So recently, I watched the show Lord Marksman and Vanadis after it released it's English Dub. I was interested in it, so I wrote this story on a whim and see how it pans out.

Because of my constant hectic schedule, on top of the fact I have at least five other stories, I am not able to update as much as I want. Hell, I might not even continue with this if it doesn't seem to get attention.

So just enjoy leave the reviews, and if it grows more popular, I might consider writing more and more.

So without further ado, here's Vanadis and the Assassin.

The bright warmth of the morning sun shined upon the young man's face, making him grimace and groan until he woke up. As he tried to sit up, he fell back down at the weight of the young girl's head occupying his chest. A bar maiden he flirted with last night offered to take him to her room upstairs. At first, all he did was give her a massage and she paid him in his favorite booze. Her chocolate brown hair that reached her back along with her cute face and large bosom.

Her brown eyes that matched her hair fluttered open and smiled as he was the first thing she saw. "Good morning."

"Morning, how'd you sleep?"

"Same as last night, amazing."

Her lips pressed against his and her fingers ran across his unruly blonde hair. His hands ran from her waist to her shapely hips and gripped her round butt. The two engaged in a passionate lip lock before he eventually stopped himself from being worked up. "Sorry babe, I got to work."

He could see the disappointment in her eyes and smiled. "Sorry." He got up and got himself dressed as she watched him, resting her head on her hands.

He wore a black sleeveless coat that reached his knees and white pants, with a silver and black cross around his neck that lied on his chest. He opened the two story window and was ready to jump out before she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his neck. "You'll be back tonight won't you?" She whispered in his ears before licking his earlobe seductively.

"Where else can I get better alcohol? Served by someone so beautiful." She suddenly yelped as he disappeared and reappeared behind her, pressing his body against her and groped her from behind kissing her neck. "Where else would I get great ale?" He turned her neck and bit her earlobe. Her vision white from pleasure, the sensation made her weak to her knees and made her lose consciousness. He carried her back into bed and took a minute to admire her amazing body after pulling the blankets over her. He opened the window. He climbed out and like a spider, climbed up the wall until he hit the rooftop, where his tools for today's assignment lied in waiting.

Some nails, a hammer, two pieces of lumber, about thirty feet of rope, and several knives that were readily dipped in poison and tucked in special hidden compartments of his coat for easy access. He gripped his two most prized possessions, a long curved sword with a red hilt and black sheath, and a short sword with a red center a gem and a chain link tassel was hilted to his back. He tucked the sword in his belt and assured that he had everything he needed. From where he was standing, he could see a good view of the valley. He could see a few hundred silver dots riding horses making their way towards it, and pulled out a telescope. He focused until he confirmed sighting of his target leading the battalion. "Found you, Eleonora Viltaria."

He jumped from building to building and reached the valley in under minutes. He saw the army reaching a gorge and sprinted a good enough distance from the top of the ravine. Even with about 45 kgs worth of stuff, he was still able to run faster than their horses, and reached a point in the path it would've taken twenty minutes for the cavalry men to reach. He jumped and slid down the mountain and reached the bottom. It didn't take long for him to get to work.

He could have easily lied on the side of the road in waiting and lied down. However, this method was effective to get the soldiers to drop their guards. As he got ready for work, he took several deep breaths, and completely cleared his mind. This was so that there were no forms of complications. Like a hawk hunting mice, he set only his sights only on his white furred mouse.

He was a freelance assassin, and he was good at what he did. His policy was no matter what job, who it was, or whatever complications there was; if the pay was good, than no matter if he had to go through tooth and nail, he would ensure the target was dead. He found himself excited as of a few days ago, his clientele offered a rather handsome amount for the head of one of the War Maidens.

Even before becoming an assassin, he knew of their reputation. All seven of these women. Their power was rumored to be legendary. Their beauty was described to be sinful, damn near god-like. And their strength was believed to be monstrous.

Even if it was true, and they lived up to their name, he was nevertheless thrilled at the thought of facing a strong opponent. "This'll be fun."

An army of over 500 cavalrymen in armor riding on horses that too donned protective armor marched across the valley. The one leading them was a girl of unimaginable beauty, similar to that of a goddess. Her hair was white as snow, while her eyes were as red as dazzling rubies. An ornamental longsword was strapped to her side, and was mounted to a horse as white as her hair.

"We should be arriving back soon, Lim."

"Yes…" Her second in command, wearing a silver suit of armor looked ahead at the valley they were crossing, when she saw something that caught her attention. "My Lady, do you see that?"

Her commander looked ahead and caught on to what it she saw was. She kicked her horse signaling it to stop, letting out a loud whinny, her men followed suit and stopped behind her. "What in the hell?"

