The silence stretched through the empty roads like something unnatural.
The rain had stopped for now, but the streets were still wet, reflecting the dim glow of scattered streetlights and nearby buildings. Each reflection shimmered across the asphalt like broken glass under faint motion, making the entire road feel longer than it actually was.
Thomas stood still for a moment, watching Jin with quiet interest.
Then he chuckled.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't mocking either. It was the kind of laugh that came from recognition.
Slowly, he raised his hand and tilted his hat upward just slightly. The gesture revealed his face more clearly than before. He was middle-aged, likely in his early thirties, with a rough beard and a thick mustache that gave him a worn, battle-tested appearance rather than anything refined.
His eyes lingered on Jin as if measuring something invisible.
Thomas spoke calmly.
"I have to admit… this is impressive."
A brief pause followed as he exhaled smoke from his cigarette, letting it dissolve into the damp air.
"For a former cowboy who seems like he stepped out of a different era entirely… I think I finally understand what kind of person you are."
Jin stared at him without changing expression. His posture remained relaxed, but there was a quiet alertness behind his eyes. He raised a faint eyebrow, not reacting emotionally, only observantly.
"What do you mean by that?" Jin asked simply.
Thomas took another slow drag from his cigarette before responding.
"It's nothing important," he said, exhaling again. "It just reminded me of someone I used to know. A man who's no longer around."
His tone shifted slightly, becoming colder.
"He was impressive in his own way… but to think he would lose so easily to someone like that… it still feels embarrassing when I remember it."
Jin's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained unchanged.
Thomas continued without waiting for a response.
"The one who failed his mission… Nel. The best swordsman in our group before everything fell apart."
Jin finally responded, his voice flat and uninterested.
"I don't know this Nel guy. And I don't care about him or your history with him."
That answer made Thomas pause.
For a moment, he simply stared at Jin, as if deciding something.
Then he turned slightly toward the jeep behind him. He didn't enter it, but he stopped beside the door and spoke without looking back.
"Get your guns ready."
A short silence followed.
"Take aim. Shoot him."
He exhaled the last bit of smoke.
"I forgot I'm not here to talk."
Immediately, the men around him responded. Their arms lifted in unison as they aimed directly at Jin. The coordination made it clear they were not amateurs. They had done this before.
One of them pulled the trigger.
The sound of the gunshot shattered the silence of the road.
"BANG."
The bullet cut through the air.
---
At the same time, elsewhere on the same road network, Ellie remained hidden behind Alan's bike. She crouched low, using the frame and wheel as cover while peeking through the gaps between the tires.
Her breathing was controlled, but tense.
Ahead of her, six men dressed in black stood across the road. Their faces were partially hidden under masks, and their movements were coordinated rather than chaotic. They raised their arms slowly, each one adjusting their aim with practiced discipline.
Alan observed them quietly.
Then he spoke.
"It seems your boss isn't here," he said calmly. "But you're still communicating and following orders through something in your ears, aren't you?"
The men paused for a brief moment.
It was subtle, but Alan had confirmed something they didn't expect him to notice.
That hesitation was enough.
One of them fired.
A gunshot cracked through the air.
Ellie flinched and covered her ears instinctively, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw something that made her freeze.
The bullet had struck the building behind Alan.
Alan was no longer standing where he had been.
He had moved.
Ellie's eyes widened in disbelief.
"He dodged it…?"
The remaining men exchanged quick glances before firing again, trying to correct their aim.
But Alan kept moving.
Each shot came, and each time he shifted just enough to avoid it. Not randomly, but with precision. It was as if he was reading their intent before the trigger was pulled.
Step by step, he began closing distance.
The men started panicking.
One of them shouted, "Don't let him get close!"
But it was already too late.
Alan's movement tightened. His focus narrowed entirely onto their hands, not their faces. He wasn't reacting to the guns after they fired. He was reacting to the micro-movements before they fired.
Another shot came.
Alan shifted slightly to the side and broke into a sprint.
His shoes hit the wet road with force, water splashing outward with each step as his speed increased.
