The first one lunged — fast, but not fast enough.
My sword was in my hand before his blade reached me. A single step, a flash of steel, and his attack turned into a spray of crimson. He crumpled to the ground without a sound.
The other two hesitated. Smart of them.
"You—!" one snarled, but I didn't give him the chance to finish.
I surged forward. My sword met his mid-swing, and the impact jarred his arm. I pivoted, driving an elbow into his throat, and when he staggered back, my blade followed. The cut was clean. He collapsed.
Only one left.
The third man's killing intent flared as he unleashed a flurry of strikes — fast, aggressive, and precise. But it wasn't enough. I met every attack without giving ground, our swords clashing in a brutal rhythm.
"Demon…!" he hissed, his eyes wide with fear.
I ended it with a single thrust.
Silence fell over the street. The onlookers who had gathered stared in stunned disbelief. Three dead men. Three strokes of my sword.
Yoon-Hee's hand gripped my sleeve. I looked down to see her wide, worried eyes. "Joon… are you okay?"
I wiped my blade clean on one of the fallen men's robes. "I'm fine."
But my heart was pounding. Not from fear — but from the rush of it. The thrill of battle. The weight of blood.
"They were from the Blood Moon Cult," I said. "This won't be the end of it."
The blacksmith's voice rumbled from behind us. "You've made enemies today, boy. Powerful ones."
"Then I'll need that sword sooner," I said without looking back.
The old man just laughed. "You might live long enough to use it. If you're lucky."
We didn't linger. The crowd parted for us as we left, their whispers following in our wake.
"Who is he?"
"Three Blood Moon Cult disciples — gone, just like that…"
"Did you see his eyes? That wasn't a normal man's killing intent…"
I kept my head down and my pace steady. Yoon-Hee stayed close. But even as we slipped through the alleys toward the inn, I knew we wouldn't be left alone for long.
Sure enough, when we reached our room, a message was waiting. A slip of silk, sealed with dark red wax.
I broke it open and read the elegant script inside:
"The Crimson Serpent Pavilion extends its invitation once more. Refuse again, and the consequences will be… unfortunate."
I stared at the words for a long moment. Then I burned the letter in the candle flame.
Let them come.