Standing in the middle of the path of the valley was a wooden cross. It was common that people who died in the valley had crosses put up for them, but this wasn't a gravestone, it was a crucifixion. Hanging on the cross was a young man who looked to be in his late teens, about the same age as Eleonora. He had shaggy, short blonde hair, and wore all black. His hands and arms were brutally nailed to the wooden beams with the ends hammered on the other side to keep them from being removed. There were buzzards picking at his corpse and digging into his flesh.

"Is he one of ours?" The red eyed girl asked, to which the subordinate named Lim shook her head. Upon closer look, she saw a black tattoo on his neck that looked like a black sun.

"That insignia, I've seen it somewhere."

"He doesn't look like a soldier, or a civilian for that matter. I've never seen him in our camps. Judging by the attire, he looks like an assassin of sorts."

"Lim, let's take him down."

"What?"

Even if he was an enemy, Eleonora hated crucifixions as punishments and would rather bury her opponents in death than humiliate them any farther. That and she had no resentment towards mercenaries and assassins, and felt like they do not deserve this treatment. She decided she would give him a quick, simple, and proper burial.

Lim saw her serious eyes and sighed before ordering a few men to bring the stranger down. It took ten armored soldiers to lower him down, one to pull the spear out, and one to pull the nails from off his arms.

As they did that, Lim was deep in thought. It was common to be crucified for crimes against their hometown or their government, as well as by bandits, who would leave them in valleys where the vultures would pick at their remains. The one thing that bugged her was if he was in fact robbed, killed, and hung to be humiliated, why was he still wearing clothes instead of being stripped naked?

After pulling all the nails off, one of the soldiers lifted the boy's head seeing if there were any signs of life at all. "Lady Eleonora, he appears to be-" Blood seeped and spilled from the slits in his armor. He was unable to finish as there was a knife lodged in his throat, silencing him instantly.

Every one of them realized a second too late that it was a trap.

The young man they assumed was dead opened his eyes, revealing crimson red eyes. Eyes so red that compared to the eyes of the Maiden whose eyes were red as gems; his were red as the blood he shed from the nine men he killed instantly. Three died from daggers to their head, two had their necks snapped, and the last four, who all tried to gang up on him, met their end as he picked up his curved sword and dashed past them in a blur. It took them a second to realize that they had been bisected after they fell forward dead. He was able to cut through their armor like butter.

"He was alive?" The white haired commander's eyes widened in both shock and surprise, standing there in disbelief. She was about to pull out her sword. However, Lim gestured her to put it away. "There's no need my lady." Lim took control, brandishing her sword and pointing it at the assailant. "Protect our Lady, I want him captured alive!"

The troops advanced and surrounded him, swords and spears in hand. The assailant's cold eyes completely lacking in remorse showed no fear as he held out his blade that was thinner in width like a katana.

The assailant ran towards the armored men with nothing but his blade and swung at the lot of them, his blade sliced their armor like flesh, and their flesh as if it was paper, all of them dropped dead moments after being cut. His swiftness and reflexes defied logic, as he was able to evade the swords of several hundred men and mow down their owners with just as much ease.

Swatting away at the soldiers and their horses, the single blade that was no bigger than their swords and maces mutilated them beyond recognition. In under a minute, he decimated hundreds of armored men with very little ease.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had all gotten out of my way." His voice was deep and cold as his eyes.

Eleonora's surprise soon turned to anger, while Lim, whose role was to be calm and unnerved at the death of her subordinates, found herself surprised at their opponent's strength. "Is he…human?"

His blood red eyes then set themselves on his target. One of the seven known as the War Maidens. "The Wind Princess, Eleonora Viltaria…die." He lunged with great speed towards his white-headed target with his sword to the side ready to kill.

"Lady Eleonora, watch out!" Lim appeared in between them and blocked his swing with her sword, shielding Ellen and holding her own. This only lasted a few seconds however.

"You're in my way." For some reason, his quiet voice made icy chills run down Lim's spine. Her concentration was thrown off, allowing him to send her flying to the side of the cliff with a punch made out sheer raw strength that far surpassed her own. Her armor dented and distorted the moment of impact of his fist.

"Lim!" Eleonora drew out her long sword as her assassin swung his blade ready to kill her, when suddenly; he fell to the side as something struck him. One of her soldiers who had lost the lower half of his body, with a bow in his hand, shot an arrow that pierced his skull. "Forgive me for dying, my lady."

Those were his final words, but he was able to die with honor protecting his commander until the end. At least that is what he thought. He died before he could see the assassin stand up dizzily, grip the arrow with his right hand and pluck it from his head. He took a deep breath and snapped it with his fist.

"No way." Not only did he take out five hundred men alone, he just survived a shot straight through the head. It was at that moment, Eleonora noticed that his wound was starting to vanish. "Who are you?"

"I don't need to tell my name to a dead woman…Now die."

