The impact hit like a cannon blast.
A burly student slammed into the wall with a sickening thud, the force driving the air out of his lungs as blood burst from his mouth. His fist, which had been thrown in desperation, was stopped mid-swing, completely overpowered. The man in black didn't even look strained as he pinned him there, one hand casually holding him in place before flicking his wrist and sending him crashing down.
"It's a super criminal!"
One of the male students collapsed to his knees, tears welling in his eyes as panic finally broke through his bravado. They were trapped, front and back, and any illusion of safety had shattered completely. Just moments ago, someone had tried to run, only to be swatted aside like a fly by the man behind them.
That was when it truly sank in.
Both of them weren't just attackers—they were something beyond ordinary humans.
Elena stood among the group, her face pale as she watched her classmates fall one after another, blood staining the ground. The future she had never considered now loomed clearly in front of her, and regret gnawed at her chest. If she had gone home earlier, if she hadn't lingered, maybe none of this would be happening.
"Please—please don't kill me!"
One of the boys dropped to his knees, bowing repeatedly toward the man behind them, his voice shaking with desperation. He didn't care about dignity anymore—he just wanted to live.
The tall man didn't even bother responding. He grabbed the boy by the collar, tossed him aside like trash, and stared down at him without a hint of emotion.
Then—
A flash of white light.
Every student who saw it froze.
The boy's head snapped back as he crumpled to the ground, blood spreading quickly beneath him, staining the pale snow in a brutal contrast.
"Fuck!"
"Help! Somebody help!"
Their screams erupted all at once, echoing through the alley as panic spiraled out of control. The pretense of bravery was gone now, replaced by raw fear as they called out blindly, hoping someone—anyone—would hear them.
But no one came.
The men in black didn't rush to finish them. Instead, they closed in slowly, deliberately, like predators savoring the hunt.
"Judge! Judge, help us!"
Someone shouted it first, and then more voices joined in, clinging to the name like a lifeline.
"The Judge is in the East District! Aren't you afraid?" Elena screamed, her voice cracking as she forced the words out.
Even she found herself praying silently, hoping that the man people whispered about would appear.
But the attackers showed no fear.
They kept walking.
Elena's fingers trembled as she slipped her hand into her pocket and dialed a number from memory. Calling the police never even crossed her mind—she knew better than anyone how useless they were in this city.
Before she could think further, the man who had dropped from above stepped forward again. He reached the group in an instant and slapped a blond boy to the ground without effort, sending him skidding across the alley.
Then his hand shot out.
Elena was dragged forward violently, her body pulled into his grasp before she could react.
"Let me go!"
Her voice rang out sharply, but it only drew a low, amused chuckle from him.
"The Grayson family's little princess," he murmured, his tone dripping with mockery. "You really do look the part."
His hand roamed over her legs, fingers pressing against her thighs as his expression twisted with ugly satisfaction. Elena struggled, but one of his hands pinned both her wrists effortlessly, leaving her completely helpless.
Tears welled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks, falling onto his wrist.
"Even better," he said with a grin. "Makes it more fun."
His other hand moved upward without hesitation.
Just as his fingers were about to reach her chest—
A sharp gust of wind cut through the alley.
Pain exploded at his neck.
Before he could react, his entire body was thrown backward, crashing onto the ground as his grip loosened instantly.
Elena stumbled free, scrambling away as fast as she could. She rushed toward her fallen classmates, her breath ragged as she turned back with wide, terrified eyes.
The alley fell silent.
Every student stared, frozen in place, at the figure now standing between them and the attackers.
A black-robed figure.
The air itself seemed to grow heavy, pressing down on them with an invisible weight. Even without understanding why, they felt it instinctively—the presence of something far more dangerous than anything they had faced before.
Elena, standing closest, felt it the most.
This pressure…
It was nothing like the man who had grabbed her.
"Judge…?"
The man who had been knocked down pushed himself up slowly, a grin spreading across his face as his eyes gleamed with excitement. He stared at the figure in front of him like a hunter who had finally found worthy prey.
He could feel it.
The power contained within that still silhouette was overwhelming, reminiscent of something far beyond his usual targets.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow. Unhurried.
The two men at either end of the alley began to close in, their attention now fully locked onto Locke.
"It seems," Locke's voice cut through the silence, deep and steady, "that I'm your target."
"Of course you are!"
The man lunged without warning.
He twisted his body mid-motion, delivering a vicious whip kick that tore through the air with a sharp, cracking sound as it aimed straight for Locke.
Boom!
The impact landed—
And stopped.
The man's expression froze.
It felt like he had kicked solid steel.
Locke stood unmoved, one hand raised casually as he blocked the strike without effort. There wasn't even a shift in his stance.
A flicker of something dark passed through the attacker's eyes.
Then excitement surged.
With a sharp exhale, he leapt again, his other leg snapping upward in a second kick aimed at Locke's chest.
Locke moved.
His hand blurred, striking the man's leg aside with precision. The force spun the attacker mid-air, completely disrupting his momentum.
In that same instant, Locke's foot rose.
And drove forward.
Boom!
The man was sent flying like a launched projectile, his body tearing through the air before slamming hard into the ground. A cracking sound echoed faintly—bones breaking under the impact.
He lay there, chest heaving, eyes wide with shock as he stared at the unmoving figure in front of him.
Another shot rang out.
Gunfire exploded through the alley, sharp and deafening.
The students gasped, their attention snapping toward Locke, who still hadn't moved.
"Missed?"
A voice echoed faintly from behind.
At the far end of the alley, the man blocking the street had raised a long-barreled rifle, the muzzle still smoking.
"Judge, run!" Elena shouted instinctively, her voice filled with urgency.
Her classmates reacted immediately, rushing to cover her mouth in panic. If the Judge left, they would be the ones left behind.
But Locke didn't run.
He moved.
In a blur.
The distance vanished in an instant as he closed in on the gunman. At the same time, another figure rushed from the shadows, twin daggers flashing in the dim light as they reflected a cold, deadly gleam.
The assassin's gaze locked onto Locke.
For a split second, fear flickered in his chest.
It felt like facing something monstrous.
They collided.
The daggers struck first, slicing through the air in precise, lethal arcs aimed at Locke's head. Locke tilted his body just enough, his movements fluid as he slipped past the initial strike.
The attack didn't stop.
The assassin's arms spun rapidly, the twin blades becoming a storm of flashing steel as they cut toward Locke from every angle.
In seconds, they exchanged multiple blows.
Steel met fabric.
A blade tore through Locke's black robe and pierced into his wrist.
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across the attacker's face.
Something was wrong.
The blade didn't sink the way it should have.
Before he could react—
A blur.
A kick slammed into his abdomen with crushing force.
The air left his lungs instantly as his body folded, and in the same breath, a palm struck down toward his head.
....
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