He hovered in a chilling meditative stance, eyes gleaming as he growled,
"Demonic Meditation."
His ultimate technique.
"It's over…" Duke muttered, gritting his teeth, fists clenching.
The Monk leapt into the air and crossed his legs mid-flight—floating effortlessly. One arm hung ruined and lifeless at his side, yet his presence only grew heavier, more suffocating.
"Peace upon my soul," he said calmly.
"Pain upon your world."
"Let the true slaughter begin."
Each word echoed with dread.
Samaira's breath caught.
"H–He's using Demonic Meditation," she said shakily. "There's no way out of this. We're not strong enough to counter it… not like Miss Violet."
"Tck," Duke clicked his tongue.
"No matter what happens—survive," he said firmly.
Kendra energy began to bleed from the Monk, thick and oppressive. The ground quivered, as if rejecting his very existence. A chilling mist poured outward, flooding the village—spilling through streets, climbing walls, swallowing the battlefield whole.
Visibility vanished.
Sound warped.
Direction died.
"Once that mist fully spreads…" Samaira whispered, panic tightening her chest, "we won't be able to track each other."
From within the fog—
The Monk smiled.
And disappeared.
"Samaira, take cover!" Duke shouted.
Both of them broke into a sprint, boots pounding against the cracked stone.
"No matter what—" Duke gritted his teeth, "—we have to survive this!"
From somewhere within the mist, a calm voice answered.
"Is that so…?" the Monk murmured to himself.
A devastating Dark Kendra Slash tore through the fog and ripped across the street in front of them.
"Samaira—DODGE!" Duke screamed.
They dived in opposite directions just as the slash cleaved through the ground, leaving a deep, smoking trench behind.
From a distance, the Monk's voice echoed faintly.
"Oh… I missed," he said to himself, almost amused.
Samaira stared at the gouge in the earth, her chest heaving.
"Aff—aff—aff…" She coughed. "That would've killed us…"
She forced herself up and rushed into the nearest house, slamming the door behind her.
Duke stood frozen in the middle of the street.
I can't see anything… he thought. There's no cover.
His breath tightened.
Why isn't he attacking me? I'm completely exposed…
Is he slowed down because of the Soul-Bind Chain attack?
Inside the house, Samaira leaned against the wall, gasping.
This is perfect, she thought. No mist inside. These houses can tank his slashes—he's already weakened.
She climbed the stairs carefully, every step slow, controlled.
Her eyes scanned the upper floor.
Where is he…?
She glanced out the window—and saw Duke standing alone in the street, turning in confusion.
"Tck… Duke, hide in the buildings," she thought urgently.
She leaned out the window.
"Hey—DUKE!" she shouted. "Get inside! Slashes can't reach you in the houses—!"
A voice answered her from right beside the window.
"But I can reach inside houses."
Samaira's blood ran cold.
She barely had time to scream—
"Aaahh—!"
The Monk struck instantly.
His fist smashed into her face.
Samaira crossed her arms just in time, blocking—but the force blasted her backward, slamming her straight into the wall.
Crack.
"Aahhhh—!"
Her body slid down, leaving fractures spiderwebbed across the stone.
"SAMAAAIRA!"
Duke's scream tore through the fog.
"Wah—you blocked that? I wasn't expecting that," the Monk said, grinning.
Samaira forced herself up, gasping, and took a fighting stance.
The Monk's grin faltered slightly. What… is this feeling of burning?
He noticed her hand glowing red, faint sparks dancing across her fingers.
"You… you've awakened as well?" he asked, unease creeping into his tone.
"I—I… what is this?!" he muttered to himself. "I've never seen this kind of energy before."
Before he could react further, Samaira lunged forward, throwing a punch.
The Monk met her strike with his own hand. Hot… he thought, almost amused by the intensity.
A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. "Let's go then."
And just like that, hand-to-hand combat erupted.
"Nice strength… for a girl," the Monk chuckled. "Hahaha."
But then he began to push more Kendra energy through his body, thick and heavy, his aura expanding.
She can't channel energy like that brat… it's not fully awakened yet, he thought.
Samaira blocked his strikes as best she could, muscles straining.
One punch broke through—slam!—directly into her gut. Her armor shattered under the force.
"Ahhhh!" Samaira screamed, stumbling backward.
The Monk grabbed her, yanking her toward him. His other hand clamped over her face, controlling her like a puppet.
With a single, fluid motion, he hurled her through the window.
