The battlefield was eerily silent. The thick stench of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the metallic scent of iron. Jinwoo and Rensei stood amidst the lifeless bodies, the aftermath of Kang Taeshik's rampage etched into the dirt. The once-rowdy prisoners lay motionless, some with expressions of fear still frozen on their faces. The B-Rank hunter stood at the center, his bloodied sword hanging loosely by his side.
Taeshik's chest heaved, his expression twisted into something unreadable. There was no triumph in his eyes — only the remnants of the violence he had unleashed.
"They deserved it," Taeshik spat, though his voice lacked conviction. "Every single one of them. Monsters in human skin."
Jinwoo's fists clenched. "And that gave you the right to execute them?"
"They were criminals," Taeshik growled. "Rapists, murderers, scum that should've rotted in those cells. The world's better off without them."
Rensei stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "You didn't even give them a chance to fight back. They were defenseless."
Taeshik's lip curled. "You think they deserved mercy? You're both too naive."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Rensei could feel the weight of it — the lingering tension, the nauseating presence of so much death. His silver veins from Mercury Requiem flickered softly beneath his skin, though the energy had long since dimmed.
"You don't get to play judge, jury, and executioner," Rensei finally said, his voice low. "That's not what we're here for."
Jinwoo's dark gaze burned into Taeshik. "And you didn't kill them because they were criminals. You killed them because it was something you enjoyed ."
For a moment, Taeshik said nothing. But then, his smile returned — cold and hollow. "Call it what you want. In the end, they're dead. And I'm still standing."
The air between them crackled with tension. Rensei shifted his stance, muscles coiled like a spring. Jinwoo's fingers curled around the hilt of Kasaka's Venom Fang, his dark eyes locked onto Taeshik.
Taeshik exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders. His smirk widened, but there was an edge to it now—a sliver of anticipation. "So, that's how it is?"
Jinwoo's voice was cold. "You killed them without hesitation. You think we'd just let that slide?"
Taeshik's smirk didn't fade. If anything, it deepened. "Tch. You two are just kids playing hero. Let me teach you something about this world."
In an instant, he moved.
Rensei's instincts screamed at him to react. Mercury Requiem. His body blurred as he sidestepped Taeshik's initial slash, silver veins flickering across his skin. The B-Rank hunter's blade cut through empty air, but he adjusted immediately, shifting his momentum to strike at Jinwoo.
Jinwoo ducked, his dagger flashing upward in a precise counter. The two blades clashed, sparks flying between them. Taeshik grinned, pressing his weight down, but Jinwoo kicked off the ground, twisting mid-air to break the deadlock.
Rensei surged forward, his fist colliding with Taeshik's ribs. Earthbound. The strike landed with the force of a small quake, but Taeshik barely staggered, his durability far beyond that of a normal hunter.
"Not bad," Taeshik admitted. "But still too slow."
Before Rensei could react, a knee drove into his gut. Pain exploded through his core, but he gritted his teeth, shifting his weight mid-air to absorb the impact. Taeshik wasn't done. He twisted, bringing his blade down in a deadly arc—
Jinwoo intercepted, his dagger catching the strike with pinpoint precision. He twisted his wrist, forcing Taeshik's weapon off course before retaliating with a brutal slash aimed at the man's throat.
Taeshik barely avoided the fatal blow, leaning back just enough for the blade to graze his skin. A thin line of red appeared on his neck. His eyes gleamed with something between irritation and excitement.
"Guess you're not just talk," Taeshik mused. "But let's see how long you can keep up."
The next exchange was faster—deadlier. Taeshik's sword danced through the air, each strike precise, each movement meant to kill. Jinwoo countered with equally deadly efficiency, his dagger moving like an extension of his arm.
Rensei weaved between their clash, his mind racing. He needed to create an opening. Mercury Requiem surged through his veins, amplifying his speed. He circled around Taeshik's blind spot, his footwork impossibly light.
Then he struck.
A rapid barrage of blows, reinforced by Earthbound, drove into Taeshik's back. The B-Rank hunter grunted as the impact forced him forward, his guard momentarily slipping. Jinwoo seized the moment—his dagger flashing toward Taeshik's exposed side.
But Taeshik was faster.