The distance collapsed instantly.
One of the men ran out of bullets.
Before he could reload, Alan arrived.
A single kick landed on his face with enough force to send him crashing backward. The impact scattered water droplets outward in a circular burst, briefly clearing the rain around them before it resumed.
One down.
Alan didn't stop.
Another man tried to adjust and fire again, but Alan grabbed the nearest opponent and used him as a shield, absorbing the shot, then immediately threw him into the shooter.
Both collided and fell.
Alan followed through with another strike, dropping them instantly.
Within moments, three were down.
The remaining men dropped their empty guns and shifted into close combat stance.
Alan exhaled slightly, brushing his shirt as if the situation had barely required effort.
"It was pointless from the beginning," he said calmly. "You're too slow to track my movement. If you can't match my speed, aiming is meaningless."
One of them rushed forward.
Alan stepped aside effortlessly and struck him with a clean counter kick to the chin.
The man collapsed unconscious.
Ellie watched from a distance, completely frozen by what she was seeing.
Her thoughts drifted back to another moment.
Jack.
The day he charged at Alan in anger and was knocked out in a single exchange.
Even then, she had been shocked.
But this was different.
Even armed opponents weren't slowing him down.
Her voice trembled internally as she thought.
Even Jack, who was an A-rank, didn't even land a proper hit… and now these men are being overwhelmed even faster.
Alan… just how strong are you?
The last two attackers attempted a final push, but Alan disabled them almost instantly with precise strikes, leaving them unconscious on the ground.
He looked down at them briefly.
"To kill me," Alan said quietly, "either your employer expected too little from me, or too much from you."
His eyes shifted toward Ellie for a moment.
Then he turned away from the scene.
---
Back on Jin's side, the bullet fired earlier cut through the air.
Jin moved.
Not dramatically.
Not urgently.
Just precisely.
He stepped sideways at the exact moment the bullet passed, letting it strike his bike instead. The impact caused a sharp metallic sound as Lily, who was behind cover, screamed in shock.
Jin clicked his tongue and immediately distanced himself from the bike.
The attackers tried to adjust their aim again, but Jin was already moving.
His movement was erratic in pattern but controlled in direction. He didn't run in a straight line. Instead, he changed angles constantly, forcing them to waste shots.
Thomas watched with irritation.
"The hell… you useless idiots, aim properly—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
A tire suddenly flew through the air and crashed into their group.
Thomas narrowly ducked, but the rest of his men were thrown off balance. Guns dropped. Formation broke.
And in that instant, Jin appeared beside them.
The fight turned physical immediately.
Jin struck without hesitation. One punch, then another. Each hit landed with precision rather than force alone. Within seconds, multiple attackers were already down.
Lily, still behind cover, hesitated as she watched.
For a moment, doubt crept into her mind.
What if he really can't fight properly?
But then she saw it clearly.
The speed. The control. The complete lack of hesitation.
Her expression softened slightly.
No… that's not someone who can't fight.
That's someone who simply doesn't waste movement.
Jin finished the last of the group with clean strikes, leaving only Thomas standing.
Thomas reached into his coat and pulled out a pistol, aiming it directly at Jin from a short distance.
"Enough," he shouted, his voice shaky but angry. "I am Thomas. I cannot fail this mission like that fool Nel did."
His grip tightened.
"I will succeed."
Before he could react, the gun was kicked out of his hand.
Jin stood in front of him.
"You lost," Jin said simply.
Thomas gritted his teeth in frustration, but Jin didn't give him time to respond. A single punch sent Thomas crashing into the side of the jeep. The impact bent the metal slightly, and the vehicle's engine began to smoke faintly.
Jin turned away from him.
"Don't come after me again," he said coldly. "Next time, I won't stop after knocking you down."
He began walking toward Lily.
The sound of rain had faded slightly, leaving only the aftermath of silence.
Thomas lay on the ground for a moment, then slowly pushed himself up. His hat had fallen beside him. His beard and hair were exposed to the rain.
His hands clenched tightly.
