"The red-masked guy's about three blocks away. He's way too weak for my taste, but hey, if he kills you, I'll gladly step in and finish the job."

Leto said with a cocky smile and gestured toward a building three blocks away. The locals had all fled into their rooms at the mere sight of the red-masked man. Despite praising him as their savior, the menacing aura he radiated wasn't something they wanted to witness.

Leto yawned lazily.

"I need some sleep. Just give me a signal when you realize you can't win. Don't be shy, I don't bite."

He casually walked past Halo, his steps growing sluggish as he entered the house.

Shadow of Death waited at the entrance, hands tucked into his pockets, watching the house Kahn had disappeared into.

Killing him was inevitable, non-negotiable. But he had to wait for the red-masked man to finish with the homeowners first.

The moment he heard screams, he began approaching the building. Casually.

Overnight, Kahn's killing spree had swept from the commoner district to the prestigious neighborhoods. This was his second home invasion, slaughtering people based on false suspicions, all for a chance to see Halo.

The wooden door hung open. Just inside the hall stood a man in black with dark hair and a red mask. He stood in a pool of blood, crimson dripping from his blade, each drop falling methodically into the pool below.

Kahn tilted his head slightly toward Halo.

"So you came after all… or was I the one who found you? Doesn't matter. You're caught."

Halo met him with silence. He walked into the house and casually locked the door behind him.

He summoned his dual daggers and confidently took his stance.

"It doesn't matter. You have less than three minutes left… and that should concern you more than anything."

Kahn looked uninterested.

In the blink of an eye, blades clashed, sending a chilling ring through the distance. Halo's legs buckled for a moment, but he swiftly compensated with agility.

For the next few seconds, only murderous intent filled the space between them. Kahn held his ground, legs planted, not budging, skidding, or sliding even slightly. His stamina was unmatched, and he knew how to use it.

Though they seemed evenly matched, neither landing significant hits, Halo felt uneasy.

He tried to make Kahn lose his balance, occasionally going for his legs, but they felt as though they were glued to the floor. No matter how hard he struck them, the only thing that moved was Kahn's upper body.

Worse, he couldn't read Kahn at all. The mask obscured his expression and eyes, and he said nothing. His singular focus was clear: kill Halo.

Mid-thought, Halo's body jerked backward instinctively. Chills ran through him. He could have sworn Kahn's legs had moved, yet they remained planted firmly in place.

The next instant, terror struck. Kahn's leg was already flying toward him. Too fast. Unexpected. His mind cycled through hundreds of responses, but none helped.

The blow hit him square in the gut, sending him crashing to the floor, smashing through furniture.

Before he could stand, Kahn loomed above him, his blade descending toward his head without a moment's pause.

Halo forcefully adjusted himself on the floor and transformed his daggers into a spear, deflecting and shattering Kahn's sword in the process.

But Kahn didn't seem fazed. Actually, he looked pleased, as if this was what he'd wanted all along.

What came next was brutal. Kahn beat Halo mercilessly, using him to paint the floor red, all without showing the slightest emotion. He should have gloated, he should have smiled. But no…

Halo's dark shirt turned brownish-red with blood. His face was swollen and unrecognizable.

He was lucky to have all his teeth intact.

His mind went hollow. He couldn't process one hit before another came. Everything felt soaked in blood, even his thoughts.

He came close to summoning his clones, but he refused. He was already on bad terms with Light, who believed Halo's new self wasn't suited for him. The last thing he wanted was to summon Light and prove his point.

But he needed Light to remember something, Halo was still someone to fear.

He felt warmth flooding back into his weapon. He transformed it mid-swing, blade met flesh before Kahn could react.

Kahn avoided the strike by a hair's breadth and put a distance between them.

His face felt like it was splitting open, but he pushed through the pain, got to his feet, and wiped himself clean.

He exhaled and gripped tightly onto his sword.

He didn't know what trick Kahn had planned, but speed was his only advantage. With stamina like that, wearing him down was a pipe dream.

Kahn snatched a standing lamp and rushed him, swinging. Halo casually sidestepped. But Kahn was already adjusting, flicking the lamp between his fingers, his momentum shifting.

The next strike nearly caught Halo.

Halo smirked.

He began jogging on his tiptoes; he needed to stay agile.

Kahn handled the lamp like it weighed nothing. Should've slowed him down, but he moved like he was holding a dagger. The way he wielded it gave Halo a glimpse of his True Ability.

Pain screamed through his head. Keep going like this, and it'd take him down before Kahn did. He wasn't giving in.

Halo moved through Kahn's blind spots, staying just ahead of each strike. The attacks were relentless and brutal, but he dodged them all. When it clicked that he was faster—his whole body came alive.

He bided his time. Right after dodging Kahn's next strike, he delivered a brutal hit to the gut that planted him in the blood.

But Kahn was already up before Halo could press the attack.

Kahn adjusted his mask and spat crimson on the floor.

"I'm not here to play. Why didn't you kill me with that blow? Was it pity? Tch. Next time, it'll be your head rolling across the floor."

Halo stared at him in confusion. Why speak now? Annoyed?

He liked that. It gave him a window into the bastard's head.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.