In a blur, he twisted his body unnaturally, catching Jinwoo's wrist mid-strike. With brutal efficiency, he yanked Jinwoo forward and drove his elbow into the younger hunter's sternum. The force sent Jinwoo skidding backward, coughing.
"Jinwoo!" Rensei called out, but his concern cost him.
Taeshik's sword was already coming for him.
Reacting purely on instinct, Rensei crossed his arms in defense, activating Earthbound to brace for impact. The blade connected, sending a shockwave rippling through his body. Even with reinforcement, he felt the sheer power behind the attack—his bones creaked under the strain.
Taeshik's grin widened. "Not bad. But still not enough."
He twisted the blade, forcing Rensei's guard open.
Jinwoo was already moving, ignoring the pain in his chest. He appeared behind Taeshik in an instant, his dagger flashing toward the man's exposed back.
Taeshik, however, reacted with inhuman speed. He let go of his sword mid-swing, forcing Rensei to stumble forward. With his free hand, he caught Jinwoo's wrist once more and drove his knee into his stomach.
Jinwoo coughed violently, but before Taeshik could capitalize on the opening—
Rensei recovered.
His body blurred as he twisted mid-air, using Mercury Requiem to generate momentum. His foot connected cleanly with Taeshik's temple, sending the A-Rank hunter reeling.
Jinwoo didn't waste the chance.
His dagger slashed upward in a tight arc, aimed directly at Taeshik's throat.
The world slowed.
Taeshik's smirk wavered. He dodge in time—
Taeshik's counterattacked as his blade screamed through the air, aiming straight for Rensei's neck.
But before it could land—
CLANG!
Jinwoo's dagger intercepted the attack with impossible speed. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the ground, cracks forming beneath their feet. Sparks danced between their locked blades as Jinwoo's dark eyes burned with intensity.
Taeshik's smirk faltered, his muscles tensing in response. "Tch."
He twisted his body unnaturally, yanking his sword away from the deadlock. At the same time, Rensei's fist shot toward his exposed gut, Earthbound amplifying the strike—
But Taeshik was already moving.
With a fluid step, he vanished from Rensei's immediate reach, sidestepping the attack with an ease that sent a chill down his spine.
He saw it coming.
Rensei barely had time to adjust before Taeshik's counter came. His sword lashed out in a vicious arc, forcing Rensei to activate Mercury Requiem at the last possible moment. His body blurred, his reflexes heightening just enough to evade the blade by a hair's breadth.
Still, the sheer pressure of the strike sent a gust of wind ripping through the battlefield.
"Not bad," Taeshik admitted, flicking his blade to the side. "You've got some decent moves, I'll give you that." His gaze flickered between Jinwoo and Rensei, calculating. "But let's be real—you two aren't A-Rank. You're just putting on a good show."
Rensei wiped a stray trickle of blood from his lip, his stance still firm. "And yet, you're the one talking instead of fighting."
Taeshik's grin returned. "You got guts, I'll give you that. But—"
BOOM!
Jinwoo was already on him.
His dagger moved in a blur, striking with relentless precision. Taeshik barely managed to deflect the rapid attacks, his sword ringing with each parry. But Jinwoo wasn't stopping. His attacks accelerated, his movements growing sharper, faster, deadlier.
Taeshik's smirk twitched.
Rensei took advantage of the opening. He surged forward, Mercury Requiem and Earthbound in perfect sync.
A high-speed feint—then a sudden downward strike aimed at Taeshik's ribs.
Taeshik twisted, dodging again—
But this time, he felt it.
Rensei's knuckles grazed his side, the reinforced impact sending a ripple of force through his body. It wasn't a direct hit, but it was close enough to make his expression darken.
Jinwoo pressed the attack. His dagger slashed low, aiming for Taeshik's thigh.
Taeshik barely leapt back in time, his movements losing their fluid arrogance.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face.
"Okay," he muttered, rolling his shoulder. "Guess I'll have to stop playing around."
The next moment, his presence changed.
The air grew thick. Oppressive. His killing intent surged like a wave, drowning the battlefield in raw malice.
Rensei gritted his teeth. His instincts screamed at him—this was a real A-Rank's full intent.
Jinwoo, however, didn't falter.
Taeshik lunged.
