Kaito Shirogane had overestimated Grinder's patience. After Lin had sent those photos, he had expected the man to drag his feet for a while, perhaps sending soone to threaten or negotiate. But there was nothing.
That night, Kaito's eyes snapped open. He had heard the sound of a cara shattering.
He walked to the window. The few n Lin had arranged to patrol the periter had vanished. In the center of the concrete courtyard, the woman who had been stripped naked and tied to a post was shaking her head back and forth, her face a mask of terror.
Knock, knock.
A light tapping on the door, followed by Lin's hushed, frantic whisper.
"Boss Kaito… Boss Kaito…"
"Grinder is here…"
Lin had been certain he was a dead man. He had made a bet—a bet that this "Madman Kaito" was an even more ruthless monster than Grinder—and had done the unthinkable. But afterward, when he saw the photos he'd sent go viral on social dia, a deep, retroactive fear had set in. He had slapped Grinder in the face, in public.
He couldn't sleep. He had hidden in the basent, listening to the sounds outside. A short ti ago, he had heard it: a heavy, thudding footstep, just like the one Grinder had made when he'd returned to his own village from the mountains.
Trembling, he had crawled upstairs, terrified that Kaito was still asleep, but too scared to call out and alert Grinder to his own presence. The imnse fear had completely eclipsed the pain in his broken wrist and swollen face.
Creeak…
The sound of the door opening was jarringly loud in the night.
Lin instinctively flinched. But Kaito just grabbed him by the neck and quickly descended the stairs. He dragged Lin into the inner courtyard and over to the woman tied to the post.
He scanned the surrounding jungle. He couldn't see Grinder, but he could already sll that faint, foul stench.
"Grinder! Since you're here, why don't you show yourself and we can talk!" Kaito called out. The next mont, he felt a killing intent lock onto him. He turned his head and looked toward the southeast, where a rifle was now aid at him from the trees.
But he was unafraid. A wild smile spread across his face. He tightened his grip on Lin and shoved his face directly into the naked woman's body.
The woman, i, slled that familiar odor and knew Grinder had truly co. Feeling the heat of Lin's body pressed against her, she began to shake uncontrollably, and a stream of urine ran down her leg. She knew that if Grinder saw this, she was dead. He was extrely possessive. His "unclean" property would either be killed or thrown to the creature in the backyard.
Lin was also terrified. He didn't even register the feeling of soft flesh against his face. He just shook his head, trying to beg the madman to let him go.
BANG!
A gunshot shattered the silence of the night.
Kaito's head jerked to the side. A spray of blood erupted from behind him. Lin's face was spattered with warm blood and bits of flesh. He had killed n before, had seen many dead bodies, but this sensation completely shattered his nerve, and he let out a terrified scream.
i's head had exploded.
Kaito released Lin, turned, and looked at the muzzle flash in the distant trees. He sneered and took a single step.
BOOM!
The ground shook. Kaito vanished, his speed too fast for the naked eye to track.
The Reincarnator hiding in the tree felt his pupils contract. His target had stepped from the light of the courtyard, and in the next instant, his vision had blurred. Damn it, that guy really is a Reincarnator! He rembered Grinder's warning. He imdiately leaped from the tree and fled into the dense jungle.
The number of Reincarnators in the Northern Myanmar region had been steadily increasing. Many were drawn to this lawless land, wanting to beco warlords and unleash their power. But this place was a small pond with too many sharks. The number of people who could afford to pay protection money was limited. No one was willing to give up their territory. In the end, it always ca down to a slaughter.
This was not the first Reincarnator Grinder had encountered, but it was the most arrogant.
The shooter, confident in the jungle, his cara-less sanctuary, made his rifle disappear. His movents were agile. He just needed to create so distance, let Grinder kill the others in the compound, cut the power, and then he could act freely.
WHOOSH!
A black shadow shot past him. The next mont, a figure had appeared in front of him. The man's appearance was handso, perhaps a carefully crafted avatar. He was just wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt, and he looked young, like a recent college graduate.
"Are you Japanese?" the shooter asked. "You shouldn't have left that peaceful country. Coming to a place like this to die… it's not a very…"
He was trying to talk, to buy ti, but a silver Desert Eagle was already materializing in his hand. His eyes widened as he pulled the trigger.
Kaito's lips curled. His ears twitched. He could finally hear the sound of Lin's screams from the compound, two hundred ters away. He had deliberately let himself be lured away, just to draw out this hidden enemy. And now, this half-assed shooter was of no further use.
He watched the man's muscles tense. He tilted his head, dodging the bullet. As the man was about to fire again, Kaito's fist blurred.
SPLAT!
The shooter's throat and cervical vertebrae were shattered at the sa ti. His head lolled back, unsupported.
Kaito watched him fall, his movents so slow. His right hand blurred again.
BAM!
A burst of force pierced the man's skull, scrambling his brain.
Kaito turned and walked away as a crimson card slowly materialized in front of him.
[You have killed Reincarnator ND11478744 (Observer) in the real world.]
[Power level comparison is 1:0.22. Rewards have been weakened.]
[The private space of ND11478744 (Observer) has been rged with your private space.]
[Karma Point 1. Current Total: 8]
[Milestone Update: Hunter - Kill 3 Reincarnators in the real world (2/3)]
He casually collected the Crimson Drop Card and then sprinted back to the compound. He could hear Lin's frantic pleas.
"Grinder, I was wrong! Grinder!"
"That guy's a madman! I had no choice…!"
He was sobbing, but the figure like a black bear simply backhanded him. Lin was sent flying through the outer wall, and after a few twitches, he was buried under the rubble, silent.
Kaito leaped lightly, landing without a sound. His clothes had changed. He was now wearing the pink robe of rcenary Tao. For a real slaughter, one had to go all-out.
Grinder stood with his back to him, looking at the headless corpse of i. He exhaled a long, foul-slling breath. He let out a low growl, and as he turned, his body swelled again, his height now approaching three ters.
But when he turned and saw the man who had arrived, he froze.
"rcenary Tao…"
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