The cold wind brushed through the abandoned junkyard.
The tension between Akshat Aether and Ryuki hung in the air like a loaded trigger waiting to be pulled.
Akshat looked at the katana pointed toward his chest and spoke calmly.
"You know… I can help your sister."
For the first time, Ryuki's eyes shifted slightly.
But the reaction disappeared just as quickly.
Instead of responding, she simply gestured toward the scattered metal objects around the junkyard.
"Choose a weapon." Her voice was steady. "A samurai gives their enemy a chance to fight."
Akshat glanced around.
Broken pipes. Rusted rods. Pieces of metal from destroyed vehicles.
Improvised weapons. He slowly picked up a long iron rod lying nearby.
Then he looked back at her. "What if I win?"
Ryuki didn't answer immediately. Akshat tilted his head."What reward do I get?"
For a moment, Ryuki's gaze dropped to the ground.
Her expression became strangely calm. Then she answered is "My life."
The words came out quietly.But the weight behind them was enormous. Akshat's eyes sharpened slightly and a evil smirk shown in his face.
Then—
Ryuki moved.
No warning.
No signal.
Just pure speed.
The katana flashed through the air like lightning.
CLANG!
Akshat barely managed to pull the iron rod up in time. The impact sent vibrations shooting through his arms.
Fast.
Ryuki didn't give him time to recover. Another slash came instantly from the side. Akshat leaned backward just enough to let the blade pass inches from his chest. The katana sliced through the air with terrifying precision.
(She's not just trained…) Akshat's thoughts sharpened. (She's a prodigy.)
Ryuki stepped forward again, her movements smooth and relentless. Every strike flowed perfectly into the next.
Slash.
Step.
Turn.
Another slash.
Akshat continued dodging, his body moving purely on instinct.
The blade brushed past his shoulder.
Then his neck.
Then his ribs.
Each attack was closer than the last. If even one of those connects… Akshat suddenly changed tactics. Instead of retreating, he moved forward. Ryuki's eyes narrowed slightly. Akshat suddenly threw the iron rod directly at her face.
The attack wasn't meant to hit.
It was meant to distract.
At the exact same moment—
Akshat lunged forward. His body dropped low as he attempted to grab her legs.
A classic grappling maneuver.
But Ryuki reacted instantly. Her body twisted sideways with incredible agility. The iron rod whizzed past her head. Akshat's hands grabbed nothing but air. Ryuki spun her body mid-motion. Her knee slammed downward.
THUD!
Akshat barely rolled away before the impact crushed the ground where his shoulder had been. He slid backward across the concrete and quickly got back to his feet.
Ryuki straightened her posture. Her katana lowered slightly as she studied him again.
There was a faint shift in her expression now.
Recognition.
"You're not bad," she admitted.
Akshat cracked his neck slightly. "You're terrifying." He looked at the katana again. "That swordsmanship is insane."
Ryuki didn't respond.
She simply adjusted her stance again.
Then she vanished forward.
This time the attack was even faster. The katana came down in a vertical strike meant to split him in half.
Akshat twisted his body sideways. The blade smashed into the ground beside him, sending sparks and debris flying. Akshat used the opening instantly.
His fist shot forward.
BAM!
The punch connected with Ryuki's ribs.
But instead of stumbling— Ryuki absorbed the impact. Her elbow instantly shot downward toward Akshat's neck.
Akshat barely blocked it with his forearm. The force pushed him back two steps. Both fighters separated again. Their breathing had become slightly heavier now.
But their eyes were sharper than ever. Ryuki slowly lifted the katana again. Akshat rolled his shoulders. Both of them now understood something important.This wasn't going to be a short fight and somewhere deep inside both of them—
The excitement of facing a truly dangerous opponent had finally begun to burn.
The wind howled through the abandoned junkyard.
Broken metal sheets rattled softly, and the smell of rust and blood hung heavy in the air.
For a moment, both Akshat Aether and Ryuki stood perfectly still, studying each other.
Then Ryuki moved.
Her body shifted forward with flawless footwork.
The katana flashed like silver lightning.
One strike.
Then another.
Then two more in the same flowing motion.
SHHKK—SHHKK—SHHKK—SHHKK
The blade passed across Akshat's torso four times so quickly it looked like a single movement.
For a brief second… Nothing happened.
Then thin red lines slowly appeared across Akshat's chest.
The fabric of his jacket split open. Blood suddenly burst out from the wounds and Akshat staggered backward. His breathing became heavy as the blood began dripping onto the ground.
He dropped to one knee.
The iron rod fell from his hand and clanged against the concrete. Ryuki slowly lowered her katana.
Her breathing remained calm.
Her expression was cold and emotionless.
She had executed a perfect cutting technique.
Four precise strikes across the torso.
Anyone else would already be dead.
Akshat's head hung low as blood continued to drip from his wounds.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Ryuki turned slightly. "…It's over."
But then— A sound broke the silence.
"…Heh."
A quiet laugh.
Ryuki's eyes narrowed instantly.
She turned back.
Akshat's shoulder moved.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
He stood up.
Blood ran down his torso, staining his clothes. But the expression on his face was completely wrong.
A sinister smile slowly spread across his lips.
Without saying a word, he grabbed the collar of his jacket.
RIP.
He tore it open.
Then his shirt.
The torn fabric fell to the ground.
Now his upper body was exposed.
Fresh sword wounds were bleeding across his chest.
But Ryuki's eyes weren't focused on those.
Her gaze stopped on something else.
Scars.
Deep ones.
Long claw-like marks stretched across his ribs and shoulders.
They looked violent.
Savage.
Like the claws of a massive predator had once ripped through his flesh.
Ryuki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Those scars."
For the first time, curiosity appeared in her voice.
"Where did you get them?"
Akshat glanced down at his body briefly.
Then he laughed softly.
"These?"
He ran his fingers across one of the claw marks.
"They're from training."
Ryuki frowned. "Training… with what?"
Akshat looked up at her again.
His grin widened. "With a fuc*ing bear."
The wind blew across the junkyard again.
"You think you're dangerous because you swing a sword?" he continued.
His voice dropped lower.
"You're nothing compared to that monster."
His eyes sharpened.
"I can beat you."
Before Ryuki could respond—
Akshat suddenly rushed forward.
His speed exploded out of nowhere.
The distance between them disappeared instantly.
Ryuki reacted on instinct.
Her katana swung down toward his neck.
But Akshat did something completely insane.
Instead of dodging sideways—
He bent his entire body forward at an unnatural angle.
The blade passed just above his back.
Then— Akshat lunged closer.
His mouth opened.
CLACK!
His teeth clamped down on the katana's blade.
The steel stopped inches from his face.
For the first time in the fight—
Ryuki's eyes widened.
Before she could react— Akshat twisted his entire body.
His hands grabbed her arm.
Then he spun.
Using the sword locked between his teeth as leverage, he rotated his body violently.
The sudden force pulled Ryuki completely off balance.
Her feet left the ground.
Her body lifted into the air as Akshat's spin hurled her across the junkyard.
She flew several meters before crashing onto the concrete with a heavy THUD, sliding across the blood-stained ground.
Akshat spat the sword out of his mouth and wiped blood from his lips.
Then he slowly straightened up.
The sinister smile returned to his face.
The beast inside him had finally awakened.
"Now as my reward, your life is mine" Said Akshat. Hearing those words out of Akshat's mouth, her eyes filled with tears of sadness and she murmured "I am a failure, sorry little sister"
Then, Ryuki fainted.
End of ch 39
To be continue...
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