The cold wind howled through the empty streets, snow swirling in the air like restless spirits. Vazar stood before them, his red eyes gleaming with quiet menace, fingers tightening around his twin guns. A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Jin. Shun. I searched for you in every country... You two are good at hiding." His words rolled off his tongue in smooth, precise Russian, the accent sharp and unmistakable.
Jin chuckled, shaking his head. "Who said we were hiding?" He replied effortlessly in the same language, his voice calm, almost amused. "You searched everywhere—except the one place we actually live." He exhaled lightly, a mist of breath vanishing into the freezing air. "Besides, why even bother searching when you had Shun's old number the whole time?" He tilted his head, his tone turning almost teasing. "You know, Vazar… you're just stupid."
Vazar's smirk twitched, but he didn't respond immediately. The storm around them intensified, as if the world itself was bracing for the inevitable.
"I thought you would've changed everything—your names, your identities, your lives." His voice was ice-cold, a hunter who had finally cornered his prey. "Gone into hiding, disappeared completely." He took a step forward, his gaze unyielding. "But it doesn't matter. I've waited for this moment long enough."
Jin sighed, his expression still unreadable. "So this is all for revenge, huh?" His tone was light, almost conversational. "I have to admit, you did an impressive job. The fake video lured us here, then you leaked that information to those people, making sure we'd fight them first." He exhaled, eyes narrowing. "And then, when we were weakened, you planned to deliver the final blow."
He took a slow step forward, his presence unwavering despite the bitter cold.
"But if this is what you want…" His voice dropped slightly, steady and dangerous. "Let's get this over with."
In the blink of an eye, they both vanished—BOOM! A shockwave cracked the ice beneath them.
Jin struck first. His fist shot toward Vazar's stomach like a cannon. But before it could land—THUD!—Vazar crossed his arms, blocking the attack. The sheer force still sent him flying.
CRASH! He smashed into an ice mountain, splitting it apart as shards of ice exploded in every direction.
In Midair, Vazar twisted his body—SHF!—and landed, skidding back across the ice. But before he could react, BAM! Jin was already in front of him, a blur of movement.
BZZT! A sudden electric shock surged through Jin's body. His muscles froze for a split second—just enough time for Vazar to counter.
WHAM! The blunt end of the gun slammed into Jin's stomach. CRACK! The next hit smashed into his face. THWACK! A final blow struck the left side of his neck—each hit landing with brutal force.
BOOM! Jin's body crashed into another ice mountain, shattering it on impact.
Jin pushed himself up, wiping the blood from his mouth before spitting to the side. His lips curled into a smirk.
"Looks like you really have gotten stronger," he said calmly.
Before he could say another word, his eyes widened—BANG! BANG! BANG! A flurry of glowing blue bullets tore through the air, streaking toward him. There was no space to dodge.
Tch.
In an instant, Jin shifted his weight, stomping hard into the icy ground—CRACK! The ice beneath his foot shattered as he drove his leg deeper. The moment the bullets were about to hit, he forced himself downward, drilling into the frozen terrain like a spear.
BOOM! The blue bullets struck the empty cave behind him—KRRRRSH! A violent explosion erupted, splitting the entire ice mountain in half. Shards of ice the size of boulders rained down, crashing into the frozen wasteland below.
Vazar's eyes darted around, scanning the battlefield. Where is he? he thought, gripping his guns tightly. The icy wind howled around him, but Jin was nowhere to be seen.
Then—CRACK!—his gaze snapped downward.
From beneath the shattered mountain, BOOM!—a figure burst out, tearing through the frozen terrain like a missile. Jin had drilled straight through the ice and was now charging straight at him, closing the distance fast.
Tch. Like hell I'm letting you get closer.
Vazar gritted his teeth and opened fire—BANG! BANG! BANG! Blue bullets rained down in a storm of destruction.
Jin weaved through them, dodging with inhuman speed. Each missed shot slammed into the icy ground—BOOM! CRACK!—triggering explosions that shattered the frozen terrain around them. Ice and snow erupted into the air, turning the battlefield into chaos.
