Hayato's reaction was beyond anyone's imagination. As he glided on the ice, he deftly evaded every bullet, even dropping low in a slide to slip past Shiji's blade, heading straight for Rinro. In a split second, a knife emerged from the hem of Hayato's shorts, held tightly between his toes. Balancing on one hand, he spun his entire body in a full 360-degree arc in mid-air.
Rinro's eyes widened, unable to react in time. The knife whirled through the air, slashing across his side, leaving a deep, bloody gash. He grunted in pain, staggering backward.
Hayato didn't pause. Using the momentum from his spin, he reached behind his back, unraveling a cluster of knives strapped there. With a sudden burst of energy, he leaped into the air, flinging the knives in rapid succession. The blades arranged themselves in a rotating formation, almost as if imbued with a ghostly energy, barreling toward Shiji and Rinro.
Suspended in the moonlight, Hayato's figure resembled a spectral wraith. The knives he released collided mid-air, redirecting their paths with metallic clashes. Each ricochet altered the trajectory, forming a precise, deadly vortex that spiraled toward its targets with unerring accuracy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The piercing sound of the blades slicing through the air echoed like a chorus of death. The spinning vortex zeroed in on Shiji and Rinro, each blade aimed squarely at a vital spot.
The two men reacted instantly, Shiji crossing his twin blades in defense, while Rinro tried to shoot down the incoming knives. Yet the vortex was too relentless; every deflected blade rebounded unpredictably, its new trajectory even more perilous.
One knife found its mark, piercing Shiji's shoulder. Another slashed Rinro's side, drawing a crimson arc of blood under the moonlight. The ground around them glimmered with the cold gleam of the embedded blades, as their strength waned.
Shiji gritted his teeth, dragging his wounded body forward for another charge. His blades aimed at Hayato, who was momentarily vulnerable mid-air. He knew this was a rare opportunity to strike.
But Hayato had anticipated the move. Clutching the steel cable from the ruined tent structure above, he swung like a pendulum, evading Shiji's twin-blade strike with ease.
"Ha-ha-ha! Bye-bye, dumbass!" Hayato shouted in manic glee, flinging a final knife. It streaked like lightning, piercing Shiji's chest.
Shiji collapsed onto the ground, blood pooling beneath him. He struggled to rise, but his wounds left him too weak to fight.
"Damn it!" Usagi, overcome with rage, charged toward Hayato. Her twin blades shimmered as she moved with rabbit-like swiftness, her figure a blur. The very air seemed to tremble with her speed as she lunged at him.
But just as Usagi closed in, Hayato released the steel cable, plummeting down like a meteor. His fall intersected her trajectory, their collision imminent.
Usagi's eyes widened as she took in Hayato's airborne figure, illuminated by the moonlight. His bare chest glistened, muscles taut, and his crazed grin exposed teeth that shone with a menacing light. He was weaponless now, yet radiated an overwhelming presence.
Determined, Usagi gripped her blades tighter, knowing she held the advantage. This strike must end it, she resolved.
As her blades slashed toward him, Hayato's jaws snapped open.
Clang!
The sound of teeth clamping onto steel was deafening. Time seemed to freeze as Hayato's iron grip on the blade rendered Usagi's strike powerless. Her attack was stopped cold, and her confidence shattered.
"What?!" Usagi gasped in disbelief. Hayato's bite was stronger than her own arms, the sheer force crushing her momentum.
With a manic gleam in his eyes, Hayato yanked one of her blades free with his teeth. He spun mid-air, wielding the stolen weapon like a club, slamming the hilt into her stomach with brutal force.
Thud!
Usagi gasped, the air driven from her lungs. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to her knees, trembling from the impact. Her arms, too weak to lift, dangled uselessly at her sides.
Hayato laughed hysterically, pinning Usagi to the ground. Straddling her, his bloodshot eyes and maniacal grin bore down on her. Drool dripped from his mouth as he leaned closer, snarling like a rabid animal.
"Ha-ha-ha! Watch as I rip out your guts!"
Usagi's heart raced, her body paralyzed with fear. She struggled in vain, her limbs refusing to cooperate. The remnants of Hayato's mad laughter drowned out all other sound, filling her world with despair.
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Her voice, shaky and filled with terror, erupted in a piercing scream.
"No—STOP!"
Her cry cut through the chaos, a desperate plea lost in the madness. It was the sound of a soul on the brink of breaking.
In that moment, the moonlight dimmed, and the world seemed to hold its breath.