Violet unleashed her Soulbind Chains, charging straight at the Monk like a living calamity. The glowing chains lashed out in all directions—any assassin they struck was either knocked unconscious instantly or cut down where they stood.
The chains burned on contact.
Screams tore through the battlefield.
"AHHH—!"
"EJKKK—!!"
Those who were hit clawed at themselves, writhing on the ground as the Soulbind seared into their bodies and souls alike.
The Monk froze.
His hands trembled as he stared at his assassins—grown killers—crying and screaming like broken children.
"W-What… what is she…?" he whispered.
Violet didn't slow down.
She was in full rampage.
Dan's confidence shattered. His grin vanished, panic flooding his face.
I should… run.
Before he could move—
"NOW!" Derius shouted, pointing straight at him. "Don't let him escape!"
Duke reacted instantly. "Yeah!"
Lysa raised her bow, her hands steady despite the chaos. She locked onto Dan and released.
TWANG!
Dan sensed it at the last second and twisted—but it was too late.
"OH—DAMN IT!" he screamed as the arrow struck, his legs locking up mid-stride. He crashed to the ground, unable to move.
Derius and Duke charged toward him without hesitation.
"Samaira—cover Lysa!" Duke yelled.
Samaira stepped forward, weapon raised, eyes sharp—ready for anything.
Violet had almost wiped them out.
The assassins who weren't unconscious lay screaming on the ground, clutching their bodies as the afterburn of her Soulbind Chains ate into them.
Samaira and Lysa stood frozen nearby, instinctively turning their faces away.
"This… this is too much," Lysa whispered, her hands trembling as she shielded her eyes. "Miss Violet…"
Violet didn't look back.
She stood still, chains glowing and smoking, staring straight at the Monk.
The Monk was terrified.
Sweat streamed down his face as he forced himself into a stance, his body shaking despite his will.
If I don't attack… I die anyway.
With a desperate cry, he charged.
Violet watched him calmly.
Then—she swung.
The burning Kendra-infused chain tore through the air and
wrapped around his body.
"AHHHHH—!!" the Monk screamed as the chains scorched his flesh. "HOT—IT'S HOT—AAAHHH!"
Violet spun, gripping the chain with both hands, and slammed him down hard.
CRACK!
His back hit the ground with a sickening force.
"MY BACK—IT'S BURNING—AHHH!" he screamed, writhing in agony.
The chains tightened, coiling around him like living fire.
"NO—PLEASE—STOP—AHHH!"
"This is hell! THIS IS HELL!" he cried, his voice breaking.
Violet stepped forward.
She wrapped the burning chain around her fist and drove it straight into his face.
BOOM!
His body flew backward and smashed into the ground like a ragdoll. He didn't even have the strength to scream anymore—only weak, broken gasps escaped his lips.
He couldn't move.
From a distance, Violet watched him, her expression cold but controlled.
Alive, she thought.
Good. He'll be useful.
The chains rattled softly as they tightened once more.
Violet noticed Duke and Derius dragging Dan down, bound and helpless.
She smiled faintly.
It's finished, she thought. The only remaining problem is the assassin squads…
A broken voice rasped from behind her.
"Y-you… you should've killed me…"
Violet turned.
The Monk lay twisted on the ground, his face burned black and blue with Kendra scars. Parts of his skull were visible through scorched flesh, glowing faintly with blue energy. His breathing was ragged—but his eyes were still alive.
Violet narrowed her eyes.
He's still conscious… I should bind him completely before he regains control.
"I… I still have one final move…" the Monk whispered.
Violet began walking toward him, chains burning brighter with every step.
"You're talking too much," she said coldly. "I think I should just kill you."
"HELP ME!" he suddenly screamed.
The shout echoed unnaturally loud.
Violet halted.
"What…?" Lysa murmured.
Samaira stiffened. Duke and Derius froze.
The Monk screamed again—louder, more desperate.
"HELP MEEEEE!"
Dan's eyes widened. "He's really doing this…"
"Doing what?" Derius asked sharply.
The Monk turned his head toward the village, his face twisted into pure desperation.
"HELP ME—VILLAGERS! LOOK AT HER!" he shrieked.
"SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!"
"SHE'S GOING TO KILL YOUR GOD!"