He slashed, ready to kill. Eleonora blocked his attack with her long sword, and like Lim was able to hold her own. They went back and forth pushing each other off, moving from defensive to offensive.

"She's strong."

"He's strong."

The assassin jumped back a good distance and reached into his pocket, throwing out several daggers with the speed and velocity similar to throwing darts.

"Let's go Arifar!" She suddenly said. A strange, clear aura surrounded her sword. The man's daggers stopped several inches from her face, as if blocked by an invisible wall. Whatever it was, sent them in different directions. All of them ended up piercing the side of the cliffs.

"As an assassin, you're prepared to die right?"

The assassin cricked his neck and held his blade up to his head, pointing it right at her. Eleonora jumped off her horse and nudged it forward, allowing it to gain a distance as Eleonora decided to face him head on. "What is your name?"

As he talked, the assassin narrowed his eyes as his killing intent slowly began to rose. "I told you, there's no use telling a dead woman."

Just like before, Eleonora's sword reacted. Except it's attention was directed towards the sword in her assailant's hands. It looked like a normal blade with a red hilt, but for some reason, it made her sword shake. 'No matter what, don't let that sword cut you."

That was what it said to her, and for good reason. She too could sense an ominous feeling coming from it. Anger, hatred, resentment, greed, bloodlust, and killing intent oozed from its metal.

Running at her with superhuman speed and swinging his blade, their swords crossed and clashed. Both of them were well versed in swordsmanship, but Eleonora noticed his techniques and styles. He blocked and dodged her strikes all while aiming for her. She found it odd that not once did he attempt to go for her vitals or her head, but her legs and arms that she was cautious to block. Not only was his skills with a sword on par with her, but his reflexes and agility surpassed her by leaps and bounds.

The assassin wasted no time, disappeared from her sight, only to reappear behind her, and released every bit of his bloodlust in order to stun her. Eleonora turned around with surprise in her eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down her head. She did not take her eyes off him and yet it was as if he teleported. His bloodlust was her main concern. She was able to unnerve her opponents and the occasional quarrel between two soldiers by releasing her own, but the feeling he gave her made her feel grave fear for the first time in her life.

It happened almost instantly. Just as he was about to kill her, he felt the wind tighten around him, and his body exploded from the barrage of razor sharp winds that caught him from all directions.

"BLAGH!" His body made a sick splashing sound as blood sprayed all across the terrain.

"That killing intent." Eleonora was surprised at that and looked to her sword. "Did you feel it too?" She asked to which it hummed in response.

This wasn't the first time she had been targeted by assassins, but all of them were novices who were unable to hide their presence and were about as stealthy as a boar. Their bloodlust and killing intent were weak to where it would feel like a bee sting. His bloodlust on the other hand was on a different level, as if a snake or something worse was about to strike her from behind and release its most lethal of venom. Something of this caliber could only come from an assassin who could kill with less effort than it took to breathe. Despite being so young, it felt like she was facing someone with years of experience. It almost felt like she was clashing with the Grim Reaper.

She looked behind her at what was left of him. He was in mangles, his torso and head, slightly intact, were missing a few chunks, his neck was cut so deep he was one clip from being completely beheaded. He lost his eye, and his severed limbs looked like potato peelings while they were in odd angles. His guts and internal organs started sliding out of the deep cut in his stomach.

"I won't lie. Your skills are something praiseworthy. Probably would have been better to have you as my ally. But you chose this line of work, so I expect you're ready for the afterlife."

"Damn…it-"

Eleonora's eyes widened in complete shock hearing him. "You're still alive?"

As he talked, she saw his wounds slowly but surely regenerating, the chunks of flesh missing grew back almost instantly, and his eye returned. His severed neck stitched itself back into place. His limbs began to reattach themselves and grow new skin. His organs started retreating back into his stomach, which soon closed up as if an invisible force was sowing it back together. Eleonora could hear the popping of his bones and cracks that came with it, and realized that every one of his injuries disappeared.

A bead of sweat ran down Eleonora's head seeing that. "You're joking right?"

"Lady Eleonora-"

"Lim!" Eleonora turned to her, and was amazed that she survived such a hit. "Thank goodness you're alright."

Her helmet being broken, she was forced to take it off, revealing herself to be a beautiful young girl with blonde hair in a ponytail, with a serious look on her face. There was a trickle of blood running down her head, and she held her arm, which was broken from the impact with the mountains. She had no idea how she was alive.

"Yes, unfortunately I can't say the same about our men." She said with regret in her voice. She looked towards the assassin and saw that he had no visible wounds, but was passed out. "Did you kill him?"

"Unconscious…Lim, tie him up and let's take him back."

"What?" She asked.

"He was just ripped to shreds, and he's still breathing. His healing ability is not human. Let us take him back. I have some questions that I want to ask him."

To be continued…I hope