The possessed captain lunged, wind swirling violently around his blade.
Kairoz met the strike head-on, steel ringing out as their swords clashed. Sparks flared in the dim light.
From behind—
*Whsshh!*
Penta's blade cut through the air, aiming for the back of Kairoz's neck.
Kairoz's eyes flicked to the side. He pushed off the captain's weapon and flipped backward, boots skidding against the cobblestones.
No time to breathe—another squad member rushed in, blade arcing toward his ribs.
"Tch…"
Dark Kendra surged into Kairoz's legs, shadows flickering around his boots as he dashed back several paces, narrowly avoiding the strike.
He glanced between them—captain, Penta, the others closing in. All familiar faces. All skilled.
*As expected from the top thirty recruits.*
Kairoz sheathed his sword with a slow, deliberate motion. "Fighting all of you at once… what a pain." His voice was cold, dismissive.
"I'm not wasting my energy on trash."
His gaze shifted past them, toward the cracked stone fountain at the edge of the square. The water inside shimmered faintly under the moonlight, rippling unnaturally.
Kairoz's expression hardened. "Something's wrong…" he murmured. "I can feel it."
Without another word, he stepped toward the fountain—ignoring the enemies tightening the circle around him.
Kairoz vaulted across another rooftop, the fountain drawing nearer—when a figure appeared on the roof ahead.
He stopped mid-run, boots grinding against the tiles.
The man stood casually at the roof's edge, silhouetted against the moon. Black clothes clung to his frame, blades glinting from hidden sheaths in his sleeves, and two long swords crossed on his back.
A slow grin spread across the stranger's face. "Well, well… isn't this the brat from the Nox clan? Heh…"
Kairoz's eyes narrowed. "So you know me."
"Everyone knows your kind," the man replied, voice dripping with amusement. "Just by the way your Kendra flares—it's obvious."
"Is that so?" Kairoz said flatly. "Then you're here to stop me."
"Stop you?" The man chuckled. "What the hell are you talking about?"
He stepped forward into the moonlight, the cold glint of steel flashing in his sleeves. "Name's Jango. And this … is my territory. Anyone who dares to cross this line—" He tapped the tiles with the tip of his boot. "—I simply kill them."
Kairoz's hand moved to his hilts, steel whispering free in one smooth motion.
"There's no point talking anymore," he said coldly.
"Hey, hey—at least introduce yourself first," Jango grinned.
"I already hate the fact that you said my clan's name," Kairoz replied, his voice low and sharp.
In the next instant, he leapt—two swords flashing under the moonlight. The tiles shattered beneath his takeoff as he came down on Jango with ruthless speed.
Clang!
Jango's blades shot up just in time, crossing to catch the strike. The rooftop shook under the force.
"This," Jango said, eyes gleaming, "is going to be fun."
Kairoz and Jango's blades met in a blur—steel ringing in the night.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"This is so fun!" Jango laughed, his voice rising over the clash of metal.
They were evenly matched at first, each strike met with another, neither giving an inch. But Kairoz's blows began to land heavier, driving Jango back step by step.
"No denying it, brat," Jango smirked between strikes. "You're good."
Kairoz didn't answer—he simply lunged again, giving him no chance to breathe.
Clang!
Jango's swords locked with his, but the force behind Kairoz's attack sent him skidding across the tiles. With a quick backflip, Jango broke away and landed on the roof of the next house, the gap between them wide once more.
Jango suddenly drove one of his swords straight into the rooftop, the blade sinking between the tiles with a sharp crack.
Kairoz's eyes narrowed instantly. He's channeling Kendra…
Without hesitation, Kairoz launched himself forward, dark energy surging through his legs. His boots shattered tiles as he closed the gap in a single, explosive leap.
Jango's grin faltered. "Crap—!"
Jango ripped his sword free just in time to catch Kairoz's descending strike—
CLANG!
—but the force was monstrous. The impact wrenched the blade from Jango's hands and sent him flying off the roof.
CRASH! He hit the ground hard, rolling through the dirt.