Samaira crashed to the ground right in front of Duke, the impact sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air.
"S-Samaira…" Duke gasped, his eyes wide as he saw her sprawled, unconscious, before him.
His fists clenched, knuckles white, and he glanced upward.
The mist had cleared slightly.
The Monk leaned out of the window above, smiling down at them.
"Ah—aaaah…!"
Samaira groaned in pain, her body trembling.
"Samaira… I'll protect you," Duke said through clenched teeth.
He scooped her up and started running.
Above them, the Monk watched—disappointed.
"Pathetic," he muttered. "Where do you think you're going?"
Dark blue Kendra gathered in his palm, compressing into a violent sphere.
"Duke…" Samaira whispered weakly. "Leave me… save yourself… or he'll kill us both."
Duke ignored her words and kept running.
Then—
His instincts screamed.
He turned.
His eyes widened.
The Monk hurled the Kendra sphere forward.
Before it could reach them—
WHOOSH!
A figure stepped in front of Duke and Samaira.
Blue wind erupted outward, forming a shelter of compressed air and Kendra energy.
BOOM!
The energy ball detonated harmlessly against the barrier.
"Captain—Lucus!" Duke shouted in disbelief.
Lucus didn't turn. "Take Samaira," he said calmly. "Get her somewhere safe."
"But—you're injured!" Duke protested.
"Just go," Lucus snapped.
Duke hesitated—then nodded.
He sprinted into a nearby alley, disappearing with Samaira into safety.
The Monk laughed softly.
"So it's you again," he said. "Weren't you my puppet earlier?"
Lucus slowly raised his sword.
Blue Kendra surged again.
The wind shelter expanded—
BOOOOM!
A shockwave blasted outward.
The mist was torn apart, shredded and scattered across the village.
Visibility returned.
The Monk smirked.
"Tch… I still can't use my slashes properly thanks to that woman's attack," he said.
"But you… might be troublesome."
His gaze dropped to the ground where his glaive lay.
"Once I retrieve that—this ends."
The wind howled.
Lucus charged.
Sword drawn.
Straight at the Monk.
Meanwhile—
At the highest rooftop in Hollowveil Village, Lysa stood perfectly still, eyes locked on the battlefield below.
"The mist… it's gone," she murmured.
"I can see them now."
Her gaze sharpened, tracking the Monk's movements from afar.
She raised her bow instinctively—then hesitated.
"…No," Lysa whispered. "That won't do any damage."
Slowly, she lowered the bow and reached behind her back.
Her fingers wrapped around the Void Bolt—the weapon Miss Violet had entrusted to her.
I can use this… she thought.
But he's too far.
Lysa measured the distance, the wind, the angle.
One mistake would waste the shot.
"I have to wait," she said quietly.
"For him to come closer… into my range."
She steadied her breathing.
Eyes unblinking.
Patient.
Hunting.
"Samaira, stay here. I'll go help the captain," Duke said, already turning back toward Lucus.
"I-I'll come after some time," Samaira replied weakly.
Duke looked back at her for a brief moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
And he ran.
Back to the action—
The Monk moved instantly.
He leapt forward, snatched his glaive from the ground, and began swinging it in wide arcs.
Dark blue Kendra slashes tore through the air.
Lucus dodged—left, right, forward—each blade of energy slicing past him, grazing his armor and skin.
A few shallow cuts opened across his body.
Still, he didn't slow.
"You're moving well," the Monk said, eyes narrowing. "Even with those injuries."
Lucus said nothing.
They closed the distance.
Steel clashed.
Sparks flew.
The battle evened out—each step, each strike met with perfect timing.
Then—
Lucus's sword began to glow.
The Monk's eyes widened.
He barely raised his glaive in time—
CLANG!
The impact forced him back, boots grinding into the stone.
"Heavy…!" the Monk hissed. "Tck—!"
Lucus didn't stop.
He pulled his arm back, Kendra surging into his palm.
"Tempest Strike."
BOOOOM!
A compressed shockwave erupted point-blank.
The Monk was launched across the battlefield, smashing hard into a wall.
"Ugh—!" Blood spilled from his mouth as he staggered forward.
His glaive lay out of reach.
Lucus charged immediately, blade aimed straight for the Monk's neck.
The Monk twisted at the last second.
Lucus's sword struck the ground instead—CRACK—embedding itself into stone.
The Monk didn't hesitate.
He spun and drove a Kendra-charged kick into Lucus's sword.
CRUNCH!
The blade shattered.
