A few minutes later, the three arrived at a wide open square, free of the district's decayed old buildings. On the opposite side stood the same group of poor residents from before—their heads lowered, eyes trembling, and sweat trickling down their faces.
As soon as the two groups faced each other, the leader of the poor folk—Raiz—knelt before Yamikaji, grief filling his expression.
"Raise your head…"
Yamikaji spoke in a calm, firm tone. The moment Raiz lifted his face, he saw those sharp eyes carved into that wrinkled visage.
Yamikaji extended his hand and continued:
"The money."
Raiz hesitated for a moment, then shoved his hand into the torn pocket of his jacket and pulled out a filthy pouch barely holding a few coins.
Yamikaji's eyes widened, and he clenched his teeth, his breathing intensifying as he barked:
"You expect me to touch this filthy pouch, you wretched fool?!"
Fear seized Raiz's heart. He quickly drew the pouch back and wiped it against his ragged clothes, only making it dirtier.
Yamikaji swung his leg and kicked Raiz straight in the chest, sending the pouch flying and spilling its silver and gold coins.
He didn't stop. Blow after blow, he stomped on Raiz, shouting "Idiots!" with every strike, while faint, mocking laughter slipped from Fard and Juso behind him.
Raiz's son tried to scream and run toward his father, but his mother's hand sealed tightly over his mouth.
After long, painful seconds that felt like hours to the poor group, Yamikaji finally stopped. He glanced down at Raiz, lying broken on the ground.
"So tell me—did you collect the required amount like I ordered?"
He lifted his gaze toward the others, a wicked smile settling on his face.
"Or more accurately—like I ordered all of you?"
Raiz struggled to rise, leaning on his right arm, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"One day isn't enough to gather even half… let alone twice that amount!"
His voice trembled with humiliation and dread for what was coming.
The crooked smile vanished from Yamikaji's face for a moment. Silence fell—until an even wider grin sliced across his cheeks. His eyes widened, as though a precious opportunity had landed in his hands.
"Really? Then you'll get what you deserve!"
In an instant, Yamikaji pulled out a black glove adorned with yellow crystals and slipped it onto his right hand. Then he drew Takeshi's sword, its crystals glowing a sharp, blinding yellow alongside the sun's radiance.
He raised the sword high, the grin still glued to his face.
"Faaatheeer!!"
The boy tore his mother's hand away from his mouth—but too late. The sword was only centimeters away from Raiz's neck. The poor villagers lowered their heads, drowning in despair.
Swoooosh!!
After the hiss of a blade cutting through the air, they knew Raiz was gone.
But then—a metallic clatter struck the ground.
"Who… is that…?"
the boy whispered, his voice trembling as his heart skipped a beat.
The others looked up—and their eyes widened further with every passing second.
Blood spattered the ground. But Raiz's head was still in place, frozen in shock. Instead, Yamikaji's sword arm had been severed, falling to the ground in a shower of crimson.
Yamikaji collapsed to his knees, screaming in agony, his eyes bulging as his voice cracked.
Brown branches sprouted around his shoulder, gripping the wound to stop the bleeding.
All eyes turned to the culprit. A gloomy aura radiated from him. At first, the gang members thought it belonged to Shido—but this one was darker, more demonic.
It was Renzako.
"Attacking the weak? Is this the level you've fallen to?"
Fard and Juso drew their daggers, their hands trembling with fear. Before they could act, Renzako's voice cut through the air.
"One foolish move…"
He pressed Takeshi's sword against Yamikaji's neck—who couldn't even twitch from the pain.
"…and his head comes off."
The two hesitated, paralyzed between speaking and acting. After gathering his courage, Fard barked:
"Do you even know who you're dealing with, idiot?! By doing this, you've declared war on the biggest gang in Galleon—no, in the whole country! The White King Skull—"
"I'm not ignorant."
Renzako cut him off, sliding the blade lightly against Yamikaji's throat.
"You two work under this vile man. That's obvious from how you treat him even though he's not your leader. I'll let you go—but under one condition."
Renzako raised the sword, then slammed the blunt side against the back of Yamikaji's head, knocking him unconscious. The branches dried up instantly, crumbling into dust and blowing away with the wind.
Raiz and his group remained frozen in place. They wanted to thank the one who saved them, but his ominous aura made that nearly impossible.
Renzako took a step forward toward Fard and Juso, crushing Yamikaji's severed hand beneath his foot. Then he picked up Takeshi's sword.
"Where did you get this?"
Fard and Juso's first instinct was to hurl insults—
but before either could speak, Renzako warned:
"No lying. No refusal. Or this bastard's head becomes the offering."
He struck the most sensitive point in both their hearts. They swallowed hard—frozen—until Juso finally spoke:
"We got it from someone living in the Pine Forests in the center of the country. Its owner is in the city looking for it. Taking a sword with an aura like this… it'll put you in danger—from him, the police, and… other people—"
Fard snapped his eyes toward Juso and hissed:
"You idiot!"
But Juso didn't flinch. In his mind, this was their only chance.
Renzako's voice deepened:
"Is this person called the Plague?"
Both their eyes widened.
Juso slowly nodded—"Yes."
Renzako froze. Silence swallowed the place.
He sheathed the sword.
"You may take him. Leave."
Both men pointed their daggers at Renzako, anger replacing their fear.
"You think you'll leave alive?"
Renzako shook his head, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply.
"I have no other choice…"
In a heartbeat, all pressure vanished—
and the world became an empty, soundless void.
Then it erupted.
A faint aura burst from Renzako, followed by a dark, suffocating one that swallowed the entire area. Everyone felt it—an unholy weight, like the moon collapsing onto them.
It struck Fard, Juso, Raiz, and his group alike.
A demonic force that gnawed at their souls.
Just looking at Renzako, one could mistake him for a demon in human form.
After a few dreadful seconds, the poor villagers collapsed to their knees, their trembling legs failing them.
Fard and Juso barely remained standing—shuffling mindlessly toward Yamikaji, who also felt that demonic pressure. They lifted him in silence and fled into another street, realizing they had crossed paths with a true monster..