Senkoku's POV
The wind howled like a distant scream, brushing the edges of the cliff where I stood. My eyes traced the clouds above the mountain peaks—cold, endless, unforgiving.
It's been five days...
Since I heard the name Jeo-soon again. Since I felt that pressure in my chest that only he ever stirred.
I closed my eyes, fingers curling slowly over the hilt of my katana.
"I hope he's still breathing," I muttered. "I didn't show him… not even half of what I'm capable of."
The blade whispered free from its sheath with a smooth, cold draw. I raised it toward the sky. Not in challenge, not in ceremony—just a silent promise.
"Next time we meet…"
The wind sharpened. The mountain watched.
"…I won't hold back."
And in that moment—I heard it.
A roar. Low, guttural. Not from a man. Something older. Something worse.
My eyes snapped open. I didn't hesitate.
Another monster…?
I gripped the katana tighter and turned toward the sound, wind whipping my cloak behind me.
I leapt off the cliffside, dashing down the rocky path like a streak of lightning, my eyes sharp, heart steady.
"I'm not doing this for glory," I whispered to myself, "or vengeance."
I could already see the beast's silhouette—massive, snarling, its breath steaming the air.
"I'm doing this for them."
The ones back at base. The ones who gave me shelter, food, a reason to still walk forward.
I'm just repaying what they gave me…
My feet skidded to a stop on the gravel, stance wide, katana raised.
"…by giving everything I've got."
As I locked eyes with the hulking beast before me, a boom echoed.
Out of nowhere—
A fist.
A massive one.
It collided with the monster in front of me, sending it hurtling through the air like broken debris, smashing into rocks and shattering to pieces.
What the hell—?!
My breath caught. Then it appeared.
System Notification:
[RARE MONSTER: KnockRoc (Tier 1)]
Type: Humanoid Beast
Traits: Brawler-Type | Extreme Durability | Hyper-Agility
It walked through the dust like a nightmare carved in muscle.
Knuckles the size of my skull. Pale-white skin stretched tight over inhuman muscles. Blood-red eyes locked on me.
It didn't roar this time.
It growled.
Like it had already claimed me.
I didn't flinch.
I placed my fingers on the hilt of my katana. My thumb clicked it free just slightly, the wind still around me.
I muttered under my breath—
"Alright, then… let's dance."
And in that moment—my stance settled.
Everything went still.
I draw in one breath. One strike.
I dashed—
A blink of light trailing behind me.
FLASH SLASH!
Steel met flesh.
My blade carved across its ribs—sparks flew—but not blood.
Tch. I skidded back, boots grinding into the rocky slope.
Its skin was tougher than I expected. Like slicing reinforced steel.
KnockRoc didn't flinch.
It looked down at the faint cut on its ribs… then at me.
Its lips curled into a savage grin.
Then it roared, louder this time, and slammed its fists together like war drums.
The air vibrated.
"Shit," I muttered, shifting into a lower stance. "Guess I gotta go harder."
I inhaled—slow and deep.
Then I whispered the words.
"Accelerate."
"Precision."
"Critical Surge."
"Wind Cloak."
"Aura of Lightning."
The world around me dimmed.
My body crackled. Electricity danced along my arms, coiling around my legs, surging into the blade at my side. My aura shimmered violet-blue like a storm barely restrained.
"Shiden Ken…" (Violet Lightning Blade Style)
My fingers tightened on the hilt.
"First form…"
My voice was low—calm.
"Flash Gleam."
CRACK
In a blink—
I vanished.
A violet flash tore across the battlefield. A sonic boom followed half a breath later. KnockRoc's eyes didn't even register the movement—until it was too late.
CLAP!
The blade struck, sheathed, and shimmered away like a memory.
A streak of violet lightning flashed through the monster's chest.
It froze.
Its eyes wide.
Its limbs twitching from the residual charge.
The beast staggered back, senses stunned—paralyzed by the blinding force.
I stood behind it, sword already sheathed.
"You're slow," I muttered.
I tilted slightly toward him—calm, silent.
FLASH.
The air cracked as my blade severed his head in an instant.
Blood sprayed in a graceful arc, painting the earth as his body dropped with a dull thud.
I exhaled. Slowly. Smoothly.
Click.
The katana slid back into its sheath with a soft metallic whisper.
My eyes lifted to the sky above, clouds rolling like waves.
"Next time... you're going down," I said, voice low, steady, as if the storm hadn't even begun.
Tch. Her voice again.
Just as I looked up at the sky, the damn artifact in my ear buzzed to life.
"You can't beat Jeo-Soon like that, okay?" Seraphine's voice came through, smug as ever.
I let out a sharp breath through my nose, jaw tightening. "Here you go again… always protecting your prince charming," I muttered, shaking my head.
