Smoke and dust flew in all directions. The two burly men quickly raised their arms to shield their faces.
Moments later, the smoke cleared, and they lowered their arms.
Instantly, their eyes widened in shock. Standing before them was a tall man in a strange black robe.
His hair was as black as the night sky, and his face was strikingly handsome.
His red eyes, like drops of blood, were terrifying.
But it wasn't him that truly shocked them—it was their fat friend, whose body had been torn apart.
Fresh, red blood pooled around him. The two men froze, then slowly regained their senses.
"Bastard!" the bald, muscular man roared. "How dare you kill my friend! Die!"
He swung his right fist at Amon, blue light bursting from it and radiating a terrifying presence.
To Amon, however, the punch was no different from a child's.
He caught it effortlessly and, under everyone's horrified gaze, crushed it.
Crack!
The sound of shattering bones rang out. The bald man's eyes went wide as he screamed in agony.
"Argh! My hand! It—it hurts!"
Amon didn't give him a chance. He grabbed the man by the neck, and with a chilling snap, it broke.
The man's eyes widened one last time, then went lifeless. Everything happened so fast that the other burly man and Sakura couldn't even process it.
The atmosphere grew silent and tense, as if even a falling needle could be heard.
Amon glanced at the girl before him. She was stunningly beautiful, her pale face framed by tears at the corners of her eyes.
"What's your name?" Amon asked indifferently, tossing the corpse he held aside.
Sakura felt her chest tighten. Her breaths came shallow and rapid, as if a thousand tons of rock pressed down on her.
But beneath her fear, her will to survive burned even stronger. With a trembling voice, she said, "My name is… Sakura Maeda."
"Sakura Maeda?" Amon's eyes flickered with slight surprise.
Though his memories of Earth had begun to fade after a thousand years in Hell, he remembered a famous conglomerate family named Maeda.
They controlled a quarter of the country's economy, a clear sign of their immense influence.
He didn't know if the woman before him was part of that family. After all, the surname Maeda was fairly common in his country.
"Watch out—behind you!" Sakura's panicked voice rang out.
The burly man had already raised his massive sword and swung it toward Amon's head.
"Die!"
Clang!
The sword that he had been certain could kill Amon bounced off harmlessly and slipped from his grasp.
His eyes went wide with disbelief.
"I-Impossible! How could this happen!?"
He staggered backward, fear etched across his face.
As a C-rank Transcendent, he knew his opponent was incredibly strong and mysterious. But he was confident in his strength.
Unexpectedly, his sword—one of rare quality—was easily stopped. More accurately, it wasn't just blocked; it was deflected.
Amon turned slowly, his handsome face flashing with a cruelty and indifference that made the man shiver.
"I have to run…"
That was the only thought racing through his mind. Cold sweat drenched his back as he turned and sprinted with all his might.
'Want to run? How… foolish,' Amon whispered.
He raised his left hand, and suddenly several black tentacles shot up from the ground, lunging straight at the man.
The man spun around, horrified to see the tentacles pursuing him.
"No… don't!"
Slash!
The tentacles tore through his arms and legs. He collapsed to the ground, broken and helpless.
The tentacles didn't stop there—they coiled around him and dragged him underground.
"Help… don't…" Tears and saliva ran down his face, a stark sign of his complete despair.
Amon didn't care. Moments later, the man disappeared from view, leaving an even heavier silence in his wake."
"What a lowly human," Amon sneered, a disgusted smile curling his lips.
Living in Hell had shaped him into someone cruel, decisive, and indifferent toward all living creatures.
That was because in Hell, there was only one rule: the strong ruled at the top, while the weak existed only as food.
Even after returning to this world, Amon remained just as cruel.
"Anoo… umm… thank you," Sakura said in a weak, trembling voice. "If it weren't for you, my sister and I might have become their playthings… killed mercilessly. Really… thank you."
She bowed her head, her body shaking.
Amon stepped closer. At the sight of him moving, Sakura trembled even more uncontrollably.
She knew he had saved them, yet she couldn't be certain he bore no ill intentions.
Amon stopped in front of her and crouched down. He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"Are you afraid?"
That single question shattered Sakura's defenses. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.
"I… I'm not… afraid," she stammered.
Amon studied her intently, then let out a soft chuckle.
"You're lying. Your fear is far too strong."
He released her chin and stood upright again.
"Don't worry. I won't harm you or your sister," he said calmly.
Sakura felt a wave of relief. She could sense the sincerity in his voice.
Once she relaxed, she straightened up and bowed again.
"You've saved me and my sister. I don't know how to repay you. Please… tell me what you want."
Actually, she didn't want to say it. But her upbringing demanded that she repay the kindness of others.
That way, she wouldn't owe anyone anything.
Amon's gaze lingered on her, filled with admiration. He could see that this girl had remarkable self-respect.
He liked her quite a lot.
"Stand up. I don't like it when people bow their heads to me," he said indifferently. "It's true that I need your help, but that can wait. What matters now is saving your sister. If we don't act immediately, she will die."
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered that her sister, Asahi, was still in critical condition.
"Can you help my sister? I didn't bring any potions or medicine into this dungeon," Sakura pleaded, her voice trembling with panic and desperation.
Amon frowned. 'Potion? Dungeon? Does Earth really have such things?'
He had been certain nothing like that existed. Yet Sakura's words made him question his memory.
Pushing aside his doubts, he reached into his pocket and handed her a small bottle of thick black liquid.
"Take this. It's my god-level potion. Your sister will be fine after drinking it."
Sakura hesitated, her eyes fixed on the bottle. The potion was pitch black, looking every bit as deadly as poison.
But she had no choice. Her sister had been poisoned by those three evil men.
If she wasn't healed immediately, Asahi would die.
With no time to waste, Sakura opened the cap and poured the liquid into her sister's mouth.
She closed her eyes, trembling, and whispered a prayer.
"Please… don't die, Asahi!"