CHAPTER-24 The Butcher of Hanjoshi

Then the sun rose, and the village began to stir as its people prepared for their daily routines. Razor and his squad stood at the village's entrance, ready to depart, while Masahi escorted them. As they walked, Masahi said, "Take care, young man. Remember what I told you—it's our right to remember the past of these lands."

Razor nodded in agreement, and they continued their departure.

Reena sighed. "I'm hungry. I want to eat something. Oye, Razor, can we stay for breakfast? I promise it won't take long. After breakfast, we'll leave as soon as possible."

Shin, in his usual deadpan tone, replied, "No. Last night, you ate enough food for three people. How can you still be hungry?"

Reena's cheeks turned red. "Oye, Shin! It's not good manners to measure how much a girl eats!"

Shin sighed. "Girl? What girl?"

Reena, now fuming, shouted, "Oye, Shin! Do you want to die by my hands?!"

Razor interrupted, "Hey, guys, stop fighting. We need to go. It's already late."

As the squad resumed their departure, Reena sobbed dramatically. "Bye-bye, my delicious food. I will try to come again to eat you. Until then, don't feel lonely, okay?"

Listening to Reena's nonsense, Shin said with a serious voice, "Is your brain even working? How can food feel lonely, you idiot?"

Reena furiously shouted, "SHUT UP!"

As they moved forward, Razor suddenly heard someone calling his name. Turning back, he was surprised to see Yuki standing there, giving them a warm sendoff. She called out, "Renjiro, take care! If you want, you can visit our village again. I can show you around next time. And if, if, if you really come, I will introduce you to my son!"

Razor's heart warmed at her words. He smiled and replied, "Sure, Yuki. I'll visit again."

Yuki blushed slightly and smiled back. "Yes, sure! Take care on your way back."

Razor waved with a heartfelt smile as he walked away from the village. Reena, however, smirked and said mockingly, "Ooooo hoooo, Razor, you flirt! Who is she? What did you do last night? And why did you tell her your real name? Ooooooo, I see you fell in lov—"

Before she could finish, Razor gave her a head chop to shut her up. "Shut up, Reena."

Reena's eyes teared up. "Oye! You monster! How dare you hit a defenseless and cute girl! You heartless monsters!"

Razor and Shin said at the same time, "Girl? Where?"

Reena yelled, "AAAAAA! Stop that, you idiot Razor and idiot Shin!"

Meanwhile, aboard a ship heading to Beastman Island, Hataki and his team sailed through the early morning mist. Most of the crew were still asleep, but Hataki and Ken sat in the meeting room, sipping coffee and discussing their approach upon arrival.

Ginrou entered, stretching his arms. "How are you guys holding up?"

Ken nodded. "Yeah, we're good. Thanks for asking."

Ginrou sat across from them. "How much longer until we reach Beastman Island?"

"Two to three days," Ginrou replied. "Unless we hit a storm."

Ken sighed. "Let's hope we don't."

Ginrou pulled out a chair and sat across from them, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he finally spoke. "Sir Hataki, Ken... How strong is this man, Razor?"

Hataki narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why do you ask now, of all times?"

Ginrou's fingers tapped lightly against the wooden table. "When I first encountered him, he nearly killed my men. And from what I heard, he fought all of you and still managed to escape. If he appears again, we need to be ready. To do that, we must analyze his strength."

Ken gave a solemn nod. "You're right. If he returns, the situation could escalate. We need to be prepared. What exactly do you want to know about him, Ginrou?"

Ginrou's gaze sharpened. "It may not seem important, but I'm curious—why do you call him Razor? Is that his real name?"

Ken's expression darkened. "No. His real name is Renjiro. But people gave him the name Razor."

Ginrou's curiosity deepened. "Why is that?"

Hataki exhaled and leaned back. "Maybe I should tell you about one of his missions. That might help you understand his strength."

RAZOR'S PAST MISSION

A luxury car sped through the city streets, its tinted windows shielding the man inside. He lounged in the back seat, sipping wine, his sunglasses reflecting the neon lights of Hanjoshi. His phone buzzed, and he answered lazily.

