The winds had finally eased into a calm, the howling gales fading into a gentle breeze that whispered through the jagged cliffs. For nearly four hours, the mountain had been a relentless force, its sheer face battered by the elements, but now, the air was still, and the world was momentarily at peace.
Zay exhaled slowly, and got up while stretching the tension from his limbs. A faint, shimmering layer of violet aura formed around his arms and legs, reinforcing his grip. He walked over slightly and reached up taking hold of a small opening in the side of the mountain. The rocky surface beneath his fingers was rough, yet cool to the touch despite the sun's harsh glare. Cracks and crevices lined its surface, some sharp enough to cut, others worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain.
Renzo and Lily followed beneath him, their breathing steady as they ascended. The mountain stretched endlessly above. Small stones crumbled under their weight, tumbling below them as they crashed into the bottom, lost to the vast expanse of the mountain.
Shadows danced along the rock face, cast by the shifting sun. But amidst the stark, barren stone, something stood out—a massive tree, its thick, gnarled roots gripping the mountainside as if defying nature itself. Its branches stretched wide, offering an oasis of shade against the relentless sun.
Zay's gaze lingered on it for a moment, his thoughts drifting.
'A tree providing shade at such an altitude? Quite impressive within the Akser Realm. I must admit.'
The tree's dark silhouette swayed slightly in the cool breeze, its leaves rustling in a soothing rhythm. The air beneath it felt different—calmer, almost serene. The smell of damp earth mixed with the faint scent of pine, a refreshing contrast to the dry, dusty rock.
Zay turned his focus back to the climb, his fingers tightening around the next hold as he pushed himself higher.
Renzo sighed deeply, his voice carrying up the cliffside. "How much longer is this climb, anyway?"
"Just… a bit longer," Zay replied, his tone as vague as ever.
Lily groaned softly but kept climbing, her light blue aura flickering as she shifted her weight onto a sturdier foothold.
The wind picked up slightly, cool and refreshing as it brushed against their skin. The world below seemed impossibly distant now, the land stretching out beneath them like a painted canvas. They were climbing beyond civilization, beyond the reach of ordinary men, where only the determined and the foolish dared to tread.
Higher and higher they went, the mountain standing as an unyielding test of their endurance.
After hours of climbing and stopping for small breaks, the wind started to howl violently as they were reaching the peak of the mountain. Zay, Lily, and Renzo clung to the last few footholds of the jagged mountainside. The gale whipped against them, rattling loose pebbles and sending small rocks tumbling into the abyss below. Dust and debris spiraled in chaotic currents, stinging their skin and making each breath feel heavy.
Lily squinted through the biting wind, her grip tightening as she hauled herself up inch by inch. "I swear," she gritted out, "if we get up there and it's just another—"
"Shut up and climb," Renzo cut in, his voice barely audible over the wind.
She scowled but kept moving, her light blue aura flickering like a candle against the relentless storm.
Zay pushed himself over the edge of the summit. He landed on his knees, exhaling sharply before immediately turning around and reaching down. Lily's trembling hand grabbed his, and with a firm pull, he hoisted her up. She collapsed onto her back the second her feet hit the surface, her chest rising and falling in exhaustion.
"Never again," she muttered breathlessly.
Zay barely acknowledged her before extending his hand once more. Renzo grasped it, and with a hard tug, he was on solid ground as well.
The three stood, panting, their muscles aching, their bodies covered in sweat and dirt. But as their gazes lifted—nothing but a hut.
A single, unimpressive wooden hut stood atop the mountain, nestled against the sheer cliff face as if it had always belonged there. No grand fortress. No temple. Just… a hut.
Lily, after regaining her breath, stood beside Zay. Her gaze flickered between the hut and him, her fingers curled into a shaking fist, her light blue aura surging in frustration.
"We climbed an entire damn mountain… for a hut?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.
Zay exhaled and flicked his wrist lazily, waving her irritation away. "There's a reason for everything." Then, without warning, he flicked her forehead lightly.
Lily recoiled, rubbing her forehead with a glare.
Renzo, still catching his breath, threw his hands up. "Seriously, what the hell are we even—"
A dagger whistled through the air.
Zay reacted instantly, his hand snapping up to catch it. The sheer force behind it pushed him slightly backward, his right foot slipping off the edge of the cliff. For a brief second, he hovered between solid ground and the empty space below before regaining his footing. Without hesitation, he flicked the dagger off the cliff, letting it vanish into the abyss.