Lucus was thrown backward as fragments of steel scattered across the ground.
The Monk straightened, wiping blood from his lips.
The balance had shifted.
The Monk moved instantly.
He drove his knee straight into Lucus's face.
CRACK!
Lucus staggered back, blood spilling from his mouth.
The Monk smiled.
He raised his hand and formed a precise sign, dark blue Kendra spiraling around his fingers.
"…I see," he murmured. "Looks like my slashes are back."
He stepped forward—
WHAM!
A punch slammed into his face.
The Monk was knocked back a step.
His eyes snapped wide.
"You again…?"
Duke stood there, chest heaving, fists clenched, green Kendra flickering faintly around his arms.
"Duke—what are you doing here?!" Lucus shouted.
Duke didn't look back.
"Let's go, sir," he said firmly.
Then—
He charged straight at the Monk.
The battlefield shifted once more.
Duke rained down a barrage of attacks on the Monk—nonstop punches, relentless, desperate.
The Monk snapped.
"You're dead, brat!" he roared.
Duke's fist slammed into the Monk's face.
The Monk ignored the blow.
He grabbed Duke by the face mid-motion.
Before he could finish—
SHRK!
Lucus stabbed the Monk from behind with his shattered sword.
"AAAAAHHH—!"
The Monk screamed and hurled Duke away like trash.
But Lucus twisted the blade inside his back.
The Monk snarled, flooding his body with Kendra. With a savage counter, he drove a devastating punch into Lucus's gut.
CRACK.
Lucus's ribs shattered.
Both of them crashed to the ground. As they separated, the Monk ripped the broken sword out of his back, blood spraying across the stone.
He turned toward Lucus and formed a hand sign.
Dark Kendra gathered.
A slash—
"AAAAAAH!"
Duke came screaming from behind.
The Monk smirked.
He dodged effortlessly—and answered with a brutal punch straight into Duke's ribs.
CRUNCH.
Duke's ribs broke instantly.
He collapsed to the ground, choking in pain.
"Tck… tck…" the Monk clicked his tongue.
"This isn't a playground, kid."
He raised his hand again—forming the sign toward Duke.
Duke's vision began to fade.
Is this it…?
Am I going to die…?
"AAAAAH—!"
Lucus screamed. "HEY, BASTARD—I'M STILL ALIVE!"
He charged, swinging his broken sword wildly.
The Monk dodged without effort.
"I'm done playing," he said coldly.
"You keep interrupting me… again and again."
He caught Lucus's sword arm.
Twisted.
Rotated.
CRACK.
"AAGHH—AAAAGH!" Lucus screamed.
"Stop screaming like a bitch," the Monk sneered.
"You're a man—crying in front of a kid?"
"STOP IT, BASTARD!" Duke screamed from the ground.
The Monk slowly tore off Lucus's armor.
.
Then he placed his palm against Lucus's chest—forming the same hand sign as before.
Duke's eyes widened in terror.
"No—!"
He forced himself up, broken ribs screaming, and rushed forward.
"AAAAAHHH—!"
Too late.
The slash activated.
SHHHKKK—
Lucus's body was cleaved apart.
Blood exploded across the ground.
The Monk threw his head back and laughed.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Even then—Duke punched him.
Green Kendra flared.
Again.
And again.
The Monk laughed while being hit.
He finally fell to the ground.
Duke turned.
Lucus's body lay split in half.
"…Aah… ahh…"
Duke screamed—raw, broken, inhuman.
Behind him—
The Monk stood up.
Laughing.
"Hahahahahahaha."
Pain crushed Duke from every direction.
Broken ribs screamed with each breath.
His vision blurred.
The world felt heavy—too heavy.
His knees hit the ground.
H–he's too powerful… Duke thought, chest tightening.
I can't beat him.
His eyes trembled.
But… Miss Violet did.
A spark ignited through the fear.
I can give him one more shockwave punch, he realized.
Just one.
But I have to get close…
Before he could move—
"Demonic Meditation."
The Monk's voice echoed.
Duke's world vanished.
The mist swallowed everything.
Sound died.
Distance disappeared.
There's no way now… Duke thought. I can't even reach him.
Above the fog—
The Monk floated, calm and untouchable.
A smile spread across his face.
"Let's finish this, shall we?"
Then—
WHOOOSH—!
A glowing spear of energy tore through the air and slammed straight into the Monk's body.
"AAAAAHH—!"
The Monk's eyes widened in shock.
The smile shattered.