chapter 41: The Thorned Reaper

Chapter 41: The Thorned Reaper

The moon hung high, casting long shadows across the ruined courtyard. The masked figure stood motionless, the silver thorns of their whips glinting under the pale light. One whip slithered across the ground, the other coiled around their arm like a living snake. The third—hidden inside Rin's own shadow—remained unseen, lying in wait.

Rin's breath was steady. His grip on the dagger in his right hand tightened. Selena was bleeding, but still standing. Ray, tense beside them, cracked his knuckles.

The air grew thick with anticipation.

Then, the figure moved.

In a blur, the first whip lashed toward Rin's face. He twisted to the side, feeling the razor-sharp thorns slice through the air where his eye had been a second ago. Before he could counter, the second whip snapped toward his ribs.

Too fast. Too unpredictable.

He barely managed to sidestep, but the tip of the metal whip still tore into his jacket, cutting into his skin. Blood trickled down his side.

Selena, already reading the attack, threw two daggers mid-dodge. **Her aim was perfect—**but the masked figure flicked their wrist, intercepting both with the hidden whip emerging from Rin's shadow.

Selena's eyes widened. "That thing—it's reacting before we attack."

The figure chuckled. "Of course it is."

Rin's mind sharpened. The whips weren't just weapons. They were like extra limbs, constantly moving, unpredictable. They attacked from multiple angles—blind spots he couldn't cover alone.

And one was always lurking in the shadows.

Ray suddenly lunged, aiming for the masked figure's ribs. His fists were fast, heavy—a direct brawler's charge.

The figure responded with terrifying precision.

The first whip wrapped around Ray's wrist, twisting unnaturally. Before he could react, the second lashed toward his legs.

Ray barely had time to grunt before his feet were yanked out from under him. He crashed onto the ground.

The figure tilted their head, watching him struggle. "Strong, but sloppy."

Selena dashed forward, using Ray's fall as a distraction. She spun low, sweeping her leg for a takedown.

The figure stepped back gracefully, but Rin was already moving.

He lunged from behind, slashing toward their throat.

For the first time, the masked figure seemed genuinely surprised.

Rin had calculated the exact moment when their whips were occupied.

His dagger was just inches away.

But at the last second, the third whip—hidden in his shadow—lashed out.

It coiled around his wrist, locking him in place.

His eyes widened. The trap had been set before the battle even began.

The figure jerked their hand.

Rin felt himself yanked sideways, his body twisting unnaturally.

The moment his feet left the ground, the second whip came down like a guillotine.

A silver blur aimed straight for his heart.

The whip stopped mid-air.

Selena had intercepted it, catching the thorned weapon with her dagger. Her hands trembled from the force.

The figure clicked their tongue. "Persistent."

Ray, still on the ground, gritted his teeth. His muscles flexed, and with sheer brute strength, he yanked his trapped arm free from the whip.

The masked figure barely reacted before Ray swung his entire body weight forward, landing a vicious punch against their ribcage.

A solid crack rang out.

The masked figure staggered.

Rin, seizing the opening, twisted the shadow whip around his wrist, reversing the force.

With all his might, he pulled.

The whip's own momentum betrayed its master.

For the first time, the masked figure lost their balance. Their foot slid forward.

Selena, already anticipating it, lunged with three daggers at once.

Two were feints. The real strike came from below.

The masked figure reacted too late.

The dagger sliced deep into their side.

Blood splattered onto the cobblestone.

A sharp breath escaped them. Their first wound of the night.

Rin's smirk was faint but victorious. "Not so untouchable after all."

The masked figure took a slow step back, their breathing heavy. The silver thorns of their whips dripped with crimson.

They weren't laughing anymore.

Then—without a word—they retreated.

The whips snapped backward, coiling up, vanishing into the shadows. Within seconds, the masked figure had disappeared into the night.

Ray exhaled hard. "Damn. That thing's fast."

Selena wiped blood from her lips. "And dangerous."

Rin simply watched where they had vanished.

He touched the cut on his ribs. Their unpredictability was their greatest weapon. But now, they had made a mistake.

They could be hurt.

Which meant they could be killed.

Scene 3: The Whispering Underground

Back at their hideout, Selena finished bandaging her wounds. Ray slumped against the couch, arms crossed.

Ezra, who had arrived earlier, studied their injuries. "The masked one, huh?"

Selena nodded. "They're more than just some random assassin."

Charlotte, standing by the window, frowned. "Then who are they?"

Rin exhaled. "Someone important."

Ezra tapped her fingers on the table. "I heard something interesting while you were gone. Apparently, this year's Blood Hunt isn't just a normal purge."

Selena raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ezra's lips curled. "Someone paid to have certain people included."

The room fell silent.

Rin's eyes narrowed. "So someone wants us dead."

Ezra nodded.

Charlotte looked uneasy. "Do you know who?"

Ezra sighed. "Not yet. But whoever it is, they have money and influence. Enough to pull strings in the academy."

Rin leaned back against the wall, deep in thought.

The masked figure wasn't just hunting them for sport.

They were sent.

By someone who wanted them erased.

Rin clenched his fists.

That meant two things.

First—they weren't getting out of this without a fight.

And second—he would make sure whoever set this up paid the price.