Chapter 45: TREMBLED
"I shouldn’t have gotten that angry," Raito muttered, his breath steadying as he gripped his daggers tighter. "I should’ve controlled myself... but Ayane? Really? No one does that. Why can’t they just leave me alone?"
His jaw tightened.
"System Voice: Equipment Activated Minimal Strength Boost"
A sharp blue glow pulsed from his boots as he launched forward.
Clang!
Metal collided, the impact exploding with sparks. Raito’s twin daggers met Keito’s blade in a violent clash, the floor trembling beneath their feet. Both pushed, their muscles tensed, veins standing out in their arms.
"Such power..." Takura murmured, watching from above. "He’s only Rank C, yet he’s pushing Keito back."
"Yeah," Seizo replied, uneasy. "Maybe we should..."
Before he could finish, Raito’s figure flickered, then vanished.
Whoosh!
Keito’s eyes darted. "Behind me..."
Raito appeared at his back, slashing upward. Keito twisted just in time, their weapons meeting again in a violent arc. Raito kicked off the ground, spinning midair, and struck Keito square in the chest with a fierce kick, sending him sliding backward across the training hall.
Dust lifted. The two stared each other down in silence.
Keito exhaled slowly, then reached up and pressed two fingers to the smooth, black surface of the Eternal Mapiko Mask already covering his face.
A faint crimson pattern flared across the mask’s surface.
Then he brought his thumbs together, forming a triangle, and pressed them against his forehead.
BOOM!
Mana exploded outward in a shimmering wave. Two translucent silhouettes stepped out of his body, solidifying into perfect replicas of him, same armor, same mask, same killing intent.
Raito’s eyes narrowed. "Clones, huh?"
The three Keitos raised their blades in perfect sync.
"Let’s see you dodge this," the real one said.
They dashed forward simultaneously, one from the front, two from the sides. Their blades carved silver arcs through the air, cutting with lethal precision.
Raito parried the first strike, twisted past the second, ducked under the third. Sparks showered around them as the sound of steel rang out endlessly.
Even so, the pressure kept increasing. The clones moved like extensions of Keito’s will, flawless and fast, each strike designed to kill.
Raito gritted his teeth.
"System," he said through clenched teeth, his aura flaring. "Equip Shadow Phase."
Instantly, Raito’s body shimmered and disappeared.
"System: Shadow Phase Activated"
The air around him rippled, and in the next second, he was gone—completely invisible. The two clones froze mid-strike, blades still in motion.
"What... just happened?" Seizo muttered, his voice breaking the silence. "Did he just go invisible? Or am I seeing things?"
Takura leaned forward slightly, his tone calm but sharp. "No. You’re not imagining it. That was a skill activation. And something that powerful isn’t Rank C. Skills with invisibility are rare, Seizo. Either A or S-rank level."
Seizo swallowed hard. "So you’re saying his rank assessment... was wrong?"
"Maybe," Takura said quietly. His gaze followed the faint shimmer of mana lingering in the air. "But it doesn’t change what we’re seeing. The kid just vanished."
Ichika, standing beside them, folded her arms. "Who the hell is this guy? For someone listed as Rank C, this is beyond ridiculous. I can’t even sense his mana signature."
"Don’t underestimate Keito," Seizo said. "He doesn’t rely on sight anyway. The mask covers his eyes completely. He fights by sensing air pressure, motion, and intent. Even if Raito turned invisible, Keito can still read him."
Takura smirked faintly. "Then this will be interesting. A Rank C with an invisible skill against one of the best sensory fighters in the guild."
Down below, Keito stood completely still, the two clones circling him like wolves. The air was heavy—charged with tension.
Keito narrowed his focus. Raito’s presence was sealed the same way his invisibility worked, but the masked hunter could still read the air. Tiny shifts in pressure, the subtlest change in wind direction—those betrayed movement. Use the wind to predict the strike, Keito thought, then lunged toward where he expected Raito to be.
But Raito was already moving.
He slid through the battlefield like a shadow given form. The clone on the left advanced, and in the next heartbeat Raito appeared in front of it. The dagger flashed. The blade cut through empty space so precisely the air itself seemed to tear. The clone’s body split apart, then dissolved into mist.
From the viewing platform, Ichika whispered, "This is terrifying... We can’t even see his body. It’s as if the air itself was sliced."
Takura’s voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed. "A talent like this shouldn’t walk away. Not from my guild."
Raito ghosted toward the second clone. He stepped in, dagger driving deep into its stomach. The blade burst from its back; the phantom staggered and vanished.
He turned, eyes narrowing behind the Eternal Mapiko Mask. "Now it’s your turn. Be ready."
Keito only nodded.
Raito rolled, closing the gap in an instant. I won’t kill him, he thought. Just injure him. His blade sliced toward Keito’s shoulder—
—but Keito dodged, fluid as wind. He spun and lashed out with a sharp kick. Raito caught the leg mid-air and locked it tight.
"System," he said under his breath, "equip Minotaur Strength."
[NOTICE]
Skill Activated: Minotaur Strength
Strength: +300%
Duration: 7 minutes
Warning: Body strain increases over time. Extended use may cause muscle rupture.
A surge of raw, violent energy ripped through Raito’s muscles. His veins burned, his breath came heavy—and power flooded his limbs like liquid fire.
He twisted Keito’s leg, pivoted, and with sheer force hurled him across the arena. Keito’s body struck the reinforced observation glass with a thunderous crack. The glass spidered, then shattered, raining glittering shards like ice.
The shockwave knocked lab tables over. Instruments flew. Two scientists in white coats sprinted for the door as Keito slammed through the debris.
Raito straightened slowly, his body trembling with power. His eyes glowed faintly beneath the mask.
The system flickered again.
[NOTICE]
Combat Log Updated
Active Skills: Minotaur Strength (6:52 remaining),
Shadow Phase (Active)
Visibility: 0%
Environmental Damage: Observation Deck destroyed