"Demon?"
Kuroda Hayate frowned slightly as he noticed the terrified expressions of the villagers lining both sides of the road. He was clearly puzzled. Someone powerful must be coming—but who was this person that could make everyone so fearful?
A small, wide-eyed girl noticed the short-haired stranger still standing boldly in the middle of the road. Her heart raced. She cried out anxiously, "Big brother, come here quickly! The demon is ahead!"
Just as her words left her mouth, a strange gust of wind blew past—along with a blur so fast it barely seemed real. The girl screamed internally, shutting her eyes tight and covering her face with her tiny hands. She silently prayed, That poor big brother's definitely been killed by the demon! Oh no!
Moments later, she dared to open her eyes. The crowd around her looked stunned. She turned back to where Kuroda had been standing and gasped—he was still there. Not only was he still standing, but in his hand was a sleek silver dagger, its blade dripping blood that trickled slowly to the ground.
She stared in disbelief. "Big brother… isn't dead? That's… amazing!" she whispered. "It's the first time I've seen someone dodge Kira's assassination…"
Kuroda's face had darkened. He had clearly seen it—the infamous killer known as "Kill-Kill Martial Man" had launched a lightning-fast assassination attempt. Luckily, Kuroda's instincts had kicked in just in time to save his own neck.
He turned to face the masked man not far off, his face hidden behind a mask with small holes. Dressed in a black, spotted shirt that exposed his muscular chest, the assassin's presence was menacing. Kuroda realized that the man's agility marked him as a deadly opponent—one who, in Kuroda's original world, would be considered a peer.
Kira glanced down at his torn sleeve, chuckled darkly, and then locked eyes with Kuroda. This plain-looking man had not only reacted to his attack but countered it. Kira was intrigued.
Without a word, Kira sprang forward, twin scythes slicing through the air toward Kuroda. Reacting instantly, Kuroda raised his dagger to block one of the scythes. Seeing the second blade aiming for his throat, he lifted his knee sharply, slamming it into Kira's wrist.
Kira twisted midair and leapt back, rising with surprising height. Kuroda was momentarily taken aback—his opponent's acrobatics were far more advanced than expected. Still airborne, Kira spun, his scythes flashing dangerously as he dove once more.
Kuroda quickly drew his golden pistol and fired. Bang! The bullet tore through the air with lethal force. Kira dodged the first shot, but the second was aimed with deadly precision at his head. There was no time to dodge again.
Kira's eyes widened. How did he know where I would be? he thought in shock. Kuroda smirked slightly. He had predicted Kira's movement and timed the shot perfectly.
But just as the bullet was about to connect, it veered off course, pulled aside by some unknown force. Simultaneously, Kuroda's pistol and dagger trembled in his hands, tugged by a strong magnetic force. He gripped tightly to keep his weapons from being wrenched away.
Before Kuroda could react, Kira was in front of him again. One of his scythes slashed across Kuroda's chest, ripping through his coat. Kuroda tumbled backwards, narrowly avoiding a second blow.
What just happened? Kuroda thought, gritting his teeth. That bullet—it changed direction… and my pistol's still shaking.
Kira didn't give him time to think. In an instant, he was attacking again. Kuroda fought against the magnetic pull and held his dagger tight, blocking Kira's scythe. But the assassin's weapon spun suddenly, bypassing the block and slashing deep into Kuroda's abdomen.
With a painful grunt, Kuroda lost his grip on the dagger—it was yanked away by the unseen magnetic force. As Kira readied another devastating blow to cut him in half, Kuroda shouted angrily and slammed a heavy kick into Kira's chest.
The assassin flew backwards like a missile, his scythe tearing free from Kuroda's body and trailing blood in a crimson arc.
Kuroda gasped, sweat beading on his forehead, clutching his bleeding abdomen. Rage burned in his eyes as he glared at Kira, now sprawled against a wall. This guy's on a whole different level… that last pirate I fought was nothing compared to him.
The nearby villagers were frozen in shock. No one had expected this. They had all assumed the stranger would be instantly killed by Kira. But here he was—wounded but still standing. A young man in the crowd, wide-eyed with awe, shouted, "Yes! Someone who can fight Kira has finally appeared!"
Thwack!
His voice was cut short as a dagger suddenly embedded itself in his forehead. The weapon then whistled through the air, aimed directly at Kuroda. A young girl watching the scene screamed in terror, her voice trembling: "Watch out!"
Kuroda had already sensed the incoming threat. He tilted his head just in time as the dagger skimmed past his face and embedded itself in the wall—right next to Kira.
He stared at the blade. That's… my dagger. Why did it come back again?
Kira rose from the rubble, calmly brushing off stone dust from his shirt. He chuckled coldly. "Heh. You're getting interesting."
Kuroda knew the battle was far from over. Just as he prepared to face Kira again, another voice interrupted—this one mocking and grotesque.
"Hehe… That disgusting guy? Leave him to me. I'll crush him."