The silence that followed Wei's words was thick—almost
unnatural. Even the ever-present hum of the Shrouded Hollow seemed to fall
away, as though the city itself was holding its breath.
From somewhere deeper in the alley, a metallic creak echoed,
followed by slow, deliberate footsteps. The clicking sound returned—rhythmic
and sharp. Tap. Tap. Tap. Like a cane—or claws—striking stone.
A flicker of movement caught Wei's eye. A shadow darted
across the far wall, too fast and too fluid to be human. Still, he didn't
flinch. His grip on his sword tightened.
"I've heard of you," the voice said again, low and gravelly,
like rust scraping against bone. "The boy with a blade and blood on his name.
But tell me this—are you hunter… or prey?"
Wei didn't respond. His eyes scanned the alleyway's jagged
architecture—broken windows, twisted gutters, and old ropes swaying from
overhead beams. He stepped forward once, deliberately.
"I'm the one who walks away when the smoke clears," he said
flatly. "You talk too much."
The shadows shifted again.
A pair of eyes blinked open in the dark—one normal, the
other gleaming silver, set into a face half-covered by polished steel. A sick
grin curled across the metallic jaw.
"You're bold. That'll make your scream more satisfying."
A soft scraping sound filled the alley as long blades
extended from Grinmaker's sleeves—curved, serrated, and dripping with something
black and sticky.
Wei exhaled through his nose. "Come out of the dark… or I'll
cut it down to find you."
The last bit of fog swirled away as both warriors squared
off, inches from crossing the threshold between hunter and hunted.
The instant tension snapped, Grinmaker lunged from the
shadows—an explosive blur of motion, twin blades slashing in an X-arc aimed
straight for Wei's throat.
CLANG!
Wei's katana met the attack midair, the impact ringing like
a bell across Black Alley. Sparks flew as steel grated against steel, forcing
both men apart for a split second.
Grinmaker twisted through the air, landing low with inhuman
agility. His silver jaw twisted upward into a grotesque grin. "You're fast."
Wei didn't answer. He dashed forward, the alley blurring
around him, and launched a fierce vertical slash aimed at Grinmaker's chest.
Grinmaker pivoted, narrowly avoiding the blow, and
retaliated with a spinning strike, one blade slicing through a support beam
behind Wei like butter. The wooden frame groaned and collapsed—but Wei was
already mid-flip, using the debris as cover.
BOOM!
The alley erupted in dust and splinters as the structure
fell. Grinmaker hissed and leapt out of the chaos—but Wei was waiting. From
above.
"Shadow Draw."
Wei's blade glowed faintly with dark energy as he descended.
With a flash of motion, he struck downward.
Grinmaker barely raised his arm to block. The force drove
him to one knee, cracks spreading beneath him.
"Not bad," he growled. "Let's see what your blood smells
like!"
He slammed his palm to the ground. A shockwave rippled
out—sending black tendrils of cursed mist spiraling through the air. Wei was
forced back, coughing, as his vision blurred.
Then—another slash. This one caught Wei across the shoulder.
Not deep, but enough to draw blood.
Wei staggered back, his breath steady despite the sting. He
grinned.
"You just made your first mistake."
He flicked the blood off his blade. "I always strike harder
the second time."
They rushed each other again.
The alley lit up with fury—steel flashing, walls breaking,
and blood painting the stones with every clash.
Grinmaker's silver jaw clicked twice, then locked into place
with a harsh snap. The air around him shimmered as veins of eerie crimson light
spread from his chest to his arms—Cursed Flesh Technique: Blood Puppet Mode.
His muscles bulged unnaturally, his eyes glowing red.
"You're not the only one with power, swordsman."
He stabbed both his blades into the ground. FWOOM! Black
tendrils burst from the soil and wrapped around his arms, hardening into
jagged, armor-like spikes.
Wei narrowed his eyes. "Nice trick."
But he wasn't idle. Wei reached into his pouch, crushed a
dark-blue mana pearl, and drew in its power. A spiral of water formed around
his legs and arms—then froze, encasing his limbs in an icy sheen.
"Frozen Flow: Azure Rush."
He vanished from sight.
Grinmaker barely turned his head before Wei reappeared
beside him—BOOM!—and landed a knee to the ribs with enough force to send
Grinmaker skidding back through crates and barrels.
But Grinmaker just laughed, coughing blood. "Faster than I
thought. But I'm not done."
He lifted his head—and the shadows behind him came alive.
Four humanoid silhouettes emerged from the walls. Faceless. Floating. Shadow
Echoes.
They each drew spectral daggers.