Then, the hut's door creaked open.
A man stepped out.
He was clad in white robes, simple yet pristine, with a katana sheathed at his left hip. His face was partially hidden beneath the brim of a long, straw hat, but his eyes—dark, unreadable—gleamed from beneath it. His presence was heavy, suffocating even, despite his aura being nonexistent.
"If you climbed this high…" His voice was calm, steady. "Then you must know who I am. You bounty hunters never learn."
In a single fluid motion, he unsheathed his katana. The blade gleamed under the sun, sharp and well-maintained, not a single speck of rust or wear dulling its edge. He held it with both hands, angling it towards them in a stance that spoke of practiced lethality.
Zay's expression remained unreadable as he looked at Lily and Renzo before shifting his gaze back to the swordsman. "His name is Kazren," he said, voice measured. "More popularly known as 'The Stray Blade.' He doesn't use aura… or rather, he failed the trial for Level 6 and lost access for both his Seal and aura."
Kazren exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. "I see… You know quite a bit about me." His tone was indifferent, but there was an undercurrent of amusement. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. A dead man knowing information changes nothing."
Zay didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pulled off his robe, revealing a sleek black silk, and loose short-sleeve shirt beneath. The fabric clung to him, outlining his lean but honed physique. He flexed his fingers, and the sharp, retractable blades of Midnight Fangs extended from his knuckle guards.
Then, he stepped forward, positioning himself between Lily and Renzo.
"I'm not confident in winning this fight," he admitted, his voice steady but honest. "If I'm being realistic, I have maybe… a three percent chance of winning." He clenched his fists, the blades gleaming under the sunlight. "Having aura is an advantage, but it doesn't mean shit if your opponent is just that much stronger."
Kazren's grip on his katana remained unwavering. He inhaled, exhaled, then settled into his stance.
Renzo exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath. "Three percent, huh? That's some great odds."
Lily crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. "I mean, it could be worse."
Renzo raised a brow. "How?"
Lily shrugged. "Could be a possible two percent."
Renzo chuckled, "Fair enough... I guess."
Kazren and Zay moved with deliberate caution, their bodies coiled like tightly wound springs, each step measured as they mirrored one another's movements. Their stances were a seamless blend of offense and defense, shifting fluidly between readiness to strike and the instinct to counter.
The wind howled through the mountain's peak, carrying dust and loose gravel across the rocky terrain. Zay's long black hair whipped in the wind, strands flowing like shadows against the pale sky.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then, a single leaf, carried by the restless breeze, drifted down between them.
The moment the lone leaf touched the ground, they exploded into motion.
Kazren's blade was a silver blur, cutting through the air with terrifying speed. Zay barely managed to twist his body, feeling the edge of the katana graze past his ribs, the wind pressure alone sharp enough to sting. He retaliated instantly, his knuckle blades slashing forward, aiming for Kazren's midsection.
Kazren sidestepped, his movements resembled decades of training, like a predator toying with its prey. His katana flicked up in a controlled arc, forcing Zay to duck. A sharp gust of wind swept past them, carrying dust and loose gravel over the edge of the cliffside.
Zay lunged low, his chain whipping out from his gauntlet like a serpent. Kazren barely tilted his head, the metal links flashing past his face. In the same motion, Kazren's knee rocketed forward, slamming into Zay's forearm before he could move his body to block it. The impact sent a jolt through his bones, but he gritted his teeth and twisted with the force, using the momentum to spin and send a backhanded strike toward Kazren's jaw.
Kazren's eyes widened as he saw the chain and leaned back just enough for the strike to miss by a breath. His katana came down—fast, brutal, and precise.
Zay raised his gauntlet in time, sparks flying as steel met enchanted metal. The force sent him skidding backward, his boots grinding against the rocky ground.
Kazren didn't stop.
He closed the distance in an instant, blade poised for a second strike. Zay barely had a moment to react before Kazren was on him again, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next—fluid, relentless.
Zay's mind raced. 'His timing, his precision… it's flawless. As always.'
Kazren's katana blurred, a downward strike aimed straight for Zay's shoulder. Zay crossed his arms, blocking with both gauntlets, but the sheer force sent him staggering.
Kazren didn't hesitate. A lightning-fast roundhouse kick crashed into Zay's side, sending him rolling across the stone platform.
Zay coughed as he came to a stop, pushing himself up just as Kazren walked forward, blade lowered but eyes sharp.