The words cut through the air like blades.
Violet's eyes widened.
She felt it.
Movement.
Fear.
Presence.
This is bad, Violet thought, her pulse spiking for the first time.
The Monk smiled weakly through blood and burns.
I don't need to beat her…
I just need to turn them against her.
Violet clenched her chains, Kendra flaring violently around her.
I have to end this—now.
Before Violet could reach the Monk—
Every house in the village burst open at once.
Doors slammed wide.
Villagers poured out.
Men. Women. Elderly. Even youths.
Their eyes were empty. Their movements stiff—wrong.
Each clutched whatever weapon they could find: knives, sickles, broken tools. They moved like puppets, bodies dragged forward by an unseen force, all charging straight toward Violet.
"Tch—" Violet clicked her tongue sharply. This is bad. I need high ground.
Derius and Duke froze as villagers turned on them too.
"They're coming for us!" Duke shouted.
In the chaos, a shadow slipped away.
Dan.
He twisted free between the villagers, laughter echoing as he vanished into the crowd.
"Hahaha—perfect timing!"
Violet snapped her head back toward the Monk, fury blazing.
"I'll kill you right now!" she roared.
The Monk was drenched in sweat, eyes wide with fear.
"H-Hey—HELP ME! QUICK! I can't move!" he screamed desperately.
Villagers closed in on Violet from all sides.
"Tch—tch—damn it!" she muttered.
She crouched and tried to leap—
Nothing.
Her Kendra energy flickered… then faded. The glow vanished from her chains.
Her eyes widened.
I can't jump anymore… my Kendra is nearly gone.
She scanned the battlefield in an instant.
I'm the only one who can free the villagers with Soulbind.
But my energy's almost finished.
And if the Monk recovers—even partially—
Her jaw tightened.
The students are in danger.
The villagers rushed her from every direction.
Violet stood in the center of the chaos—calm, calculating, trapped.
From the ground, the Monk laughed through broken teeth.
"Hahaha… you're terrifying," he wheezed.
"But now your power has reached its limit."
Blood dripped from his mouth as he grinned.
"Now die!"
One villager lunged—only steps away from Violet.
She narrowed her eyes, muscles tensing, preparing for impact—
Suddenly—
Someone grabbed her.
The ground vanished beneath her feet.
"What—?"
They shot upward.
Wind tore past her face as they landed hard on a rooftop.
Violet blinked—and saw him
Duke.
Breathing hard. Arms still around her.
They had landed beside Lysa and Samaira, who stared in shock.
For the first time since the fight began—
Violet was safe.
Her eyes widened just slightly.
"Duke…"
Below them, the village roared.
And the real nightmare had just begun.
Violet stood on the rooftop, chains hanging loosely at her sides.
Samaira and Lysa stared down at the village below, panic written across their faces. Duke stood beside Violet, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
"So this is why they were so quiet the whole time…" Samaira muttered.
Lysa swallowed hard. "Where's Derius?"
"He's tracking Dan," Duke replied quickly, eyes scanning the streets below. "He slipped away during the chaos."
Violet's gaze dropped to the center of the village.
The Monk.
He was dragging himself upright, his body trembling violently.
"Tck—nghh… it hurts… damn it…" he groaned, clutching his burned torso as faint blue Kendra energy flickered around him.
Violet's eyes narrowed.
He was healing—slowly—but steadily.
Right in the middle of the village.
Her chains twitched faintly, responding to her intent.
"What are you thinking, ma'am?" Duke asked urgently.
"We have to kill him—right now," Duke continued, gripping his weapon. "He's barely hanging on. I'm the only one still fresh enough to do it."
Violet hesitated, her gaze locked on the Monk below.
"You're hesitating," Duke said quietly—but firmly. "I know this isn't easy. But if we don't act now… this will only get worse."
Samaira stepped forward. "He's right," she said without hesitation.
Lysa nodded, her hands tightening around her bow. "We can't let him recover."
Violet looked at each of them in turn.
Their fear.
Their resolve.
Their trust.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"…Looks like I don't have a choice," Violet said softly.
The Monk suddenly sensed Kendra energy charging toward him.
His eyes widened.
He threw his hand up—
THUD!
An arrow pierced straight through his palm.
