[1 hour later]
The four of us stood in the battleground, the open space stretching out around us.
When I mentioned that I could even cut a rock with air , Luka stopped walking and slowly turned to look at me, clearly interested.
"Then show me," she said, her tone calm but expectant.
She lifted her hands before I could say anything else. "But first, take a look at my weapon .Mana spread over her arms and settled into gauntlets around her fists. I paused to look at her weapon it was a rear type . most common weapons are shield and sword and spear.
[Every living being is born with a tattoo. It appears at birth and does not change its shape. The tattoo contains a sealed battle weapon. When mana comes into contact with it, the seal reacts and the weapon manifests. The weapon is not restricted to the hand and may appear on any part of the body.
The tattoo has two functions.
The first function assists in interacting with nature. It reduces the difficulty of manipulating natural elements. With the tattoo active, elemental control relies less on direct mana output and more on natural flow. Without this function, controlling elements using personal mana alone is inefficient and unstable.
The second function is rare. In some cases, the tattoo provides a vision connected to the weapon. The conditions for activation are unknown. Those who have experienced it describe the same process: they observe themselves performing a technique they have never used before, accompanied by an explanation of its execution.
The vision usually occurs during sleep and appears only once. Afterward, no further guidance is given. Mastery of the technique depends entirely on the individual's ability to understand and practice what was shown.]
"Hey, Winter," Luka said, balancing herself on one finger, her gauntlet pressing lightly into the ground. The metal didn't crack the floor, but the air around it felt heavy. She shifted her weight casually, spinning once, then landed the same way again like it was nothing. "What does your weapon look like? Show us."
I thought about it for a moment, watching how easily she controlled her balance. "How about a small spar instead?" I said. "Feels better than just showing it."
Luka tilted her head and smiled slightly. "Sure. Sounds more fun that way." She pulled off her coat and tossed it to Matthiew. He caught it without looking, already stepping forward. I pointed at him. "You don't have to just watch. Want to join?" He paused, then smiled. "Yeah. Why not." He handed both coats to Professor Abel, who took them without comment.
Matthiew raised his arm and pointed it toward me. Mana ran along his tattoo, and a heavy hammer formed in his hand with a dull thud. Luka walked over and grabbed it, then immediately frowned. "Wow… this is heavy." Luka struggled for a second before handing it back to Matthiew. "It's been a year since I last saw this thing." Matthiew took it easily and looked at me. "Your turn."
I smiled and let mana flow into my tattoo. Two blades formed in my hands—one long, one short. I adjusted my grip and looked at both of them " I'll take both of you at the same time," I said, tightening my grip on the blades.
"Winner pays for today's meal," Professor Abel said, taking a slow drag from his cigarette. A few of the other researchers had gathered nearby, watching us with quiet curiosity.
***
Matthiew struck first. He slammed his hammer into the ground, and the ground broke down. Dirt and broken rock lifted and shoot toward me.
I moved through it, cutting as I went. The pieces shattered, but the moment I pushed forward, I felt it—pain exploding in my stomach. Luka's punch caught me clean and sent me flying.
I hit the ground hard and rolled, forcing myself back up. As I moved, I slashed once, the blade cutting across Luka's arm. She stepped back, more surprised than hurt.
Before I could steady myself, a shadow covered me. I looked up—Matthiew was already above, hammer coming down. At the same time, Luka rushed in again, rocks spinning around her fist.
I reacted fast. I pulled the ground up into a solid wall in front of Luka and crossed my blades just in time to stop Matthiew's strike. The impact rattled my arms and drove my feet into the dirt, but I stayed standing.
As the ground rippled again, I raised my hand and said to myself '' pillers of unknown''.
A soil pillar erupted at rapid speed, slamming into Matthew and throwing him away.
I dashed back immediately, skidding to regain my balance.
"What happened?" Matthew shouted as he steadied himself.
"You said you could take both of us down."
Luka laughed.
For a moment, doubt crept into my chest.
Maybe I had overestimated myself—just a little.
But even then, one truth remained clear.
I could still defeat them.
"Why do both of you think I can't defeat the two of you?"
I smiled—not because I was confident, but because I already knew the answer.
They still didn't understand my range.
The soil trembled.
Luka's eyes widened a fraction too late.
Stone pillars erupted without warning—no pattern, no rhythm. One burst behind Luka, another tore through the ground near Matthew, forcing them apart instantly. The battlefield fractured, earth folding and collapsing as if it were alive.
They dodged—barely.
