Sora collapsed to the ground, despair clinging to her like chains. Reina, the red-haired swordswoman, never imagined she would one day fight a demon disguised as a human. For both women, this was the last thing they wanted to kill.
The child looked indistinguishable from a human, though just moments ago his hand had twisted into a grotesque mass and torn their comrade apart.
"No... What have I done...?"
Min-ho charged in, axes blazing, and tore the demon into chunks.
"Everyone, keep it together!" he barked, turning toward them. "No more deaths. Gyeonho won't make it... Our only choice now is to wipe out what's left."
Sora couldn't bring herself to lift her eyes. Guilt suffocated her. She blamed herself for their comrade's death — that's how her mind worked.
"Since the day I became a demon hunter," she rasped, "I've feared nothing more than losing my own. How do you all live with that? Have you grown used to it… or am I just weak...?"
"Of course not… This war has taken millions. We fight so the sacrifices of the fallen won't be in vain. Even Jisun fights on now for our sake, though he hides that part of himself. One day, this will end — and every drop of blood spilled will bear fruit."
"Min-ho…"
"Sir Park should've finished that fight by now," Reina murmured, clutching her arms. "He just sent that demon flying..."
But as they turned to look, they saw Kuroen Ji-sun, mangled and defeated, crash into the wall. His body, sturdier than most hunters, had borne the brunt of the blow — but not without shattered bones.
"Jisun!!" Min-ho roared, stunned that even he had fallen.
The dust cleared with the breeze — and through it stepped the bloodied but unbroken demon. Rage blazed in his eyes. Blood-steam hissed from his hundreds of wounds, reeking of sulfur and rot.
"What a stench...!" the demon growled with a booming voice. Steam poured from him, and his wings could no longer flap.
"He's still walking?!"
"We need to retreat now!" shouted the nearby A-rank captain.
But Chan-wook leapt toward him, crying out:
"Absolutely not! If we finish this demon now, humanity will gain ground!"
"We can't afford to lose any more S-ranks!"
"Screw that! Our mission is clear — we end this, right here!"
In unison, the S-ranks released their Kuroen. For some, the blood-armors shone with radioactive brilliance; for others, shadows clung to them like smoke.
Compared to them, I was pitiful. I hadn't even unlocked Kuroen — and Kenketsu was still a distant dream. But if I wanted to survive, I couldn't let this demon kill me now. This was a game of survival.
I hardened my arms and torso with demonic blood, but I had no martial training. I didn't even know how to stand properly.
...
What?
Before I could blink, the demon appeared in front of Min-ho and swatted him aside with a single hand. The man spun through the air, crashing into a military vehicle — which promptly exploded.
"Min-ho!"
Then the demon kicked Chan-wook in the jaw, slamming him into the ground.
Next, he darted behind Yushin, slashing with his claws. Yushin blocked, but the demon's follow-up punch crushed into his core. Yushin dropped — even his Kuroen couldn't protect him.
"What is that monster..." whispered Sora. Her eyes trembled, her body frozen. Her Kuroen began to unravel, her focus slipping.
"Miss Hwan!" Reina rushed over and shook her. "Snap out of it!"
But the demon ignored the two women. Instead, he turned to me — and the A-rank hunter beside me — and walked toward us with heavy, deliberate steps.
"I… I can't fight him," the hunter muttered. "I'm only A-rank. How did Sir Park even last this long against him...?"
Reina leaned in close to Sora, her voice firm:
"He's stopped regenerating. This is our chance."
"I can't, little Reina... I didn't know it would be like this…"
"But you told me to fight — even when the enemy is stronger. You're my idol, Miss Hwan. Thanks to you, I found the strength to become a hunter. Don't forget — we're on the battlefield."
"Reina, I... I... My legs… they won't move. Look at the others. They couldn't even land a blow. He crushed them in a single strike."
The demon's footsteps drew closer. He spoke:
"This is it? These are humanity's strongest? Isn't that an SSS-rank before me? Strange... you stink like no human I've ever met. Could it be you're...? Ah, but what does it matter."
The A-rank captain moved in front of me, taking a defensive stance. His goal was clear: keep the monster from reaching me. While he calculated his move...
The demon had already slammed his fist into my gut and sent me flying into the wall.
I flew through it — crashing onto the grassy field beyond. This protected zone was far from the city, on the edge of the green sector. But most soldiers stationed here were dead. Only a helicopter and a few guards remained.
I couldn't move. My legs were shattered from the impact. Most of my vital organs were crushed. I could barely move my head, barely lift a hand.
Is this really it? Is this how I die?
Will I die… without knowing the truth?
Who killed my mother? Where did my father's body vanish to? Is he even dead?
"I... can't just lie here in front of the enemy…"
I pushed my body upward, but I couldn't stand. My legs were numb.
"I won't betray the ones who died for me!"
As the words left my mouth, the demon appeared again — and kicked me across the field. My jaw shattered. I flew farther still.
What… is this?
I felt despair crash down on me. My blood surged wildly. I was bleeding internally, and death was near. What was the point of all this?
I didn't fight just to die. If not for the skin-hardening technique, that last hit would've torn me to shreds. I had to understand this power — I had to learn to wield it...
"Do you wish to wield all of it?"A terrible voice echoed in my mind. Something deep within me stirred, rising from forgotten corners clouded in mist.
I couldn't let it end like this.
"Shall I lend you my strength?"
If I fell now, I'd doom the others. Seoul would have no chance.
"I can help you survive. I can help you win."
The power… it was becoming clearer, more vivid.
"I will open your eyes to a new world — one that will show you how cruel it truly is."
The entity speaking to me… what was it?
"Congratulations," came a softer, feminine voice. "You've awakened your second breath."
"Feel now — how strong a human can become!"
My wounds healed in seconds. Like the demon, my cells regenerated, rebuilding my body to perfection.
I opened my eyes and rose to my feet. Confidence surged through me. My fists clenched. I was ready to fight to the death.
"Well, well," the demon grinned madly, claws gleaming. "So that's the foul scent I caught! It's you… the Demon of Taurus?! Incredible power."
"Shut up," I said coldly, never breaking eye contact.
"It's been over twenty years since anyone's seen you. Show me what you've got."