"Three percent, huh?" Kazren mused. "That's quite the generous odds you gave yourself."
"Maybe those were generous odds… but I wasn't using aura," Zay muttered, his voice low as violet aura surged to life around his body. It coiled and pulsed, infusing his gloves with an ethereal glow that radiated through the air. His eyes narrowed as he steadied himself.
Without another word, he charged forward with blinding speed, his form a blur as he closed the distance. At the last moment, Zay pushed off the ground, leaping backward into the air. As he did, the hidden chain from his gloves slithered free, its violet glow shimmering in the dim light. The chain shot out, a lethal whip, aimed directly at Kazren.
Kazren's eyes flickered, calculating. With swift precision, he swung his katana, slicing through the chain in an attempt to sever it. But the chain didn't break. It wrapped around the blade with unnerving accuracy, binding it tight.
Zay grinned, pulling back on the chain with a force that yanked the katana from Kazren's grip. The blade flew from his hands and clattered loudly to the stone, a dissonant echo in the silence that followed.
'The Stray Blade. A master of the sword, yet... the true blade is him, for the past four decades, he's trained himself more in his body than in the blade... Losing the katana doesn't mean much to him.'
Zay thought, his gaze focused on Kazren's face, watching the man's eyes flicker with a cold, detached amusement.
The chain retracted, vanishing back into Zay's glove with a soft hiss. Zay relaxed slightly, but his instincts remained sharp, his violet aura still flickering around him like a protective flame.
Kazren chuckled, his lips curling into a sardonic grin. "So, you don't have as much information as I thought you did," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. his eyes glanced around for a moment before returning to Zay. "If you really knew me, you'd understand... a katana means absolute shit to me."
Zay's brow furrowed. Something about the way Kazren spoke... it didn't sit right. 'Why is he smirking?'
Zay thought, confusion creeping in. But before he could react, his eyes widened in realization.
In the blink of an eye, Kazren moved. He turned his body with the fluidity of a seasoned predator, he rushed towards Lily and before she could react, his hand shot out and grabbed her by the throat. Her eyes widened in shock, a gasp escaping her lips as she struggled in his grip.
'Damn it!'
Zay thought, the urgency hitting him like a freight train. He surged forward, but Kazren was already one step ahead, pulling a small, gleaming dagger from his sleeve and pressing it to Lily's throat. The cold steel kissed her skin, a threat palpable in the air.
"Don't move if you want her to live," Kazren sneered, his voice steady, but laced with malice.
Zay froze, the words sinking into him like a vice. His body tensed, but his mind raced. Renzo appeared beside him, his dark red aura flaring to life around him.
"What now?" Renzo asked, his voice calm but taut with readiness.
"She's not part of this! Let her go!" Zay shouted, his voice breaking the tension in the air. The worry on his face was unmistakable as his eyes flicked between Kazren's hand around Lily's throat and the blood-soaked dagger now dangerously close to her skin.
Kazren laughed, a dark, bitter sound. "The hell do you mean? Of course she's part of this. She showed up with you two. It's obvious that you're all damn bounty hunters, coming for my head, wanting money."
Kazren pressed the dagger tighter against Lily's throat, a thin trail of blood starting to drip down her skin. Lily gasped, her chest heaving with the effort to breathe, her hands grasping at Kazren's wrist to break his hold.
Then, in a flash of light blue, Lily's aura flared around her foot, a surge of energy crackling as she swung it backward with precision. Her boot collided with Kazren's groin, driving the breath from his lungs. His eyes widened in shock and pain, his grip loosening on her throat. The dagger fell to the ground with a clatter, and Kazren staggered back, a ragged laugh escaping him through the pain.
Lily didn't hesitate. She kicked herself away, gaining enough distance to rush toward Zay and Renzo, who quickly closed in to form a protective circle around her. Zay, without a second thought, moved to the katana that had fallen to the ground. He knelt quickly, gripping the blade with steady hands. He stood up again and got in front of both Renzo and Lily, violet aura coiled around the blade.
Kazren winced as he adjusted his stance, glaring at Zay through the haze of pain. "A-alright... Y-you win," he groaned, his voice strained with the weight of his defeat.
Zay wiped the sweat from his brow, the tension in his shoulders slowly ebbing as the adrenaline began to fade. "We aren't bounty hunters," Zay said, his voice steady despite the chaos. He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze falling on the small cut across Lily's throat. "But I do have some things to talk to you about."