I stepped forward, fingers crackling with lightning. The spell formed faster than Luka expected. I hurled it.
She twisted aside, lightning scorching past her shoulder, but the moment her foot landed—The ground betrayed her.
A pillar surged upward beneath her heel, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, breath breaking, and that was all I needed.
I dashed.
The distance vanished.
My sword stopped a hair's breadth from her neck.
"You lost."
For a heartbeat, the world went silent.
"No," Luka snapped, forcing herself backward.
She jumped—too hastily.
Her footing failed again. The earth shifted under her like quicksand. Panic flickered across her face as she turned, searching for Matthew.
I smiled.
He wasn't coming.
The ground behind her bulged once—then settled.
Matthew was gone.
" I buried him in the ground ".
Luka froze, chest rising sharply as she realized she was alone.
The pillars sank back into the earth, the battlefield quiet once more. I didn't chase. I didn't need to.
This fight was over the moment they underestimated where my control ended.
Matthiew stumbled in, his clothes covered in dirt, coughing as he tried to stand. "What… happened? I thought you two could beat me… but you lost in just minutes when I got serious." Winter turned his swords back into mana, breathing hard, and both of them did the same.
Professor Abel walked over, eyes wide. "I didn't know you were this good at construction," he said. "How did you do it so fast?" I took a long breath "I've practiced a lot," I said. Honestly, I could easily be B+ or A rank hunter with my construction, and if I improved sword fighting , S rank wouldn't be impossible to achieve.
"Remember our deal? The loser pays," I said, still catching my breath. Luka smirked. "We remember," she said. Matthiew groaned, then explained. "The pillar appeared, I dodged it at first, but when I landed, the ground opened up. I lost balance, my hammer slipped, and the soil covered me. That's how I got trapped."
I couldn't help but smile. "You just didn't expect the ground to move," I said. Luka chuckled. Matthiew shook his head, brushing dirt off. "And maybe your construction skills," I added quietly. He glared but said nothing, clearly realizing he'd been outsmarted more than overpowered.
****
After eating at my desired place—and somehow racking up a $1500 bill—Luka and Matthiew ended up splitting the cost. I smiled and said, "Thank you."
Both of them looked… genuinely angry.
We soon reached the research center and headed toward the terrace to look at the stars, but before we could relax, an old man stopped us. He was built like a wall of muscle. Beside him stood Professor Abel and two other professors.
"All three of you, follow me," the old man said.
We did.
Moments later, we were inside a secret room beneath the center. I glanced at Luka and Matthiew—both of them looked uneasy.
"Winter Tsukuyomi," the muscular old man said, "we would like to make you an offer."
"What kind of offer?" I asked casually.
I grabbed a chair and sat down without asking. The sound echoed in the room, making everyone freeze in shock.
"That was rude," the old man said calmly, "but we'll discuss that later. Before we explain the offer, we want you to see something."
One of the professors handed me a file.
As I opened it, my eyes widened slightly.
"Winter, what you're seeing are anomalies—creatures we research here at XENO," Professor Abel explained.
I flipped through the pages, studying every creature carefully.
"Yeah," I said, closing the file, "I already know about their existence."
The old man's eyes widened. "How?"
"I became stronger because I investigate what you call anomalies," I replied. "I either exterminate them… or stop them."
"Do you have any proof?" Luka asked.
"Yes," I said calmly. "This creature—Agito. I'm the one who cut off both of his arms."
The room fell silent.
"If what you're saying is true," Professor Abel said, "then tell us—what other creatures have you encountered?"
"Let's see," I replied. "One was a three-headed wolf that could shoot ice.
Another was a bee with a human face. But what I found common among them was this—none of them used weapons, and every anomaly was one of a kind."
"You're correct," the old man said. "These anomalies truly are unique."
He stepped forward. "Now, let's talk about the offer. We want you to join XENO 2.0—the division that fights and researches anomalies."
"I'll join," I said, my smile fading into something serious. "But I have a few rules."
"And those are?" he asked.
"First—no one complains about my methods or how I do things.
Second—my pay increases after every case.
Third—I decide whether I go on a mission or not."
I finished with a serious expression.
Then everyone burst out laughing.
"Why are you laughing?" I demanded.
"Sorry," the old man said, wiping his eyes. "But the rules you just listed? Those are already the rules of XENO 2.0—except the first one."
He extended his hand. "But we agree to all of them."
We shook hands.
"By the way," I said, "what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'that jacked old man.'"
He smirked. "Michel. Just Michel."