THESE PIECES OF CLOTH ARE USELESS? ATTACKED BY THE SAI WIELDING SIBLINGS

With May leading the way, she and Shadow arrived at a bustling market built beneath the surface of a crumbling city district. The underground armory and weaponry market buzzed with activity—vendors shouting prices, blacksmiths hammering steel, and customers haggling over gear.

"This is the place," May said, glancing around. "But, uh… I doubt five thousand silver coins will get you anything good here."

Shadow didn't seem fazed. "Doesn't matter. Some protection is better than none."

They approached a merchant's stall stacked with weapons, helmets, and armor scraps. The merchant—an older man with soot-stained gloves—was inspecting a half-finished chest plate when he noticed Shadow's arrival.

"What the bloody hell?!" he gasped, stumbling backward. "A shadow without a body—in broad daylight?! I must be hallucinating…"

"It's been a while," May said casually, offering a friendly smile.

The merchant blinked, still stunned. "May? Is that you? You look well. What brings you here?"

"Just traveling," she replied. "And now I've got a companion who needs gear."

"I see. You should be careful. Word is, monsters are on the rise. A whole village got wiped out last week."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I've heard."

She pulled out the pouch of silver coins. "We've got five thousand. What can that get us?"

The merchant sighed. "That's barely five hundred gold coins. Maybe… a cloth robe and a light helmet."

"What about that helmet?" she pointed to one on the table.

"Lightweight. Not much for protection, but good mobility."

"Fine. We'll take that," May said.

While they spoke, Shadow's eyes drifted to a set of reinforced knuckles resting on a velvet cloth. He picked them up, feeling the weight in his hand.

"I'll take these too. That should be covered by the coins."

The merchant stared at him like he was seeing a demon. "I wasn't hallucinating… You really are a demon from the shadow realm."

"He's not a demon," May said firmly. "He's… complicated. Just leave it at that."

The merchant didn't argue, but his hands trembled as he wrapped the items.

Outside, Shadow examined the robe and helmet. "These won't protect me from Lynx's bodyguards. They're basically made of cloth."

"You're the one who said anything is better than nothing," May replied. "Want better gear? You'll need to win more matches."

Shadow slipped into the robe and helmet. The shadows of his form seemed to fuse with the fabric, making it hard to tell where the armor ended and he began.

"Did he just… merge with it?" May muttered to herself. "Weird. But kind of cool."

"You're right," Shadow said, already turning away. "Let's return to the dojo. When night falls, we go back to the tournament and earn more coins."

They didn't get far.

As they neared the dojo's outer forest, Shadow froze. His senses flared.

"We're being watched."

Two figures emerged from the trees, stepping into the light—one male, one female. Both were dressed in tight, dark outfits and carried a pair of gleaming sai.

"You were right, sis," the man said, twirling his weapons. "Lynx said he had sharp senses."

"He's got the instincts. But does he have the skills to match?" said the woman, cracking her neck.

"I don't care why you're here," Shadow said coldly. "Just make your move."

"You heard him, brother," the woman smirked. "Let's go!"

She lunged forward, her sai aiming for his chest. Shadow sidestepped and slammed his knuckle-clad fist into her jaw with an uppercut, sending her flying.

The man retaliated immediately, ramming his knee into Shadow's gut and following up with two quick stabs of his sai. Shadow staggered backward, gritting his teeth—but strangely, no wounds appeared.

May gasped. "He got stabbed! But… there's no blood?"

Shadow didn't wait. He lunged at the man, throwing a flurry of punches—but the woman was quick to recover. She dived from behind, aiming to pierce his ankle.

Shadow jumped, flipping mid-air.

But the man anticipated it, delivering a spinning kick that sent Shadow tumbling across the ground.

"Come on, Shadow," May urged under her breath. "You can't lose now."

The man sneered. "Looks like Lynx was wrong. He's not a threat at all."

"Let's finish him together," said the woman.

They charged, perfectly synchronized.

Shadow, now recovered, dodged the man's strike and twisted away from the woman's attack. He leapt, twisting his body midair, and slammed his helmet-covered head into the woman's skull. She collapsed, unconscious.

"How dare you hurt my sister!" the man growled.

He went berserk, stabbing wildly. Shadow dodged—but not everything. One sai stabbed deep into his shoulder. The man laughed triumphantly.

"Got you!"

Shadow didn't flinch. "No. I got you."

With his free hand, he grabbed the man by the collar and smashed his fist into his face.

The man reeled backward.

Shadow followed with an assault—uppercuts, hooks, jabs, and brutal headbutts. His fists moved like lightning, each blow faster and more punishing than the last. The man stumbled, eyes rolling, then collapsed beside his sister, motionless.

From behind a distant tree, a pair of glowing eyes watched.

"Amazing," May whispered, stunned. "Two elite assassins… and he beat them in minutes."

Shadow stood over the bodies, breathing heavily.

"What's your goal, Lynx?" he muttered. "That you can find me wherever I go? Or is it more than that?"

He clenched his fists, eyes burning with resolve. "Whatever it is… I'll get strong enough to stop you. I'll avenge Kenji. And I'll take my body back."

Miles away, in the dark halls of a shattered tower, Lynx watched through a scrying crystal. His cloak fluttered in the breeze.

"The more he fights, the stronger he becomes," he murmured. "He's getting interesting…"

He turned to a hulking figure in the corner of the room—a massive man with arms like boulders and veins bulging from every inch of his body.

"Brick," Lynx said. "Why don't you go pay him a visit? Let's see how our shadow handles brute strength."

Brick grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Finally," he said, voice like thunder. "I was getting bored watching. Time to crush that weakling."

He laughed as he walked away, footsteps shaking the floor beneath him.