His sword came faster this time, almost unreadable. Rensei barely caught the movement as the blade screamed toward Jinwoo's chest—
Jinwoo reacted in an instant.
His dagger rose to meet the strike, but instead of deflecting—
He absorbed the impact.
Jinwoo stepped in, angling his blade to redirect the force downward.
Taeshik's strike was nullified.
Rensei moved.
Using the momentum shift, he struck.
This time, he didn't miss.
His fist slammed into Taeshik's ribs, Earthbound amplifying the impact. A shockwave erupted from the hit, forcing Taeshik's feet to skid against the ground. His smirk faltered as pain flickered across his face.
For the first time—he actually looked pissed.
A brief silence hung between them.
Then, Taeshik exhaled sharply, his fingers flexing around his sword hilt. "Alright," he muttered. "That one actually hurt."
Taeshik tilted his head, then let out a low chuckle. "Now I really wanna kill you."
His aura surged then—
He vanished.
Not just in speed, not just in movement—he disappeared.
Rensei's breath caught in his throat. His enhanced senses from Mercury Requiem screamed at him, but there was nothing to react to.
No sound. No presence. No killing intent.
Just—emptiness.
His mind raced. Stealth? No—this is different. It wasn't just a suppression of aura. It was as if Taeshik had been erased from existence.
Jinwoo's grip on his dagger tightened. His gaze flickered, scanning the space around them. He had seen stealth-type abilities before, but this was something else entirely.
A voice echoed from the void.
"Whenever I bring this out…" Taeshik's words were almost amused, yet laced with something far darker. "The people who see it don't live to tell the story."
Rensei shifted his stance. His heart pounded in his chest, his muscles tense. He knew Taeshik was there. He had to be. But—
Where?
A flicker.
A whisper of movement behind him—
There!
Rensei spun, Mercury Requiem accelerating his reaction. His fist shot out, silver veins pulsing beneath his skin. His knuckles sliced through air.
Nothing.
Then—pain.
A sharp, burning sensation tore through his side. The next second, he was slammed backward, his body skidding across the bloodstained floor. He gritted his teeth, barely keeping himself from crashing outright.
He looked down—his jacket was slashed open. A thin line of red dripped down his ribs.
Taeshik's voice came again, drifting through the air like a specter.
"You're fast," he admitted. "But speed doesn't matter if you can't hit what isn't there."
Rensei wiped the blood from his side. His irritation flared, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Jinwoo hadn't moved. He remained still, dagger in hand, eyes sharp.
He was waiting.
Rensei caught on. Taeshik was hunting them individually. His invisibility—his Sneak skill—allowed him to pick them apart one by one. He wanted them to panic, to lash out blindly.
But Jinwoo wasn't falling for it.
Neither would Rensei.
He exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. "Alright," he muttered. "You wanna play ghost? Let's see how you handle this."
He planted his foot forward.
The ground beneath him shattered.
A shockwave erupted outward, kicking up dust and debris in every direction. Cracks webbed across the stone floor as the sheer force of his movement rattled the battlefield.
Jinwoo moved in the same instant. His dagger lashed out—not toward an enemy, but toward the swirling debris, slicing through the dust cloud.
For a split second—
A shadow flickered within the chaos.
Rensei saw it.
And he struck.
His fist blurred as he lunged forward, aiming directly at the fading outline.
This time—
He connected.
A solid thud echoed as his knuckles slammed into something real. Taeshik's invisibility flickered—his form partially revealing itself for just an instant. His expression twisted in irritation—
Then Jinwoo was there.
His dagger shot toward Taeshik's throat.
But Taeshik reacted with inhuman speed.
His body blurred, twisting unnaturally mid-air. His foot lashed out, kicking Jinwoo's arm away before he vanished again.
"Tch." Jinwoo clicked his tongue, rebalancing himself. "Almost."
Rensei shook out his fist, a smirk creeping onto his lips. "Oh, we're getting there."
A low chuckle echoed from the void.
"You're adapting faster than I expected," Taeshik admitted. His voice was lighter now, almost… entertained. "But let's see how long that lasts."
Then—
The battlefield went silent.
No dust. No movement. No sound.
Jinwoo and Rensei stood back to back.
Waiting.