The sound of Griffin's blade slicing through the air reverberated across the vast training ground.
BOOM—
the impact struck the ground as Jin sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the immense force of Griffin's swing. The sheer power of the blow split the stone floor, creating a deep fissure that ran jaggedly across the surface. Jin's breath caught in his throat as he admired the raw force and speed of the attack.
"Impressive," Jin muttered to himself, his eyes darting upward just in time to see Basilisk.
Basilisk's chained blades whistled through the air, crisscrossing with precision. The flaming edges burned a bright crimson as they moved in an erratic yet calculated zigzag pattern, shifting unpredictably from left to right. The sound of the chains grinding and snapping with each motion added an unsettling rhythm to the chaos.
CRACK! WHOOSH!
Jin leaped high into the air, twisting his body as the blades narrowly missed his torso. While midair, he tucked his legs back and extended his arms forward.
"The Order: Be Gone!" he commanded.
A gravitational shockwave erupted from his palms, sending Basilisk's chained blades flying backward and away from him. Jin landed gracefully, his movements fluid, his breath steady. But before he could fully regain his stance,
BOOM!
Griffin materialized directly in front of him with blinding speed.
THUD!
Griffin's round kick connected with Jin's stomach like a cannonball, sending him flying backward. Jin's body smashed into a towering stone pillar, reducing it to rubble. Dust and debris clouded the air, but amidst the chaos, Jin remained standing.
Jin exhaled sharply, his hand brushing the remnants of stone dust off his shoulder.
"So, this is the effect of The Hunt ability,"
he muttered, his voice filled with awe and realization.
"It makes my body durable enough to tank even the heaviest blows. It's automatic—triggered because that kick should be sending me to my grave."
He stretched his hand before him, examining it with newfound respect. His thoughts were short-lived, though, as Basilisk struck again, this time from above. Jin's vision blurred as a suffocating heat radiated from Basilisk's blade.
The flames hissed. CRACK!
Jin quickly activated his Sight Ability, his pupils glowing faintly as he analyzed Basilisk's trajectory. "He's aiming right there," Jin noted. At the last second, he vanished into thin air, becoming invisible. Basilisk's flaming blade struck the ground where Jin once stood, instantly vaporizing the stone into ashes. The ground beneath the strike ceased to exist.
Jin reappeared some distance away, landing with one leg extended, the other bent low, his body poised. SWOOSH! But before he could fully stabilize, Basilisk was already beside him.
"So fast," Jin muttered, acknowledging Basilisk's speed.
But there was no time to focus on Basilisk as Griffin had closed the gap again, his glowing blade poised to strike. Jin's heart pounded as he muttered, "I want to surpass them."
A surge of dark energy exploded from Jin's body, wrapping him in a shadowy aura. His speed amplified tenfold. ZOOM! He vanished, dodging Griffin's attack and reappearing behind him in an instant.
THUD! Jin's fist connected with Griffin's back, sending him hurtling across the training ground. CRASH! Griffin smashed into a thick iron wall, shattering it with the force of the impact. The reverberating metal echoed loudly. BOOM!
Meanwhile, Basilisk prepared to strike from Jin's blind spot. But Jin anticipated it, vanishing again and reappearing behind Basilisk. A devastating round kick connected with Basilisk's side, sending him flying into the same wall as Griffin. CRASH! The structure groaned under the force, fragments of iron raining to the ground.
Both warriors lay sprawled against the wreckage, their breathing heavy. Several seconds passed before they realized what had just occurred. They had been utterly outmatched.
Jin stood tall, his chest rising and falling steadily, his hands glowing faintly with residual dark energy. He looked down at his palm, clenching it tightly.
"The Hunt allows me to surpass my opponents if I desire. That's how it works. I just need to want it."
Griffin and Basilisk both knelt before him, bowing in respect to their master. Their loyalty was evident in their unwavering posture. Jin, however, was already looking beyond them, his eyes scanning the names in the Unlimited Collection that hovered before him.
His gaze rested on a name: The Royal Guards.
Curiosity sparked in his voice as he asked aloud, "The Royal Guards? They don't have a rank… How strong could they be?"
Before he could act on his intrigue, the sound of footsteps broke his concentration. Jin dismissed the Unlimited Collection with a wave of his hand. SWOOSH! The arch of light faded into nothingness, and Griffin and Basilisk dissolved back into their realms.
Jin turned to see Seiji entering the training ground. Seiji's eyes darted around the destroyed arena, his mouth slightly agape at the wreckage.
"What the hell happened here?" Seiji asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jin smirked faintly, brushing some dirt off his shoulder. "Just a little warm-up."
Seiji shook his head, muttering something under his breath before approaching Jin. "You're insane."
Jin chuckled, nodding to Seiji before heading toward the exit.