The night was quiet, almost too quiet, the streets outside empty under pale moonlight while a cold wind moved through the lanes. Inside the house, everything had settled, lamps dim, courtyard still, most already asleep.
Roma wasn't.
Something felt off.
Not danger exactly.
Just… wrong.
And that irritated him.
"…Why does it feel like something is about to happen?" Roma muttered under his breath.
Then—
BOOM
The front door exploded inward, wood shattering as dust filled the air.
"…Attack."
Five figures stepped in, crude and direct.
Roma's eyes scanned instantly.
Four Stage 6.
One—
Stage 8.
Each of the four carried axes, rough but heavy, suited for brute force. The Stage 8 held a long sword, refined and sharp, clearly superior in both quality and control.
"…Great," Roma muttered, frustration clear. "First real fight and it's already like this."
Arun stepped forward, gripping his own sword tightly. "This escalated quickly."
Roma's sword was already in his hand, high quality, balanced, far better than anything the attackers carried.
Riz didn't speak.
He cracked his knuckles slightly.
Metal knuckle guards glinted faintly.
Then he moved.
The Stage 8 moved at the same time, sword flashing under moonlight, and Riz intercepted barehanded, his knuckles colliding with the blade at precise angles. The clash sent a heavy shock through the courtyard, the ground cracking slightly beneath their feet.
Roma clicked his tongue.
"…Arun, with me."
The four Stage 6 rushed in together, axes swinging in wide arcs, heavy and aggressive.
Roma moved immediately, but it was chaotic. One came from the left, another from the front, two from behind. He ducked one axe, stepped back from another, and twisted his body as a third cut passed dangerously close.
"…This is messy," Roma muttered.
Arun blocked an axe with his sword, the impact pushing him back.
"This is not training!" Arun shouted.
"No kidding," Roma replied.
Roma slashed forward, his sword cutting cleanly, forcing one attacker to retreat. The difference in weapon quality showed instantly—Roma's blade moved faster, cleaner, sharper.
Arun tried to follow.
"Got one—"
He didn't.
The opponent slipped and struck him with the blunt side of the axe.
"…Okay maybe not," Arun said quickly.
Roma frowned.
Too many.
Too chaotic.
But—
Training kicked in.
Roma adjusted.
His movements became sharper, more controlled. He no longer wasted motion. Arun, though still rough, followed better than before.
Meanwhile—
Kima and Akima ran out.
"We help," Kima said.
Miya followed. "Stay together."
One Stage 6 broke off toward them, axe dragging slightly as he turned.
"…Good," Roma muttered.
Now three remained.
Kima, Akima, and Miya engaged the fourth. Their weapons were basic, their coordination imperfect, but they stayed together. Kima faced front, Akima supported from the side, and Miya struck when openings appeared. The Stage 6 tried to overpower them with heavy swings, but their combined effort slowed him down.
"Annoying," the attacker muttered.
Back—
Roma and Arun faced three.
Roma deflected an axe with his sword and countered immediately, forcing one back. Arun stepped in and slashed clumsily but connected enough to disrupt.
"Yes!" Arun shouted.
"Don't get distracted," Roma said.
Momentum shifted.
They weren't losing anymore.
They were fighting.
Meanwhile—
Riz.
Against Stage 8.
Sword versus knuckles.
Speed versus precision.
The Stage 8 swung his sword with power and skill, but Riz moved like flowing water, his knuckles striking at joints, wrists, and openings. Every movement was controlled, efficient.
"You shouldn't be able to do this," the Stage 8 said.
Riz didn't reply.
Strike.
Block.
Counter.
Hit.
The Stage 8 stepped back.
"Impossible…"
Then—
A shadow moved.
Roma didn't see it clearly.
Just—
A flicker.
"…What?"
Riz turned—
Too late.
A short sword flashed.
A clean cut landed across him.
Blood spilled as he staggered back.
Another figure appeared from the darkness.
Stage 7.
Short sword in hand.
"…There was another?" Roma said, confused.
Arun shouted, "Riz!"
Riz stepped back, injured but not fatally. He had dodged just enough to avoid critical damage.
"You reacted," the assassin said calmly.
Riz didn't respond.
He placed his hand over the wound.
Chakra moved.
Healing.
The wound began closing visibly.
The assassin narrowed his eyes. "A healer…"
The Stage 8 smiled. "Now this is interesting."
Riz straightened.
"Come."
Now—
Two against one.
Roma frowned.
This wasn't planned…
No prediction.
No control.
Just—
Chaos.
One of the Stage 6 in front of him hesitated.
Roma didn't miss it.
He stepped in—
Sword flashed—
Clean strike.
Down.
Arun followed and finished another.
"I actually did it!" Roma was finally got his first kill
"Focus," Arun replied.
One left.
Together—
They overwhelmed him quickly and arun pierced through the throat.
Roma didn't stop.
He ran toward Kima, Akima, and Miya were still holding their opponent, barely but steadily.
