The alley of Yunara had become a graveyard.
Bodies of Sun Tyrant soldiers covered the ground. Blood flowed slowly between the stones, forming dark streams under the cold moonlight.
Rin stood barely upright, leaning slightly on her katana.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Every muscle in her body burned.
Too many fights…
Her hands trembled.
Beside her, Haru wiped blood from his cheek with the back of his hand. His breathing was steadier than hers, but his clothes were soaked in blood—most of it not his.
Thirty soldiers had surrounded them.
Now only corpses remained.
But something had changed.
The air itself felt heavier.
Both of them slowly turned their eyes forward.
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
The moonlight revealed him clearly now.
Bare chest.
Red war-paint bands across his torso.
A tiger-skin mantle resting across his shoulder.
Feather tassels swaying gently with each step.
And that smile.
A twisted smile revealing a half-broken front tooth.
Haru's eyes narrowed instantly.
He recognized him.
Of course he did.
Everyone had heard the stories.
The third son of Leon.
The monster of the forests.
The warrior raised among tribes who respected nothing but blood.
Haru swallowed quietly.
So the rumors were true…
He glanced toward Rin.
"This is bad," he muttered under his breath.
Rin looked at him.
Haru rarely looked serious.
But now his eyes carried something else.
Caution.
"No…" Haru continued quietly.
"It's worse than bad."
His gaze returned to the approaching figure.
"That's him."
Rin followed his stare.
Kaizo.
The Broken Fang.
The man didn't even look at them at first.
Instead, he walked toward the corpses scattered across the alley.
His curved blades hung loosely in his hands.
They were stained dark with blood.
Two surviving soldiers remained nearby.
Both of them trembling.
Kaizo stopped beside a fallen soldier.
He crouched slightly.
His fingers brushed against the blood on the ground.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Then he spoke.
"They were brave."
His voice was calm.
Almost respectful.
"These men died fighting for my father."
The two surviving soldiers looked up at him with wide eyes.
"They are the pride of the Sun Tyrants."
For a brief moment, hope returned to their faces.
Their backs straightened.
Their fear eased.
But Kaizo slowly stood again.
His shadow stretched across the blood-covered ground.
Then his tone changed.
"But what about you three?"
The soldiers froze.
"You watched your comrades die…"
His eyes slowly turned toward them.
"…and you ran."
The hope on their faces vanished instantly.
Their bodies trembled again.
"You feared the Min clan."
Kaizo's smile widened slightly.
"You were supposed to be soldiers of Yunara."
The soldiers stepped back nervously.
"P-please… Lord Kaizo—"
"You embarrass my father."
The words fell like stones.
Silence filled the alley.
One soldier dropped to his knees.
"We were going to fight again! We just—"
Kaizo moved.
No warning.
No signal.
Just movement.
Two silver flashes cut through the moonlight.
SHK.
SHK.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then—
Two heads fell to the ground.
Their bodies collapsed beside them.
Blood spread across the stone road.
Rin's eyes widened.
Haru stared in disbelief.
He… killed his own soldiers…
What kind of man did that?
Kaizo calmly wiped one blade against the dead soldier's clothes.
Then he turned slightly.
Now his eyes finally landed on them.
Haru felt it instantly.
That pressure.
That presence.
It wasn't like the soldiers earlier.
This felt different.
Dangerous.
Like standing in front of a wild predator.
Rin felt it too.
Her fingers tightened around her katana.
Her instincts screamed at her.
This man is not normal.
Haru leaned slightly toward her.
"We should leave," he whispered.
His voice was quiet.
Serious.
"We can't win this fight."
Even the Min clan's stealth instincts were reacting.
Their senses told them the same thing.
Danger.
But before they could move—
Kaizo spoke.
"Min clan…"
His voice echoed softly.
He lifted one blade.
Then slowly dragged his tongue across the blood on its edge.
The metallic taste didn't seem to bother him.
Instead—
He smiled.
Blood covered his teeth.
Especially the broken one.
The sight was disturbing.
Rin felt her stomach tighten.
Kaizo tilted his head slightly.
"So this is the Min clan everyone fears."
His eyes moved between them.
Studying.
Judging.
The way a hunter examines prey.
"I expected more."
Haru's grip tightened around his knives.
Damn…
He couldn't sense Kaizo's movements clearly.
It was strange.
Normally the Min style allowed them to read opponents easily.
But with this man—
It felt like looking into a dark forest.
Unpredictable.
Dangerous.
Rin forced herself to stand straight despite her exhaustion.
She could feel the blood drying on her skin.
Her legs were heavy.
But retreating now might not even be possible.
Kaizo took a step forward.
Just one step.
Yet the air felt heavier.
"You killed thirty soldiers," he said casually.
"That's impressive."
Another step.
"But those were just soldiers."
His curved blades lifted slowly.
Moonlight reflected off their edges.
"Now…"
His smile widened.
"…you're facing something different."
Haru moved slightly in front of Rin.
His eyes never left Kaizo.
We might die here.
The thought crossed his mind clearly.
But there was no fear in his voice when he spoke.
"Rin."
She responded quietly.
"I know."
Both of them raised their weapons.
Across from them—
Kaizo rolled his shoulders slowly.
Like a warrior preparing for a hunt.
The moonlight illuminated his war paint.
His broken fang.
His terrifying smile.
The alley was silent again.
Blood covered the ground.
Thirty corpses lay behind them.
And now—
The real battle was about to begin.
Two warriors.
Against one monster.
Kaizo licked the last drop of blood from his blade.
Then whispered softly—
"Let's begin."
⸻
To Be Continued…