Chapter 47: The Predator’s Mark

The air buzzed with tension as Soujin tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade. Across the battlefield, Ginger’s towering presence seemed to shift, not in size but in essence. The whirlwind surrounding her condensed, transforming from a chaotic storm into sleek, rippling waves that clung to her like a second skin. She crouched slightly.

Soujin’s brow furrowed. “What is she up to now?” he muttered under his breath.

Ginger’s lips curled into a feral grin. “You look curious, Captain Soujin....This is my cheetah stace.”

Soujin raised an eyebrow but kept his stance steady.

To Soujin’s surprise, Ginger exploded forward. Her speed was unlike anything Soujin had faced before. One moment she was meters away; the next, her blade grazed past his defenses. A faint glow appeared on his shoulder where her attack landed.

Soujin leapt back, gritting his teeth. The mark tingled, not painful but unmistakable. “What’s this?” His eyes narrowed while looking at the glowing spot.

Ginger grinned “That is the Predator’s Mark.” She gestured to the glowing spot with the tip of the blade extensions on her claws. ““Every strike leaves its mark. Here’s the wild part—the more marks, the deeper the pain. And if I hit the same spot twice? You’re gonna feel my fangs sinking deeper into your skin.”

Soujin gritted his teeth in pain. “So I just have to make sure you don’t land another hit there.”

“Oh,” Ginger chuckled. “You’re welcome to try.”

She lunged swiftly. Soujin barely deflected her blade in time, but even his quick reflexes weren’t enough to stop her entirely. Another mark appeared, this time on his left thigh, glowing brighter than the first.

“Two marks already, “Ginger taunted. “Do you really think you can keep up with me now?”

Soujin’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “You’ve had to take things up a notch, huh? Looks like I’ve pushed you to your second stage, huh?”

Ginger tilted her head. Her gaze shifted to one of amused pity. “Second stage? Captain, nothing about me has changed. All I did was reshape my Mystcry to mimic the fastest hunter in the jungle.” She gestured to the whirlwind now clinging to her limbs. “Speed isn’t a gift; it’s a choice. Knowing that you were a faster opponent, I intentionally took your hits earlier to build up your confidence for this moment.”

The words hit Soujin harder than the marks she’d left on him. Reshape Mystcry? He’d never considered that possibility before. Yet, as he thought back on the battles he had so far and realized he’d been doing something similar instinctively—channeling his aura to enhance his reflexes, fortify his strikes, even create subtle air currents around him. Had he been shaping his Mystcry this whole time without knowing it?

“Focus!” he barked to himself. This wasn’t the time for introspection. Ginger was already on the move once again.

Soujin’s Mystcry coiled and condensed. With a sharp swing, he sent a concentrated wave of wind roaring toward Ginger. The gale surged forward, cutting through the battlefield like a hurricane.

Ginger flicked her claws which were surrounded by her winds to counter the attack with a wave of her own. The two forces collided and caused shockwaves to ripple through the air. Using the cover of the clashing winds, Ginger darted forward and left a faint afterimage behind.

Soujin braced, but she was faster than he anticipated. Her claw blades slashed across his shoulder and arm in quick succession with glowing marks igniting on his skin.

“Damn it,” Soujin hissed. Ginger’s grin widened. She moved her claws towards his chest. Soujin’s sword was already in motion. Steel met steel as he parried the blows. Despite the ferocity of her attack, Soujin’s raw strength forced her back. He pushed forward with his sword crashing toward her with unrelenting force.

But Ginger was a step ahead and twisted her body with uncanny speed, avoiding the strike by a hair’s breadth. She retaliated immediately with her claws lashing out in a blur of motion. Soujin barely caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. Her attack came from behind this time.

“No, you don’t!” Soujin growled.

In an instant, the wind around Soujin shifted. It surged outward, encasing his body in a spherical barrier. The sudden release of pressure sent a powerful shockwave ripping through the battlefield, forcing the predatory woman to leap back with a startled growl.

Ginger landed a few meters away, crouched low. Her grin was replaced by a look of mild annoyance.

