"I crippled those two on the ground, yanked this guy’s jaw off, and… hmm." He tapped his chin, glancing at another body. "Oh yeah, I forgot I poisoned that guy over there."
He pointed at each one as if he were listing off errands.
Then, as if the whole thing was an inconvenience—
"Those two? Not my doing. But honestly, the jawless guy did him a favor. You wouldn’t believe how ugly he was." Kei sighed, shaking his head. "Let’s hope his face gets fixed when he comes back."
Kaito’s breath hitched.
His fingers clenched around his sword.
His eyes darted across the battlefield.
Bodies lay rotting, their flesh eaten away, bones starting to poke through deteriorating skin.
A leader— someone of his own rank— reduced to a gurgling mess, his jaw completely torn away.
And a man bleeding from his temple, motionless.
Maybe alive.
Maybe dead.
The stench of decay was suffocating.
But worse—
The one responsible for it all?
Kei stood there, unfazed.
No guilt.
No hesitation.
Not even a hint of satisfaction.
Just mild irritation, like this whole thing was an annoying delay in his day.
Like none of it mattered.
Kaito felt his stomach twist.
His grip tightened.
Not from shock.
Not from fear.
But from pure, seething anger.
"You're a psychopath"
“Well, that’s not the official diagnosis I’ve received. At least, not the main one anyway,” Kei corrected, finally laughing for the first time.
"They were mostly concerned about the others."
"YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?!"
Kaito’s voice thundered, his patience snapping.
Kei tilted his head. "I don’t know, man. I was minding my business, then all of this started. Not sure what you want me to say."
Kaito’s grip on his sword tightened.
"Why did you have to go so far to kill them? You could ha—"
"Him," Kei corrected without hesitation.
Kaito blinked. "Does it make a difference?"
Kei arched a brow. "Of course, it does. You're giving me more bodies than I can take credit for."
Then, with a casual shrug—
"Unless you’re handing me a Call of Duty killstreak as well, I’d rather not be falsely accused."
Taking a stance and raising his sword, Kaito’s presence shifted.
For a split second—
It was as if he was barely there.
The air around him darkened, the faint shimmer of Lunar Force bending perception itself.
His voice was calm. Steady.
"I don’t care what happened. You’re coming with me, and you’ll answer for this."
Kei’s eyes narrowed.
"You seem like you'll be much more difficult to deal with."
His hands shifted.
Fingers curled into shapes—two serpents baring their fangs.
Aether surged—splitting into two conflicting forces.
His left arm froze over.
A chilling mist coiled around his skin, ice creeping along his forearm like a growing frost.
His right arm smoldered.
Ash curled from his fingertips, ember-like veins glowing beneath the skin.
A force of opposing destruction and preservation.
Kei exhaled.
"I've been taken against my will before."
His voice was low.
His stance unshaken.
"Back when I didn’t have the capabilities to change my fate."
His fingers flexed.
Power coiled around him.
The winds stirred.
"If you're going to take me in—"
His gaze met Kaito’s.
Cold. Unyielding.
"You'll have to prove you're capable of it."
"WAIT!"
A desperate shout rang out.
Talia.
Everything happened so fast.
They were just minding their own business when trouble found them.
It really was as Kei said—
He had been minding his own business when his property was nearly stolen from him.
Now—
Somehow—
He was dragged into back-to-back fights.
And these weren’t just any opponents.
Orin Graves was formidable on his own.
But Kaito Ren?
A completely different level.
This was a man known for soloing creatures others avoided.
A man considered second only to Jin Saito.
A man who should not be taken lightly.
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"Kaito, don’t! It’s not his fault!"
Talia’s voice cracked with urgency.
"They started it! He was defending himself and his belongings!"
"That’s right! They tried to steal from him!"
"Orin wouldn’t listen to us!"
Their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Kaito had already moved.
[Skill Name]: Lunar Reaver]
A high-speed slashing technique utilizing Lunar Edge Force to unleash an almost imperceptible cut.
The blade moves faster than the eye can follow, the motion so smooth and seamless that opponents only register the pain after the attack has already landed.
[Effects]:
- Fleeting Edge – The slash occurs instantly, leaving behind an afterimage to confuse enemies.
- Phantom Severance – If the target is unaware of the attack, the strike delays the sensation of pain and damage, making it harder to react or defend.
- Moonlit Swiftness – Attack speed increases by 10% at night or in low-light environments.
- Silent Rend – The attack makes no sound, preventing opponents from detecting it mid-combat.
- Aether Surge – By infusing extra Aether, Lunar Reaver can extend into a short-range crescent-shaped wave, striking enemies slightly beyond the blade’s reach.
Additional Notes:
- Best used at the start of combat or when an enemy is off-guard, ensuring no time to react.
