The short thief who tried to stab Haruto from behind was sent flying nearly fifteen steps away, landing hard and showing no sign of getting back up. The remaining two stood frozen, witnessing the scene. "How dare you!" shouted one of them—the one who looked exactly like the person beside him.
They were twins. One burned with anger, his face twisted in impatience. The other stood calm and quiet, his expression unreadable.
The girl who had kicked the short thief away glanced at the twins and smirked. "Hehe…" Then she stepped into a ready stance. Her body turned slightly sideways—one foot forward, the other behind. Her knees stayed bent as she bounced lightly on her toes, never still. One hand extended forward to measure distance, while the other guarded her face.
Calm… yet ready to strike at any moment.
Behind her, Haruto stared in surprise. Another outlander… and a taekwondo fighter.
The twins rushed in, anger boiling over. They split apart—one to the left, the other to the right. The aggressive twin moved first. He lunged from the right, swinging his dagger horizontally toward the girl's head. A single mistake—and she could lose her life.
But—
"What the…?!" In the blink of an eye, she was gone. No—she hadn't vanished. She moved too fast for his eyes to follow. The next thing he saw was the clear blue sky above him as his body slammed into the ground.
Thud!
Before he could recover—The girl dropped low, her body twisting smoothly as her leg swept across the ground. SWEEP KICK.
Her strike knocked his legs out from under him with perfect precision. The speed of her counter left both Haruto and the remaining thief stunned. She didn't move like a normal human.
She's… incredible, Haruto thought.
The fallen twin gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up—
But then—
CRACK!
Something dropped from above. Not an object. A leg. Axe kick.
Her foot came down with crushing force onto his head, slamming him back into the ground and knocking him out completely. Haruto's eyes widened.
Her flexibility… her control… He had never seen anything like it. But there was no time to admire. The calm twin had already moved.
"I've got you now!!" He rushed forward, raising his dagger high before bringing it down in a vertical strike—aimed straight at the girl. Haruto reacted instantly.
He stepped in front of her, placing himself between her and the attack. The blade was now aimed directly at his left eye. No hesitation.
Using his karate training, Haruto deflected the attacker's arm at the last possible moment—Then drove a powerful right punch straight into the man's face.
Impact exploded on contact. The twin was sent crashing to the ground, just like his brother.
He clutched his face in pain—But then something strange happened.
"It burns!!"He screamed, rolling across the ground wildly."My face is burning!!"
Haruto frowned."Stop lying."There was no fire. No visible injury beyond the punch.
It looked like nothing more than a dramatic act.
Until—
"Hey."The girl's voice cut through the chaos, filled with shock. Haruto turned toward her. She was staring at him—no, at his hands. "What happened to your hand?" she asked.
Haruto followed her gaze. And froze. His hands were burning. Flames danced across his skin—just like before at the inn.
But there was no pain.
No heat.
Nothing.
Yet when he looked back at the man he had punched—A faint burn mark was visible on the thief's face. The man continued screaming in agony, writhing helplessly on the ground. Haruto's breath caught.
What… is this?
He stared at his hands, eyes wide with fear and confusion. He didn't understand. He couldn't.
"Haruto!!" A familiar voice called out from the side.
He turned—"Elina…?"
She was running toward him. But she wasn't alone. Beside her was a man Haruto had never seen before. He didn't look Japanese. Nor Korean. A foreigner.
As they approached, both of them noticed the flames on Haruto's hands—and the man screaming on the ground.
Then suddenly—The foreigner accelerated.
Fast. Too fast. Faster than any normal human. He dashed straight toward Haruto.
Haruto tensed. Was he another enemy?
He dropped into a fighting stance, fists raised. "Don't come any closer!" Haruto shouted. "Or you'll end up like him!"
But the man didn't stop. If anything—he moved even faster.
Haruto had no choice. The moment the man entered range, Haruto threw a quick jab toward his head—
But—
"What—?!"
In an instant, the man slipped behind him. Arms locked around Haruto's neck. Legs wrapped tightly around his body. A chokehold.
Haruto struggled, his burning hands grabbing at the man's arms, trying to break free. He tried to strike back—but his strength was fading.
His vision blurred. His breathing stopped. The flames on his hands flickered—Then slowly faded away.
His body gave out. He collapsed to his knees…
…and then to the ground. Darkness crept in.
Just before everything went black—A deep, chilling voice echoed in his ears.
"It's good to see you again… Haruto Takamori."