The courtyard of Iceburg's mansion had become a slaughterhouse.
Blood pooled across the marble tiles, glinting red beneath the lantern light. The surviving guards, trembling in fury and disbelief, could barely comprehend what had just happened.
"M-Miro… you bastard! You killed Miro!" one of them shouted, voice cracking with rage.
"Get them! Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"
Weapons clattered as a dozen guards formed a ring around Gabra and Nero. Muskets, halberds, sabers—all pointed inward.
Nero sighed and scratched his cheek. "Ooh… Gabra-senpai, looks like you made everyone angry again."
Gabra smirked, his yellow eyes flashing like those of a hungry beast. "Angry? Good. That means they'll scream louder."
He rolled his shoulders, muscles shifting beneath his jacket.
"Senpai…" Nero muttered, "what are you planning to do?"
Gabra's grin widened into a snarl. "Obviously—"
He disappeared.
"—kill them all."
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared among the guards.
"Six Powers—Soru."
The sound cracked like a whip as the air split apart.
"Rankyaku!"
A blue crescent of energy slashed across the courtyard, moving faster than sound.
For a heartbeat, no one reacted. Then—
Shlick—
Psshhh—
The cut surfaces of armor, cloth, and flesh opened at once. Blood erupted into the air, showering the cobblestones in red.
By the time Gabra appeared again, his body was already transforming.
Fur rippled over his skin; claws extended from his hands; his jaw elongated into a wolf's snout. His laughter echoed through the night.
"Ha ha ha! That's better!"
The guards froze in terror.
Even Nero looked on with reluctant awe. "Man… Zoan users really do get all the fun."
Gabra didn't care. He licked blood from his claws and howled, muscles bulging with unnatural strength.
"Six Powers—Rankyaku: Wolf Pack Meteor!"
Dozens of slashes exploded outward, tearing through the courtyard like a storm of blades.
"Fire! All of you—fire now!" a guard captain screamed.
A soldier raised a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher and pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
A warhead roared across the courtyard, slamming directly into Gabra's chest.
The explosion ripped apart the stone steps and sent smoke billowing high into the night.
"Yes! We got him!"
For a moment, the guards dared to hope.
Then a low chuckle rolled out of the smoke.
"Good… struggle harder."
The flames parted, revealing Gabra, grinning madly, completely unharmed.
"Six Powers—Tekkai."
His body gleamed faintly under the firelight, muscles like iron.
The guards' hope turned to horror.
"He took a rocket head-on… and didn't even flinch!"
"He's not human!"
Gabra's tongue flicked over his teeth.
"Perfect. Now die wearing that face."
He vanished again.
Soru.
Blood sprayed. Screams tore through the night.
Every motion he made was a blur of violence—Rankyaku, Shigan, Soru—each strike cutting down another man. Within minutes, silence returned to the courtyard.
Bodies littered the ground like broken dolls.
Gabra stood among them, chest rising and falling in satisfaction.
"So boring…" he muttered. "Besides the smell of blood, you gave me nothing."
Then—
Clap… clap… clap…
The sound echoed lazily through the night.
Gabra turned, frowning.
Lucian Vale stood at the far end of the courtyard, one arm draped casually around Kalifa's waist.
His expression was amused, almost appreciative.
"Good thing I came back early," he said lightly. "I'd hate to miss such a lovely performance."
Nero blinked, eyes widening. "Kalifa-senpai! Long time no see!"
Kalifa didn't even glance at him. She stood at Lucian's side, head slightly bowed, her composure calm and reverent.
Gabra's brows furrowed. "Kalifa, what are you doing?!"
Lucian pointed lazily at Nero. "Kalifa. Since he's so happy to see you… kill him."
Nero laughed nervously. "Hahaha, Kalifa-senpai would never—"
"…Yes, Master."
The flash of steel came faster than thought.
Shing—!!
Nero's laughter died in his throat as a blade of compressed air cut past his face, shearing a strand of hair.
"W-Wait—Kalifa-senpai, have you gone insane?! Rankyaku!"
BOOM!
Their slashes collided midair, exploding in a shockwave of wind and debris.
The clash lit up the courtyard as Nero and Kalifa disappeared into streaks of motion, trading strikes too fast to see.
Lucian didn't bother watching. His attention was on Gabra.
The wolf-man snarled. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Lucian's gaze was calm, detached. "Someone giving you the honor of a clean death."
He stepped forward.
"To be fair," he continued, "your strength is impressive. You've earned at least a complete corpse."
A sudden chill crawled up Gabra's spine.
For the first time that night—
he realized he wasn't the hunter anymore.
He was the prey.
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