Soujin knelt slightly with heavy breathing. The maneuver had drained him more than he liked it to. Sweat trickled down his brow. He forced himself to stand tall with his blade still steady despite the tremor in his muscles. “You’re not the only one who can shape Mystcry,” he said

Ginger’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so? Then why do you look like you’re about to keel over?”

Soujin’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “You should worry less about me... and more about whether you can handle what’s next.”

Soujin internally grimaced. ‘Why the hell did I say that? he thought while nearly laughing at himself. ‘Real inspiring, Captain, especially when your Mystcry is about to tap out.’

He shifted his stance and glanced toward Ginger. Her aura was steady, and her Mystcry which was low earlier now seemed pretty high to him.

“How the hell did she pull this off?” he mused. “Did she bait me into wasting all that energy? Damn it, Soujin, focus!”

His eyes flicked to the sidelines where Bellar stood with her arms crossed. Her gaze was cast down, but as if sensing his stare, she glanced up and locked eyes with him. The moment was brief, but in it, he saw her determination, and her worry.

Soujin straightened with his resolve hardening. “I don’t care how low my Mystcry is. There’s too much riding on this. Bellar, Cera... everyone in Squad 3 is counting on me to win. I ain’t gonna lose my squad by letting this drag on.”

He tightened his grip on his blade. The wind around him beginning to stir again. It wasn’t as fierce as before, but it carried a sharper edge.

Ginger arched an eyebrow with an untamed grin. “Still got some fight in you, huh? You’re a beast, and I love that, but I’ve already marked you from shoulder to toe. Every hit from here on is gonna tear through you like a lion’s fang.”

Soujin smirked. “Talk all you want, Empress. I’ve got one good attack left in me... and I’m gonna make it count. For Cera’s sake.”

Ginger’s grin widened,. “You’re like a cornered panther now - fierce, dangerous and oddly captivating. Let’s see if you’ve got the bite to match that roar.”

Soujin thrust his blade forward and shouted,

“Sword Magic Level 3: Kaze no Monogatari!”

Soujin’s blade seemed to dissolve into the storm itself, becoming an extension of the raging wind. A continuous spiral of wind encased the sword, growing so intense that it distorted the light around it.

The green hue of the sword deepened into an iridescent emerald with streaks of gold flickering within the swirling wind. The aura was no longer just around the sword. It extended outward, surrounding Soujin in a cyclone of power.

The wind screamed loudly, sending debris flying in all directions. Soujin’s eyes locked onto Ginger, who stood poised but visibly tense.

“You think that’ll scare me?” Ginger. Her own winds whipped around her like protective claws.

Soujin shifted his stance. “Scare you? No. But I’ll make sure you remember this very moment.”

Ginger’s energy erupted. She launched herself forward. Her speed blurred the edges of her body with each step leaving trails of displaced air. Her claws were aimed straight for Soujin’s chest.

Soujin stood motionless. Just when her claws struck, Soujin’s body flickered and vanished.

Ginger’s eyes widened. “What—?!”

A voice echoed behind her. “Your speed and strategy are impressive... but…”

She whirled around, and there he was—above her, suspended mid-air with his blade alight with the fury of a tempest. His emerald-and-gold aura rippled, casting sharp shadows across the battlefield.

Soujin raised his sword high. “The Tale of the Wind is the fastest you’ll ever see!”

Soujin swung his blade downward with an earth-shaking cry. “GALEFORCE!”

A massive, howling blast of wind erupted from his sword, tearing through the battlefield with unparalleled ferocity. The blast was a ferocious emerald and gold vortex that cut through every obstacle in its path.

The ground quaked under the pressure of the Wind. The sheer scale of the technique forced Squad 9 members watching from the sidelines to shield themselves from the gale.

One of the Squad 9 members shouted in disbelief, “What is this power?!”

Another fell to their knees, whispering, “It’s more intense than the Captains!”

Princess gasped with one hand flying over her mouth. “Woah... It’s like a beast unleashed!”

Even Bellar raised an eyebrow, though she looked slightly unsurprised.

Once the winds finally began to settle, the battlefield lay transformed. It was scarred, but still standing. Soujin hovered briefly before descending down with his emerald aura flickering like the dying embers of a storm.

