Standing guard in front of the door were two figures.
One was tall and lean, spinning a chain sickle lazily in his hand, licking the blade with his unnaturally long tongue as he brought it up to his lips. He was shirtless, a snake tattoo slithering up his chest. The other was shorter but stockier, wielding a pair of tonfas. Twin snake tattoos coiled around each of his forearms, the ink writhing as he flexed. He spun his tonfas, a cocky grin spreading across his face as he locked eyes with Kumojiro.
"Oi, what's yer business here, mate?" the chain sickle wielder sneered, flashing a grin to reveal his fangs. "You lookin' to get gutted like the rest of 'em?"
Kumojiro merely stared, his expression unreadable.
"I'm here to see your boss. I'm getting answers, then ending his life."
The tonfa wielder barked out a harsh laugh, his voice dripping with contempt. This kid was full of himself.
"Yer bold, I'll give ya that. But you just got lucky takin' down that brute and everyone else. We ain't like the rest of the blokes down there."
The chain sickle wielder's grin widened, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
"Yeah, we're the real deal. Trained. Skilled. You got talent, kid. So how 'bout you get on yer knees, beg for mercy, and maybe we'll even recruit ya? Might just have to scar that pretty face first, though."
Kumojiro remained silent, unflinching. They knew about the brute. So it hadn't been some random ambush. These two had likely been the ones to send that beast after him. But words were unnecessary. He dropped the bag holding his trophies. He shifted into a combat stance, his right hand resting on the hilt of his katana, left arm loose and ready to react, his body perfectly balanced.
The chain sickle wielder's smirk faded.
"So be it, kid. We warned ya."
Without further warning, the sickle wielder lashed out. The sickle shot forward in a deadly arc, the chain extending as it whistled through the air, its blade aiming straight for Kumojiro's throat.
Kumojiro tracked the chain's path with cold precision. If he took everything this guy said seriously, this opponent was leagues above the grunts he'd fought downstairs, but nothing he couldn't handle. He sidestepped the attack, pivoting on his heel as the blade grazed past his neck by mere inches.
The sickle wielder's grin returned as he yanked on the chain, pulling the sickle back in a spinning arc aimed low at Kumojiro's legs.
Kumojiro leapt, coiling mid-air and flipping over the low strike. He landed lightly on the balls of his feet, his katana untouched, waiting for the right moment to strike. He had to close the gap with the sickle wielder to gain any advantage. The enemy likely anticipated him throwing a projectile, so he had to get in close.
But the tonfa wielder wasn't idle. Spotting an opening, he charged forward, his tonfas a blur. He swung one tonfa in a vicious overhead strike aimed at Kumojiro's skull.
Kumojiro raised his left forearm, absorbing the blow. The force sent a jolt down his arm, but he used it to his advantage. Twisting his body, he drove his knee up sharply, slamming it into the tonfa wielder's ribs.
The tonfa wielder grunted, stumbling back but recovering swiftly. Tough bastard. With a wicked grin, he spun his second tonfa in a backhanded motion, attempting to catch Kumojiro across the face.
Kumojiro leaned back, dodging just in time. The wooden baton grazed his chin, and he used the momentum to pivot, drawing his katana in a flash of silver. The tonfa wielder's eyes widened as Kumojiro slashed at him, aiming for his exposed side.
The tonfa wielder twisted at the last moment, Kumojiro's blade slicing through his shirt but missing flesh. He countered with a quick jab of the tonfa, targeting Kumojiro's midsection.
Kumojiro parried with the flat of his blade, redirecting the blow and spinning away. He found himself between both opponents now.
"Come on! There's nowhere to run now!" The tonfa wielder's voice was a growl as he braced himself for another strike.
The chain sickle wielder grinned yet again, spinning his weapon once more. He flung the chain towards Kumojiro's legs, intending to snare him and leave him open for an attack.
Kumojiro's sharp gaze followed the glint of the chain in the dim light. He leaped forward, flipping over the chain as it snaked across the floor. As he sailed through the air, he lashed out with his katana, the blade slicing towards the sickle wielder's forearm.
The sickle wielder recoiled, but not quickly enough. Kumojiro's blade nicked his forearm, a thin line of blood blooming along the cut. The man hissed, retreating momentarily.
Kumojiro didn't let him recover. He charged forward, his katana cutting in tight, controlled arcs.
The sickle wielder blocked one strike with the chain, wrapping it around Kumojiro's blade. For a brief moment, they were locked in a test of strength, the sickle wielder trying to wrench the katana from Kumojiro's grasp.
But Kumojiro was quicker. He twisted his wrist, allowing the chain to slide off the blade. Spinning on his heel, he delivered a powerful sidekick to the sickle wielder's chest, sending him stumbling back.
Sensing an opportunity, the tonfa wielder lunged again, swinging both tonfas in rapid succession, one aiming for Kumojiro's ribs, the other for his head.
Kumojiro dropped into a low stance, his knees deeply bent, blocking the first tonfa strike with his katana's hilt and deflecting the second with his forearm. He retaliated with a swift elbow to the tonfa wielder's jaw, the impact cracking bone and sending the man reeling.
The tonfa wielder staggered, blood dripping from his mouth, but swung again, aiming low at Kumojiro's legs.
Kumojiro stepped into the attack, blocking with his shin and pivoting sharply. In a seamless motion, he brought the hilt of his katana down on the man's collarbone with a sickening crunch.
The tonfa wielder screamed, dropping to one knee, his weapon clattering to the ground.
"AGH...FUCK...WAIT, WAIT!"
But Kumojiro showed no mercy. He drove his knee into the man's face, sending him sprawling onto his back. Before he could rise, Kumojiro plunged his katana into his chest, silencing him.
Rising, Kumojiro turned to face the chain sickle wielder, yanking his katana free from the fallen man's chest.
"...One remains. Let's make this quick." His empty eyes locked onto the sickle wielder, who faltered, the smug grin finally wiped from his face.
The sickle wielder gritted his teeth, his hand trembling slightly as he spun his chain once more, swinging it in a high arc to wrap around Kumojiro's neck.
Kumojiro ducked low, then rolled forward, closing the distance in a blink. At an extraordinary speed, he seized the chain in his left hand and used the momentum to pull the sickle wielder towards him. In a single, brutal overhead strike, he brought his katana down, severing the man's arm just below the elbow.
The sickle wielder's scream echoed through the chamber as he clutched his bleeding stump, staggering back.
"Skilled and trained? I'd call that a mediocre performance at best."
Kumojiro spun the chain around his wrist and threw it, the sickle wrapping around the man's neck. With a swift yank, he pulled him off his feet, slamming him to the floor. The impact knocked the wind from him, leaving him gasping.
Without hesitation, Kumojiro stepped forward, katana raised. With one clean, precise motion, he drove the blade through the man's chest, pinning him to the polished marble.
Silence settled over the room, broken only by the faint drip of blood onto the stone floor.