Leather's crimson aura roared as Death Circle continued spinning toward Saito.
Whoosh!
Saito leaped backward again.
The spinning blade carved through a wooden fence, reducing it to splinters.
"...Tch."
He clicked his tongue.
Leather grinned.
"Running already, Blue Scarf?"
From the side—
Thwip!
Kaito threw another knife.
Leather's sword spun once.
Clang!
The knife was knocked away before it could reach him.
Leather laughed.
"You can't do anything now, Blue Scarf."
Saito narrowed his eyes, searching for an opening.
"...Not yet."
Suddenly—
Two figures landed on a nearby rooftop.
Thud!
Thud!
Two assassins.
One rushed toward Kaito with twin blades.
The other pulled out a small syringe filled with a dark purple liquid.
He smiled.
"This will only tickle you."
He thrust the syringe forward.
Kaito twisted his body aside.
The needle missed by inches.
In the same motion, Kaito flicked a knife.
Thwip!
The blade buried itself in one assassin's shoulder.
"Agh!"
The wounded assassin stumbled backward.
The second assassin immediately closed the distance.
He pressed a dagger toward Kaito's neck.
"Don't move."
For a brief moment, Kaito stood between Leather's relentless advance and the assassins closing in from behind, while Saito searched for a way to break through Death Circle before the battlefield slipped further out of their control.
The assassin tightened his grip.
"Just take it."
He drove the syringe toward Kaito's arm.
Thrust!
Before the needle could connect—
Bang!
A figure burst in from the side.
A powerful kick slammed into the assassin's neck.
Crack!
The assassin collapsed instantly.
Kaito stepped back and looked at the newcomer.
"...Jori?"
"Why are you here?"
Jori straightened his coat and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, Senior."
"We came as fast as we could."
Meanwhile...
Leather continued advancing with Death Circle.
The crimson aura still spun around his massive sword.
Then—
A small bottle landed near his feet.
Clink.
Leather frowned.
"...What is this?"
The bottle shattered.
Crash!
Thick white smoke erupted around him.
Leather immediately stopped spinning and covered his nose.
"Cough..."
"What is this?"
A familiar voice answered from a nearby rooftop.
"Pain Smoke."
Leather looked up.
"Ling..."
Ling stood with another potion in his hand.
He smiled and gave Saito a thumbs-up.
Saito's eyes widened.
"...Ling?"
Ling grinned.
"Looks like you could use a little help."
Leather stepped back from the cloud of white smoke.
He covered his mouth with one hand as his eyes searched through the haze.
"So..."
"You two are his officers."
Jori calmly walked to Kaito's side.
"We were."
Ling caught the shattered potion bottle with the tip of his boot and smiled.
"Correction."
"We're his officers now."
He pointed his thumb toward Kaito.
Leather's expression darkened.
"So the rumors were true."
"The two of you betrayed the Noctarions."
Ling shrugged.
"Call it whatever you want."
"You messed with my senior."
He pulled another potion from his pouch.
A faint smile spread across his face.
"...Now."
"You die."
Jori lowered his stance beside Kaito.
"We'll settle this here."
The battlefield grew tense once again as the odds shifted, with Kaito no longer standing alone against one of Void's elite officers.
Kaito looked at the two of them.
"But..."
"You can't be here."
Jori smiled confidently.
"Don't worry, Senior."
"We can take care of ourselves."
Ling nodded.
"Besides..."
"We've been wanting to test ourselves."
Jori's gaze shifted toward Leather.
"Anyway..."
"He was supposed to bring you back to the Noctarions..."
"...alive."
He shrugged.
"But he chose brute force instead."
Ling twirled another potion between his fingers.
"So..."
"We've got a perfectly good reason to kill him."
Leather rested the tip of his massive sword against the ground.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"...Interesting."
"So even the former officers have turned against us."
He lifted the sword onto his shoulder.
"Then..."
"I'll cut down all three of you together."
Kaito quietly stepped beside Jori and Ling.
For the first time since the battle began, he wasn't facing Leather alone.