The dust from the aftermath of Galeforce began to settle. Soujin’s breathing was heavy, and his body felt lighter than it had moments before. Despite his exhaustion, his senses were on high alert. His eyes darted around the battlefield, searching for any sign of Ginger's counterattack.

He could feel the sweat trickling down his temple as he grimaced inwardly. ‘Hopefully I caught her off guard...’ he thought. ‘She might have raised her sword magic to a higher level, or worse—she could’ve tapped into her Sword God form...’

The silence stretched on. The winds died down, but his muscles remained tense. The whirlwind Soujin had conjured was fading, and through the thinning dust, he caught sight of her.

Ginger was on the ground.

Her body lay still, sprawled at an awkward angle. Soujin blinked. Was his eyes playing tricks on him? The same claws of force that had matched him were gone. Her sword magic, was undone, leaving her massive sword on the ground beside her.

The marks that had once lit up Soujin’s skin were also gone.

Soujin’s jaw slackened. No, he wasn’t seeing things. “I... actually caught her off-guard?”

He exhaled and allowed himself a moment of relief.” It worked... it fucking worked…hell yeah!”

The Squad 9’s members, who had been eagerly watching the battle unfold were visibly disappointed. The smug expressions they had worn moments earlier became scowls and furrowed brows.

Whispers began to spread through the ranks. Some of them had been hoping for a chance to finally establish their squad as the dominant force in the Divine Blades. At the center of this tension stood three women, all of them towering figures in their own right.

One of them, a fiery redhead stood at the front of the group. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She had been one of the most vocal supporters of Ginger's plan to take down Squad.. "Damn it! We were supposed to own them. Squad 9 was gonna finally have people to boss around."

Behind her, a tall woman with striking green hair sighed deeplyt. Her posture was more relaxed, but the defeat was written clearly on her features. “Ginger lost to that…’man’…”

Not far from them, a woman with golden-yellow hair and a much livelier disposition turned toward the redhead with her eyes narrowing. "It’s only because Ginger got caught off guard! That’s all. It’s not over yet. We can still get them next time!"

Squad 9 expected Squad 3 to crumble under Ginger’s power. But now? The reality of their defeat began to sink in.

Meanwhile, Bellar, standing at the sidelines noticed the tension in Squad 9’s ranks and the undercurrent of dissatisfaction that rippled through them.

“Ain’t no way that was ever gonna happen,” Bellar called. She cocked her head slightly, letting her words sink into the minds of Squad 9. "You thought this was gonna be the moment? Soujin wasn’t gonna lose to that bitch. We ain’t gonna be your lapdogs. Not now, not ever.”

The green-haired woman shifted uncomfortably behind the others. The redhead, on the other hand, had her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She shot a glare at Bellar and Soujin, but could only make a low growl. "You may have won today, but this ain’t over. You hear me?”

Bellar grinned. “Is that so?” she said. Her voice now dripped with sarcasm. “So, you’re gonna go on and on about how this ain’t over?” She raised an eyebrow. Her gaze flicked over to the redhead, then to the others. “Tell me, do I really have to beat all your asses again to make my point? Because trust me, I’ve already wrecked every single one of you in the gauntlet. I even took down your lieutenant.”

Just when Bellar’s words began to sink in, a low growl suddenly came from the shadows. All eyes snapped toward the source, and from the mist that had settled on the battlefield, a massive lion appeared, stepping forward into the light.

Its golden mane seemed to ripple with a strange energy. Its eyes locked onto Soujin with an intensity that could rival the most seasoned warriors.

What truly shocked Soujin, though, was the uniform that adorned this beast. It wasn’t just any armor—it was a modified Divine Blades uniform which was designed to fit its massive frame.

The lion let out a deafening roar as it stood before Ginger. The sound echoed through the arena, shaking the air and rattling the nerves of those nearby.

Soujin’s eyes narrowed. He had been ready to put out the fire Bellar was starting with squad 9, but now? He felt like he was staring at an iceberg, clueless about how deep the water really went.

"A lion with a Divine blade’s uniform…? Just what in the hell is going on here?”