A Shadow In The Dark
The whispers hadn't stopped.
Even as the next battles took place, even as steel clashed against steel, Jin Tae-Hyun's name was on every tongue.
"Did you see how he moved?"
"He was never that fast before. That wasn't normal swordplay…"
"Is it possible he was just hiding his strength all this time?"
Seo Joon-Hak stood with his arms crossed, listening to the murmurs around him.
Jin Tae-Hyun.
A fool. A disgrace. A noble without the strength to back up his arrogance.
That was the man Seo Joon-Hak knew.
But the one who stood in the arena today?
That wasn't the same man.
His movements had been sharp, his strikes precise—too precise. There was no hesitation, no wasted motion.
That wasn't a warrior's technique.
That was a killer's.
Seo Joon-Hak's fingers tightened around his sword hilt.
Something was wrong.
And he was going to find out what.
---
The Second Match Begins
Kaito rolled his shoulders as he stepped back onto the battlefield. His first fight had been a statement—a message that he wasn't the same Jin Tae-Hyun these people thought he was.
But he wasn't done yet.
He needed more.
More victories. More control. More fear in the eyes of those who once looked down on him.
And his next opponent would be the perfect target.
"Jin Tae-Hyun versus Baek Hwan!"
This time, the murmurs grew louder.
Baek Hwan was no ordinary disciple. He was a skilled swordsman, ranked among the top fifty. A man known for his speed and relentless pressure in combat.
If Kaito could crush him…
Then the entire sect would have no choice but to take him seriously.
Baek Hwan stepped forward, a confident grin on his face.
"You got lucky in your first match," he said, drawing his blade. "But let's see how well you handle a real fighter."
Kaito met his gaze, his own expression unreadable.
Luck?
He almost laughed.
No.
There was no luck in assassination.
Only certainty.
Elder Baek raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Baek Hwan vanished.
No hesitation, no wasted movement—he rushed forward in an instant, his blade a streak of silver in the air.
Fast.
Much faster than Seong-Min.
But still too predictable.
Kaito stepped into the attack.
Baek Hwan's eyes widened in shock—he wasn't expecting his opponent to advance instead of retreat.
Kaito's sword shot out, aiming for his wrist. A quick, precise cut meant to disable rather than kill.
Baek Hwan barely twisted in time to block. Their swords clashed in a spray of sparks.
Kaito moved again.
A sharp pivot. A sudden shift in weight.
He kicked Baek Hwan's knee.
The swordsman faltered for half a second.
That was all Kaito needed.
With a fluid motion, he slid behind him—his wooden sword pressing against Baek Hwan's exposed throat.
"...I win."
Silence.
Baek Hwan's breathing was uneven, his pride shattered.
He had lost.
Not in minutes.
Not even in seconds.
He had lost the moment Kaito stepped into the fight.
---
An Unseen Danger
As Kaito left the arena, he felt it.
A presence.
Not one of the murmuring disciples.
Not one of the watching elders.
Something else.
A gaze—cold, calculating, filled with something deeper than curiosity.
He turned his head slightly.
In the shadows, beyond the sect leader's balcony, a hooded figure stood.
Watching him.
Kaito's grip on his sword tightened.
That wasn't an ordinary observer.
And whoever they were…
They had just taken interest in him.