"I lost… just like that?"
His voice cracked slightly in disbelief.
---
Flashback
Thomas's hat lay a few feet away on the wet road.
Rainwater dripped from the brim as the wind pushed it slowly across the asphalt.
For a few moments, Thomas remained against the damaged jeep without moving.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
The pain from Jin's punch still lingered.
More than the pain, however, was the disbelief.
"I lost..."
His voice was barely audible beneath the fading rain.
"So easily?"
His fists tightened.
The muscles in his arms trembled slightly.
"Me?"
His eyes lowered toward the ground.
"The A-Rank everyone used to admire..."
The words tasted bitter.
For years, people had spoken his name with respect.
Children pointed at him in awe.
Villagers told stories about his aim.
Bandits avoided places under his protection.
Yet tonight, a teenager had defeated him without even looking challenged.
Thomas slowly closed his eyes.
The sound of rain began to fade.
The damaged jeep disappeared.
The road vanished.
And when he opened his eyes again—
The world was different.
Bright sunlight stretched across a small countryside village nestled between forests and rolling hills.
Traditional wooden homes lined narrow dirt roads.
Their dark tiled roofs reflected the afternoon sun while smoke drifted lazily from stone chimneys.
The entire village looked peaceful.
Safe.
Protected.
Thomas remembered those days clearly.
Back then, he wore different clothes.
A long coat.
Leather boots.
A revolver hanging confidently from his belt.
People called him a cowboy.
Not because it sounded impressive.
But because that was exactly what he was.
A wandering gunslinger who protected nearby settlements from criminals, raiders, and anyone foolish enough to threaten innocent people.
His shooting skills had become famous throughout neighboring regions.
Whenever trouble appeared, Thomas was usually the one people called.
And he answered.
Not for money.
Not for fame.
But because somebody had to.
Back then, life was simple.
At least that's what he thought.
Only a year ago.
Yet it already felt like another lifetime.
One afternoon, during a routine patrol between villages, Thomas found himself walking through a heavily forested region he had never explored before.
Tall trees surrounded the path from every direction.
The deeper he went, the quieter the world became.
No birds.
No insects.
Nothing.
Thomas immediately noticed it.
His instincts told him something was wrong.
Slowly, his hand drifted toward the revolver resting at his waist.
His eyes scanned the surrounding bushes.
The silence continued.
Then—
Movement.
Several masked figures burst from the undergrowth.
Steel flashed.
Swords cut through the air.
Thomas reacted instantly.
He stepped backward and avoided the first slash by inches.
The blade passed directly in front of his chest.
Another attacker followed immediately.
Then another.
Thomas clicked his tongue.
"Impressive."
He adjusted his footing.
"I was wondering what kind of place this was."
His eyes moved across the attackers.
"And it turns out it's a village full of idiots jumping strangers."
One of the masked men answered immediately.
"That's the rule."
His grip tightened around his sword.
"Anyone unfamiliar who enters this village dies."
Another attacker charged.
This time, Thomas moved faster.
His revolver appeared in his hand.
A gunshot echoed through the forest.
The swordsman screamed and collapsed.
His sword fell into the dirt as he grabbed his injured leg.
The remaining attackers froze.
None of them understood what had happened.
Several rushed toward their injured companion.
"What happened?"
"Are you alright?"
"Who is this guy?"
Thomas casually spun the revolver around his finger.
"Oh, this?"
He raised the weapon slightly.
"It's called a gun."
The villagers stared.
Most had never seen one before.
Thomas smirked.
"Maybe next time don't jump people from bushes."
The injured swordsman groaned while clutching his leg.
Thomas sighed.
"I wasn't planning to hurt anyone."
His expression hardened.
"But I don't like being ambushed."
He slowly raised the revolver again.
"Let's call this punishment."
Before he could pull the trigger—
A voice interrupted him.
"That's enough."
The voice came from above.
Thomas looked upward.
A young man sat casually on the roof of a nearby building.
Dark hair.
Simple traditional clothing.
A sword resting at his waist.