"Sir Shiro," a voice reported. "As you ordered, we intercepted the Novare Organization's transport van and secured the power serum vials. They're currently stored in our hideout on the outskirts of Hanjoshi. The dealer is ready to make the trade."

Shiro smirked. "Good. I'm on my way. Keep all sixty men on high alert. Make the dealer comfortable—he's our treasure chest."

"Understood, sir."

Meanwhile, at the safe house, guards patrolled the premises, their weapons loaded. Inside, the dealer, a man named John, lounged on a plush sofa, swirling a glass of liquor in his hand. Growing impatient, he scowled at one of the men.

"Hey, you! Have the vials arrived? I don't have all day."

The man bowed his head. "Yes, sir John. They're here. Sir Shiro himself is coming here to trade ."

John chuckled darkly. "Oh? I'm curious to see what power I'll gain." His expression shifted to one of cruel amusement. "I'm getting bored. When I'm bored, I like to... entertain myself. Give me one of your men. I'm sure your boss won't mind."

The guard flinched but stammered, "S-Sir, we captured a man when we raided the van. Perhaps he would suffice?"

John's grin widened. "Perfect. Bring him to me."

A few minutes later, a bloodied captive was dragged into the room. His head hung low, concealing his face. John's eyes gleamed as he examined him. "Nice build. Strip his shirt, put him on his knees, and give me a metal rod. I want to see how much he can endure."

The men obeyed without hesitation. As John tested the weight of the rod, Shiro finally arrived, his voice laced with irritation. "John, show some restraint. You'll make a mess."

John scoffed. "Oh, come on, Shiro. I haven't even started yet. Just one minute, and then we'll get back to business."

Shiro sighed, stepping closer to the captive. "Fine, whatever. Let me at least see who—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his entire body freezing as he lifted the man's face. A chill crawled up his spine, his skin turning pale as terror took hold.

"It... it's... Renji... Renjiro..."

John's eyes lit up with excitement. "Renjiro? Well, well. It's always fun to kill a big-shot."

But Shiro had already stumbled backward, his voice trembling. "K-kill him! Now! Everyone, kill him!"

As John raised the rod to strike, a sharp metallic snap echoed through the room. In an instant, the chains binding Renjiro shattered. Before anyone could react, the steel links coiled around John's neck like a viper, and with a single pull, Renjiro crushed his throat. The lifeless body slumped to the ground.

Chaos erupted. Bullets flew, but Renjiro moved like a ghost, weaving through the storm of gunfire. He grabbed a machete from John's corpse and tore through the armed men with terrifying precision. Limbs severed. Blood painted the walls. The room became a slaughterhouse.

His first targets were the gunmen. He carved through them, slicing arms, legs—any limb that held a weapon. He was a force of nature, a monster reveling in the hunt. The ground became a crimson sea of severed heads and scattered limbs. The scent of death hung thick in the air as he advanced toward Shiro.

Shiro trembled, his legs barely holding him up as Renjiro, drenched in the blood of his men, loomed over him.

Renjiro drove the machete into Shiro's leg. The man's scream echoed through the ruined safe house.

"Why did you betray Sir Genta?" Renjiro's voice was ice.

Shiro sobbed, his voice quivering. "H-how did you know?!"

Without hesitation, Renjiro yanked the blade free and impaled the other leg. Shiro's screams intensified.

"Did you think Sir Genta wouldn't notice? You had the vials stolen before they even reached the organization's hands. You used local bandits to stage the attack, but you were sloppy. You got caught. So I made sure to be inside that van myself."

Tears streamed down Shiro's face. "Please... I won't do it again... Spare me..."

Renjiro's expression darkened. "How dare you steal from Sir Genta?"

"P-please—"

Before Shiro could finish, the machete flashed. His head hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Renjiro exhaled. "You're too noisy."

BACK IN THE MEETING ROOM

Hataki leaned back, his expression unreadable. "That's why they call him Razor. With just one machete, he killed sixty men. When the organization men to make a report arrived, they couldn't even tell which body parts belonged to whom, they named the incident The Butcher of Hanjoshi."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Ginrou, drenched in sweat, swallowed hard. "So... we're up against a monster."