"Why did he rebel? Didn't he know that the true salvation lies in Jashin-sama?" a hooded man whispered, his voice tense as he crouched beside the base's perimeter.
"I don't know. All I know is four of our people are dead… by his hands," the other muttered, scanning the misty forest. His fingers trembled slightly as he tightened his grip on his blade.
Then, a voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"Well, it'll be six now."
Before they could even turn, Kaizen lunged from the shadows like a phantom. His blade flashed once—twice—and both men collapsed in silence.
Ding! You gained 300 EXP.
Ding! You gained 300 EXP.
Kaizen didn't flinch as he wiped the blood from his weapon. He could feel the forest closing in around him, the twisted trees like claws stretching to pull him back. His breath was shallow. It had been an hour since his escape, but things were shifting. He could sense it. Their patrols were closing in. Fast.
He darted through the woods, the crunch of leaves beneath his boots nearly drowned by the pounding of his own heartbeat. He didn't want to go back. Not to the altar. Not to the sacrifice.
Kaizen vaulted over a moss-covered log and climbed into a tall tree, its branches like crooked arms embracing him. There, he crouched—silent, watching.
Just a few minutes. Just to breathe.
Then—whiz!
A flash of silver cut through the air. A shuriken grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
-15 HP
His eyes widened.
"Well, well," a mocking voice echoed from below, followed by the slow, deliberate sound of footsteps crunching over dried twigs. "You demonspawn. So you are here hiding like a rat."
Kaizen looked down to see Gete—his old sparring rival—emerging from the mist like a wolf who had finally found his prey.
"You'll die by my hands today," Gete growled, brandishing his kunai. His eyes gleamed with madness. "You couldn't even land a clean hit on me back then. What makes you think you can escape me now?"
Kaizen dropped from the tree in a crouch, his tonka already in hand. The air between them shimmered with tension.
The forest watched. Silent. Waiting.
Then both men surged forward—steel met steel.
Clang!
Sparks burst between them as their weapons collided, ringing out like a warning bell in the wilderness. Kaizen blocked, twisted, and struck, but Gete was relentless, swinging his kunai in wild, furious arcs.
"Weak!" Gete snarled as he forced Kaizen back. "You've always been weak!"
Kaizen didn't answer. He gritted his teeth and sidestepped a jab aimed at his ribs. Gete pivoted fast, slashing at Kaizen's shoulder.
Kaizen ducked under it just in time.
The moment the kunai swept above him, he lunged forward—slamming his shoulder into Gete's chest and throwing him off-balance.
They tumbled to the ground, rolling through roots and mud. Kaizen kicked away, landing on his feet just as Gete did the same, spitting out dirt and blood.
"You'll pay for that!" Gete roared and rushed again, his kunai slicing through the air.
Kaizen blocked the attack with his tonka, but the force of the blow sent vibrations through his arm. Gete followed up with another vicious strike—left, right, stab, swing. Kaizen parried all of it, his movements calm but quick, precise. Every blow barely missed him by inches.
Kaizen's eyes locked onto Gete's patterns. He's overconfident. He's furious… but sloppy.
Gete swung wide.
Now!
Kaizen ducked low and pivoted behind him, faster than Gete could react.
He stabbed the tonka into Gete's side.
Squelch.
Gete froze.
A single breath. Then two.
"You…? How?" Gete whispered, stunned, his face pale as the color drained from his skin. "You were always… weaker…"
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Kaizen held his gaze coldly, then leaned closer.
"Well," he said, voice quiet and full of finality, "I guess playing with you was fun. So… let me have that kunai, okay?"
With a flick of his wrist, Kaizen pulled the tonka free. Gete gasped, staggered back a step—then fell to his knees, and crumpled.
You have killed Gete, follower of Jashin.
You gained 3000 EXP.
Kaizen crouched beside the body and pried the kunai from his dying rival's hand.
[Kunai]
Damage: 20–30
Defense: 10
Durability: 13/20
He stood up slowly, feeling the sting of the cut on his cheek.
The forest was still again, but this time it wasn't silent. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear footsteps.