Silence fell.
Heavy.
Final.
—
The elevator shaft below thundered.
A second later—
BOOM.
Three figures burst through the broken floor.
Jin landed first, sliding across the concrete.
Min Ji flipped and steadied herself instantly.
William stepped out last.
They saw it.
The corpse.
The blood.
The monster.
Standing still.
Waiting.
William exhaled slowly.
"…it will be a trouble."
He removed his jacket.
Dropped it.
Then his shirt.
Muscles tightened under the dim light.
His stance shifted.
Grounded.
Ready.
Min Ji rolled her shoulders.
"…Yeah. Absolutely."
Jin didn't speak.
He was staring.
But something felt wrong.
His breathing—
unstable.
too shallow.
too uneven.
His chest tightened.
A dull pressure built inside him.
His heartbeat skipped.
Once.
Twice.
A sharp ringing filled his ears.
For a split second—
A corridor.
A gunshot.
Blood spreading across cold tiles.
His body—
lying still.
Jin blinked.
The image vanished.
His breath hitched.
"…Tch."
No explanation.
But the feeling stayed.
Something inside him—
was breaking.
—
The monster moved.
Fast.
William stepped in.
BOOM.
His fist collided with its arm.
A shockwave burst outward.
A yellow energy flared around him.
"Don't get hit," William said calmly.
Min Ji was already moving.
She dashed low.
Fast.
Her dagger struck—
CLANG.
Nothing.
"…Seriously?" she muttered.
The monster's arm swung.
She ducked—
barely.
The air pressure alone tore the ground behind her apart.
Jin moved in.
A sword appeared in his hand.
The Flame Demon Sword.
He stepped into range—
Too close.
The monster reacted instantly—
CRASH.
The hit landed.
Jin blocked—
too late.
The force launched him back.
He hit the ground.
Rolled.
Stopped.
His vision blurred.
"…Damn."
He pushed himself up—
then staggered.
His heart—
wrong.
His pulse stuttered violently.
His breath broke apart.
He grabbed his chest.
Something inside him twisted.
Unstable.
Unnatural.
Like his body no longer fit him.
A price.
For something that should have been impossible.
In front of him—
William fought seriously now.
Each strike was wrapped in energy.
Not just impact—
penetration.
internal damage.
Min Ji moved around them.
Fast.
Sharp.
Creating openings.
But the monster—
wasn't slowing.
—
Jin dropped to one knee.
His head spun.
The world tilted.
"…Not now…"
His fingers tightened against the ground.
His breathing shook—
Then—
Stopped.
Silence.
A single breath.
Slow.
Controlled.
He exhaled.
And everything—stilled.
His eyes lifted.
Calm.
Empty.
There was something inside them—
not fear.
not rage.
Something colder.
Something that had already crossed the line once.
A faint smile appeared.
Small.
Tired.
Resolved.
Jin stood.
—
Min Ji glanced back—
And froze.
"…Wait—"
The sword blade was black.
Flames crawling along its edge.
Alive.
"The hell?!" she shouted.
"Where did you—?!"
William didn't react.
He already knew.
But his eyes narrowed.
"…Your body," he said quietly.
"It's getting worse."
No answer.
Jin stepped forward.
Toward the monster.
Closer.
Not retreating.
Advancing.
The monster roared—
and attacked.
Jin moved.
Not faster.
Not stronger.
Just—
cleaner.
He slipped past the claw by a margin too small to measure.
The blade flashed.
A shallow cut.
Precise.
He stayed inside its range.
Inside death.
Every movement—
a mistake waiting to happen.
But he didn't hesitate.
Didn't flinch.
Like death had already taken its turn.
"I don't need strength…" Jin said quietly.
His grip tightened.
"…to kill you."