- The afterimage effect can mislead enemies, making them misjudge the timing of the attack.
- Chaining Lunar Reaver with Crescent Step allows for seamless repositioning before or after the strike.
Clang!
A metallic impact shattered the air.
At the same time, Kei felt the wind shift.
He moved.
His frosted arm surged forward to block—
Only for a sharp layer of ice to be shaved clean off.
He was pushed back.
Darting forward, he pushed his perception into full blast.
The world slowed.
He could feel everything.
The subtle breath of those watching.
The faintest shift in Kaito’s stance.
He didn't hesitate.
His ember-ash arm shot forward.
A quick jab.
Closing the distance instantly.
Kaito’s sword intercepted.
A blur—
He pulled his scabbard up in the same motion—
Clang!
The collision sent both of them skidding apart.
Two forces.
Two fighters.
Neither backing down.
And like that—
A flurry of blows erupted between them.
Steel clashed against frozen skin.
Fists met blade.
Winds roared, colliding with Lunar Force.
Each exchange was precise, brutal, and unrelenting.
Kei found himself cut.
Several times.
Some of them bled profusely, staining his tattered clothes.
Kaito, however—
Wasn’t unscathed.
Frost crept along his limbs.
Ash seared across his skin.
Each attack left behind lasting damage.
And then—
A sudden shift.
Kaito moved to slash—
But before he could react—
A foot slammed into his chin.
Lifting him off his feet.
"What—?!"
His brain barely had time to register the hit—
Before a burning pain exploded in his gut.
A punch.
Launched him backward.
He gasped, disoriented.
His body ached.
Something felt wrong.
His eyes snapped up to Kei.
The attacks he just took…
He didn’t see them.
It was as if—
They had never existed until the moment they landed.
Kei stood there, post-punch.
His breath ragged.
His HP dangerously low—already reduced by a third.
A notification flickered in the corner of his vision.
[Status: Bleeding] – HP will continue to decrease over time.
Clicking his tongue, Kei quickly pulled out a healing salve, rubbing it over his wounds to stem the bleeding.
His gaze sharpened.
"This guy’s attacks are more annoying than my own."
His hands clenched.
His breathing slowed.
"I can’t keep this up."
Unfortunately for him—
It wasn’t his decision when the fight would end.
The wind shifted.
It split apart.
Something was coming.
Kei felt it before he saw it.
A razor-thin edge—
A silent blade traveling through the air.
Kaito had already launched his next attack.
Thinking fast—
Kei fired a volley of bone projectiles.
Each one shot out like bullets, colliding mid-air with the incoming slash.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The force clashed, dispersing the attack—
But only barely.
He leapt backwards, summoning the Windblade Staff.
Aether flared.
His left arm pulsed with cold, frost creeping along his skin.
His right arm burned, embers running through his veins.
He channeled both.
Stormwind coiled around the frost—
A swirling vortex of piercing cold and cutting wind.
He swung—
Three blasts of Frosted Stormwind fired forward.
Each one howled like a raging blizzard—
Each one was deflected.
Kaito weaved between them effortlessly, his sword slicing through the wind as if it were solid.
Kei clicked his tongue.
He shifted tactics.
Frost vanished.
Flames surged.
Ash-ember replaced the cold, mixing with the Stormwind.
The air crackled, charged with energy.
Kei compressed it.
He formed a blade.
A blade of roaring wind and ember smoke.
He dashed forward.
Kaito met him head-on.
His foot pushed off the ground.
Crescent Step activated.
A blur of movement.
Kei's eyes barely tracked him—
But he was already slashing out.
Kaito’s blade struck first.
Kei parried—redirected the force—
But the moment he did—
Another slash came.
And another.
And another.
A storm of steel and wind.
The clashes rang out like thunder.
Each impact sent shockwaves through the air.
Kaito’s swordplay was relentless.
Each slash flowed into the next, seamlessly, with no wasted movement.
Kei’s feet slid backward.
He was being pushed.
His stance threatened to break.
Each step back—
Another cut opened.
Another wound bled.
Kaito wasn’t just fast.
He was unrelenting.
And Kei was running out of time.
Folding into the wind—
Kei vanished.
Then—
Reappeared behind Kaito.
His frosted arm lashed out.
A serpentine shape formed from the cold—
A Frost Viper.
It lunged forward.
Striking Kaito’s leg.
Crack!
Ice snapped into place, freezing Kaito’s foot where he stood.
"Wha—?!"
His instincts flared—
But before he could react—
Another serpent shot forth.
This time, fire.
A writhing Ember Ash Viper surged from Kei’s other arm.
Aimed directly for Kaito’s throat.
His blade moved—
Just in time.
The sword blocked the burning strike—
But—
With his leg frozen—
His body jerked back.
Pressure strained his stance.
