Chapter 130: The Unseen Blade and the Flaming Fist
The silence shattered. A single, guttural war cry from the front ranks of the black-suited assassins triggered the avalanche. Like a tidal wave of ink, the entire army surged forward, their polished shoes slapping against the cold concrete in a terrifying, unified rhythm. The wide tunnel, once eerily silent, was now filled with the roar of hundreds of charging bodies.
Kai's hand moved to the simple silver ring on his finger. There was no grand gesture, just a flicker of intent. The air beside him shimmered, and his sword, Luminis Aquae, materialized in his grip. Its blade, usually resembling captured moonlight, now glowed with a soft, internal blue light, reflecting the grim determination in his eyes. He settled into a low, balanced stance, the sword held ready, a calm center in the oncoming storm.
Beside him, Daren Hale let out a sharp, explosive breath. He had held zero expectations for Kai, a man of few words. For Daren, action was the only true measure of a person. Without a single glance at his partner, he launched himself forward, meeting the tidal wave head-on.
"Let's burn!" Daren roared. A wave of heat exploded outwards from his body. His vibrant red hair didn't just stand on end; it transformed, becoming living, crackling flames that danced around his head like a fiery crown. This was the power of the Hale bloodline. His speed, already impressive, became a blur. He didn't so much run as he phased through the front lines of the enemy.
His fighting style was raw, brutal, and beautiful in its efficiency. He was a whirlwind of fire and concussive force. A roundhouse kick, wreathed in flames, connected with three assassins at once, sending them flying back into their comrades, their black suits smoldering. A straight punch, moving faster than the eye could follow, didn't just hit one man; the shockwave traveled through the densely packed crowd, knocking a dozen off their feet. These were mere Fighter-level assassins, and against Daren Hale's ignited bloodline, they were little more than kindling. He moved through them like a scythe through wheat, a trail of fire and unconscious bodies marking his path.
But the Dark Veil Order was not without its officers. As Daren carved a crimson path through the ranks, five figures detached themselves from the chaos. They moved with a precision and speed the others lacked. Professional-level Squad Heads. They didn't charge blindly; they fanned out, surrounding Daren, their movements coordinated. One lunged low with a bladed kick, another came high with a pair of energized daggers, while the other three attacked from the flanks and rear, sealing his escape routes.
Daren, already breathing heavily from his explosive onslaught, was forced on the defensive. He blocked a dagger strike with a fiery forearm, the metal sizzling against his skin, but a kick from behind caught him in the kidney, making him grunt in pain. He was fast and powerful, but five Professionals, attacking in unison, were a threat that could not be ignored. He was pinned, his fiery aura flickering under the relentless, coordinated assault.
It was then that a strange phenomenon occurred. A thin, almost imperceptible line of blue light appeared in the air. It was like a thread of condensed moonlight, so fine it was nearly invisible. It zipped through the chaos with impossible speed, tracing a path that touched the throats of all five Squad Heads in the blink of an eye.
The synchronized attack on Daren faltered. The assassins froze mid-motion, their expressions shifting from focus to confusion. Then, with a sickening, unison schluck, deep, precise cuts opened on their necks. Before a single drop of blood could fall, their heads tilted at unnatural angles and then separated from their bodies, collapsing to the ground in a heap.
Standing where the line of light had originated was Kai. He was a statue of calm amidst the carnage. His white shirt was now drenched in a shocking, arterial red, a stark canvas of the violence he had just enacted. Yet, not a single drop of blood matted his hair or stained his face. He was pristine, untouched by the gore that surrounded him, his expression as unreadable as a still lake. He hadn't even activated a bloodline transformation.
Daren stared, his fiery hair dimming slightly, his breath caught in his throat. The difference between them was no longer a matter of opinion; it was a chasm, laid bare in the most brutal way possible. He had used his ultimate power and was exhausted and cornered. Kai had moved without a sound, without a flashy transformation, and had ended five Professional-level threats with the casual effort of a man swatting flies.
