The Reaper Clan had returned.
And the world had begun to tremble.
Three moons had passed since Ryu's oath in the catacombs.
In that time, whispers spread across kingdoms — whispers of men who killed without shadow, without sound.
Corpses of nobles began appearing in their beds, their guards untouched, their throats sealed by black flame.
The Empire denied the rumors.
The Four Great Clans called it superstition.
But deep down… they knew.
The Reapers were real again.
---
The Target
Inside an abandoned cathedral outside Tirnvale, the core members of the Reaper Clan gathered.
A long table stretched under broken glass windows, moonlight falling in silver streams.
Weapons and scrolls lay scattered — maps of noble territories, guard schedules, blood-stained sigils.
Kane leaned forward, tapping a parchment marked with red ink.
> "Lord Halven. High noble of the Holy Blade Clan's alliance. He's responsible for supplying their armies with weapons and funds. Killing him will cut off their resources — and send a message."
Rei grinned, running a finger along his sword's edge.
> "A noble fattened by blood money. Easy prey."
Lyra crossed her arms, her eyes never leaving Ryu.
> "Easy prey doesn't interest him."
Ryu looked up slowly. The crimson in his right eye gleamed under the moonlight.
> "He was one of the men who signed the order to burn our fortress."
"He dies by my hand."
The hall fell silent. Even Kane, ever calm, didn't argue.
When Ryu spoke like that — with fire beneath his calm — the shadows themselves seemed to listen.
---
The Night of Blood
The city of Highmarch slept beneath thick fog.
Golden banners of the Holy Blade Clan fluttered over marble towers — symbols of purity and justice.
How ironic, Ryu thought, that justice was always built upon graves.
From the rooftops, five shadows moved as one.
No light touched them, no sound betrayed them. The air bent around their steps — illusions layered over silence.
They reached the noble's estate — a fortress disguised as a mansion. Guards patrolled the walls, holy wards shimmered at the gates, and the faint hum of divine seals filled the air.
Kane whispered, "Wards are holy-type. My illusions can mask us for ten seconds once broken."
Ryu nodded. "Enough."
Rei drew his twin blades, cutting silently through the warding circle.
Light burst — then vanished into nothing as Kane's illusion swallowed the flare.
They slipped inside like smoke.
Lyra vanished instantly, merging into the shadows. Shin followed, climbing the outer walls like a spider.
Within moments, the guards began to disappear — one by one — their bodies never hitting the ground.
Ryu walked calmly down the main hall, his eyes glowing faintly gold.
He could feel it — the scent of fear, the heartbeat of prey.
At the end of the corridor stood Lord Halven, wrapped in silk robes, clutching a golden amulet. His voice trembled as he spoke to the guards.
> "You said they wouldn't reach me! You swore—"
Ryu appeared behind him.
> "They lied."
Halven froze. His body refused to move, his breath caught in terror.
Ryu stepped closer, whispering in his ear.
> "Do you remember the Assassin Clan? The one you burned? The children you buried alive?"
Halven's lips quivered. "Y-you… you're one of them—"
> "No."
Ryu's voice was quiet, deadly.
"I am all of them."
His dagger slid across the man's throat — clean, precise.
But instead of blood, a burst of golden light exploded outward — a holy seal hidden within his body.
The entire hall erupted in flames of divine energy.
The explosion threw Ryu across the room, shattering pillars and walls.
---
The Awakening
Pain surged through him.
He heard the others shouting — their voices distant.
Inside his chest, something ancient stirred — something that did not care for control or humanity.
> So… they dare use divine blood against you?
Shall we show them the meaning of despair, my heir?
The voice — deep, monstrous — thundered inside his mind.
Ryu's vision blurred; his veins burned black.
Flames burst from his body — not red, not orange — black and crimson, twisting like serpents.
Lyra ran to him. "Ryu! Stop— you'll destroy the whole place!"
But he couldn't hear her.
His demon blood had awakened.
He rose from the rubble, his eyes blazing — one gold, one burning with shadow.
Scales formed along his arm; claws extended where his fingers had been. The holy fire surrounding him dimmed and died, snuffed out by his presence alone.
Halven's body — what was left of it — crumbled to ash.
The holy wards screamed and shattered.
For the first time in centuries, divine energy had bowed to darkness.
Ryu turned slowly toward his comrades.
For a heartbeat, none of them moved.
Kane whispered, "...He's not human anymore."
Then Ryu fell to his knees.
The flames vanished, the power receded — leaving only smoke and blood.
Lyra caught him before he hit the ground. His breathing was shallow; his eyes dimmed.
> "Ryu! Talk to me— what was that!?"
He smiled weakly. "A gift… from my grandfather, perhaps."
The ruins burned behind them, but the night felt strangely quiet.
No one spoke as they escaped the city, leaving nothing but silence — and the blackened crest carved into the noble's throne.
---
Aftermath
Back in their hidden base, the air was heavy.
The others stood around Ryu as he rested, his arm bandaged but still marked by faint black scales.
Kane broke the silence.
> "That power… it wasn't human, demon, or dragon. It was something else."
Lyra whispered, "It was alive. Like it wanted to consume him."
Ryu opened his eyes slowly. The golden iris shimmered faintly.
> "It's not something I can control yet," he said.
"But it gave us what we needed. The first blow has been struck."
He stood up, gripping his dagger.
Outside, the city still burned in the distance — a beacon of war.
> "Tonight, the world has seen our mark," he said.
"Tomorrow, the clans will send their hunters. Let them come."
"The Reaper King will be waiting."
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