The uneven weight pulled at his muscles.
"Man, I really love those vipers I met a while ago."
Kei’s voice rang out, far too casual for the situation.
"Frostbane Viper and Ember Ash Viper—such good friends."
He giggled.
Watching from the side—
Talia, Owen, Reese, and Kai were gobsmacked.
This fight—
Didn’t feel human.
It was like watching forces of nature collide.
And Kei—
Kei was terrifying.
Not because of his strength—
But because of his shift.
This wasn’t the carefree Kei they had come to know.
The Kei who gave away materials without a second thought.
The Kei who laughed too much and helped too often.
This Kei—
Was something else.
Something cold.
For the first time—
They felt guilty.
Because this fight—
This whole mess—
Had happened because of his kindness.
And now—
Now he was laughing again.
But this time—
It wasn’t chilling.
It wasn’t the eerie, lifeless laugh from before.
It was his usual tone.
Like he was actually having fun.
"Kaito, this is a big misunderstanding—please stop!"
Owen’s voice finally cut through the air.
"Tsk, I’m getting tired of this. Time to end this farce—whether you live or not is up to you."
Kaito ignored Kei’s friends.
His sword pulsed, charging with power.
In that moment—
The moonlight shone brighter.
His blade glowed with Lunar Force.
His stance shifted.
Phantom Crescent—fully prepared.
A strike that would truly represent the lunar light.
"I'm getting tired too, so I want to end this."
Kei’s voice cut through the air.
His arms twisted, hands clasping.
A viper's fangs taking shape.
Then—
Aether flared.
A projection formed above him.
A serpentine head—half frost, half ember ash.
It expanded, growing larger by the second.
The surrounding shuddered.
The very air rippled from Kei’s control over Aether.
It was a display of sheer mastery—
A level of control that shouldn't be possible for someone at Level 0.
Kaito’s eyes narrowed.
But—
He didn’t back down.
Both sides braced for their final strike.
Tension crackled in the air.
And then—
BOOM!
A roaring dragon's head—formed from fire—
Blasted down between them.
The ground trembled.
The impact sent waves of heat crashing outward.
Both Kei and Kaito instinctively retreated.
A voice thundered through the battlefield.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!"
Seeing the newcomer—
Talia and the rest felt a breath of relief.
It was their guild leader.
Orrin Dragbane.
"Guild leader, quickly stop them!" Reese shouted, desperation lacing his voice.
Dragbane's gaze snapped toward the fight, his presence alone radiating authority.
"Kaito. Put your blade down. Now."
His voice was unwavering. Absolute.
"And you—disperse your skill immediately."
It wasn’t a request.
It was a command.
A warning.
Any sign of defiance would be met with force.
Kaito didn't hesitate.
His sword lowered.
His aether withdrew.
The Lunar Edge Force around him vanished.
Kei’s viper projection also faded.
But—
Not by his own will.
His brows furrowed.
The frost withdrew.
The ember ash receded.
His connection to them—
Gone.
His voice dropped into a whisper.
"What the hell…?"
Elsewhere in the Forest
A figure stood next to two slain beasts.
One—
A massive frost viper.
The other—
A serpent wreathed in ember ash.
Their bodies lay lifeless on the forest floor.
Blood seeped into the ground.
The figure tilted their head, looking down at the corpses.
"Damn. Those two were a pain to deal with."
He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck.
"Even the 'Reaper of Serpents' title wasn’t enough. Had to equip 'Title Hunter' too."
He sighed.
"At least it was a good warm-up."
Back to Kei
Something felt… missing.
Something felt wrong.
His gaze fell on his hands.
He flexed his fingers, but the sensation wasn’t there anymore.
The bond—
Severed.
Dragbane took in the scene, scanning the faces of everyone present.
His expression darkened.
"Someone better start talking. The whole truth.
Not a single word left out."
His tone left no room for excuses.
Talia spoke first.
She recounted everything.
From the moment they met Kei—
How he offered them equipment.
How the Black Talon members tried to rob them.
Orin antagonizing Kei.
The fight escalating.
Kaito arriving and sentencing Kei without question.
Hearing it all—
Dragbane and Kaito furrowed their brows.
Silence lingered.
Then—
"And you chose to sentence that man guilty without any questioning?"
Dragbane’s voice was sharp as steel, cutting through Kaito like a blade.
Kaito opened his mouth—
But he never got the chance to explain.
Because Kei’s voice cut through first.
And this time—
There was no teasing.
No playfulness.
Only sadness.
Kei’s fingers tightened into fists.
His eyes dimmed.
His aether felt hollow.
"Who killed my vipers?"
The weight of his words hung in the air.
And for some reason—
Hearing him like that—
Talia almost cried.
Because Kei’s sadness…
It almost felt like it was manifesting.