—Why would a member of the Omeraje family attack us in territory so far from their own? —Dakur demanded.
The young man glared at him with pure disdain. His painted eyes, neatly trimmed hair, and the piercings scattered across his face gave him a look somewhere between savage and unsettling.
—Don't take it personally —he said, slowly running his tongue over his lips—. We Omeraje take on all kinds of jobs… and that includes assassination. For the right price. —He clicked his tongue and smiled, as if already savoring the taste of blood.
—I see —Dakur replied, voice even—. So you're here to finish the job they hired me for?
—Exactly. But this time it's even more fun—your head, the kid's, and that idiot's too are all on the list. You wouldn't believe how much they're paying for your corpses.
His tone was disturbingly calm, his psychotic demeanor pressing down on the air around them. That broken smile stretching from ear to ear gave him the look of a demon.
—I understand.
BOOM!
Minao was in front of him in the blink of an eye. His speed was inhuman. The massive blade came down like a guillotine, but Dakur reacted instantly.
CLAAAANG!
Steel crashed against steel with brutal force, a shockwave rippling through the nearby trees. Birds scattered in flocks while branches snapped under the pressure.
—Incredible speed! —Pikur gasped.
Ibaki watched in silence, his eyes following the rapid exchange of blows. He couldn't step in yet… until something else intervened.
GRAAAAH!
A deep roar shook the ground. From the forest, the colossal creature emerged once more—the Draguld, a serpent-bodied beast with glowing eyes and fangs the size of swords.
CRASH!
It tore through the trees and lunged at them. Dakur, Pikur, and Ibaki scattered in different directions to dodge.
Ibaki barely avoided the attack, but the monster's tail whipped around and struck him with bone-crushing force.
THUD!
He was hurled into the rocks, coughing up blood.
—Ibaki! —Pikur shouted, as the creature turned toward him.
Focusing, Pikur raised his blade.
—First Core Release: Death Seal!
FSSSHHH!
A thick mist swallowed the battlefield. The Draguld roared in confusion, thrashing its tail wildly. Every strike missed—nothing but illusions in the fog.
—You won't see me… —Pikur whispered—. You're mine.
—Second Core Release: Lethal Slashes!
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Razor-sharp winds burst from his sword. Invisible blades tore into the Draguld from within, shredding it to pieces.
SPLAT!
Blood and flesh rained down in a foul shower.
Ibaki struggled to rise, clutching his side. A deep wound soaked his clothes in dark red.
—Damn it… —he growled, gritting his teeth.
He was still weak, but he knew he'd let himself get caught off guard far too easily—and that mistake would cost him dearly.
From the shadows, Minao, the Omeraje assassin, watched as the fog began to thin.
—Tsk… they'll cost me more trouble than I thought.
—I know who you are, boy —Dakur called, pointing at him—. You're Minao Omeraje. A three-star criminal. You betrayed your clan and executed nobles in Paradise. Everyone's hunting you. There's an absurd bounty on your head.
—Well informed —Minao replied with a twisted grin.
—Yeah. And I just ran out of money.
CLANG!
Their blades clashed again, but this time Minao staggered back a step.
—Let's play then…
—Cursed Technique: Blood Mirror.
WOOOOM!
The atmosphere shifted violently. The forest warped into a labyrinth of floating mirrors. Each one reflected their worst wounds, their movements, their faces bathed in blood.
—What is this? —Pikur panted, staring at his warped reflection.
Ibaki dropped to his knees.
SPLASH!
He spat a mouthful of blood. His hands trembled, his vision blurred.
—Bad luck, Tenchi… —Minao's voice echoed from every direction, distorted—. My Draguld hit you, didn't it? That cursed venom is now eating away at your core.
—What… what did you say? —Ibaki clenched his fists.
—A wound that starts from the inside: first the core, then your muscles, your joints, your organs… and finally, you just… die.
—Despair all you want. No one escapes the Blood Mirror.
Ibaki collapsed onto his side, gasping, blood pooling beneath him.
But his eyes still burned.
His will refused to die.
—I… won't die here…
Can Ibaki break free from Minao's cursed technique?
What secrets lie within the Blood Mirror?
The battle has only just begun.