Chapter 41: The Storm's Arrival
Falling to the Abyss
The battlefield was drowning in blood and despair.
Daijin's sword felt heavier with each swing, his vision blurred from the deep gash on his forehead. The once-proud warriors of Kisaragi and his own group were now barely standing, their bodies battered, their weapons chipped.
Tenshi's army showed no mercy.
They came like a black tide, their relentless assault tearing through the ranks. One by one, warriors fell. Haru was on his knees, coughing blood. Yeon's bullets had run dry, her hands shaking as she wielded a broken dagger. Akane, her body covered in wounds, struggled to stay on her feet.
Daijin could feel it.
This was the end.
A Tenshi soldier rushed forward, his blade aiming for Daijin's throat.
Daijin raised his sword to block— but his strength failed.
Time seemed to slow.
The enemy's blade was inches from his neck.
And then—
A Howling Wind
A cold gust of wind swept through the battlefield.
The temperature dropped. The very air seemed to thicken with an overwhelming pressure.
Then—
A sound.
A deep, menacing whistle cut through the chaos.
It was distant at first, almost like the whisper of a storm.
Then it grew louder.
The battlefield fell silent.
Even Tenshi's warriors hesitated, their eyes flickering with unease.
The whistle carried through the night, sharp and deliberate, like the sound of an executioner signaling death.
Then—
A flash of steel.
The soldier attacking Daijin froze. His eyes widened in horror.
A second later, his head dropped from his shoulders.
A black blur moved through the battlefield at an inhuman speed.
Before anyone could react, a dozen of Tenshi's men collapsed, their throats slit, their bodies falling lifelessly to the ground.
A figure stood amidst the carnage.
His katana dripped with fresh blood, gleaming under the moonlight.
His long black coat billowed in the wind.
His cold, merciless eyes scanned the battlefield like a predator surveying his prey.
Kim Han had arrived.
The Crimson Reaper
Silence.
Then—
A piercing scream.
Kim Han vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing behind another enemy. A single stroke of his blade— and the man was cleaved in half.
Aya emerged beside him, her twin blades carving through flesh like a storm.
Taro, the towering warrior, swung his massive greatsword, crushing an enemy's skull with a single devastating blow.
Mikasa, swift as a shadow, moved through the battlefield unseen, her daggers finding throats before her victims even realized they were dead.
Tenshi's forces—once overwhelming— were now the hunted.
Fear spread through their ranks.
Kim Han walked forward, his movements slow, deliberate.
A soldier charged at him in desperation.
Kim Han didn't even look.
With a flick of his wrist, his katana sliced upward, splitting the man from chest to skull.
Blood sprayed across the dirt.
The tide had turned.
The Final Confrontation
Tenshi remained still, watching the battlefield crumble.
Even as his forces were slaughtered, he did not move.
Kim Han stopped a few steps away from him, his katana still dripping.
The two warriors locked eyes.
Tenshi's golden irises gleamed with amusement.
Then, he smirked.
Kim Han raised his blade, the tip aimed at Tenshi's throat.
Tenshi chuckled. "Oh, this is entertaining."
He took a step back. Then another.
Then—
He vanished.
His voice echoed through the battlefield, his laughter laced with dark amusement.
"I will return again for all of you."
And then—
He was gone.
Aftermath
The battlefield was eerily silent.
The enemy was gone.
Only the broken and the survivors remained.
Daijin, still barely standing, looked at Kim Han.
For the first time in his life— he felt truly powerless.
Kim Han didn't say a word.
He simply turned, flicking the blood off his blade before sheathing it.
Aya stood beside him, her black eyes scanning the field for any remaining threats.
Haru groaned from the ground. "Took you long enough."
Yeon smirked, wiping blood from her face. "Remind me never to bet against you."
Kim Han gave a small, almost imperceptible smirk.
Then, he turned his gaze to the horizon.
The war was far from over.
And next time—
Tenshi would not escape.
---