"AAAGH—!" he screamed, staggering back.
Violet looked up sharply.
It was Lysa—standing high above the crowd.
Between all these villagers… she still hit him, Violet thought. Impressive.
Lysa didn't hesitate.
Another arrow.
Then another.
"Tch—damn it!" the Monk snarled as he forced Kendra into his legs, his healing barely keeping up.
Arrows slammed into his arms, pinning one to his side. He crossed them instinctively, shielding his face and chest.
This is bad, panic surged through him.
One hit to my head or heart and I'm dead.
He made his decision.
With a burst of pain and desperation, the Monk turned and bolted—vanishing into a narrow alley.
"Don't let him get away!" Violet shouted.
From the opposite rooftop—
Duke's voice rang out.
"I'VE GOT HIM!"
Tck—he ran past Duke's side. I need to rotate and cut him off," Samaira said sharply.
The Monk vanished into the narrow alleyways of the village, his footsteps fading between the tightly packed houses.
Above, Duke raced across the rooftops, eyes locked on the movement below, tracking him from the shadows.
The chase had begun.
The Monk sensed it.
Kendra pressure closing in fast from behind.
"…A brat?" he muttered, glancing back. "He's surprisingly fast for one."
Above him, Duke locked onto his target, eyes sharp.
Even wounded, he's moving fast. His legs are already healed, Duke realized.
I don't have time—I have to end this now.
Green wind energy erupted around Duke's legs.
BLITZ.
In a single heartbeat, Duke vanished—
—and reappeared directly in front of the Monk.
The Monk's eyes widened.
"What the—?!"
Duke swung his sword in a clean, lethal arc.
The Monk reacted on instinct, leaping upward just in time, barely escaping as the blade sliced through empty air.
He landed hard on a rooftop.
Duke didn't hesitate.
He launched himself upward after him, sword pointed straight ahead.
The Monk twisted mid-air, flipping backward—then again—landing on another rooftop just as Duke's blade struck where his head had been moments before.
Tiles shattered.
Both landed, facing each other across the rooftops.
The chase wasn't over.
It had escalated.
He's almost as fast as that chain woman… the Monk thought grimly.
His eyes flicked to Duke's legs, where faint green currents still swirled.
And that energy… wind-type? Green… but different.
Refined.
"Hey, brat," the Monk snarled suddenly. "How old are you?"
Duke blinked, confused. What kind of question is that now…?
"…I don't know," he said honestly. "Nineteen… maybe twenty."
The Monk froze.
"…Nineteen?" he repeated.
His jaw tightened. Veins bulged along his temple as he bit down hard on his lip.
"Nineteen…" His voice cracked. "That's not fair. THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
He slammed his fist into the rooftop.
"I was your age when I went to the fortress," he shouted, eyes burning. "I begged them to teach me Kendra energy!"
His breathing grew erratic.
"They rejected me," he hissed. "Told me I wasn't worthy. That I couldn't awaken it."
Duke stared at him, stunned. What… is he talking about?
"And now look at you," the Monk continued, pointing at Duke with shaking rage.
"Only nineteen… and you've already awakened Kendra."
His eyes narrowed with pure hatred.
"And not just any Kendra—yours is powerful."
"How is that fair?" he screamed. "HOW?"
Silence hung between them.
Then the Monk smiled—a twisted, venomous grin.
"That's why I hate you students," he said coldly. "So many of you awakened it so easily."
His gaze darkened.
"I'll kill every single one of you," he vowed.
"And that captain too."
The wind around Duke stirred violently.
This wasn't just a fight anymore.
It was resentment given flesh.
Duke leveled his sword at the Monk, its edge humming with restrained wind energy.
The Monk glanced down at his trembling hand. His Kendra flickered weakly—unstable.
I can't use my energy properly… not yet.
A slow smile spread across his face.
A dark mark flared open on his palm.
Energy poured out of it—condensing, hardening—
A glaive formed in his grip, its blade curved and ominous, pulsing faintly with residual Kendra.
Duke's eyes narrowed.
A manifested weapon…
He didn't hesitate.
I have to kill him.
Green wind exploded around Duke as he surged forward, sword raised, pouring everything he had into the strike.
The air screamed.
The clash was inevitable.