A heavy silence hung between them.
Hatari was the first to move — a blur of motion, fast as wind-blown shadow. Akito was ready to engage, but Kenshi stepped forward first. The samurai's blades whistled through the air, parrying the strike and immediately retaliating. Hatari barely dodged, flipping back and throwing a cluster of shurikens.
But then—
A silver glow erupted around them.
Skill Activated: [Seishin no Dōjō — Duel of the Soul]
Everything disappeared.
They were transported into an isolated world — no light, no sound, no color. Only heartbeats and the crunch of steps remained.
"You fool… You think I can't fight here?" Hatari growled in the dark. "I trained for years!"
"Dumb ninja," Kenshi smirked. "I never planned to attack yet."
Skill Activated: [Yami no Kiri — Mist of Darkness]
His words vanished into silence.
Hatari stood in pitch black. His breathing quickened.
"Why can't I hear him anymore…? Where is he?"
Suddenly—
Two blades pierced his chest.
"It's over," Kenshi whispered, pulling out his swords.
But then…
He heard it — a smile.
Hatari… was smiling even with the blades in his chest.
The duel faded. They returned to the village — but Hatari's body crumbled to dirt.
"A clone…?" Kenshi clenched his hilts. "Cunning bastard…"
Hatari's voice flowed like wind through the streets:
"I knew you were deadly. You're the King of Duels. No one beats you one-on-one. Except maybe a berserker… or someone even stronger."
He began forming hand signs.
White smoke slowly filled the streets.
"This is my technique. In it… I'm nearly invisible."
Then — he vanished.
"Kenshin," Akito said tensely. "Be ready."
A silhouette flashed.
Kenshi slashed — but it was an illusion.
A sudden gust — and a thin cut appeared on his face.
His eyes sharpened into a beast's glare.
"You bastard…"
Skill Activated: [Hakuyonshō Rendan — 144-Strike Combo]
Kenshi vanished into a storm of flashes. His speed was inhuman — only Akito, using the Eye of Truth, could follow. Each movement — a strike. Each strike — a flash of steel. Each second — a march toward death.
Akito's thoughts:
"So… Hatari really is A-rank. But damn, he's good."
And then—
A katana appeared behind Akito, aimed for his back.
He twisted, caught the blade with his bare hand, and looked Hatari straight in the eyes.
"I'm not your opponent. He is."
"If I'd fought you seriously… you'd already be dead."
He let go of the blade. Hatari stepped back.
Hatari stared at Akito in silent terror.
"What is this monster…? He saw that strike… That was impossible…"
The smoke that cloaked the battlefield began to fade.
Kenshi stood still, taking a deep breath of fresh air. His stance was calm — but deadly.
Hatari charged, one thought ringing in his head:
"Kill the samurai first… then I'll deal with that monster…"
He darted to Kenshi's side, flung a few shurikens, and teleported to the opposite end — blade aimed straight for Kenshi's heart.
But at the last moment—
Kenshi stabbed his blade into the ground and flipped into the air using a single finger — dodging the attack with unnatural grace.
Hatari barely deflected the counter with shurikens, but a flash of steel still left a deep wound across his side.
He landed, panting hard.
"Damn… I let my guard down… It's that Akito's fault…"
He tried to rise, but felt Kenshi already behind him.
"Your technique… is garbage."
"…You're weak."
A swing of the blade.
But then—
That same little girl suddenly jumped between them.
Kenshi's katana pierced her neck. Her small body collapsed to the ground.
"NO! NO! NOOO!" Hatari screamed, losing all control. He charged in a frenzy.
But Kenshi—
With a smirk, sliced off his arm.
"You don't deserve the title of greatest ninja."
Skill Activated: [Hakuyonshō Rendan — 144-Strike Combo: Duel of the Soul]
Seconds passed.
144 strikes. 144 flashes.
Hatari's body was torn into hundreds of bloody fragments.
Only a mangled torso remained.
Akito appeared before Kenshi.
"Finish him," he said firmly. "Don't let him suffer."
But Kenshi…
He was no longer himself. His eyes had darkened. His body trembled with unrelenting rage.
He wanted to keep going — to slash, to butcher, to erase everything.
Akito snatched the katana from his hands — and with a clean, perfect strike, decapitated Hatari.
Silence.
Around them, the villagers — the NPCs — began crying, calling out to the fallen girl.
Whispers filled the air:
"Monsters… They killed the one who protected us… He was a hero…"
Kenshi slowly lifted his gaze, as if waking from a trance.
He looked at Akito.
"So… how does it feel? Being the bad guy?" he rasped.
"These aren't real people," Akito answered without looking away. "They're NPCs.
But the worst thing is… when real people die right in front of you.
When you could have saved them… but didn't."
[You defeated: Hatari – The Black Demon of Hell]
[Guardian Rank Up: A → S]
[Guardian Level: 200 → 250]
[Skills Enhanced: Hakuyonshō Rendan (Lv.1 → Lv.2), Yami no Kiri (Lv.1 → Lv.2)]
[User Level: 302 → 303]
[Reward: 2,500 enni | Bonus Points: 5]
Akito glanced at the screen.
"Great…" he muttered. "Now we've got another S-rank."
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!