The thick canopy of Eastern Ridge filtered the sunlight, casting long, twisted shadows over the blood-stained forest floor.
The scent of burnt fur lingered in the air.
Massive claw marks etched the nearby trees, and the ground was torn with signs of a fierce battle—craters, scorch marks, and large wolf-like tracks.
But the beast that had caused all that chaos?
Dead.
Its hulking body, nearly twice the size of a normal Shadow Wolf, lay motionless in the clearing. Deep gashes tore through its side, and scorch burns covered its chest.
"No way…"
Kaine stood at the edge of the scene, eyes wide with disbelief. His two hired allies appeared behind him, panting from the trek.
"Is that… the Forest Howler?"
the dagger guy asked, mouth slightly open.
"It's dead."
the crossbow guy said, stepping forward.
"And we didn't even get here in time—"
Clack.
Footsteps echoed through the silent clearing.
From the shadows on the opposite side, a figure emerged—calm, steady.
Renji Akatsuki.
His coat fluttered in the breeze, a faint trace of blood on his sleeve, and a slight smirk tugging at his lips.
He stopped just a few meters from the corpse and looked up at Kaine.
"Took you long enough."
Kaine's eyes narrowed.
"…You already killed it?"
Renji tilted his head slightly.
"You guys were late too long...So I got bored and found this to play!!"
The air shifted. The other two looked uneasy.
Kaine slowly stepped forward, tone sharpening.
"You knew. From the start, didn't you?"
Renji's gaze turned cold.
"Of course. The moment you offered that quest, I knew something was off. You weren't testing me." "You were setting me up."
The two thugs exchanged glances. The tension began to rise.
"What gave it away?"
Kaine asked, voice low.
Renji stepped closer.
"You knew too much. Too calm. Too casual. And you didn't even bother asking what reward I wanted after the kill. You weren't interested in the prize — just the cleanup."
Kaine clicked his tongue, annoyed.
Renji stopped just beside the Forest Howler's corpse, eyes gleaming.
"I figured you'd come with backup, too. I saw the extra tracks on the way here."
He looked around.
"Three sets. Two walking in formation behind you. Hired muscle."
The crossbow guy tensed.
"Tch. What do we do now, boss?"
Renji turned to face them all directly.
His hand rested on the hilt of his dagger.
"You wanted to see what I could do, right?"
He took a single step forward, the air around him growing heavier.
"Then let me show you properly."
His voice dropped into a cold, focused tone.
"I'll take you all on. Alone."
Silence.
Then—
"Hah! This brat's insane."
the dagger guy laughed.
"He's bluffing. There's no way—"
Kaine raised a hand, silencing them.
He stared at Renji, eyes narrow.
"…You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Then his smirk returned.
"Alright, rookie. Let's see what happens when a clever mouth meets real blades."
The three spread out, circling Renji.
And Renji?
He just smiled.