The atmosphere inside the Shadow Castle shifted.
Moments ago, the 38 remaining S-Rank hunters had been talking—breathing, even laughing nervously—trying to convince themselves that the previous threat was nothing.
Now?
Silence.
A cold, crawling silence that felt like fingers sliding across their throats.
The torches along the walls flickered. The black stone floor trembled. A faint ripple passed through the darkness on the far end of the hall.
And then—
A figure stepped out.
Not walked.
Not ran.
Stepped.
Calm. Measured. Elegant like a noble.
A body made of solid black shadow. A long tattered cloak—moving although there was no wind. And in his hand, a long, curved shadow scythe, dripping with darkness that moved like liquid smoke.
His eyes were two white slits… emotionless.
Dead.
One of the hunters whispered, voice shaking:
Hunter 1: "W-Who… who is that?"
Hunter 2: "Another shadow soldier…? No, no… he's different. I can feel it… my skin's burning…"
Hunter 3: "D-Don't look directly at him. My knees…"
Raiden narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.
Raiden: "Everyone. Hold your ground. Do not charge. We don't know what it is."
Ananya swallowed, sweat dripping down her chin.
Ananya: "Raiden… I can't sense a limit on his mana. It's like—"
The shadow figure stopped walking.
Lifted his head.
And spoke.
Obskarn:
"Bow before the Shadow Emperor's Scythe."
Every hunter froze.
Their hearts dropped.
Even Raiden's pupils shrank.
Hunter 4: "Shadow… Emperor? W-Wait… Emperor means… —"
Before the sentence finished—
Obskarn raised his scythe vertically.
Black cracks spread on the ground.
A heartbeat later—
BOOM!!!
An explosion of shadow erupted behind him.
Creatures stepped out.
Not normal shadows.
Not like soldiers like he fought in before.
These were… monstrous.
tall, double-bladed arms, serrated jaws, skulls protruding through their faces, muscles made of living darkness. Their mana pressure alone pushed the S-Ranks back.
Hunter 5: "SHIT—THOSE ARE STRONGER THAN US!"
Hunter 6: "FORMATION! NOW!"
Raiden: "EVERYONE, SPREAD!!!"
The shadow beasts lunged.
The hall erupted.
---
THE BATTLE
Steel clashed against darkness.
Magic flared.
Screams echoed.
Hunter after hunter launched attacks:
"Thunder Spear!"
"Blazing Wheel!"
"Seismic Impact!"
The shadows tanked everything.
But the S-Ranks fought desperately.
Two hunters were ripped apart instantly—but the others retaliated, decapitating one beast, burning another.
A woman with green hair shouted:
Hunter 7: "RAIDEN! THEY'RE TOO MANY!"
Raiden: "FOCUS ON ONE AT A TIME!"
He crushed one creature with a lightning-coated punch, blasting it into the ground.
Ananya sliced another with a glowing purple arc.
Hunter 8: "We killed one—!"
Hunter 9: "No—BEHIND YOU!"
A shadow beast impaled two hunters through the chest.
Blood splattered.
Five bodies fell.
Five S-Ranks dead.
The room shook from the screams.
But little by little—through teamwork, fear, desperation—
The hunters finally destroyed all the summoned shadow beasts.
Bodies, blood, smoke, panting.
Raiden leaned on his knee, breathing heavily.
Raiden: "Damn it… this wasn't normal. This level… this is beyond an S-Rank gate."
Ananya wiped blood from her cheek.
Ananya: "Raiden… where is that scythe guy?"
Everyone turned.
Obskarn stood exactly where he started.
Untouched.
Unmoving.
As if the entire chaotic battle didn't concern him.
He tilted his head.
Then disappeared.
Not teleported.
Just—vanished.
A whisper sounded behind them.
"Too slow."
---
THE MASSACRE
Wind brushed past.
Someone gasped.
Then—
SPLASH!!!
A head flew into the air.
Someone screamed:
Hunter 10: "WH-WHAT—HE'S BEHIND—"
SLASH!!!
Another hunter was sliced cleanly down the middle.
Blood sprayed like rain.
Hunter 11: "MOVE—MOVE—MOVE!!"
They tried to run.
They tried to dodge.
They tried anything—
But Obskarn's movements were invisible.
He swung once.
Just one swing.
A single wide arc of the scythe.
And—
Ten hunters were instantly torn apart.
Bodies fell in pieces.
Blood coated the walls.
Arms. Legs. Heads. Torsos.
The floor became a red river.
Everyone froze.
A silence fell so heavy it crushed their lungs.
No one breathed.
No one blinked.
No one spoke.
Even Raiden trembled.
His eyes wide.
His voice cracked:
Raiden: "This… this thing… w-what ARE you…?"
Obskarn slowly turned his head.
His voice echoed like a funeral bell—
Obskarn:
"I am the Scythe of the Shadow Emperor.
And you are trespassers."
Every remaining hunter felt it:
This wasn't a monster.
This wasn't a boss.
This wasn't an enemy they could beat.
This was death walking.
And the part ends.