Dusk reached out to grab the young man's weapon. But the youth quickly retracted his iron rod and dropped low, aiming to sweep Dusk's supporting leg out from under him.
Such a simple trick would never work on Dusk. He raised his foot and stomped down swiftly on the young man's ankle.
A crack.
The youth's ankle was dislocated from the blow, but he clenched his teeth and swung the rod straight at Dusk's injured arm.
Dusk flinched. His body wasn't in any shape to dodge. The wound on his arm worsened as the iron rod struck it again.
'That strike... he's no amateur. From the moment he sensed hostility, he's been aiming at my weak spot. This level of combat sense in a time of peace... he's like a protagonist out of a novel. The me from 300 years ago wouldn't have stood a chance against him. Wait... didn't someone mention a few days ago that a kendo champion would be visiting this area for charity? This guy must be him.'
Thoughts raced through Dusk's mind, but this wasn't the time to get distracted. Gritting his teeth, he launched a kick straight into the youth's stomach.
The young man flew back nearly two meters, coughing violently, spitting frothy saliva as he hit the ground.
He was already injured from the building collapse—this blow only deepened his wounds.
Dusk coldly picked up another knife and began walking toward him, step by step.
"Hmph, not bad. But this is where it ends. Goodbye, brat."
He raised the knife high, ready to bring it down—
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
The blade was shot clean out of Dusk's hand, slicing his palm open in the process.
"Drop your weapon! Hands in the air or I'll shoot again!" a voice shouted.
'Damn it... a cop? In this part of the city? There isn't even a police station within a mile of here! And not every officer has permission to carry a gun. Tch, the protagonist's luck really is something else…'
Thoughts flashed through Dusk's head again, but there was no way out of this. Reluctantly, he raised both hands without a word.
And then, something happened that he never expected.
The youth he had just beaten—
…stood back up and stepped in to stand by his side.
"It's all just a misunderstanding. We just had a small scuffle, nothing worth mentioning."
The officer's face twisted in confusion. He'd seen it clearly—if he hadn't fired just now, that knife would've cut straight into the young man.
"Do you even know what you're saying?" the officer asked sternly.
"Please," Kael said, still panting, "don't get involved. I know him. We were just messing around."
The officer looked at the youth's injured face, the determined fire still burning in his eyes. After a brief silence, he sighed.
"Fine. If it's a personal matter between you two, I won't intervene. Head that way—you'll find a way out. Get moving. This place isn't safe."
With that, the officer left to help other survivors, leaving the two young men alone in the rubble.
Dusk stared hard at the youth before him, suspicion clouding his expression.
"Why did you cover for me? If you'd told him I tried to kill you, this would've ended differently."
The youth, struggling on his dislocated leg, slowly pushed himself upright. His gaze, sharp and laced with killing intent, locked onto Dusk.
"You tried to kill me. Of course I'll never forget that. But if I told the police, you'd just end up in prison at most." He paused, then declared coldly, "Remember my name. I'm Kael Evernight—the one who will take your life."
Dusk let out a low, feral laugh. He leaned in close until their faces were nearly touching, close enough to feel each other's breath.
"Oh? And what if I kill you right now? With that broken body of yours, how exactly do you plan to take my life?"
Kael shoved Dusk's face away in disgust.
"Ugh, have you even brushed your teeth? You stink. Look, I'm not killing you right now—but you're not killing me either. If you did, do you think you could escape the police? Killing me now would earn you the death penalty."
Dusk burst out laughing, his twisted face wild with madness.
"Hahaha! What if I'm insane? What if I don't care about dying, and I just want to take you down with me?"
But Kael didn't flinch.
Instead, he smirked with quiet confidence.
"Hah, you're not insane. I watched you during the fight. Your calm, your precision—those aren't the traits of a madman. That's the mark of a true master. If a lunatic could stay that composed, then he's not a lunatic at all. Which means you'd never risk your life on something that foolish."
'This protagonist kid... he's not half bad. Definitely better than those so-called righteous cultivators who ganged up on me like cowards.'
The thought flashed through Dusk's mind. Even though they were mortal enemies now, he had to admit—he respected Kael.
His crazed expression faded, replaced by a disturbing calm.
"Fine. I won't kill you today. But next time we meet… prepare to die. Kael, remember my name—Dusk Vale."
With that, he gathered his gear and vanished into the ruins. This place was no longer a safe hunting ground for him.
Kael leaned on a metal pipe, limping painfully out of the wreckage. His eyes locked onto Dusk's back as it faded into the distance.
"Dusk... you better hide well. The moment I recover, I'll bring my sword and come for your life."
Not long after, the police officer from earlier arrived at a pile of debris. He spotted a long trail of blood on the ground and hurried over.
A woman with a serious cut across her neck lay dead amid the debris. The wound was obviously not brought on by the building collapsing; it was too neat and intentional.
A flash of memory struck him: a man wielding a large knife, his face shadowed but unforgettable.
The officer immediately pulled out his radio and shouted into it.
"Emergency! We have a confirmed homicide. The suspect is armed and dangerous, carrying a large green backpack. Initiate a citywide search!"
Sirens wailed across the ruined city. Officers spread out, combing the area for any sign of Dusk.
Meanwhile, Dusk already knew the hunt had begun. He was sprinting at full speed toward the massive landfill nearby.
A police cruiser blared its siren behind him, the voice on the loudspeaker booming:
"Stop now and you'll be treated with leniency!"
'Leniency, my ass. I've killed six people. That's straight to the gallows.'
Knowing exactly what fate awaited him, Dusk dove over a rusted fence and disappeared into the towering mountains of trash.