Chapter 48 : Hide-and-Seek

Somewhere deep in the forest where the moonlight could not reach—

Two men staggered side by side, leaning against each other as they forced their battered bodies forward.

They tried to move as quickly as possible, but their pace was pitifully slow.

The blood dripping steadily from their wounds allowed for no more.

“Kh…!”

James’s face twisted in pain.

“Are you all right?” Jack asked.

But sweat beaded on his own pale face as well.

James shook his head faintly.

“…I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

Jack cast a glance over his shoulder.

“We must hurry. He could catch up at any moment.”

“…Indeed.”

They stumbled on, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

James muttered grimly.

“Sushruta… lied.”

“…Yes.”

“She deliberately withheld information. Did she foresee this? That fool?”

Jack let out a weary voice.

“Knowing her scatterbrained nature, she might have simply forgotten… but perhaps not.”

James shook his head, whispering hoarsely.

“He’s a monster. He defies all reason.”

Jack did not answer. He only pressed forward, silent and grim.

“How could he…?”

It wasn’t just that he had deflected and dodged every hidden weapon.

It wasn’t only that he bounded through the trees like a mad squirrel, or that he shut his eyes and still pierced the darkness with uncanny clarity.

James rasped,

“Did you see it? When he suddenly wielded his sword in reverse grip?”

“…Yes.”

Jack nodded heavily.

Even he could hardly believe what he had witnessed.

Reverse-grip swordsmanship was no trivial trick—it demanded brutal training and immense skill.

They said one needed at least five years of relentless discipline to wield it properly.

Even Sushruta, hailed as a once-in-a-decade prodigy, had only mastered it after a full year of arduous effort.

And yet that man…

He had been using a long sword, in normal grip, the whole time.

When blocking the rain of weapons, when clashing blades—never once had he reversed his hold.

Which means…

He had copied them.

But that was impossible.

Reverse-grip swordplay could not be learned simply by watching.

Yet in just a few brief exchanges… he had done it.

How? How is that possible?

Reverse grip was meant for daggers. Anyone who tried it with a long sword was either a fool or utterly ignorant.

But he was an exception.

At some point, he had begun switching grips mid-battle—normal to reverse, reverse back to normal—freely, fluidly, as if born to it.

It was overwhelming.

Not once did it seem awkward.

On the contrary—his use of the reverse grip showed deeper understanding than their own.

His strikes had been spectral, like a ghost’s hand on the hilt.

And more than that… the final aura, white and shimmering like starlight…

They had never seen such a thing.

How could aura change?

They had clearly seen him wield blood-red aura before.

Could their eyes have deceived them? No. Impossible.

This was beyond aura itself.

And the cutting power, the destruction—it had been like…

“Kh.”

James hissed as his wound throbbed.

He no longer wanted to think about it.

They had to escape the forest before that demon caught up.

They had come so confidently to claim the dagger, and now they were reduced to fugitives, barely clinging to life.

Still… if we can regroup with those who went after Sushruta…

Then—

A chilling song floated through the trees.

―“Hide well, or I’ll see your hair…”

The two men froze in place, eyes locking in terror.

Then, without a word, they quickened their pace.

Their wounds tore wider, spilling blood, but they pushed harder.

They had to escape that demon.

“Hurry!”

They pressed into deeper shadows, desperate to conceal themselves.

But the song grew louder, clearer.

―“Hide well, or I’ll see your hair…”

A shiver ran down their spines.

They remembered those glowing, blood-red eyes in the dark.

That devilish smile, teeth bared.

Now they understood why he was called the Red-Eyed Devil.

It was like staring at a fiend crawling out from the edge of hell itself.

―“Hide well, or I’ll see your hair…”

Closer now. The voice was closer.

“Haaah…! Hhhk…!”

Their chests heaved, sweat pouring.

Fear crawled up their backs, prickling their napes.

Without realizing it, they had let go of each other. Survival instincts drove them to run separately.

―“Hide well, or I’ll see your hair…”

“Damn it!”

There was no mistaking it. The voice was closing in.

And then—the steady tread of footsteps sounded behind them.

They were about to be caught.

Jack panted,

“We must hide. Isn’t that so?”

“Indeed. Hide!”

They exchanged a glance, then each dove into the thickest patches of shadow they could find.

Moments later, the footsteps grew louder, and from the gloom flared a pair of blood-red eyes.

“Hm? Thought I heard something here.”

The Red-Eyed Devil tilted his head.

Not far away, the two assassins held their breath, hearts hammering.

Now the roles were reversed, but they had no time to dwell on it.

If he finds us, we die.

All they could do was pray he passed them by.

Oh Night Goddess Ketel, hide us from this devil…

Perhaps she answered—

But then Jack sneezed.

“Achoo!”

A chilling silence followed.

