The village lay silent except for the crackle of fire and the faint, wet drip of blood. The smell of iron clung to the air, heavy and suffocating. Bodies—men, women, even children—were strewn across the dirt streets, their stillness broken only by the heat-shimmer from the flames.
Kenji's voice broke the quiet. "What… happened here? This place is a complete bloodbath. Everyone's been killed—women, men… even children." His grip on the bow staff tightened until his knuckles whitened.
A man stumbled into view, eyes wide with terror. "Please stop! I don't want to die!" His voice cracked as he ran, legs pumping desperately.
From the shadows, Lynx flicked his wrist. Three shurikens sliced through the air with a hiss. They buried deep in the man's back. He fell mid-stride, the impact kicking up dust as his blood pooled into the dirt.
"Don't leave anyone alive," Lynx said, his tone flat but laced with venom. His eyes gleamed gold in the firelight. "I want everyone slaughtered until I get what I came for."
"There they are—Lynx and his bodyguards!" a young man shouted, pointing with trembling hands.
"Thank you for leading the way. Leave the rest to us," Kenji said without looking back.
"Please… save whoever's still alive," the young man begged.
Kenji's jaw clenched. "We will. Shadow, let's move—we have to stop them."
A scream cut through the flames' roar. A woman sprinted toward them, tears streaking her soot-stained cheeks.
"Shut your stupid mouth, you annoying tramp," snarled one of Lynx's bodyguards—a lean woman with a predator's grin and twin Sais glinting in her hands. "I'll enjoy carving you into pieces."
She lunged, a blur of steel and malice.
Shadow's knives were already moving, catching her strike mid-air. The clash rang like struck bells, and with a twist of his wrists, he shoved her back before driving his boot into her gut. The impact lifted her off her feet, hurling her into the side of a wooden house. Boards exploded into splinters as she crashed through the wall.
"Get out of here! Take as many people with you as you can!" Kenji barked to the woman, his tone leaving no room for hesitation. She nodded shakily before fleeing into the shadows.
From the wreckage, the bodyguard rose, coughing, a thin trail of blood at her lip. "What… the hell was that?"
"We're here to stop you from murdering these people, you evil bastards," Kenji said, steady but burning with fury.
Lynx's mouth curled into a lazy smirk. "Lowly worms. A shadow and a man with a stick. You're not even worthy to look upon me. I won't waste my time on trash."
Kenji felt the air press down on him, like standing under a collapsing roof. His knees threatened to buckle under the unseen weight.
One of Lynx's guards stepped forward. "If you'll allow it, my lord… I'll slaughter them both and prove my worth."
"Fine," Lynx said, his voice like ice over steel. "Fight Shin—the weakest apprentice in my order. Defeat him, if you can. Then maybe you'll earn the right to die by my claws."
Shin's lips twisted into a cocky grin as he looked at Shadow. "I'll make quick work of you so there's no need for Needle to lift a finger."
Needle folded her arms, her voice sharp but bored. "Don't waste my time."
"Just watch," Shin said, spinning his knives once before settling into a low stance. "This won't take long."
Then he moved.
Shin burst forward, each step crunching gravel underfoot. His blades carved silver arcs in the firelight, slashing high at Shadow's face. Shadow's knives met them with precise clangs, redirecting each cut by mere inches.
Shin ducked low, aiming for Shadow's ankles, but Shadow was already in the air, his knees tucking as he flipped back. His boots hit the ground just as Shin spun like a saw blade, both knives whirling in a deadly circle. Sparks leapt when Shadow's blades intercepted, the sound of steel grinding filling the narrow space between them.
"What's wrong?" Shin grinned, breathing hard. "Overwhelmed by my skill? Don't worry… I'll end you soon."
He lunged again, crossing both blades for a decapitating strike.
Shadow's eyes didn't even flicker. His knives snapped up, catching the twin edges in a cross-guard. A sharp twist tore the weapons off-line. Shin staggered forward—open.
Shadow's fist came down like a hammer, breaking Shin's nose with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed across the dirt. Shin screamed, clutching his face—then Shadow's boot caught him full in the jaw, launching him backward into a building wall. Wood splintered and dust rained down.
Before Shin could even raise his guard, Shadow was there. His fists pounded Shin's gut, his face, his ribs—each hit driving the air from Shin's lungs. There was no room to counter, no breath to think.
Desperation lit Shin's eyes. With a guttural roar, he swung upward in a last, vicious arc—an attack meant to cleave Shadow in two.
Shadow caught the blade between his knives, locking it. His arms flexed, forcing the weapon down. Then, in one motion, both knives drove into Shin's chest.
The air left Shin in a wet gasp. He dropped to his knees. Shadow shoved him toward Lynx like discarded prey. The broken apprentice tumbled, coming to rest at his master's feet.
"My lord…" Shin's voice was barely a whisper. "I… have failed you… he was… too strong… please… help me…"
Lynx looked down at him, bored. "You lost in the most humiliating way possible… and you expect me to save you?"
"My lord—"
"You thought your life would be spared after losing to this worm? Pathetic." Lynx's chuckle grew into a cruel laugh.
Shin's eyes widened in horror. "What are you—"
"I'm saying… you should just die."
Claws flashed. Both of Shin's arms fell to the dirt, followed by a deep slash through his chest. His body collapsed, blood spilling freely, life gone in an instant.
Kenji's eyes went wide. "He… killed his own man. He really is a demon."
Lynx stepped over Shin's corpse, his gaze now on Shadow. "You fought well. Remarkable… for a worm. I'll let you live another day, but I'll need payment for my comrade's death."
In a blink, he vanished.
"Where the hell did he go?" Kenji demanded.
"Kenji—look out!" Shadow yelled.
Air split with a faint hiss. Invisible claws struck. Kenji's staff came up just in time—but shattered in two under the force. Three deep gashes opened across his chest. He fell, blood soaking into the dirt.
"I… didn't see him," Kenji rasped, gasping for breath. "He… vanished…"
"Hold on," Shadow urged, his grip steady. "I won't let you die—you're Sensei Lin's last disciple."
From somewhere unseen, Lynx's laugh echoed, cold and mocking. "Don't worry—he's not dead yet. But time is running out… hmhmhm… hahahaha!"
A sharp, concussive boom tore the air. Kenji's body burst apart—blood, flesh, and bone raining down in a crimson spray.
"NOOO!" Shadow's roar shook with rage.
Lynx stepped into the light, framed by flames. "I am Lynx—a demon once sealed in the Gates of Shadows. Leader of the assassin order. As you are now, you'd die instantly if we fought. But your duel with Shin… was entertaining."
Shadow's voice was low, deadly. "I'll kill you, demon."
"I'd like to see you try." Lynx turned away. "I got what I came for. Let's go."
He and his remaining bodyguards vanished into the darkness.
Shadow knelt, trembling, over what remained of Kenji. "May your soul rest in peace, Kenji… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." He draped a robe over the remains, then rose, the weight of vengeance pressing into every step as he left the ruined village behind.