Zaydan moved silently through the darkness of the forest.
As the moonlight filtered through the leaves, a makeshift cabin appeared in the distance.
And standing before it…
Dante.
The man was smiling, just as he had seven years ago.
It was as if war, death, and time had left no mark on him.
But Zaydan didn't believe it.
No one remains the same after living through so much.
His killer instinct whispered this to him.
Zaydan hid in the shadow of a tree and began to wait.
When Dante entered the cabin, the lights went out.
He thought he was asleep.
Now was the time to act.
Zaydan pushed the door silently and slipped into the cabin.
His eyes quickly scanned the interior.
A table.
Two drinks.
One at the far end of the table, the other in Dante's hand.
And then…
He noticed Dante leaning back casually in his chair.
"Don't be so quiet," Dante said, smiling faintly.
Zaydan paused for a moment.
Had he noticed?
How long had he known?
Dante took a sip of his drink and pointed to the empty chair.
"Sit."
Zaydan couldn't understand any of it.
Did this man know he was on the brink of death?
And if he knew, why was he so relaxed?
Zaydan studied the man across from him. He was mysterious.
And his extreme calmness made him even more dangerous.
"I came here to kill you," Zaydan said, getting straight to the point.
Dante smiled.
He even seemed somewhat amused by the sentence.
"I know," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Zaydan's brows furrowed.
Was this man joking?
Dante raised his glass.
"But first, let's drink."
Thinking it wouldn't cause any trouble, Zaydan sat in the chair.
He took the drink in front of him and brought it lightly to his lips.
And he asked:
"I came here to kill you. Why are you so indifferent?"
Dante thought for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"Because I think it will be fun."
Zaydan looked at Dante in astonishment.
This man… was not afraid.
And this began to make Zaydan think.
Zaydan couldn't make sense of the ease in Dante's eyes.
A man couldn't be this reckless when he was so close to the edge of death.
Was this a trap?
He gathered his thoughts and listened to his surroundings.
But he could hear nothing but the wind and the sounds of animals coming from the forest.
Still, his suspicion would not fade.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at Dante.
"Do you have men outside the cabin?" he asked.
Dante smiled.
He shook his head with an air as if he found it funny.
"What do you think?" he said, then leaned back slightly in his chair.
Then, looking at Zaydan, he continued:
"It's just the two of us in the forest."
Zaydan's brows furrowed.
Really?
Was this man truly alone?
It wasn't possible for a man to be this relaxed, he thought.
Who was this man?
Zaydan reached for his sword, staring intently at Dante as he asked:
"Are you relying on your own strength?"
Dante took a sip from his glass and smiled faintly.
"Or is it that you don't trust your own?" he asked, his voice half-joking.
Zaydan's eyes flashed.
He slowly gripped the lightning sword at his waist and struck it against the table without drawing it from its sheath.
"I trust my strength."
At that moment, Dante noticed something.
The sword…
He recognized it.
It wasn't a sword that belonged to him, but he knew it.
Kagehana's sword.
Dante bowed his head slightly, examining it carefully.
And then, the expression in his eyes changed.
But he was still smiling.
"Where did you find this sword?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Zaydan was starting to get annoyed by Dante's strange calmness and curiosity.
It didn't sit well for a man to be this relaxed, even on the verge of death.
He stood up.
He gripped the sword and narrowed his eyes.
"I think you still aren't taking what's happening seriously."
Dante fixed his eyes on Zaydan and tilted his head slightly.
And he made another joke.
But this time…
Zaydan's patience had run out.