"yaaa," Roma Warcry as he pierced through the heart of the last remaining…... then looked at the other 3 who had varying degree of injury "Rest first".
They nodded.
Roma reached Riz just as the assassin moved again, short sword aimed for a quick finish.
This time—
Roma didn't think.
Didn't plan.
He just moved.
From the side.
From the blind spot.
His sword struck his throat from back.
The hit landed cleanly.
The assassin staggered.
Riz didn't hesitate.
Knuckle strike.
Direct.
The assassin collapsed.
Now—
Only the Stage 8 remained. He stepped back slightly. Secretly cursing the noob teammate 7th stage who died suddenly.
Roma stood beside Riz, sword in hand, still slightly irritated.
"…This night is getting worse."
Arun came behind them, gripping his sword.
Three against one.
Still dangerous.
Riz stepped forward.
"End it."
The Stage 8 moved again, faster than before, sword cutting through air with deadly precision, but now he wasn't facing one opponent.
Roma shifted.
Arun followed.
Riz led.
Three angles.
One target.
And this time, Roma wasn't calm.
He was annoyed.
And that—
Made him sharper.
The fight didn't slow down, it only became sharper and more dangerous as the three of them moved together without hesitation, without holding back. Riz went first, fast and precise, his knuckles striking toward the sword hand, forcing the Stage 8 to block as metal clashed and sparks flickered under the dim light. The opponent stepped back instantly, adjusting, his sword cutting in a sharp arc toward Riz's shoulder, but Riz blocked again without losing balance.
Arun followed from the side, swinging his sword with full force and shouting, "Take this!"
The attack was blocked again.
The Stage 8 twisted his blade and deflected it cleanly, then kicked forward, forcing Arun to retreat as he shouted, "He's still too strong!"
Roma didn't move.
He watched.
Every step, every pattern, every shift.
Annoyed.
Focused.
Waiting.
Too fast… too clean… if I rush, I'll mess it up…
Riz attacked again, stepping in close, striking low then high, forcing constant adjustments, while Arun came again from the other side, this time more controlled, aiming for openings instead of brute force.
Still—
Blocked.
The Stage 8 held.
Even against three.
But pressure built slowly, small mistakes forming, small delays appearing, and Roma saw it.
There.
A shift.
A moment.
Without warning, Roma moved, chakra surging into his sword as the blade shimmered faintly. One step forward, then a clean slash.
Too fast to react.
The Stage 8's leg was cut off instantly.
He collapsed.
A scream tore through the night as blood spread across the ground and his sword slipped from his hand.
For a moment, everything went still.
Arun blinked and said, "That was… fast."
Riz didn't stop. He stepped forward, knuckles raised, and asked calmly, "Who sent you?"
The man gritted his teeth in pain, his face twisted, but suddenly he grabbed his fallen sword and tried to attack again, shouting, "Die!"
Riz's expression didn't change as a heavy punch landed directly on his face, sending him crashing back down.
Arun stepped forward immediately, placing his sword at the man's neck and said, "Don't try that again."
The man trembled now, fear overtaking pain as he said quickly, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Roma stood nearby, silent, listening.
"We… we are from the West Blood Gang," the man said, struggling to breathe.
Arun frowned and said, "Never heard of it."
"We operate in this city… underground," the man continued quickly. "I'm one of the vice leaders…"
Roma's eyes narrowed slightly.
Vice leader.
That meant this wasn't small.
The man continued in a rush, "We were hired… by Vardhan Alchem Hall… they wanted your secret, your supply, we agreed to split everything fifty-fifty…"
Arun blinked and said, "Fifty-fifty?"
"Yes!" the man said immediately.
Riz asked, "And the Stage 7?"
The man swallowed and said, "From the hall… their man…"
Everything connected.
Roma stayed silent, listening, calculating.
The man continued desperately, "I told you everything, everything I know… please… let me go…"
Silence followed.
Riz looked at him and said calmly, "Okay."
For a moment, the man's eyes filled with relief.
Then—
A single clean slash.
His head fell.
The body collapsed.
Silence returned.
Arun blinked and said, "That was fast."
Riz wiped his knuckles slightly and said, "He was going to die anyway."
Roma didn't speak immediately. He stood there, still, then ran a hand through his hair and said, "Great."
Arun looked at him and asked, "What?"
Roma exhaled sharply and said, "Now we're noticed… by a gang… and a major hall."
Arun scratched his head and said, "That sounds bad."
"It is bad," Roma replied instantly.
Riz stayed calm and asked, "What now?"
Roma looked at the bodies, the broken door, the blood on the ground, then muttered, "I just wanted to run a shop… why is this happening to me…"
Arun almost laughed.
Riz didn't.
Roma looked up again, eyes sharper now, irritation still there but controlled.
"We need to move carefully now," Roma said.
There was no panic.
But there was no comfort anymore either.
Because now—
They had been seen.
And the people watching them—
To be continued… 🔥