The forest did not sigh.
It shuddered.
Branches trembled as something enormous moved between the trees—
and before Ajin could even shift his stance,
a shadow lunged from behind.
Two colossal hands clamped around his throat.
"YOU—"
the voice rumbled like boulders grinding—
"ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?!"
Ajin's feet left the ground.
The grip was monstrous—
fingers as thick as branches,
strength immense enough to snap a bull's neck like twigs.
The giant man hoisting him off the ground was a mountain of flesh and fury—
bare-chested, skin marred by burn scars,
muscles bulging like slabs of stone.
Arrows still protruded from his shoulder,
but his eyes burned with blood-red hatred.
"Are you," the beast snarled,
"one of the government dogs? A hunter? A pursuer?!"
Ajin could not breathe.
The pressure crushed his windpipe.
His vision blurred.
But Ajin was no longer the brittle instructor he used to be.
He did not panic.
He did not claw at the giant's wrist.
Instead—
He drew inward, summoning the rage inside his marrow.
He activated Baja Angkara Batin.
KRENG.
The muscles and tendons around his neck tightened, hardened,
as if iron bands wrapped around them.
The giant's eyes widened.
His grip did not sink into flesh—
it pressed against something as dense as forged metal.
"…What—?" the giant muttered.
Ajin struck.
He swung both legs upward and kicked the giant square in the chest.
BUK!!
The huge man barely flinched.
But—
for the briefest moment—
his grip loosened.
Enough.
Ajin slammed his own hardened forearm against the giant's wrist.
KRAKK!!
The sound was loud.
Pain sparked across the giant's face.
He let go.
Ajin dropped to the dirt, coughing violently, sucking in air like a drowning man.
"You…" the giant growled, rubbing his wrist,
"…you're not human."
Ajin spat blood.
He wiped his lips, straightened, and said nothing.
The giant's throbbing rage snapped.
He charged.
The ground shook beneath each step.
Roots cracked.
Pebbles jumped.
Trees swayed.
He slammed his shoulder into Ajin.
BRAAAAK!!!
Ajin was thrown through the air—
crashing through a young tree,
splitting the trunk clean in half
before tumbling across roots and rock.
His ribs—recently hardened—
cracked again.
"Ugh… kh—!"
His body folded.
Blood rose in his throat.
But when the giant expected him to stay down—
Ajin rose.
Slowly.
Trembling.
But he rose.
And there was a smile on his blood-stained lips.
Not a kind smile.
A mad one.
The giant froze for a heartbeat.
That smile—
made something cold slither up his spine.
"You're strong…" Ajin rasped, voice rough as gravel.
"…good."
It was not a compliment.
It was a hunger.
The giant bared his teeth.
"DIE!"
He lunged with a punch as heavy as a falling tree.
Ajin didn't dodge.
He activated Baja Angkara Batin – Stage Two.
He met the punch head-on.
Both fists collided—
BAM!!
BOOOOOOM!!
A shockwave blasted outward,
sending dry leaves swirling like a storm.
The giant stumbled back one heavy step.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Ajin was hurled back three steps—
his hand snapping, knuckles splitting open anew.
But he remained standing.
Breathing raggedly.
Grinning wider.
The giant roared.
He ripped a massive boulder from the riverbank—
a stone nearly the size of Ajin's torso—
and hurled it.
WHOOOOSH—!!
Ajin rolled aside.
But the river exploded as the giant immediately closed distance—
appearing in front of Ajin in a blur of monstrous strength.
His fist smashed into Ajin's gut.
BUK!!!
Ajin bent in half.
Air shot from his lungs.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
He flew backward like a thrown ragdoll—
crashing into the shallow river.
His body screamed.
His vision darkened.
He tasted iron.
Mud.
Water.
But then—
A sound came from his throat.
A sound not of despair.
A sound of… laughter.
"Hah… Hahaha…"
Ajin stood again.
Half-broken.
Drenched in blood.
Pain flooding every limb.
But smiling.
Because this—
this agony—
this was the forge of Baja Angkara Batin.
He embraced it.
Across the river, the giant tensed.
"Who… what are you…?" he growled.
Ajin wiped blood from his lips.
"A monster," he whispered,
"just like you."
The giant snarled.
Ajin lowered his stance.
Two men—
no, two beasts—
born from fire and tragedy—
glared at each other with identical bloodshot eyes.
"I will—" the giant began.
"—tear you apart," Ajin finished.
They launched forward at the same time.
Two vengeful creatures colliding—
Until—
"STOP!!!"
A whistle cut through the air.
TRIIIIIING!!
An arrow struck the ground between them, sparking violently.
Both men halted.
Their instincts screamed at once—
Danger.
Figures emerged from behind the trees.
Dozens.
Armored.
Armed.
Disciplined.
Government soldiers—
but not ordinary ones.
These wore reinforced plates.
They carried bows ignited with flame.
Spears tipped with burning oil.
A full squad.
Tracking them.
Hunting them.
Ajin and the giant turned slowly, back-to-back.
Both breathing heavily.
Both wounded.
Both furious.
The commander stepped forward, raising his spear.
"In the name of the Karadipa Council!" he shouted.
"TWO UNSANCTIONED MUTANTS HAVE BEEN LOCATED!"
Mutants.
That was what the world now called them.
The commander thrust his spear forward.
"KILL THEM BOTH!"
The forest erupted:
Fire-tipped arrows.
Soldiers charging.
Weapons drawn.
Ajin's blood surged.
His vision sharpened.
The giant growled—
a sound too deep to be human.
And for the first time—
they looked at each other
not as enemies
but as survivors.
Ajin tightened his fist.
The giant flexed his colossal arms.
Two monsters.
Two tragedies.
One battlefield.
"Shall we?" Ajin muttered.
The giant cracked his knuckles.
"With pleasure."
Then they charged.
Two vengeful beasts against an army.