remembered his title of "Silver Swordsman," while the nickname "Violet Swordsman" had spread ever farther.

"Violet Swordsman?" Scarface glared viciously at the young swordsman who had appeared so abruptly.

"That's me," Viserys said gracefully. He wore a smiling mask, had violet-like eyes, and silver-white hair.

"Since you came out carrying a sword, it means anyone can challenge you," Scarface said.

"I know the rules." Viserys nodded.

"Throw down your sword, and tonight you can still sleep safely in a woman's arms," Scarface warned.

"You're afraid." Viserys looked at his opponent.

Scarface was not truly softhearted. Viserys had watched him fight; he struck viciously, and his blade drank blood whenever it left its sheath.

That also showed Scarface was somewhat wary of Viserys.

From the very start, it was a contest of courage. Whoever dropped their weapon would lose a Water Dancer's dignity.

"Fight!"

"Fight!" The surrounding Water Dancers voluntarily cleared a space for the two fiends. Spectators never feared things getting out of hand.

"Give me a kiss, hurry!" a young socialite in the crowd shouted.

Braavos was also a city of assassins. Every night, assassins strutted through the streets in brightly colored clothing, carrying slender swords and eager to prove themselves.

Some could fight over any reason, while others needed no reason at all.

And if they could watch a battle between skilled swordsmen, that would be even better.

"Scarface." Scarface had heard of the Violet Swordsman's skills, so he remained cautious.

But from another perspective, only by killing such an enemy could he earn greater fame.

To become a first-rate Water Dancer, one had to take risks.

"Silver Swordsman," Viserys stated his title.

Viserys and Scarface moved at the same time. Both habitually turned sideways toward their opponent, reducing the area exposed to frontal attacks.

This was a trait of assassins from the Free Trade Cities. Water Dancers fought as though naked, with an extremely high degree of danger.

Scarface rushed forward fiercely, his slender sword radiating a sharp gleam as it thrust toward Viserys's upper body.

Their first exchange was a killing move.

Viserys dodged nimbly. With a shift of his footwork, his entire body became as unpredictable as a bubbling spring in motion.

Be soft. Be agile.

"Way of Insight lies within." In that instant, Viserys was catching the point where Scarface's attacks would land.

Scarface was fast, and the power behind his sword was not weak, but Viserys was an even more dangerous assassin with explosive attributes.

After observing Scarface's attacking rhythm, Viserys began to counterattack, seizing control of the tempo first.

The two Water Dancers exerted themselves at once, their figures moving swiftly as they sought openings and flaws in their opponent.

Viserys and Scarface moved like they were dancing a waltz—nimble, graceful, and deadly.

Water Dancers did not fight with grand, sweeping strikes. Their art lay in exquisite assassination, stealthy assaults, and swiftly piercing their enemies.

Crack!

Crack!

The gleam of slender swords swayed through the air as steel struck steel, producing cold, sharp clashes.

The swords seemed to have grown from the assassins' hands, becoming one with their bodies.

The human body contained flowing water. Once pierced, it would die.

Two streaks of sword light collided, and Scarface's expression grew increasingly grim.

Though neither had yet been wounded badly, their battle was exceptionally fierce.

Even though Water Dancers emphasized speed, Scarface was also highly confident in his own strength and had never neglected to build it.

He simply had not expected the Violet Swordsman's every attribute to be terrifyingly superior.

"You're no ordinary Water Dancer," Scarface asked hoarsely.

"Of course I'm a Water Dancer. An extraordinary Water Dancer," Viserys answered.

In a direct contest of speed, Scarface held no advantage.

In strength and endurance, Viserys also surpassed ordinary Water Dancers.

Viserys advanced and retreated, using feints, evasions, and ghostly attacks to steadily drain Scarface's stamina.

Several small puncture wounds had already appeared on Scarface's body, like a cat that toyed with its prey before eating it.

"Pah." Scarface spat out bloody saliva. It was the first time he had encountered such a troublesome young man.

Scarface's attacking rhythm felt as though it were striking cotton candy. He could find no point to exert force, becoming increasingly flustered.

Lure the enemy, exhaust the enemy, then deliver the killing blow.

Viserys's tactics had gradually become masterful. Whether overwhelming strength defeated ten techniques, speed alone broke all defenses, lightness and heaviness shifted at will, or he counterattacked from defense, his attributes ensured that he was a dangerous killer.

Viserys began the Water Dancing, becoming a supple current.

Scarface gradually felt as though he were suffocating. Harassed and stabbed by his opponent, he felt his throat slowly being gripped shut.

The slender sword was gradually growing heavy. Scarface felt his muscles ache and his movements stiffen, signs that his physical momentum was fading.

Meanwhile, Viserys, his opponent, remained full of energy, growing more courageous as the fight continued.

"Scarface has lost." A sharp-eyed Water Dancer had already seen the battle's outcome and whispered.

"I haven't lost. Scarface hasn't lost. Die, masked brat..." Scarface used every ounce of his strength. His slender sword seemed to appear at Viserys's throat, chest, lungs, and lower abdomen all at once, every strike vicious.

"Watching is not Insight. Insight is the truth."

Silver Flash swept swiftly through the sky. Viserys twisted left to evade Scarface's thrust, then backhanded Silver Flash across his enemy's throat.

A spray of hot blood scattered through the air. The sharp blade severed Scarface's windpipe. Viserys twisted it once, then withdrew Silver Flash.

Scarface clutched his throat. Clang! Then came the sound of his sword and body hitting the ground.

Falling, falling, still falling—Scarface sank into eternal darkness as blood slowly seeped across the ground.

Viserys had already given Scarface a chance, but an assassin's pride had driven Scarface to choose self-destruction.

"Violet Swordsman!"

"Violet Swordsman!"

People called out the victor's name. Viserys merely bowed gracefully, turned around, and vanished once more into the dark alleyway.

Only the corpse on the ground and the bloody scent in the air told people that the Violet Swordsman had truly been there.

Viserys walked upon the earth, breathing in the scent of blood as he gradually left the excitement behind.

Viserys wiped the blood from Silver Flash.

His sword had drunk its fill, and lately he would be able to eat well too.

Black Pearl had given him an invitation. The Sealord had invited many nobles and dignitaries to a masquerade banquet.

Inside the banquet hall of the Sealord's Palace, magnificent scenes were painted across the enormous dome.

The paintings depicted many things. At their center was a group of slaves fleeing the Dragonlord's oppression, while the sacred priestesses, the Moonsingers, found them a promised homeland.

Viserys sat in a private room upstairs, where he could also avoid attracting attention.

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