Unlike the others, he looked completely relaxed.
"You'll hurt my people."
Thomas narrowed his eyes.
The stranger stood up.
"My name is Nel."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"What's yours?"
Thomas lowered the revolver slightly.
"Thomas."
"Thomas, huh?"
Nel jumped from the rooftop.
He landed effortlessly.
"That's a good name."
Thomas watched him carefully.
Something about him felt different.
The villagers relaxed immediately after seeing him.
That alone said enough.
This guy was their leader.
Nel glanced toward the injured swordsman.
Then back toward Thomas.
"Aren't you being a little harsh?"
Thomas laughed.
"Harsh?"
He pointed toward the group.
"Your people attacked me."
Nel nodded.
"Fair point."
Then he shrugged.
"But it was my order."
Thomas blinked.
Nel continued calmly.
"We protect our village."
His gaze shifted toward the surrounding houses.
"The people here trust us."
Thomas looked around.
Children peeked through windows.
Elderly villagers watched from doorways.
Everyone seemed comfortable around him.
Thomas understood immediately.
This wasn't some criminal group.
This was a protector.
A guardian.
Just like him.
Nel smiled.
"They follow me because they trust me."
Thomas couldn't help smirking.
"You know..."
He rested a hand on his revolver.
"I like people like that."
Nel tilted his head.
"Oh?"
"People willing to do anything for their family."
Thomas grinned.
"Those are the kind of people worth respecting."
Nel's smile widened slightly.
"Interesting."
His gaze shifted toward Thomas's revolver.
"So you're the famous cowboy everyone talks about."
Thomas laughed.
"Maybe."
He raised the revolver.
"This thing gave it away?"
Then—
His expression froze.
Something felt wrong.
The weight in his hand had changed.
Thomas slowly looked down.
His revolver slid apart.
The weapon had been sliced cleanly in half.
For the first time that day—
Thomas's confidence cracked.
"What..."
Before he could finish—
Pain exploded across the left side of his face.
A sharp line appeared beneath his eye.
Blood trickled downward.
Thomas staggered backward and grabbed his face.
His eyes widened.
When?
He never saw the sword move.
Nel stood several meters away.
His blade was already back in its sheath.
A calm smile rested on his face.
"Consider that repayment."
Thomas stared at him.
Completely stunned.
Nel glanced toward the injured villager.
"You shot one of my people."
Then he pointed toward Thomas's face.
"So I gave you a scar."
The villagers behind him laughed nervously.
Thomas slowly removed his hand.
Blood stained his fingers.
His eye was unharmed.
The cut was precise.
Deliberately shallow.
A warning.
Nothing more.
Thomas immediately reached for his second revolver and aimed it at Nel.
"What kind of joke is this?"
Nel raised both hands.
"Oh?"
His smile returned.
"Relax."
"I didn't cut very deep."
Thomas stared at him.
Then at the injured villager.
Then back at Nel.
Several seconds passed.
Finally—
"Tsk."
He lowered the gun.
"Fine."
Nel chuckled.
"I thought you'd understand."
Thomas looked at the scar forming beneath his eye.
Then at the villagers gathering around their injured friend.
For the first time—
He understood exactly why they followed Nel.
And why they were willing to fight for him.
Because he would do the same.
Without hesitation.
---
Back in the present, Thomas stared at Jin's retreating figure.
Then at Lily.
And finally at the broken road around him.
The rain slowly lightened.
Somewhere in the distance, Jin and Lily were reunited.
Lily stepped forward hesitantly.
"I… I'm fine," she said softly.
Jin didn't respond immediately, only looked at her briefly.
She's hesitating because of what happened earlier between them.
"Don't overthink it," he said. "It's over now."
She nodded slowly.
But behind them, Thomas reached into his coat again.
Not for his pistol, but for something else.
The air shifted slightly.
Lily turned, noticed he's standing straight again holding a revolver pointing at Jin's back.
Lily screams!
"Jin… behind you!"
And in that exact moment—
"BANG."
The shot echoed through the night.
---
To be continued.