Nightwatch began the previous evening.Three districts with elevated demonic activity were placed under strict surveillance by the Association and the military.All patrol units moved silently, hidden in the shadows, following their designated schedules.
Civilians were strictly forbidden from going outside after 10 p.m.
During Nightwatch, all personnel wore black uniforms — to remain indistinguishable. Each unit was assigned a specific street to monitor, with strict orders: detain or eliminate any suspicious individual.
S-rank hunters — Reina, Chanwook, Sora, Minho, and Yushin — were each deployed to separate neighborhoods with the highest frequency of demonic incidents. They were not allowed to cross paths, lest multiple squads be targeted in a coordinated strike.
Each of them counted every passing second, anticipating the inevitable attack.
"I can't take this anymore," muttered a B-rank hunter, slumped beside a streetlamp with his companion. They were watching over a homeless shelter.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Don't you get it? We've been sitting here for two days, counting every moment, waiting to be attacked."
His friend glanced at his trembling legs."Yeah… You never get used to it."
"I don't want to die in a rotten place like this, torn apart by a demon. We're a B-rank unit. Why the hell did they station us here?"
"Keep your voice down, or someone'll hear you."
Their whispering was overheard by another young hunter — tall and similarly clad in black.
"Hey! What are you two whining about?"
"It's nothing."
"Don't give me that. I heard every word. Complaining won't do this unit any good. We were ordered to guard this zone, so we guard it. Or are you two planning to sneak off duty?"
"You think we're not aware we could die at any moment? We're stationed in one of the most dangerous districts. I don't even trust these homeless folks. Any of them could be a cannibal, or worse — a demon. We were practically thrown to the wolves!"
The tall hunter stepped forward and faced the complaining one.
"Cut the sob story. Or I'll put you down myself. We're all in the same boat — but none of us are crying like you."
He turned and walked away. As he left, he heard a bitter murmur behind him:
"Better to die by a man's hand than a demon's..."
A short distance away, atop a ten-story building near the intersection, two figures observed the patrols below.One had silver hair tucked beneath a hood. The other — tall, with short crimson hair — spoke first.
"What do you think, Seojun? You're still weak from the battle with the King. Don't think you're forgiven for disobeying the decree. You need to feed. Here's your chance."
Both wore black surgical masks that concealed their faces.
"Don't order me around like you're my boss," Seojun growled. "I know what I need to do."
"I'm telling you because you're young. This district is crawling with B-ranks — a feast for you. We don't need a powerless Death Icon. Stick to the plan."
With a twitch of irritation, Seojun stepped to the ledge, gazing down.
"Damn it... I know already."
And then he jumped.
Falling through the air, he closed his eyes and whispered to himself:
"Forgive me, Haebin... but I can't stop eating humans."
His legs bulked up and stabilized midair.With a soft thud, he landed quietly and approached the shelter from the front.
A sentry spotted him immediately.
"Hey! Who the hell are you? Didn't you hear about the curfew?!"
Seojun didn't respond. As he passed under the streetlight, the rest of the unit saw him clearly.
"Suspicious individual spotted! Weapons ready!"
"Don't move!"
The unit had 10 members — 5 demon hunters wielding blood-infused blades, and 5 soldiers armed with armor-piercing rifles and grenade launchers.
As one of the soldiers reached for his radio, Seojun launched into the air — and in a flash, tore the man's head off with the spine still attached.
"I... I didn't even see him move..."
The squad froze in disbelief.
"What the hell...?"
"He's not human!" screamed the commander. "Call for reinforcements!"
But before he could finish, Seojun struck, slicing the commander clean in two.
"Silence," he muttered, charging the others.
With each movement — every second — Seojun slaughtered them alone. Kicks, punches, slashes… the hunters couldn't react, and the soldiers fared even worse.
Gunfire rang out. Screams of the homeless echoed through the street.
By the time reinforcements arrived from the neighboring block, the demon had vanished.The scene was carnage: dismembered bodies of comrades, and corpses of homeless strewn everywhere. Some showed signs of deep bite marks.
"Holy mother of..." one hunter whispered, staring at the soldier's devoured intestines.
"Look over there!"
A soldier pointed to the shelter wall — where a dying homeless man lay slumped, barely breathing.
They rushed to him — his right hand was stripped to the bone. His eyes trembled with terror as he muttered,"Umrae vox..."
And there, written in blood across the wall:
"UMBRA WAS HERE."
The next day.
I woke up and got ready for training.
At the Association gym, my trainer was already waiting.
"Kihyun, you're late. Hurry up and change!"
"Sorry, coach."
Nam Kyung-won's stern appearance always gave me chills.Gray-haired, broad-shouldered — it was like he had deceived time itself. How else could a man in his 50s still look this jacked?
But he was a good man — a brilliant trainer. Many of his students had become military elites.
"Swing your arm just like I do!"
He was teaching me the fundamentals of martial arts, so I could withstand the onslaught of powerful demons.He always said: "Better to trust your own body than demonic power. That stuff only amplifies what you already have."
I sparred with him regularly. Sure, he'd beat me down every time, but I learned more with every bruise.He taught through experience — by showing me where I failed.
After sparring, we took a break on the bench, sipping bottled water.
"By the way, Mr. Nam... Why haven't you taught me how to use blood yet? I still don't know how to summon Kenketsu, let alone Kuroen. The other hunters are way ahead."
"And how much would a summon help," he asked, "if you still die from a single hit?"
"Maybe it would at least make me stronger..."
He stood up, finishing his water.
"When you stop relying on them — then ask me again."
I didn't quite get what he meant. But I figured, if I could show him what I was truly capable of, maybe then he'd teach me the summons.
After training, my phone buzzed. Before answering, I glanced at the caller ID: Junho.
"Oh! Kihyun, you actually picked up. Not busy?"
"Just freed my hands. What's up?"
"All good as usual! Just thought we haven't chatted in a while. How about lunch? My treat this time."
"Didn't know it was Junho's Day of Generosity. Sure, where at?"
"I'll send the location. Let's meet in an hour! By the way — did you hear what happened in the Orange Zone last night? Every news outlet's buzzing about it. We'll talk more when we meet."
Huh? What news?
I ended the call with a small smile. That familiar, cheerful voice hadn't changed one bit.It's been about a week since we last met.
He must've been lonely without someone to chat with.