Chapter 6: A Throne of Corpses.

The stench of death clung to the air like a thick fog, mixing with the metallic tang of blood. The world had become a wasteland of shattered realms, and Yara moved through it like a phantom, a lone reaper culling anything foolish enough to stand in her way.

She walked through the remains of what was once a grand city, a twisted amalgamation of fantasy castles, cyberpunk skyscrapers, and medieval fortresses. Now, it was nothing but rubble and corpses. The ground beneath her boots was slick with blood, the bodies of warriors, assassins, mages, and monsters littering the streets like discarded puppets.

A man in heavy armor tried to lunge at her from the shadows, his enchanted blade glowing with power he didn't even make it two steps. Yara's sniper rifle was already raised.

BANG.

A perfect shot. A hole where his forehead used to be. His lifeless body slumped forward, blood pooling beneath him. She didn't even spare him a second glance before stepping over his corpse.

Another enemy. A cloaked figure wielding twin daggers, their movements unnaturally fast. But Yara had seen faster. Before they could even close the distance, she fired. The bullet pierced their kneecap, sending them crashing to the ground.

They screamed. but Yara silenced them with another shot.

More came. Some were renowned warriors from legendary manhwas, some were assassins from grimdark donghuas, and others were cursed beings from forgotten mangas. Each believed themselves untouchable, each carried stories of triumph, but none of them mattered here.

One by one, she gunned them down. Her expression never changed.

She weaved through the bodies, unfazed by the chaos around her. Every time someone tried to attack, they were met with swift and brutal execution. Her rifle never missed. Her hands never wavered. Her heart never hesitated.

And then she saw him.

Perched atop a mountain of corpses, a lone figure sat casually amidst the carnage. He wore a tracksuit, his clothes stained with blood, his posture lazy yet controlled. His elbow rested on his knee, one hand lazily wiping a nosebleed from his face. His eyes tired, empty, and void of emotion stared down at the dead beneath him.

He had killed them all.

Yara stopped, her grip on her rifle tightening.

The man exhaled slowly, like he had seen this moment coming. He didn't move, didn't tense. He simply sat there, his expression unreadable, as if he had accepted the horror surrounding him.

Yara raised her rifle.

BANG.

The bullet zipped toward his skull but it never reached.

At the last second, the man tilted his head slightly, the bullet grazing past his ear, tearing through his hair but doing no damage. He didn't even flinch. He just sighed, rubbing his temple like he had a headache.

"…Damn." he muttered. "That's one hell of a greeting."

Yara didn't speak. Her rifle was already aimed again.

The man held up a hand lazily "Alright, alright... Relax. If I wanted to fight. I wouldn't be sitting on a throne of corpses like some shitty final boss."

Yara didn't lower her weapon. Her finger hovered over the trigger, her cold, dead gaze locked onto him.

The man sighed again, standing up. As he did, the bodies beneath him shifted, tumbling down like a grotesque landslide. Thousands of corpses. All slain by him.

"The name's Renji, Renji Sato." he said flatly, Pointing a thumb at his chest.

"And before you shoot me again, no. I don't have some grand reason for being here. I just got dragged into this nightmare like everyone else."

Yara remained silent.

Renji shoved his hands into the pockets of his bloodstained tracksuit, tilting his head slightly. "You don't trust me. Smart. You shouldn't. But I don't trust you either, so I guess we're even."

She didn't care about his words. She cared about actions.

Without hesitation. she pulled the trigger.

BANG.

Renji dodged again. Barely.

"Tch… You really don't waste time." he muttered, stepping off the corpse pile. "Ohhh.. I get it. You're the 'no-nonsense' type. No trust, no alliances, just survival. That's fine. But if I wanted you dead. I wouldn't have let you shoot twice."

Yara narrowed her eyes.

He pointed at the battlefield around them, at the bodies. "Look at this mess. Do you really think you're the only one who can kill?" His gaze darkened. "If you want to pull the trigger again. go ahead. But I promise you, I won't just sit still the third time."

For a long moment, they stood there, the tension suffocating.

Finally, Yara lowered her rifle slightly.

Renji exhaled. "Hah… That's progress. I guess." He kicked a corpse aside and sat on a broken pillar, stretching his neck. "So… what now? Gonna walk away and pretend this conversation never happened?"

Yara turned without a word and began walking.

Renji chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah. Thought so."

As she disappeared into the shadows, Renji ran a hand through his blood-soaked hair, glancing at the battlefield with a grim expression.

"…This whole world is beyond fucked." he muttered.

Elsewhere. Watching. Waiting.

The Narrator leaned forward, elbows on their desk, watching the interaction with intense amusement.

"Oh… ohhh. now this is a pairing I didn't expect." Their smirk widened. "Two killers, two ghosts walking through the end of the world. One ruled by logic, the other by exhaustion."

They leaned back, fingers drumming against their armrest.

"How delightful."

Then. their head tilted slightly, addressing the unseen audience.

"…Do you see? They're still struggling." A dark chuckle escaped their lips. "They still think they have choices. That their actions matter."

They laughed louder.

"They don't know.. do they? They don't know that every path they take leads to the same end."

Their fingers snapped. The screen flickered, distorting, twisting.

"Let's see how far they can run."

The screen shattered, and the chapter ended.