Before Daren could process this, a group of assassins, seeing Kai's back turned, lunged at him with energized blades. Kai didn't even turn. He became a blur, disappearing from Daren's front and reappearing directly behind him. There was a sharp swish of his sword. Daren felt the wind of the blade's passage mere centimeters from his ear. He flinched, but the cut wasn't for him. The assassins who had lunged were now falling, cleanly bisected.
The assassins, however, were relentless. Another group triggered an explosion beneath their feet, using concussive charges planted in the floor. The concrete erupted, throwing both Kai and Daren into the air.
As Kai tumbled through the chaotic air, his mind remained eerily calm. He positioned Luminis Aquae. A fraction of a second before he would have hit the ground, he executed a single, precise slash. The blade didn't just cut through the air; it cut through the structure of the tunnel itself. A massive section of the reinforced concrete floor, along with a segment of the tunnel ceiling below it, was cleanly severed. Dozens of assassins who had been waiting in the lower level for an ambush were now exposed, staring up in shock at the sky Kai had just created.
They leaped up through the new opening, aiming for the airborne target. But Daren, having recovered mid-air, intercepted them. "Not on my watch!" he yelled, a fresh surge of flame erupting around his legs. He executed a devastating spinning kick, wreathed in fire, that struck all of them simultaneously and sent them crashing back down into the hole. As he landed with a heavy, cracking impact on the ground, he shot a look at Kai—a look that was no longer dismissive, but held a newfound, grudging respect.
Kai, still airborne, now faced a new volley. A line of assassins at the far end of the tunnel had formed a firing line, launching dozens of sizzling, purple energy balls towards him. Hanging in the air, a perfect target, Kai's sword became a whirlwind of blue light. He deflected each and every energy ball, the projectiles ricocheting wildly into the walls and the remaining assassins, causing secondary explosions of panic.
He landed not with a stumble, but with the grace of a falling leaf, right in the center of the largest remaining cluster of enemies. The tunnel here was narrower. Kai took a single, deep breath, and then he moved. It wasn't a series of slashes, but one continuous, flowing motion. He spun, and Luminis Aquae extended its deadly light. A horizontal crescent of blue energy erupted from the blade, expanding outwards. It passed through concrete, steel reinforcement, and flesh with equal ease.
The entire width of the tunnel was cleanly cut. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the upper half of the tunnel, along with the hundred assassins standing within its path, began to slide. It was a grotesque, slow-motion collapse. The sheer, overwhelming brutality of the act finally broke the enemy's spirit. The remaining assassins, those on the fringes of the carnage, dropped their weapons and turned to flee, their discipline shattered by primal terror.
"Don't run!" a voice boomed, cutting through the panic. It was a surviving Squad Leader, his face a mask of desperate authority. "Remember your families! If we don't die here, our families will be punished by that man!"
The words had a chilling effect. The fleeing assassins stopped in their tracks. Tears welled in the eyes of many. They turned back towards Kai, their expressions a heartbreaking mix of terror and grim resignation. They began to advance again, not with the fury of warriors, but with the despair of lambs being led to the slaughter.
Kai watched them come, his blood-soaked sword held ready. He was deeply confused. Why? Why choose death here when escape is possible? Who is 'that man' who holds such power over them? The questions swirled in his mind, a mystery wrapped in the stench of blood and fear.
But he did not dwell on them. It was not that he wasn't curious. It was simpler than that. He was being paid to eliminate this organization. To delve deeper into this mystery was to waste time, and his life was already a tangled web of unanswered questions. One more mystery would not change his course.
As the resigned assassins charged their final, suicidal charge, Kai met them. His sword, Luminis Aquae, flashed once more, a silent, efficient reaper in the dim tunnel. They fell, one after another. And on their faces, he saw not just pain, but something else: some wore a satisfied smile, finally free. Others bore a look of profound guilt, and others, deep regret. Kai noted it all, filed it away in the labyrinth of his mind, and continued his work. The mission was all that mattered.
to be continued…