Before I could say more, her voice exploded through the headset. "AHHH! You idiot!"
I winced, ears ringing. "Damn it, Seraphine! Volume control—ever heard of it?!"
Silence, then a sigh on her end. "So... any lead?"
I paused, scanning the treetops, the wind brushing past my cheek. The air felt empty.
"…Still nothing," I said quietly.
My grip tightened on the hilt of my katana. Five days. Five days without word from Jeo-Soon.
And somehow… that worried me more than I'd admit out loud.
Before Seraphine could run her mouth again, I cut in, eyes narrowing.
"Stop for now, Seraphine. I've got company."
There was a pause, then her tired sigh crackled through the artifact. "Another monster? Bring back their parts this time."
"No," I said, low and cold. "Worse. It's players."
I could see them—three of them, moving like they owned the terrain. Their eyes were already locked on me, scanning my gear. Probably thinking I'm easy prey. Typical.
"Three of them," I muttered. "Same level as us. Guess they want my equipment."
Seraphine went quiet for a beat. Then, serious this time, she asked, "Need help?"
I adjusted my stance, hand drifting back to my katana. My voice dropped to a razor's edge.
"Yeah. Just shut up for now."
Then I ended it. "Over."
As they closed in, one of them—a lanky guy with dyed green hair and too much attitude—grinned wide.
"Oii, that item looks expensive."
The second one, stockier with dual daggers strapped to his hips, eyed me like a merchant sizing up loot. "Check out his armor... and that katana. Bet we could sell it for a fortune."
But the one in the middle—their leader—stepped forward. He had that smug, bossy aura, the kind that came with thinking you're untouchable. He stopped a few feet away, crossed his arms, and tilted his head like he was being merciful.
"Arrogant," he spat. "Oii. Leave all those items here, and we'll spare your life."
I didn't answer.
Just looked at them.
Right hand resting on my sheath.
Thumb pressing against the guard.
"And what if I don't?" I said, voice cold, fingers already brushing the hilt of my katana.
"Then you need to die!" the two grunts snarled, lunging at me like rabid dogs.
Flash.
In a single instant, my blade tore through the air—clean, precise. A metallic hiss echoed before they even registered the pain.
Blood sprayed.
Both men staggered back, shrieking, their left arms severed into ragged pieces that scattered onto the dirt.
They dropped to their knees, howling, eyes wide with disbelief as crimson stained the ground beneath them.
I exhaled slowly, blade still in hand, and looked at them with quiet contempt.
"Sooo… who's gonna die again?"
The so-called boss clenched his fists, rage flaring in his eyes. "You bastard!" he growled, stepping forward with his weapon drawn, trembling with fury. "You'll regret that!"
I tilted my head slightly, eyes narrowing.
"No," I said, voice razor-sharp, "you will."
He roared and swung his massive axe toward me, wild and heavy. I sidestepped with ease, my feet light on the ground.
"Amateur," I muttered, dodging again as the blade carved into the dirt behind me.
His fury boiled over. With a grunt, he raised the axe high overhead for a crushing downward slash.
I didn't even flinch. "Predictable."
In a blink, my katana was unsheathed. I slashed—first the handle of his axe, then his wrist, arm, thigh—precision cuts like lightning bolts. He barely had time to scream before I ended it with a final upward slash across his head, splitting his helmet and dropping him like a puppet with cut strings.
Before the other two could react, I dashed straight at them. My blade spun in a perfect arc—Shiden Ken: Second Form—a furious spin slash fueled by speed and rage.
Their heads flew clean off, spinning through the air before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.
I stood in the silence that followed, blood dripping from my blade, eyes locked ahead.
"Next time," I said coldly, "send someone worth my time."
Then—bang!
A sharp pain ripped through my leg as a bullet pierced clean through.
"Gah!" I staggered, dropping to one knee as dust kicked up around me.
A slow, steady clink of metal echoed across the battlefield. Boots. Spurs. A figure emerged from the heat haze—tall, confident, dressed in a sleek, armored cowboy suit of burnished bronze and leather. A wide-brimmed hat shadowed her eyes, but her smirk was clear as the sun.
"Well now," she drawled, loading another round with a click-clack. "Ain't polite to go slicin' folks up 'fore I've had my turn."
She stepped forward, hips swaying with swagger, revolver still smoking in her hand.
"I like my fights fair, sugar," she said, cocking her gun. "You dance with the devil, you best not miss the beat."
The wind blew, kicking up sand around her boots as she aimed again.
"Name's Cassidy Graves. Folks call me the Bullet Widow. And darlin'… you just made my list."
I slowly rose to my feet, the pain in my leg shooting through me, but I refused to show weakness. I steadied my grip on my katana, readying myself for her next move.
But then I heard it—a sharp click of the revolver's hammer being pulled back.
