Part Three

Ki sliced through the final drunken human at the bar with a lethal precision, her laughter echoing wickedly amidst the carnage. Her lips curled into a feral grin as she surveyed the blood-drenched brothel. What had begun as a minor spat had transformed into a grotesque tableau of chaos.

The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood, mingling with the faint sweetness of spilled sake. Shadows danced wildly across the wooden walls as flickering lanterns struggled to illuminate the grisly scene.

Unbothered by the carnage, Ki wiped the blood from her sword in a grotesque flourish—her tongue sliding across the blade with deliberate slowness, savoring the taste as if it were a delicacy. She reached for a jar of sake perched on the counter, her fingers brushing past a severed hand that still gripped the rim. The drink did little to her demonic senses, but the act of drinking had become a curious habit, a vestige of the human skin she inhabited.

The brothel fell silent save for the distant sound of crickets, their chirps cutting through the eerie calm. Ki tipped the jar to her lips, smirking as she savored the rich, smoky taste. The sake slid down her throat—not a sensation she knew, but one she enjoyed nonetheless.

Her sharp senses caught the faintest shift in the air behind her. Without turning, she flung her sword across the room. The weapon whistled through the air before embedding itself in the apparition of Hilde, the blade striking with such force that the wall behind him cracked.

"Where have you been, you wretch?" Ki asked lazily, her voice tinged with venom.

Hilde's form shimmered, the impact of the sword causing his translucent figure to flicker briefly before he reconstituted himself. He grimaced, adjusting his disheveled cloak as he stepped forward.

"Careful, Ki," Hilde muttered, his voice oily. "I'm only a dealmaker. You wouldn't want to kill the messenger, would you?"

Ki scoffed, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Oh, please. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be rotting. Now, what took you so long? It's been three days since our agreement."

Hilde slithered toward the table, his beady eyes darting nervously to the bodies strewn about. "Charming," he muttered before plunging his hand into the chest of a corpse. Dark energy pulsed through his fingers as he greedily absorbed the dead man's demon energy.

"You never change," Ki remarked coldly, pouring herself another drink. "Humans die so easily, yet you still can't resist scraping the scraps."

Hilde straightened, his lips curling into a thin smile. "I like that about you, Ki. You have such a… visceral way of creating opportunity."

"Spare me your flattery," Ki snapped. "Tell me what I need to know, or I'll pin your slimy hide to the floor."

Hilde sighed dramatically, brushing non-existent dust from his tattered robe. "I have good news and bad news," he began, only for Ki to slam him onto the table with inhuman speed. Her clawed fingers pressed against his throat, digging into his flesh.

"Let's skip the bad news," Ki growled, her voice low and menacing. "Just talk, or I'll send you back to the underworld in pieces."

"Alright, alright!" Hilde wheezed, his voice strained. "The magic you seek is Dragon Eye magic. It was used by the ancients to track demons and dragons, but—"

"But what?" Ki interrupted, tightening her grip.

"It's forbidden," Hilde rasped. "Lost to time. But that doesn't mean it's gone. Sometimes, humans are born with it like all. Dragon magic. A rare few. The power leaves them blind—like a curse—but their sight extends beyond the physical. They can see across plains, track beings like you or me."

Ki's crimson eyes glinted with fury. "You're telling me I have to find a blind human? Useless."

"No, no!" Hilde sputtered, his hands clawing at her grip. "There's an old man—Ketun the blind . He lives in the village of Sakuja. He is said to posses this magic, He can help you find the swordsman."

Ki released him with a snarl, shoving him back into the shadows. "If you're lying, I'll gut you and feast on your soul."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hilde muttered, rubbing his bruised neck as his wounds began to close.

"wait, what about the bad news?"

"The bad news? Oh i almost forgot about that, Ketun has also acquired a repetition as a killer of demons, he is a master sword and need I remind you he possess dragon magic? he will not be so easy to convince,"

"Oh, I will take my chances, the odds are always in my favor" grinned ki, summoning her sword with a flick of her wrist.

The weapon flew across the room, sliding into its sheath with a satisfying hiss. She didn't bother to look back as Hilde's form dissipated into mist.

The distant village of Sakuja lay beyond the mountains, but with her demonic speed, she could reach it before midnight.

Ki adjusted her cloak, the fabric rustling like dry leaves. The faint scent of jasmine lingered in the breeze, mingling with the acrid smell of burning incense from the nearby shrines. Somewhere in the distance, the mournful wail of a flute carried through the air—a funeral dirge for those she had slain.

With a burst of inhuman speed, she vanished.