The Ghoul let out a scream as half its arm was severed, causing it to lose balance and crash into the nearby sofa.
“So tough…” Kazama Yin’s wrist tingled slightly, his brows furrowing. “This guy’s bones are harder than steel!”
“There’s more than one! There are more behind!”
Hanyu Suoluo shouted a warning. In the darkness beyond the window, seven or eight more pairs of red eyes flickered to life.
“Suoluo, cover me! Kagegaya, snap out of it!”
“I… I know!”
Kagegaya Tsubaki scrambled up from the ground, took a deep breath, and the crimson glow in her eyes flared brightly.
Whoooom—
A visible transparent ripple spread out from her in all directions. It wasn’t ordinary air movement—it was a high-frequency oscillating force field.
Two Ghouls trying to flank from the side touched the ripple and were immediately repelled, as if hitting a high-speed rotating air wall.
Countless small wounds were torn across their skin by the oscillating force.
“[Ripple·Reject]! “
Kagegaya Tsubaki gritted her teeth, maintaining the ripple’s output. “Don’t underestimate me!”
Hanyu Suoluo stepped back, grabbing a handful of specially made long steel nails from his backpack’s side pocket.
As a faint purple light shimmered from his fingertips, more than a dozen nails defied gravity and floated beside him.
“[Psychokinesis·Flying Nails]—Go! “
Shiiiing— Shiiing— Shiiing— Shiiing—
The nails transformed into streaks of silver light, precisely drilling into the Ghouls’ joints and eye sockets.
Though the Ghouls’ skin was tough, the nails still pierced through under the acceleration of Hanyu Suoluo’s psychokinesis.
Several Ghouls that had just charged in had their knees pinned, and they fell to the ground with howls.
“Now’s the chance!”
Kazama Yin’s gaze sharpened. He adjusted his breathing, and the stance of his blade changed.
This time, it was no longer a soft, watery light—it carried a biting chill and swiftness.
The image of that red-haired swordsman flashed in his mind.
The boy’s figure instantly became a blur, weaving through the immobilized Ghouls.
Blade light intertwined like tangled thread, each flash accompanied by spurts of black blood.
This move consumed immense energy; within seconds, cold sweat broke out on Kazama Yin’s forehead.
But he succeeded.
Five Ghouls lay in pools of blood. Though not dead, their tendons were severed, temporarily immobilizing them.
“Haah… Haah…” Kazama Yin leaned on his sword, panting heavily. “What do you think? Pretty strong, right?”
“Stop showing off! Left!”
A Ghoul hiding in the shadows lunged at Kazama Yin’s neck while he was catching his breath.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat—
A barrage of gunfire suddenly erupted in the living room.
That ambushing Ghoul convulsed wildly in midair, blossoms of blood bursting across its body before it fell lifelessly to the ground.
The three turned in surprise.
Hattori Yumeko floated in the air, two black MP5 submachine guns suspended in front of her hands.
She wasn’t actually gripping the grips—because she had no physical form.
She was using her faint interference force to forcefully pull the triggers and barely support the weapons.
Unable to fully counteract the recoil, the two guns danced wildly in the air, the muzzle flashes illuminating her pale face, which carried a hint of excitement.
The hail of bullets instantly suppressed the Ghouls trying to charge in.
“So… so amazing!” Kagegaya Tsubaki was stunned. “Is this really a Ghost?”
The battle lasted about five minutes.
With the four working together, all dozen or so of the first wave of Ghouls were taken down.
The living room was a mess, covered in black bloodstains and shell casings.
“Hmph, so what.”
Kagegaya Tsubaki wiped the sweat from her forehead and kicked aside a twitching Ghoul arm, a disdainful look on her face.
“Is this the Restricted Zone that even S-Class Ability Users fear? These Vampires are way too weak! They don’t even have an undying body. Just cut their necks or destroy their hearts, and they die.”
“Kagegaya, don’t let your guard down.”
Hanyu Suoluo’s expression remained serious. “These might just be mooks from the outer perimeter.”
“That’s right.”
Hattori Yumeko controlled the two empty submachine guns back to the table, speaking nervously. “The truly terrifying ones… haven’t come out yet.”
“The reason these guys are so frantic is because they’re afraid.”
“Afraid?” Kazama Yin was taken aback. “Afraid of what?”
“Afraid of the King who ordered them to die.”
Thud.
A heavy, muffled sound struck everyone’s heart like a hammer.
The previously noisy night instantly fell silent.
The chirping of insects outside, the rustle of the wind, even the distant growls of Ghouls—all disappeared.
A suffocating pressure descended upon the living room like a tangible force.
“This aura…” Kazama Yin felt the handle of his sword grow slippery, cold sweat streaming uncontrollably.
Crack.
The security door that Hattori Yumeko had torn off was ripped open from outside like a piece of paper.
Along with the wall, a massive hand yanked it down.
Dust flew as a tall figure slowly stepped in.
It stood a full eight feet tall, covered in black keratin like armor, muscles knotted like a moving mountain.
It had no face, only a huge mouth split to its ears and a single purple glowing eye on its forehead.
“What… what kind of monster is that…” Hanyu Suoluo felt his teeth chattering.