Jack clamped a hand over his mouth, horrified, but it was already too late.

The demon’s red gaze fixed on them.

“Jack. That you?”

Jack screamed inside.

Goddess Ketel! Why test me so cruelly?

The demon asked, almost kindly,

“Jack, isn’t the night cold? You were coughing just now—are you all right?”

“…”

“I knew you from the start, ever since I saw you with underwear on your head.”

“…”

“Ha, I still can’t get that image out of my mind. Good. Then we’ll start with the disciple. Get out here, you little bastard.”

Jack’s body froze stiff as ice, his eyes rolling wildly.

Then, in a strangled, trembling voice, he cried out:

“…Indeed!”

The devil let out a cry of delight.

“Ah, James! There you are!”

From the opposite thicket, James ground his teeth.

That bastard.

Always clinging to him with “Senior Brother this, Senior Brother that”… and now, in a moment of danger, the boy had sold him out without hesitation.

Come to think of it, James vaguely remembered hearing that Jack had once badmouthed him in front of the other disciples.

He roared, furious:

“…Isn’t that so!”

The Red-Eyed Devil turned, wide-eyed, toward James’s hiding spot.

“Oh? Jack! You were here too?”

Hearing his senior brother’s thin imitation of his own tone, the real Jack’s eyes bulged with rage.

That bastard.

Always pretending to be so solemn and dignified, only to abandon all pride when death loomed.

Jack had half-expected James might find a way to protect him, but instead, he had been betrayed in an instant.

He had respected him, once. Now it was nothing but disappointment.

Of course. James hated Sushruta more than anyone. Pretended to be noble up front, but behind the scenes, he was the one who ordered others to torment her viciously.

He had driven her out to Akenaten. Did he really think no one had noticed?

“Aaah, what a dilemma.”

Between them, the demon folded his arms and gazed up at the sky.

“Jack and James. James and Jack. The long-haired senior and the disciple with underwear on his head. Which one should I kill first?”

Jack mimicked James’s grave manner of speech.

“Killing Jack would be right. No one hated and tormented Sushruta more than he. Also, that thing on his head is not underwear.”

James fired back in Jack’s habitual sing-song.

“Better to kill James. A sly snake, rotten to the core. Isn’t that so? And yes, that is underwear on his head.”

The devil rubbed his chin as though weighing their words.

At last, he nodded.

“Fine. Decision made. You brothers are so harmonious, after all. Since you get along so well… I’ll kill you both together.”

“…”

“…”

For a moment, silence.

Then—

Whoosh!

The two assassins bolted in opposite directions.

“Heh heh heh…”

Behind them, the devil followed with a bloody grin.

Under the hazy moonlight, Sushruta sprinted along the treetops.

Swish—

Four dark figures trailed after her.

At first, there had been ten. Now, only four remained.

Whssht!

A dagger flicked toward the back of her knee.

Sushruta flipped midair, kicking off the air itself, and spun like a wheel.

As she turned, she caught the incoming dagger out of the air.

A movement as elegant as a dance.

Thud!

Landing lightly, she launched off again, propelling herself forward.

At the same time, she whipped the captured dagger back behind her.

A choked grunt rang out, followed by the heavy crash of a body hitting the ground.

Three shadows remained, chasing.

Then, Sushruta suddenly kicked off a tree and hurled herself back at her nearest pursuer.

“…!”

Caught off guard by the abrupt reversal, the assassin failed to react. His throat was laid bare.

Shhk!

Another shadow dropped lifelessly.

The next assassin lunged.

Sushruta met him head-on, both daggers reversed in her hands.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He found an opening and thrust with all his might at her heart.

But his blade pierced only air.

Sushruta had dropped low, almost crawling.

She drove her dagger into his foot.

Splurt!

Blood gushed.

He slashed downward in panic, but she twisted like a cat, flowed behind him, and drove her blade into the side of his neck.

Thunk!

The skirmish began and ended in an instant—before the last assassin could even join in.

He crashed to the earth as she was already surging forward.

Steel clashed, sparks flew.

Then, Sushruta’s blade shot up like lightning.

Crunch!

Her dagger punched beneath his jaw.

When she drew it free, a gush of blood followed, and he toppled into the void.

Thud!

“Huuh…”

The last of them.

Sushruta exhaled slowly, lowering her arms.

Blood dripped from the tips of her blades.

Tonight, the moonlight seemed colder than ever, casting the corpses in a pallid glow.

She gazed down at the fallen assassins without a flicker of emotion, then casually wiped the blood from her face.

And then—

—Aaaaargh!

A scream split the night.

Her eyes narrowed.

The voice was familiar.

But strange.

The one she thought of would never scream.

That man would sooner choose death than cry out.

She pictured his stern face.

Then—

Tsshht!

She vanished, chasing the echo of the scream into the shadows.

(End of Chapter)

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