"Oh no, you don't," Cassidy sneered, her eyes narrowing.
Before I could even think to move, she spun her revolver in her hand with lightning speed, the barrel flickering in the sunlight.
"Fanning the Hammer," she muttered, her lips curling into a grin.
In the blink of an eye, she unleashed a storm of bullets. Each shot rang out in rapid succession, each round whizzing toward me faster than I could process.
Bang-bang-bang!
The barrage came from every direction as she fired with the precision of a gunslinger and the fury of a tempest. The air was thick with the sound of metal on metal as bullets zipped past me, and one even grazed my cheek, leaving a sting that urged me to move faster.
I barely dodged, twisting and spinning to avoid the shots, the bullets tearing through the space where I had just been. But there was no time to catch my breath. She was already reloading, preparing for the next round.
"You're fast," she said, her voice dripping with a cocky, southern drawl as she twirled her revolver in her hand. "But not that fast, sugar."
Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger again. Bang! The bullet slammed into my other leg, piercing through and sending pain shooting up my body. Gah! I staggered, almost losing my balance, my legs shaking under the strain of the impact. Blood spilled from my wound, splattering onto the dirt.
"You're gonna need more than that to take me down," I growled, trying to steady myself.
She chuckled, a low, throaty sound. "Oh, trust me, I got plenty more where that came from." Her hand moved with lightning speed, pulling the hammer of the revolver back with a smooth flick of her wrist.
Bang, bang, bang! Three shots rang out in rapid succession. Each bullet zipped toward me, but I was already moving. My katana flashed through the air, slicing the bullets mid-flight, the sharp ting of metal against metal ringing in my ears. Some of the shots grazed me, but I barely felt it. My focus was on her.
"You think you can dodge all day?" she taunted, a smirk playing on her lips. "I got enough ammo to make you regret that."
But I wasn't finished. "Precision," I whispered under my breath. "Accelerate."
Time seemed to slow. My movements became fluid and swift, a blur of motion as I closed the distance between us. She didn't expect it, but she didn't back down either.
As she pulled the trigger once more, I danced around her shots, my katana flashing with the speed of lightning, cutting through the air with deadly intent. One shot grazed my leg—gahh—but I kept pushing forward. I was getting closer, and I wasn't going to stop until she was on the ground.
She flipped through the air, her body twisting gracefully as she landed in front of me, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips. Her outfit, a sleek cowboy suit, hugged every curve of her body as she slowly pulled out two polished pistols, her fingers wrapping around the handles like she was born for this moment. She looked at me with a sultry gaze, and in a smooth, teasing drawl, she purred, "Shit, sugar, you're fast, but not that fast."
Her hips swayed seductively as she took a step forward, her eyes never leaving mine. Before I could even react, she raised both guns and fired in quick succession, Bang, bang, bang! The bullets streaked toward me, and I instinctively ducked behind a nearby wall, cursing under my breath as they whizzed past.
Damn, she's dangerous.
She followed, her movements fluid and smooth, almost like a dance. I peeked around the corner to find her standing tall, one foot cocked back like a confident cowgirl in a showdown, her fingers resting on the pistols' triggers. The curve of her body, the way she stood—it was all calculated to get my attention, and damn if she didn't succeed.
"Not gonna just stand behind that wall all day, are ya, sugar?" she called out, her voice low and dripping with charm.
I gritted my teeth and moved. I needed a way to turn the tide, or this fight was over before it really began. I darted into cover, out of sight, feeling the sting of the graze she'd left on my shoulder. System Notification: Inventory Accessed.
I didn't waste any time, pulling out a High Potion from my inventory and downing it quickly. The refreshing, cool liquid soothed the burning aches in my body, and I felt my strength returning. With a new sense of vigor, I slid out from my hiding spot, my katana in hand.
"Now, you're in for it," I muttered with a smirk, watching her closely. "It's payback time."
I dashed forward, my katana gleaming in the dim light. She spun just in time, those seductive eyes now glowing with an edge of challenge. Her hips swayed as she prepared to retaliate, her movements still mesmerizing. Bang! Another shot—this one just missing my ear.
But I was faster now, my movements sharp and focused. As I closed the gap, she did a little twist and winked, the fabric of her suit clinging to her as she shifted her stance. There was something deliberate in the way she moved, something that screamed both danger and invitation.
"Is that all, cowboy?" she teased, her voice sweet but edged with something far more dangerous. She fired again, but this time, I was ready. I dodged, spun, and slashed through the air in one fluid motion. My katana connected with her pistols, knocking them out of her hands.
She laughed, the sound sultry and playful, as she twirled away from me, her body moving like a well-practiced seductress in a slow, teasing dance.
"Guess you're not so bad after all," she purred. "But I'm just getting started."
I narrowed my eyes, readying myself for whatever this could throw at me next.