Kairoz landed a moment later with a solid thud, his eyes cold. "Where's your fun now?"
Flat on his back, Jango grinned through the pain. "Hahaha… what are you talking about? The situation's under control."
Kairoz's eyes narrowed—
Shff!
A sudden flash of steel from the shadows—cold metal sank into his back.
"Ghh—!" Kairoz staggered forward, teeth clenched.
Behind him, a second figure stepped into the moonight, a bloody knife in hand.
Kairoz staggered a step away from them, his hand reaching behind.
With a sharp yank, he pulled the knife free, the blade clattering to the ground.
"Tch…" His voice was low, cold. "If it weren't for the shield I'm wearing under this, that would've been fatal."
He straightened, eyes burning with a dangerous light.
"Be careful, Tango—he's dangerous," Jango warned.
"Is he?" Tango replied, licking the blood from the knife's edge.
Kairoz shifted into his stance, eyes locked on them.
With a sudden burst of speed, Jango charged, sword aimed for Kairoz's chest. Steel clashed as Kairoz caught the strike, the impact ringing through the air.
From the side—whsshh!—Tango hurled knives infused with Kendra energy, their silver edges streaking toward Kairoz.
He twisted and sidestepped, barely dodging while still holding off Jango's relentless blade.
Then—thunk!—one knife buried itself deep into Kairoz's knee.
"Ghh—!" His voice hissed in pain.
Still, he gritted his teeth and shoved Jango back with a powerful strike, forcing him a few steps away.
"Uff… uff…" Kairoz's breath came heavy, blood dripping from his knee and the wound on his back.
"Hehehe… not fair, right?" Jango smirked.
"You seem so relaxed… just because you've got another man," Kairoz said, his tone low and cold. His eyes
darkened. "But do you really think the two of you stand a chance against me?"
"What's that look?" Tango asked, narrowing his eyes.
Jango chuckled. "Hahaha… I'm not relaxed because it's two versus one."
His grin widened. "It's because it's three versus one."
From above—thud… thud…—a shadow loomed.
Kairoz's head snapped up just as a massive figure dropped from the rooftop, a huge hammer gripped in both hands.
The instant he saw the silhouette, Kairoz leapt aside—once, twice—dodging as the weapon slammed into the cobblestones.
BOOM! The ground split, cracks spiderwebbing out from the impact.
The newcomer straightened, hefting the hammer onto his shoulder.
It was Chango.
Kairoz landed lightly a few paces away, but his gaze flicked back to Jango—
—who now stood with one palm outstretched, a swirling ball of blue Kendra energy forming in his hand.
"Goodbye," Jango said with a smile.
Fwoooom! The sphere launched, ripping through the air.
It struck Kairoz dead-on. BLAST!
The explosion hurled him backward, his body smashing through the wooden walls of a nearby house in a storm of splinters.
"Heheh… today we caught a big fish," Jango said, brushing dust from his coat.
"We've got the Nox clan brat's head," Tango grinned. "Nox blood fetches a high price on the black market."
Meanwhile, at Miss Violet's squad—
"M-Ma'am… it's a demon!" Lysa cried, her voice shaking.
Miss Violet was kneeling beside Lucas, hands glowing faintly as she tried to heal him. His body was limp, floating unnaturally in the air. His face… gone. No eyes. Kendra energy pulsed erratically through his mangled form.
"Demons did exist in this world," Miss Violet said grimly, her eyes fixed on Lucas's wounds. "But that was centuries ago. Our ancestors wiped them out completely." She took a breath. "The old books say if even a single demon ever appeared again, it would be a bad omen for the entire world. But that's just a myth… we don't even know if they ever truly existed."
Her voice dropped. "If this is real… it's bad news."
Duke swallowed hard, sweat trickling down his neck.
"It's real," Derius said firmly. "I saw him myself. He uses some kind of invisible slashes… almost impossible to dodge."
Miss Violet's gaze hardened as she looked down at Lucas. "He's in critical condition… very badly injured." She rose to her feet. "We're in this mess because of me. I'll kill the demon if he's out there."
