chapter 44:The predator's shadow

Chapter 44: The Predator's Shadow

The Underground Coliseum was still vibrating with energy from Rin's victory. Coins clattered as bets were paid, voices clashed over drinks, and the bloodied sand bore silent witness to the brutal fight that had just unfolded.

Rin stood in the center of it all, catching his breath as the adrenaline slowly drained from his veins. The metallic taste of blood lingered in his mouth, but the ache in his ribs was nothing compared to the satisfaction of standing victorious over Boris, the former champion.

Valdo strode toward him, clapping his hands in slow, deliberate applause. "Well, Ryukai, I'll admit—I wasn't expecting that thought you were only a businessman if i tell you I did not guess something strange I'd be a lier too." He grinned, baring sharp teeth. "You fight dirty. I respect that."

Rin exhaled, rolling his shoulder. "You fight to win. That's all that matters."

Valdo let out a short laugh. "Damn right. But you've made yourself a spectacle. A lot of eyes are on you now. Some… less friendly than others."

Rin already knew that. He could feel them. Watching. Waiting.

Edmund Verrain was here.

He didn't know from where, or from what angle, but he knew.

The man moved like a ghost—silent, precise, never seen until the moment of execution.

But Rin had baited him into this place for a reason. The Coliseum was not a battlefield of shadows. It was loud, chaotic, full of moving bodies and shifting lights. The perfect place to force a hunter like Edmund out of his element.

Now, he just had to survive long enough to make use of it.

Rin moved toward the exit of the fighting pit, Valdo trailing behind. But before he could step past the archway leading into the back halls, he felt it.

A shift in the air.

The sound of something slicing.

Rin didn't think—he moved.

He twisted sharply to the left, barely dodging as a metallic whip sliced through the air where his neck had been moments ago.

It wasn't just any whip.

It was thorned.

Long, coiling strands of serrated metal that lashed out like a viper, attacking from unpredictable angles.

Rin landed in a crouch, heart hammering. His eyes darted to the direction of the strike.

A man stood atop the Coliseum's archways, perched like a predator studying its prey.

He was clad in dark, close-fitting attire, his coat flowing with the slightest movements. A pair of three thorned metal whips coiled in his grip, reflecting the dim lantern light.

Two of them were visible. The third? Hidden.

Rin's mind clicked into place.

The hidden whip—it attacks from the shadow.

Edmund tilted his head, his voice as smooth as silk. "Impressive." His tone carried neither praise nor mockery—just curiosity.

Valdo's grin widened as he backed away. "Oh-ho. Looks like your little trap worked, Ryukai."

Rin didn't take his eyes off Edmund. His stance remained low, muscles coiled, prepared for the next strike.

"Edmund Verrain," Rin said calmly. "I was wondering when you'd show yourself."

Edmund merely smirked. "You made such a mess of things, I couldn't resist."

Without warning, he moved.

Edmund's whips lashed out, striking from three different angles at once.

One from above. One from the side. And the third—

From his own shadow.

Rin felt it before he saw it. His instincts screamed.

He twisted his body, barely avoiding the first two strikes. The third—the hidden one—came from below, slashing upward toward his ribs.

Rin kicked off the ground, flipping backward.

The whip barely grazed him, cutting through the edge of his coat.

Edmund landed smoothly on the arena floor, watching Rin's movements with sharp eyes. "Your reaction speed is better than I expected."

Rin landed in a crouch, exhaling. "You're slower than I expected."

A lie.

Edmund was fast. But Rin needed to get in his head.

Edmund's smirk didn't waver, but his fingers curled slightly around his whips.

Valdo, still watching from the side, let out a low whistle. "Damn. I almost feel bad for you, Ryukai."

Rin ignored him. His mind was already racing.

How do you fight a man who attacks from your own blind spots?

Answer?

You don't dodge. You predict.

Edmund moved again, his whips dancing through the air like living serpents.

Instead of retreating, Rin moved forward.

Edmund's eyes flashed with brief surprise, but he adjusted instantly. His whips changed course, aiming for Rin's new position.

Rin's movements were precise—he wasn't trying to dodge everything. That was impossible.

Instead, he was tracking Edmund's movements, watching the pattern of the whips, feeling the rhythm.

Edmund's attacks weren't random. They looked unpredictable—but every fighter had a tell.

A shift of the shoulder. A flick of the wrist. A change in breathing.

Rin had spent his whole life analyzing people. And Edmund was no exception.

The hidden whip struck again—emerging from the shadow beneath him.

Rin didn't jump. He didn't dodge.

He grabbed it.

The crowd gasped.

Edmund's eyes widened. For the first time, his composure broke.

Rin smirked. "Found it."

Then he yanked.

The hidden whip jerked, pulling Edmund off balance.

Rin launched forward.

His fist crashed into Edmund's face.

A solid hit.

Edmund stumbled back, his feet skidding against the sand.

The crowd erupted.

Valdo let out a roaring laugh. "Holy shit!"

Edmund wiped a thin line of blood from his lip. His expression was no longer amused.

He twirled his whips, resetting his stance. His eyes burned with a different kind of intensity now.

The look of a hunter who had just found an opponent worth killing.

Rin cracked his knuckles.

"Round two?" he asked.

Edmund's lips curled into a slow, predatory grin.

"Oh, Ryukai. We're just getting started."