Leather tightened his grip on the massive sword.
Without another word—
He charged.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
With a powerful roar, he swung the blade.
Whoosh!
Kaito, Jori, and Ling scattered in three different directions.
The sword slammed into the ground.
CRASH!
Stone shattered, leaving a deep crater in the middle of the street.
Jori recovered first.
He drew a dagger and rushed straight at Leather.
"Here!"
Clang!
Leather intercepted the strike with the flat of his sword.
The impact pushed Jori backward.
At the same time—
Ling appeared from the side.
He uncorked a small glass bottle.
"Catch!"
He hurled the potion.
Leather noticed it at the last second and sidestepped.
The bottle shattered on the ground.
Splash!
The street hissed as the liquid ate through the stone.
Acid spread across the surface.
Ling clicked his tongue.
"...Damn it."
"I missed."
Leather glanced toward Ling—
But another shadow was already above him.
Kaito.
He dropped from a rooftop with both knives aimed downward.
Leather raised his sword just in time.
Clang!
Steel collided.
With a burst of strength, Leather shoved Kaito backward.
Kaito landed several meters away.
Before Leather could recover—
Saito burst in from his blind side.
"Got you!"
His sword pierced into Leather's side.
Thrust!
Leather grunted.
"...Tch."
Ignoring the wound, he grabbed Saito by the head with one hand.
Then—
Boom!
He hurled Saito across the street.
Saito crashed into a stone wall, sending cracks racing across it as dust filled the air.
The battlefield fell silent for a split second as everyone turned toward the cloud of debris where Saito had disappeared.
Dust billowed from the shattered wall.
Kaito's eyes were fixed on the cloud of debris.
"...Saito!!"
Before he could move—
Leather charged.
His massive sword came crashing down.
Whoosh!
Kaito jumped backward.
Just then—
A figure landed between them.
Thud!
A lean man with a single short blade blocked Kaito's path.
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"...Hashi."
Hashi smirked.
"I found him first."
"The Eighth's place..."
"...is mine."
Leather frowned.
He rested his sword on his shoulder.
"Hmph."
"It's mine first."
The two officers glared at each other for a brief moment.
Then, without another word—
Both lunged at Kaito from opposite directions.
Whoosh!
Kaito bent his knees.
At the last instant, he slipped sideways between them.
Leather's sword swept past.
Hashi's blade flashed forward.
For a heartbeat—
The two attacks crossed.
Kaito spun behind Leather.
His knife flashed once.
Slash!
A deep cut opened across Leather's throat.
Leather staggered forward.
His hand instinctively flew to his neck as blood spilled between his fingers.
His eyes widened in shock.
"...You..."
Leather stumbled forward.
His massive sword slipped from his grasp.
Clang.
He dropped to one knee.
Then—
Thud.
His body collapsed onto the broken street.
Silence spread across the battlefield.
Hashi looked down at Leather's body and gave a faint smirk.
"Well..."
"Now it's only me."
He tightened his grip on his blade.
"Let's finish this."
He lunged toward Kaito.
Kaito raised his knives, preparing to intercept.
Before the two could clash—
A hand rested on Hashi's shoulder.
Hashi froze.
He slowly turned his head.
"...Sir Void."
Void stood behind him, his expression hidden behind the familiar emotionless mask.
His voice was calm.
"I already told you..."
"...not to kill him."
Hashi's eyes widened.
"W-Wait—"
In one swift motion—
Void drove a blade into Hashi's side.
Thrust.
Then again.
Thrust.
And again.
Thrust.
Several rapid strikes landed before Hashi could react.
Blood splattered to the ground.
Hashi staggered backward in disbelief.
"...Sir..."
"...Why..."
His strength left him.
The blade slipped from his hand.
Clang.
A moment later—
Thud.
Hashi collapsed onto the ground.
The battlefield fell silent.
Void slowly withdrew his blade and looked toward Kaito.
"You were given an order."
"My officers..."
"...were given one as well."
His gaze briefly shifted to Hashi's motionless body.
"He chose to ignore it."