The rustling of leaves echoed across the empty street. Suddenly, a dark figure descended from above, landing lightly on the ground. Despite its large frame, the landing was silent, as though the weight of the body defied gravity.
Kayden lifted his head, his sharp gaze locking onto the figure. A bald monk with a thick, unruly beard stood before them. The monk’s face gleamed with oil, his tall frame easily towering over six feet. He wore a saffron robe draped loosely over his body, exposing part of his bare chest. A large string of prayer beads hung around his neck, and in his hand, he held a staff engraved with intricate symbols.
The monk raised one hand to his lips in a gesture of calm, while his other hand gripped the staff. Bowing slightly, he chanted, “Amitabha! Blessings to you both. Might I ask if I could share some karmic fate with you?”
Kayden eyed the monk with a cold, calculating expression. Without missing a beat, he asked, “What do you want?”
The monk chuckled, his voice deep and resonant. “I want your lives. Would you be so kind as to grant them to me?”
Direct and straightforward-no time wasted on pleasantries. Such bluntness almost earned the monk a sliver of Kayden’s respect. With a faint smile, Kayden replied, “I’m willing to give it. The question is, can you take it?”
“Oh?” The monk’s face darkened, his expression sharpening into something more sinister. “Then let me see how you plan to keep your life.”
As his words fell, the atmosphere shifted. Beneath the dim streetlights, a chilling killing intent spread across the road, seeping into the night sky like an ominous fog.
Wood Faulkner stepped forward, her dagger gleaming in her grasp. Her voice was cold, her tone biting. “You’re not qualified to take our lives.”
The monk burst into laughter, his booming voice reverberating in the stillness. “As a woman, you should stay home, sew some clothes, cook some meals. Playing with knives and swords? Dangerous business. What if you accidentally hurt yourself?”
He pointed his staff at Kayden and taunted, “I don’t fight women. Let him step forward.”
Wood’s face hardened, her voice low and menacing. “You’re not qualified to face Mr. Scott.”
Without hesitation, she launched herself at the monk, her movements swift as lightning. Her dagger streaked through the air, aimed directly at his chest. Yet the monk remained unfazed, his hand still raised in a gesture of calm.
“Amitabha,” he murmured as her blade closed in.
At the last moment, his staff intercepted her dagger with a resounding clang, sparks flying where their weapons collided.
“Your heart is clouded with murderous intent,” the monk said, his voice calm yet condescending. “Why not lay down your blade and find enlightenment?”
Wood snarled, refusing to back down. She struck again and again, her movements sharp and precise. Yet each time, the monk’s staff met her blade with effortless precision. His defense was seamless, his movements composed. The gap between their skill levels was glaringly obvious.
After a relentless flurry of attacks, Wood found herself locked in another stalemate. The monk, still exuding an air of superiority, sighed. “Since you refuse to lay down your weapon, I will help you achieve enlightenment.”
With a sudden twist of his staff, a burst of visible energy erupted from it, striking Wood squarely in the chest. She tried to block, but it was too late. The force sent her flying backward with a cry of pain.
Kayden darted forward, catching her before she hit the ground. Wood’s face was pale, her voice trembling. “Mr. Scott… I’m sorry, I…”
A mouthful of blood spilled from her lips, staining her clothes and the ground beneath them. The sheer power of the monk’s attack was evident in her injuries.
“It’s nothing,” Kayden said gently, his voice steady as he patted her back. His expression remained calm, his composure unshaken. Setting her down carefully, he turned his cold gaze to the monk.
Drawing his jagged blade, he asked in a voice like ice, “Who sent you to kill me? Speak, and I’ll spare your life.”
The monk’s expression grew grim as he studied Kayden. “Sir, your murderous intent is overwhelming. I came only to share karmic fate. I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Kayden nodded faintly. “Very well. If you don’t understand, there’s no need for more words. You like sharing fate, don’t you? Let me share this blade with you.”
With that, Kayden hurled his blade with terrifying force. The weapon seemed to carry the weight of the heavens, its momentum like an unstoppable tidal wave.
The monk raised his staff to block the attack, but the blade’s power was relentless. The shockwave of its impact forced the monk to take a step back. His confidence began to waver as he muttered under his breath, “How can this be?”
Layer upon layer of force pressed down on him, each wave stronger than the last. The monk’s initial arrogance crumbled as he realized the blade was no ordinary weapon. It felt like a predator, tearing through his defenses and dragging him toward certain doom.
“Kill!” Kayden’s voice thundered as he stomped his foot, unleashing another surge of power. The blade roared forward, shattering the monk’s staff with a deafening crack. A sickening sound followed as the blade pierced his chest, driving deep into his flesh.
The monk staggered, his face etched with disbelief. He clutched at the blade embedded in his chest, his voice trembling. “How… how is this possible?”
The blade pulsed as though alive, feeding on his life force. Kayden stepped forward, his gaze cold and merciless. “You should have accepted your fate the moment you arrived. I don’t understand why idiots like you insist on walking to their own graves.”
With a flick of his wrist, the blade tore free from the monk’s chest, returning to Kayden’s hand.
“This blade missed your heart by one centimeter,” Kayden said, his tone icy. “Next time, it won’t. Use your last breath to enjoy the air around you, baldie. In your next life, don’t be so arrogant. You might not even realize how you die.”
The monk shuddered, his mind consumed by fear. In that moment, he understood what true terror was-a killing machine far beyond anything he could comprehend. He had thought himself a monster, but compared to Kayden, he was nothing.
“Wait!” the monk cried, dropping to one knee and clutching his chest. Blood pooled at his feet as he raised his trembling gaze. “You can’t kill me!”