As the blade was pulled free, I watched the man wipe it clean using the assassin's clothing. The vivid blade, cloaked in a midnight-blue aura, was then sheathed—and vanished into nothing.
'Such... an interesting concept,' I thought to myself as I leapt from the branch, landing softly on my feet. The breeze caught my silver hair, lifting strands around my face as I placed my hands behind my back and looked at the strange man.
"So, what's your name? I've told you mine. It's only proper that you return the favor after asking someone who they are," I said, closing my eyes briefly before opening them to meet his gaze.
"Zay. Call me Zay," he replied, and I gave a slow nod at the name.
"That's... an interesting name, to say the least. I've never heard something so short around here. Are you from Nutrumen? I've heard stories that people from there have quite the collection of unusual names."
Zay looked at me for a moment, and I saw a wave of confusion pass over his face before he shook his head.
"No, I'm not from there. It's… a small village I'm from. We're called the…" Zay paused, as if searching his memory for the name of his own village. I giggled slightly at his hesitation before he continued.
"Frost Cloak Village. That's where I'm from," he said, turning away from me. That's when I noticed something—something I hadn't seen before. How I missed it, I had no idea.
"What happened to your hair?" I asked bluntly, curious about the mix of black, white, and red strands.
A long moment of silence passed before he took a step and began to walk away, ignoring my question.
'Fine… whatever then,' I thought, rolling my eyes and turning away as I activated [Shadow Walk] and vanished into the dark.
As Zay walked through the forest for over an hour, he eventually reached its edge and saw a village in the distance. Near the outskirts of the village sat a bench, and on that bench rested a man. Blood ran down from the man's shoulder, and his shirt was missing—it looked like he had been robbed.
Zay approached him, clearing his throat with a small cough as he covered his mouth.
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at the man.
The man looked up at Zay and nodded after a deep inhale and a slow exhale. He stood up, then laughed. His eyes were brown as he cracked his neck and replied to Zay, just as a short breeze passed them.
"I've never felt better... especially after that contract I signed. I've been waiting nine years... for the Blood-Moon to begin."
Zay swallowed as he recalled the task. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his blade. The man's eyes lowered, just in time to glimpse the motion—before his head rolled from his shoulders and hit the dirt road with a groan. His body collapsed a moment later with a loud thud. Zay calmly returned his katana to its sheath.
"I have nothing against you... I do hope you know. But it had to be done," Zay said coldly, his voice devoid of any warmth as he turned away from the bench. Without a second glance, he strode away from the village, the weight of his actions not even causing a ripple in his focus.
As his footsteps echoed softly against the dirt road, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his fist clenching at his side as he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
"So, did you also sign a contract?" A woman's voice echoed through the still night air.
A man's voice responded, low and deliberate, "Not yet. I'm thinking of signing my contract sometime in the next hour. That's when the Blood-Moon of bargains will be at its strongest. When more entities will be present."
Zay's expression darkened as he listened, a cold resolve overtaking him. His hand, almost instinctively, reached for the hilt of his katana. As his fingers wrapped around the handle, a surge of violet energy emanated from his body, and the blade flared with a midnight-blue glow.
In an instant, he activated [Midnight: Razor], and the katana and sheath extended, the aura surrounding it intensifying. Zay dropped into a stance that hadn't been used since Quivarem—[Motionless: Sixty Strikes of Motion]. He exhaled slowly, his focus sharpening, his body still. The very air around him seemed to thrum with anticipation, the atmosphere charged with raw energy.
The two speakers were oblivious to the surge of power around them. They didn't have the aura to feel the shift, nor did they notice the very air around them thickening with the pressure of Zay's presence. They remained unaware as Zay surged forward, his speed amplified by the Level 2 of his Demoness Seal and appeared behind them.
In a single, fluid motion, he drew his katana, and in blinding succession, sixty strikes sliced through the air. The blade moved faster than the human eye could follow, the swish of its passage followed by a horrific symphony of blood and flesh. Their bodies fell apart as if they were paper, their skin torn and shredded.
Zay stood amidst a pool of blood, the crimson liquid mingling with the dirt beneath him, his once-white tunic now drenched in the evidence of his actions. The violet aura surrounding him flickered and dimmed as he flicked his wrist, blood splattering from the katana in an arc. With a soft hiss of metal sliding against metal, he sheathed the blade, the sound of it echoing like the final note in a symphony of death as a breeze passed, carrying the scent away from the bodies.
Without a word, Zay turned away from the carnage. He activated [Shadow Hide], and his steps shifted from loud thuds to silence as he moved, completely invisible, leaving the mutilated bodies behind. The Blood-Moon hung above him, casting a faint, dark red glow on the path ahead.
As the breeze began to settle, he felt something—barely—and his body jerked. In one swift motion, he unsheathed his katana and spun around.
[Midnight: Danger] activated. His eyes widened at the sight of it. This was only the second time in this life that the passive had triggered.
He sheathed his blade as violet aura surged around him. Without a sound, he bolted into the shadows, fully aware there wasn't a single chance he could win against whatever had caused the activation.
Midnight: Danger activates automatically when something enters a certain radius around him. Zay isn't exactly sure how wide that radius is—he's never been curious enough to die just to find out. All he knows is that when it activates, there's no hesitation. Drop everything, pick a direction, and run.
Zay forced his legs to move as fast as they possibly could. Ahead, he spotted a fox—its fur a deep red, eyes glowing with a burning crimson light. It let out a loud howl, and in an instant, a pack of thirty similar foxes appeared from thin air.
None of them noticed Zay, thanks to his [Shadow Hide], so he ignored them and kept running.
Above him, the clouds began to descend, and the ground quickly became shrouded in fog, blanketing everything in sight.
A sudden explosion rang out. He turned his head toward the sound and recognized the direction—it came from the village he had passed earlier. Gritting his teeth, he looked forward and swallowed hard.
'Whatever the hell this is, it's gaining on me... I can't afford to slow down for any reason. But what the hell is happening?' he thought, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he continued to run.
Zay's eyes scanned his surroundings in a blur of motion. His heart pounded against his ribs as his gaze locked onto a narrow cave entrance tucked between jagged rocks. Without hesitation, he skidded to a halt, boots tearing up the dirt as he pivoted sharply to his left.
A roar echoed behind him—followed by the searing heat of a flame wave crashing through the trees.
He dashed for the cave, lungs burning, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as the inferno gained on him. The light around him turned orange as fire licked at the ground just a few feet away. With no time to spare, Zay lunged forward, tucking into a roll as he crossed the threshold.
The heat singed the edges of his coat, but he didn't stop. He tumbled into the cool darkness of the cave, the world outside consumed by fire.
The cave's interior was a stark contrast to outside. The moment Zay rolled inside, the air shifted—cool, damp, and heavy with the scent of wet stone and earth. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light filtering in from the entrance, the firelight flickering faintly against the jagged walls.
The floor was uneven, covered in loose rocks and scattered dirt that crunched beneath his boots as he pushed himself upright. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, their sharp tips glistening with condensation, while the walls seemed to breathe in the darkness, exhaling the faintest mist that made the air thick with moisture.
Deeper in the cave, the sound of dripping water echoed, a steady rhythm that heightened the silence around him. It was a place of stillness, as though time had forgotten this corner of the world.
Zay glanced over his shoulder before sliding down the wall. He leaned his head against the cool stone and let out a breath, his heart still racing from the near brush with becoming fried flesh.