Kaizen felt the panic swelling in his chest as he watched the young man's fear grow more evident.
"Outsider! What do you mean by this?" the young man shouted, voice cracking.
"Why are you going to my house? What do you want?"
Kaizen ignored him completely, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged woman standing nearby.
The tension in the air thickened. Those gathered around hesitated, then instinctively stepped aside, making way for Kaizen.
"Lead the way," Kaizen said firmly.
The woman hesitated, her voice trembling. "Kaizen, can you really find my daughter?"
Kaizen's expression remained cold. "I won't make false promises. I'm not a tracker—I'm a killer. What I can do is eliminate whoever took your daughter."
He let his words linger before continuing, "This is your decision. If you want me to proceed, lead the way."
The woman bit her lip, deliberating for a moment. Finally, she nodded. "Fine."
She turned and began walking, guiding the group toward the young man's home.
...
Arrival at the Young Man's Home
Kaizen's sharp senses were on high alert as they approached a large yard. At the center stood a towering house, imposing and oppressive. Kaizen studied the building closely. The aura of death clung to it like a shroud, eerily familiar to what he had sensed earlier when inspecting the young man's photograph.
His grip tightened on the hilt of the Rotten Knife at his waist. The weapon hummed faintly, its hunger for death palpable. Kaizen's eyes narrowed. So, I was right to come here.
The young man suddenly bolted in front of them, desperation etched across his face.
"You can't come in! This is my house!" he shouted, trying to block the path.
"Auntie, I know you're worried about Jiuna, but I swear she left last night! I'm telling the truth!" His voice cracked again, panic overtaking him. "This guy—he's the real danger! He's trying to confuse you!"
The middle-aged woman faltered, her resolve wavering.
Kaizen, however, was unfazed. With a calm but chilling air, he stepped forward. The killing intent radiating from him was suffocating, forcing the young man to stumble back and fall to the ground.
Kaizen pushed open the creaking gate and strode inside. The air grew colder, the oppressive sense of death stronger with every step.
Confrontation in the House
Inside the dimly lit house, Kaizen's sharp ears picked up faint rustling noises.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind him, and a shadow lunged at him.
Kaizen reacted instantly, drawing the Rotten Knife in one fluid motion.
Clang! The sound of metal meeting metal echoed as the shadow was repelled. Kaizen's eyes narrowed as he took in his assailant—a gaunt, pale figure with bulging eyes and no trace of life in its complexion.
"What the—" Kaizen muttered, his gaze traveling upward. The figure's head was adorned with a grotesque line of skulls, strung together like a centipede, trailing down its back and disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. The oppressive aura emanating from these relics of death made the air thick with malice.
"This must be it," Kaizen muttered, his voice tinged with disgust.
Unveiling the Truth
The creature lunged again, but Kaizen sidestepped with ease.
"For all the death you've absorbed, your fighting techniques are pathetic," he said coldly, deflecting another attack.
With a sudden burst of speed, Kaizen closed the distance, but before he could land a decisive blow, another figure appeared—a towering man with ferocious strength, Raiken.
Raiken didn't hesitate. He grabbed the undead figure and hurled it through the weakened wall with a deafening crash.
Outside, the townsfolk gasped as the monstrous figure was revealed in full view. The line of skulls trailing behind it shimmered faintly in the moonlight, their origins all too obvious.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Is that... him?"
"It can't be!"
"That's... the young man's father..."
The undead figure recoiled, attempting to retreat back into the shadows of the house, but Kaizen stood in its path. His gaze was unyielding.
"No need to run," Kaizen said with a smirk. "Why not let the whole town see what you've become?"
The monstrosity let out a guttural growl, the skulls around it rattling with rage. Kaizen tightened his grip on the Rotten Knife, the weapon thrumming with anticipation.
"You've taken enough lives already," Kaizen said coldly, his aura flaring as he prepared for the final confrontation.
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