Jin weaved through Vazar's relentless gunfire, dodging each shot with razor-sharp reflexes. BANG! BANG! BOOM! The icy terrain exploded around him, but he never slowed down.
Then—SNAP!
With a flick of his middle finger against his thumb, Jin vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared—upside down, directly in front of Vazar.
Vazar's eyes widened. What—?!
Before he could react—WHAM!
Jin's foot crashed into Vazar's left shoulder, driving him straight into the ice. BOOM! The ground beneath them shattered on impact, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the frozen battlefield.
A cloud of snow and debris erupted into the air, leaving only a crater where Vazar once stood.
BOOM!
The icy ground exploded in a violent surge of electricity, sending crackling blue arcs through the air. Jin instinctively leaped back, landing a short distance away to avoid getting caught in the blast.
As the smoke and ice shards cleared, Vazar rose into the air, hovering above the battlefield. Blue lightning crackled around his arms and legs, illuminating the frozen wasteland with an eerie glow.
Jin tilted his head slightly, his expression calm. "What? Done with your little shooting game now?" he asked smoothly—in perfect Russian.
Vazar's red eyes burned with irritation. "I was planning to give you a quick death," he muttered darkly. "But you're the one who made me go all out."
The electricity around him intensified, surging like a raging storm.
Jin watched Vazar calmly, his voice smooth as he spoke in Russian. "You know you can't beat me in close combat, Vazar."
Vazar smirked, electricity crackling around his body. "Oh, I can—if I'm stronger than you. And right now... I am."
The moment the words left his mouth—they vanished.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled through the battlefield as their fists clashed, the sheer force cracking the icy ground beneath them.
Jin struck first, aiming a punch at Vazar's left side. Vazar blocked it with his other hand, bracing against the impact.
But before he could recover—WHAM!
Jin's kick slammed into his right side, catching him off guard. Blood spilled from the corner of Vazar's mouth, but Jin didn't let up.
BAM!
Another punch landed in the same spot, forcing Vazar back. Jin moved in for a third strike—
"RAAAH!!"
Vazar roared in fury, unleashing a powerful electric surge. CRACKLE! BOOM! The shockwave blasted outward, forcing Jin to retreat a few steps.
Vazar's electric barrier still crackled around him, the blue light flickering like a storm. But before he could react—
Jin was already inside.
CRACK!
Jin slammed the butt of a gun into Vazar's neck, making his body jolt from the impact. The electricity around him flickered violently as his defenses wavered.
"See? That hit hurts," Jin said gently, his tone calm.
WHAM!
Before Vazar could respond, another strike hammered into his shoulder, forcing his arm to go limp for a second.
THUD!
A heavy blow smashed into his stomach, making him double over as he coughed up blood. But Jin didn't stop.
BAM! SMASH! CRACK!
He moved like a machine—his attacks relentless. An elbow to Vazar's knee made his leg buckle. A crushing hit to his wrist forced his fingers open. A sharp strike to his other shoulder made him drop even lower.
Jin's strikes rattled every joint in Vazar's body, targeting weak points with precision and speed. The icy ground beneath them cracked with every impact as Vazar's body was forced back, inch by inch.
Then, Jin tossed the guns aside.
He clenched his fist.
BOOM!
A devastating punch to Vazar's chest sent a shockwave ripping through the battlefield. The frozen ground beneath them shattered apart, jagged ice bursting into the air from the sheer force.
When the dust settled—
Vazar lay motionless on the broken ice. His body twitched slightly from the lingering electricity, his breaths ragged.
Jin stood over him, unfazed, eyes calm as ever.
Jin looked down at Vazar, his expression calm, his voice almost gentle.
"You've gotten strong… stronger than I expected. For an SS-rank Evolver, you're the first to land more than one hit on me."
Vazar gritted his teeth, his body trembling with pain. His breath was ragged, and despite the anger burning in his eyes, he couldn't move—not after the beating he had just taken.
Jin exhaled lightly, then shifted his gaze to the side.
Where Ryuto and the axe-wielding man had been standing—
Now, only the two women remained.
Ryuto and the other man were nowhere to be seen.
[Chapter 8 end]