Hattori Yumeko covered her mouth in despair. “Run… you can’t beat it… Run!”
“Run?”
The monster tilted its head and actually spoke in garbled human language: “Delicious… Heart Worms… haven’t eaten… in a long time…”
Boom!
Without warning, the monster vanished from its spot.
“Tsubaki! Watch out!”
Kazama Yin could only let out a shout.
Bang—
Kagegaya Tsubaki’s proud [Ripple·Reject] was as fragile as a soap bubble against that giant fist covered in black armor.
Just one punch, and the ripple shattered.
Kagegaya Tsubaki was sent flying, crashing heavily into the wall. She coughed up blood and slid limply to the floor.
“Tsubaki!”
Hanyu Suoluo’s eyes nearly split with fury. Dozens of steel nails converged into a long dragon, furiously stabbing toward the monster’s single eye.
Clink, clink, clink, clink—
A burst of sparks flew.
The nails that could pierce ordinary Ghoul bones didn’t even leave a white mark on the monster’s armor before being deflected.
“Too weak.”
The monster casually waved its hand, and the resulting gale knocked Hanyu Suoluo to the ground.
Despair.
Absolute despair from the overwhelming gap in power.
The monster slowly walked toward the fallen Kagegaya Tsubaki and opened its tooth-filled maw.
“Stop—!!”
Kazama Yin let out a heart-wrenching roar.
He couldn’t retreat. Behind him was his Childhood Friend.
He gripped the sword handle with both hands, squeezing out every bit of Heartforce, all his stamina, even the power of his soul.
He had to use that technique.
Even if the “principle” of that technique was absurd, even if the price he’d have to pay was unbearable.
In his eyes, a blue light began to burn, turning into a nearly black deep blue.
He was imitating the moves of a certain white-haired demon hunter.
Space seemed to distort at that moment.
Kazama Yin’s figure disappeared, transforming into a fierce blade light that slashed toward the monster’s neck.
This strike carried the conviction to cut through anything.
Clang—
Time seemed to freeze.
Kazama Yin’s figure appeared behind the monster, still in his swinging stance.
But his Kendo Sword was now only half as long.
The broken blade spun through the air, reflecting the bleak moonlight, and finally stuck into the floor.
On the monster’s neck, only a faint white mark remained.
Ordinary iron… could never bear a fantasy that transcended dimensions.
“No… impossible…” Kazama Yin stared at the broken sword in his hand, the light in his eyes instantly dimming.
The monster slowly turned, its single eye filled with mockery.
It raised its huge claw and brought it down viciously toward Kazama Yin’s head.
“Kazama!!!”
Hanyu Suoluo screamed in despair.
Hattori Yumeko closed her eyes, unable to bear the tragic sight.
Kazama Yin looked up at the shadow of death approaching, his body unable to move.
‘Am I going to die?’
‘In this deserted ruin, I won’t even have a proper funeral.’
‘I’m sorry, Tsubaki… I couldn’t protect you.’
‘I’m sorry… Suoluo, I didn’t find your uncle…’
Just as the claw was a mere centimeter from the tip of Kazama Yin’s nose.
Whoosh—
A wind blew into the living room.
The monster’s movement stopped.
It wasn’t that it wanted to stop—it was frozen in that instant by some irresistible force.
Then, before everyone’s stunned eyes, a depression appeared on the monster’s chest.
It was the mark of a fist.
But that was only the beginning.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud—
A rapid series of muffled sounds erupted on the monster’s body like rain on banana leaves.
One punch, two punches, a hundred punches, a thousand punches!
Countless invisible fist imprints piled onto the monster’s body in a thousandth of a second.
The black armor instantly shattered, muscles dissolved, bones turned to dust.
In a daze, Kazama Yin seemed to hear the sound of air being torn by ultra-fast punches— or maybe it was an auditory hallucination.
The monster’s single eye filled with disbelief and fear. It couldn’t even let out a scream.
Boom!
With one last muffled blast.
That Ghoul that had left the three Awakened Students helpless exploded like a balloon stuffed with dynamite, turning into a spray of blood mist.
The rain of blood fell, but just before touching Kazama Yin, it was blown away by that crisp wind.
Kazama Yin stood there dumbfounded, looking at the empty air and the pieces of flesh too small to be called anything.
“What… was that?”
Hanyu Suoluo struggled to his feet, staring at the blood and gore, muttering to himself.
“That wasn’t a battle… That was… annihilation.”
Hattori Yumeko slowly opened her eyes, then seemed to realize something. She floated toward the broken window and looked out into the deep courtyard.
“Who?”
Kazama Yin followed her gaze but saw nothing— only leaves rustling in the wind.
“No.” Hattori Yumeko shook her head, her eyes looking a little dazed. “Nothing.”
She turned around and looked at the three children who had narrowly escaped death.
“But the adventure ends here tonight.”
“Those Ghouls… won’t dare come near this place for a while.”
Kazama Yin collapsed to the floor, the broken sword slipping from his hand.
He panted heavily, staring at the ceiling.
Though he didn’t know who had saved them.
He knew that in this world, there were indeed people far stronger than anything they could imagine.
“Man… that was so cool…”
The boy closed his eyes and fell asleep.
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