Chapter 42: The Ghosts of the Past
The battlefield still reeked of blood and death. The bodies of Tenshi's fallen warriors lay scattered like discarded husks, their blood soaking into the cold, cracked earth. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows, and in that silence, Kim Han stood motionless, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade.
Daijin watched him carefully.
The fight was over, but something about Kim Han's posture—rigid, calculated, distant—told him that his battle was never truly done.
Daijin exhaled, stepping forward despite the aching pain in his body.
"You made good on your promise," he muttered, voice tinged with exhaustion.
Kim Han didn't respond at first. His sharp eyes scanned the aftermath, lingering momentarily on Yeon before returning to Daijin. His expression was unreadable, but Daijin had seen enough warriors to recognize the weight pressing down on him.
Kim Han carried something heavier than just a sword.
"Why?" Daijin finally asked.
Kim Han's eyes flickered toward him.
Daijin crossed his arms, ignoring the dull pain in his ribs. "You could've left. You didn't owe us anything. But you still came back."
For a moment, Kim Han remained silent. Then, his voice cut through the heavy air.
"Because I promised you."
Those words hung between them, thick with meaning.
Daijin narrowed his eyes. "And why did you promise me in the first place?"
Kim Han's grip on his sword tightened slightly.
Then, the past rushed in.
---
Three Years Ago – The First Encounter
The underground city of Rengoku was a place where the forsaken gathered—mercenaries, assassins, and those with nowhere else to go. It was a world hidden beneath the surface, ruled by blood and steel.
Daijin had been younger then, his reputation only beginning to take shape. He and his squad had taken refuge in Rengoku, avoiding a bounty that had been placed on their heads. It was there, in the dimly lit backstreets, that he had first met Kim Han.
The swordsman had been a ghost, a shadow moving through the underworld with silent precision. He was younger but already feared—a man with dead eyes and a blade that never stopped moving.
At first, Daijin hadn't cared about him.
Until the night they were ambushed.
---
The betrayal had come swiftly. A mercenary group, working under a crime syndicate, had turned on Daijin's squad.
The fight had been brutal.
Blades clashed, blood splattered against the dirt, and one by one, Daijin's group had been pushed back. Their enemies were too many, too skilled.
That was when Kim Han appeared.
No one had seen him coming.
One second, their enemies had the upper hand.
The next—they were dead.
Kim Han had moved like a storm. His blade was a blur, cutting through their enemies with terrifying efficiency. He hadn't spoken a word—just killed, one after another, until the ground was littered with bodies.
When the last enemy fell, Daijin, bloodied and panting, had stared at him in disbelief.
"Who the hell are you?"
Kim Han had wiped his blade clean.
"Someone who doesn't let people die for free."
It was the first time Daijin had seen that look in someone's eyes. The look of a man who had nothing left to lose.
That night, as they sat in the ruins of the battlefield, Daijin had finally asked:
"Why do you fight like that?"
Kim Han had been silent for a long time. Then, he had spoken five words.
"Because I have no choice."
And in that moment, Daijin had understood.
Kim Han wasn't fighting for glory.
He was fighting because it was all he knew.
Because something had been taken from him.
And so, that night, Daijin had made a decision.
"If you ever need a reason to fight, fight for yourself. And if you can't do that, then fight for the people who still breathe beside you."
Kim Han hadn't responded, but something had shifted in his expression.
And then, as if making a decision of his own, he had finally spoken.
"If you ever need me, call for me. I will come."
A promise.
And now, three years later, Kim Han had kept it.
---
Back to the Present
Daijin blinked, returning to the present.
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I guess I never thought you'd actually keep that promise."
Kim Han stared at him. His voice was quiet, but firm.
"I don't break my word."
Aya scoffed from the side, arms crossed. "He's too damn stubborn for that."
Akane nudged Haru. "He doesn't look like the type to do favors."
Haru nodded. "Yeah, he looks like the type to cut your throat if you asked him for one."
Daijin chuckled. "You're not wrong."
But beneath his words, there was something deeper.
A respect.
A debt repaid in blood.
Kim Han finally sheathed his sword. "This battle is over. But Tenshi isn't dead."
Aya's eyes darkened. "And he won't stop coming after us."
Daijin rolled his shoulders, despite the pain. "Then we won't stop either."
Kim Han turned away, his coat billowing slightly. "Rest for now. The next war is already coming."
Daijin smirked. "Yeah. But this time…" He glanced at his squad, then back at Kim Han. "At least we won't be fighting it alone."
Kim Han didn't respond.
But the look in his eyes said everything.
This war wasn't over.
And Kim Han had already decided—
He would see it through to the end.
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