Wei circled them, sword ready, breath even. "Illusions? No…
they're tethered to his blood. If I cut one, he bleeds."
He launched forward, blade sweeping in a crescent arc. He
cut through one Echo—and Grinmaker flinched, blood spraying from his shoulder.
"Got you."
But the remaining three closed in, forcing Wei into a deadly
dance—dodging, parrying, ducking under strikes that bent the laws of space. The
alley was filled with ghostlight and frost, steel and shadow colliding in an
elemental storm.
Grinmaker snarled. "Let's end this!"
He slammed his blades together—and a cursed glyph appeared
beneath Wei's feet.
Wei's eyes widened. "Trap rune—!"
Too late.
The ground detonated in black fire.
The cursed glyph detonated with a roar, engulfing Wei in
black fire. The explosion sent debris flying through the alley, and the very
walls trembled with the impact.
Grinmaker staggered backward, one hand clutching his
bleeding shoulder, a manic grin stretched wide across his silver jaw. "Burn,
hero... burn."
Smoke billowed from the blast zone, thick and choking. For
several heartbeats, there was only silence.
Then—a cough.
Wei stumbled forward from the smoke, scorched, blood running
from his temple, his right sleeve torn and smoldering. His sword arm shook,
burns visible across his side. One eye was half-shut from the impact, and his
breath came ragged.
But he was alive.
"Still standing?" Grinmaker growled, jaw twitching in
irritation.
Wei dragged his blade against the ground, sparks flying.
"You're going to regret using that rune…"
He pressed two fingers to his chest. A subtle glow flared.
"Internal Recovery Technique: Reversed Stream."
His blood shimmered with magic, closing small wounds,
dulling the pain—not fully healing, but just enough to keep fighting.
Grinmaker spat. "Tch. You really are stubborn."
Wei's voice was hoarse but sharp. "You're damn right. And
now I'm angry."
With a burst of mana, Wei launched himself forward—
Grinmaker met him with a sharp sweep of his hooked dagger,
sparks flying as steel collided. But as Wei swung his sword horizontally, the
wind around him turned into water, forming a blade that spiraled rapidly around
him, slicing Grinmaker across the forehead, neck, chest, and thighs.
Grinmaker staggered back, blood streaming from the fresh
gashes on his body. His silver jaw clicked and whirred as he let out a low,
guttural growl. Despite the deep wounds, he didn't fall. His body trembled, but
his eyes burned with violent resolve.
"You think… that's enough to kill me?" he hissed, his voice
warped by pain and fury.
With a snarl, he slammed his hooked dagger into the ground.
A burst of dark energy exploded outward, a shockwave of shadow blasting Wei
several steps back. At the same moment, Grinmaker's wounds began to seal, black
smoke curling over his skin like living tendrils.
"Oh? So you like acting tough?" Wei scoffed, brushing dust
from his shoulder. "Go on, that might be the best skill you've shown me so
far."
"Fool!" Grinmaker roared, his voice echoing through the
alley.
Empowered by the dark surge, Grinmaker lunged forward,
faster now, empowered by the dark surge. Wei raised his sword just in time,
parrying another flurry of wild, savage strikes.
Wei gritted his teeth as Grinmaker's strikes grew more
erratic and brutal, each blow heavier than the last. Shadow coiled around the
madman like armor—living, shifting, breathing.
Then, without warning, Grinmaker leapt back, both hands
gripping his hooked dagger. The shadows around him surged violently, crawling
across the ground and up the alley walls like hungry vines.
"Let me show you what true agony looks like!" he roared.
Special Move: Widow's Cage.
The shadows exploded outward, forming black, jagged chains
in mid-air—whipping toward Wei like vipers. In a blink, Wei was surrounded. The
alley sealed off with bars of dark energy, forming a tight prison of writhing
tendrils and blades. The very air inside thickened, laced with toxic miasma
that stung the lungs and clouded the mind.
Wei coughed, eyes narrowing. "You think a cage like this is
enough to trap me?"
He closed his eyes briefly—ready to swing his blade.
Special Move: Torrent
slash
Wei tightened his grip on his sword, its blade glowing blue
as boiling water surged along its edge. The water moved like living flame,
swirling with intense heat and energy.
With a sharp downward swing, Wei unleashed the power. The
water erupted from his blade, slamming into the ground with explosive force. A
massive tide of glowing blue water—infused with raw energy—burst from the earth
and surged down the alley.
Grinmaker barely had time to react before the tide crashed
into him, sweeping him off his feet. The torrent roared through the alley, its
glowing waves tearing through everything in its path.