Near the temple, the two had finished their visit. Thien asked, "Where should we head next?"
Bao Uyen tapped her chin, thinking hard. "I'm not really sure either... How about we go get something to eat?"
Thien gave her a thumbs up. "OK."
They returned to the electric bike. Bao Uyen hopped onto the back, clinging tightly to him. The bike had just cleared the temple gates when the wind began to blow softly across the fields.
Suddenly, Thien stiffened. The atmosphere... shifted. The bike slowed down until it came to a complete halt.
"...Brother Thien..." Bao Uyen's grip tightened. "...It's too quiet..."
No birds chirped. No wind rustled. There was only an unnatural, terrifying silence. Thien stepped off the bike, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. The ground vibrated slightly, and the space ahead seemed to warp.
Then—
CRACK!!
A rift tore through the very air.
"!!"
A black hand reached out from the void. Slowly, a figure stepped through—cloaked in black, faceless, with only a slit of crimson light where eyes should be.
One. Two. Three.
They stood there, motionless, breathless, merely watching.
"Who are you?" Thien's voice dropped low.
One of them tilted his head. "We are..." His voice was distorted, echoing as if from the bottom of an abyss. "...the Shadow Assassins."
He took a step forward, and the air grew heavy. "We have come..." He let out a faint chuckle. "...to offer our greetings."
Thien clenched his fists. "Then take your greetings and go back."
A silence followed. Then—
"No."
The three shadows vanished.
VUT—!!
"Uyen!"
"I'm here!"
Thien spun around—BLOCK!!
A blade hissed past, narrowly missing his neck. He dropped low and delivered a powerful sweeping kick. The assassin was sent tumbling to the ground but stood up instantly—no groan of pain, no wasted movement.
"...!"
The other two lunged. They were fast—unnaturally so.
WHOOSH!!
Three blades tore through the wind. Thien twisted his body to dodge, then counter-attacked.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Three consecutive kicks. All three assassins were blasted back; one skidded along the dirt road, while the other two tumbled into the rice paddies. Dust billowed into the air.
One second. Two seconds.
All three stood up in unison, without missing a single beat.
"...This isn't good..." Thien muttered, tightening his grip.
One assassin spoke. "Your strikes... aren't bad." He paused. "...But... they are not enough."
He pulled out a small red pill. All three swallowed them simultaneously.
CRACK!!
Bones snapped and ground against each other as their bodies began to mutate. One grew massive, his muscles bulging as if bursting from within. Another's arm transformed into a black, plate-like armor, thick as a shield. The third grew unnaturally lean and then simply... vanished.
"!!" Thien gasped.
BAM—!!
A heavy kick slammed into his gut. With no time to defend, his body was hurled backward, skidding across the dry earth. Dust and smoke choked the air.
"BROTHER THIEN—!!" Bao Uyen screamed.
Amidst the debris, Thien struggled to his feet. "…Khụ…"
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. That strike wasn't just force; it felt as though it had pierced his internal organs. He wiped the blood away and looked up, his gaze hardening.
The three shadows were already standing before him. The Shield-bearer stepped forward. "And now..."
The Goliath clenched his massive fist. "...it is our turn."
The speed-type assassin vanished again.
The wind died down. The earth shook. Behind them, Bao Uyen squeezed her hands shut, the necklace around her neck flaring with a Rose-Blue radiance that began to spread.
Beneath their feet, water began to seep up from the dry soil. Far below, at the very bottom of the river, a red eye... snapped open. This time, it was staring directly upward.
Thien tightened his fists, his own necklace erupting with a fierce light.
"...Bring it on."
The three shadows lunged in unison.
BOOM!!
The ground exploded. The true battle had begun.