The rain fell harder, each drop like cold needles stabbing the earth. Daigo's smile faltered as Jin's ghostly eyes bore into him, a sudden chill creeping up his spine.
The air thickened—time itself seemed to slow around Jin. His muscles no longer burned with pain; instead, they hummed with a strange, electric vitality. His breathing was steady, measured—calm in the eye of the storm.
Daigo poised his blade—hesitation evident in his eyes "What...What are you?"
With a speed that blurred that raindrops Jin surged forward.
His sword sang through the air—a deadly arc aimed at Daigo's neck.
Daigo barely had time to raise his blade in defence. The clash sent sparks flying.
The commander stumbled, a smirk playing on his lips, he locked eyes with his men "Move! Tear him apart before he gets any ideas!"
They advanced. But Jin didn't stop he moved like a shadow.
Perched on a rain-slicked rooftop, a lean figure sat with casual ease. His jawline as sharp as a knife, his damp, messy hair framed his face. As he took a slow bite of dango, the faintest trace of a smile lined his face.
His focused eyes scanned the battlefield below.
Without hurry, he rose and raised a hand.
"Enough."
His voice was low and steady, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
The soldiers below halted mid-strike, their movements frozen by the unexpected command. The rain seemed to still in that instant, as if the world itself waited for what would come next.
"The duel continues. Let them decide."
The rain softened, the tension shifting. Even the commander's sneer faltered.
One soldier gritted his teeth, struggling against an invisible weight. "What's this presence…? It feels like I can't move."
Another shook his head, trying to steady his breathing. "It's okay to breathe, right? Just—don't look at his eyes."
The air thickened, as if the very space around them tightened, making every movement sluggish and every breath heavier. The figure on the rooftop watched silently, eyes sharp and unyielding.
He lifted the skewer of dango back to his lips.
A faint smile touched his lips, just enough to show he was watching closely—and interested.
"Who the hell is this?" Daigo growled, his grip tightening on his sword. "You think you can just barge in and control my fight?"
The man didn't respond.
Jin pressed forward. Daigo barely reacting in time.
from the rooftop, the quiet voice cut through the tension, calm and observant.
"So, he's reached what some call the Zero State," the figure murmured, eyes fixed on Jin's strained movements. "It's a rare threshold—where the mind drifts on the edge between consciousness and unconsciousness, and the body and mind work in harmony. The body's instinct works hand in hand with the mind's flow. Every movement becomes seamless, a perfect harmony of reflex and focused awareness. In this state, pain and doubt fade away, leaving only pure, precise action."
He leaned forward slightly, a spark of excitement flickering in his sharp eyes. "Things are really getting interesting now."
The soldiers stiffened up "Zero State? What's that"
Another soldier spoke with confidence "Oi.. One of you hit me but not too hard I want to experience this so called zero state."
One of the soldiers stepped forward with a cocky grin. "Alright, here goes." He swung a fist at the bold soldier's shoulder—a light hit, meant more to test than to injure.
The soldier barely flinched, standing firm as if nothing had happened.
The first soldier narrowed his eyes, smirking. "Try again. Maybe you weren't hitting hard enough."
The bold soldier nodded confidently, bracing himself.
This time, the punch came harder—fast and precise. The blow landed squarely on his jaw.
In an instant, the soldier crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The gathered men froze, silence cutting through the tension like a blade.
"You idiot! you're not supposed to completely knock him out" A soldier said while laughing.
During the duel, Daigo found himself struggling.
Every block and parry getting harder than the last. "You basatrd, why can't you leave me alone."
Jin landed a heavy blow which broke Daigo's guard.
In a blink—multiple slashes carved across his body. Each one too fast to follow, each one slicing through armour like paper and drawing blood.
He stepped back, shrieking in pain.
He stepped back in. His blade on the way to meet flesh but Jin would always dodge or parry at the last second.
Daigo tried increasing the speed of his attacks but nothing worked "God dammit. Why won't you just die."
Jin's blade dug deep. a huge clean slice across Daigo's body.
Daigo gasped. Blood sprayed. He staggered, clutching his side. His knees buckled.
But he refused to fall.
With a roar he aimed his sword at Jin's head.
But he wasn't in front of him "Bastard...P-playing the ..hiding game eh?"Daigo spat out
The final cut was clean, silent. Deep across Daigo's back.
He dropped to his knees.
And this time, he didn't rise.
Jin looked at the observer on the rooftop, who looked pleased with the battle.
He lunged towards the rooftops like a mad dog with no restraint's.
The man had just finished his dango. "My… my," he murmured, then leapt down gracefully, landing silently on the wet ground below.
His lean physique was evident—broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, forming a sharp V-shaped silhouette
Jin was on him in a flash. But the man didn't flinch.
Jin thrusted his blade forward, but the target wasn't there. The man placed a firm hand on Jin's shoulder using it as leverage while he was upside down and on top of him.
A brutal knee to Jin's back sent him staggering forward.
He then used his skewer as a makeshift weapon dragging it across Jin's back causing shallow cuts.
Jin whipped around, swinging his blade wildly, but the man ducked effortlessly and used the momentum to deliver a crushing uppercut
He ripped his shirt revealing a body with many scars. His muscle definition was visible "I'm glad I came here."
They lunged towards each other. The man disarmed Jin by shoving his sword away.
He then landed many consecutive punches to Jin with a rapid succession.
Jin tried to land a punch to the man's torso, but the blow was absorbed like hitting stone.
"Your fists are hollow," the man sneered, grabbing Jin's face and driving a knee into his jaw
Jin brought out his daggers and caused many slashes around Shin.
The man stepped back dodging "You truly are magnificent" he said.
He picked up Jin's sword from the ground.
Using Jin's own blade, he carved a deep X across Jin's chest. Jin staggered, chest burning, and before he could recover, the man sprang upward, spinning through the air with blinding speed—a perfect 540 kick crashing into Jin's head. The impact sent Jin sprawling, unconscious before he hit the ground.
"It's not that you're weak...It's just that I'm much superior to you" He said in a hushed tone.
He then stared the soldiers down, yawning "Go home before I decide to kill you all"
The soldiers gasped, fear locking them in place — then reluctantly dispersed, letting the rain wash away the blood on the ground.
The man looked at Koichi and Aiko who cowered behind Genta's unconscious form now "If you survive the night, go to Rindou and ask for Ren Kurogami. Bring this swordsman with you"
Aiko weakly nodded, still trembling with fear
Ren turned and walked away from Dragon's Haven—leaving the chaos behind.
A nearby roof collapsed.
The sound reverberated across Dragon's Haven.
Koichi and AIko hugged each other in fear.
Koichi screamed"Is ... that a ghost?"
Aiko put her hand on his mouth "Shush. They'll hear you"
They realised they were alone in this isolated village. The only ones capable to fight.
They looked at Jin and Genta who were both still out of commission.
A low voice escaped a nearby house. "Ow... how did that bastard do that roof entrance? His was cool and mine was shit. Luckily no one saw it."
Koichi and Aiko froze, sweat dripping down their foreheads.
A collective thought brewed in their minds.
"We're dead!"