"No, ma'am, it's not your fault," Duke said quickly. "We should go together."
"Yes, ma'am," Drex added.
"I'm coming too," Samaira said firmly.
"Hey! You all shut up!" Derius snapped, glaring at them. "You don't stand a chance against that thing. Lysa and I are only alive because it was playing with us."
"But Miss Violet—" Duke began.
Violet gave him a calm, confident smile. "Don't worry about me."
"I'm going to the fountain," she said, her eyes sharp. "That's where Dan is."
"I'm coming with you," Samaira said. "Even if I get killed."
"What?!" Derius's eyes widened.
"I'm coming too," Drex said.
"I'm going," Duke added.
"Have you all gone crazy?!" Derius threw up his hands. "Bunch of blockheads!" He turned to Lysa. "Tell them how terrifying that thing was!"
Lysa hesitated. "H-he was… but I'm going too."
"You've lost your mind as well! If it weren't for me, you'd be dead three times over!" Derius barked.
"I know," Lysa said softly. "That's why I'll go. I… want to do something too."
"Hey—none of you need to be there," Miss voilet said. " Derius right about this."
"No matter what happens, stay together," Violet said, cutting through the argument. "Protect each other."
With that, she turned and strode away, heading directly toward the fountain.
"She's gone," Samaira said quietly.
"Disappeared," Duke added, scanning the area.
"If that thing is really as terrible as they say, then we should—" Drex began.
"You're right about that," Samaira cut in.
Duke pushed himself to his feet. "Let's go, guys."
"Bunch of fucking blockheads," Derius muttered under his breath.
"Miss Violet told us to stay together and protect each other," Lysa reminded them.
"Protect my ass," Derius snapped. "She set you all up to die together."
"I believe in Miss Violet," Samaira said firmly. "She's strong."
That seemed to lift the recruits' spirits just a little.
"Yeah… me too," Duke said.
"Pathetic," Derius scoffed. "I'm going home. Even the strong can fall if they're trapped or outnumbered. She might even die."
"Hey—watch your mouth," Duke shot back.
"I'm giving you a reality check," Derius said coldly. "Don't cling to false hope. Leave her alone—it's her mess anyway."
Before Duke could respond—CRACK!—Drex's fist slammed into Derius's face.
"Ahhh! You fucking bastard!" Derius roared, clutching his jaw.
"Hey, it's not his fault," Lysa said, stepping between them. "That thing was really terrifying. Even I don't trust that Miss Violet can do anything about it."
"He's just scared," she added.
"I'm not scared," Derius said, pushing himself up off the ground. "I'm just… shocked after seeing that thing." He brushed the dirt from his clothes. "What can we even do? We're just a bunch of students. Even Captain Lucas got taken out."
Duke's eyes narrowed. "Hey, remember what you said? 'Even the strongest fall if they're trapped.'"
Derius blinked. "…Yeah?"
"How about we trap him," Duke said, his tone hardening.
"Yes… we should make a plan," Lysa said.
"I'm not good at making plans," Samaira admitted.
"Me neither," Duke added.
"Me neither," Drex said with a shrug. "But I'm going to fight that thing anyway."
All of them slowly turned their eyes toward Derius.
"What the hell are you all looking at me for?" Derius snapped.
"He's smart," Lysa said simply.
"I'm not risking my life for a single one of you," Derius replied flatly.
"I don't expect you to," Drex said. "But still—make a plan."
"What the hell are you guys made of?" Derius muttered, rubbing his temples. Then suddenly— "Hey… shhh."
Everyone fell silent.
"I… I can feel it," Duke said, his voice low.
They all turned.
"We're surrounded."
Slowly, their eyes lifted.
On the rooftops of every house around them—masked
assassins stood, their weapons gleaming in the moonlight.
Duke's gaze swept the rooftops, his expression darkening.
"They waited… just for Miss Violet to go away," he said quietly.
A cold silence fell over the group. The masked assassins didn't move—just stood above them, weapons ready, watching like predators waiting to strike.