Deep within the Grey Zone, Rin's rage and sorrow were completely ignited by the bloody memories of his past life. A cold killing intent emanated from him, and his short dagger cut deadly arcs through the chaotic fight. The dozen-plus cadets who had surrounded him, after experiencing his almost desperate counterattack, finally began to feel fear. They recoiled, but Rin gave them no quarter. Each of his attacks carried a suicidal resolve, as if he meant to unleash all the questions and pain in his heart onto his enemies.
However, the numerical disadvantage still persisted. As Rin dealt with several enemies, new reinforcements arrived from deeper in the alley. Four agile figures rapidly approached from different directions, their weapons glinting coldly in the dim light, clearly strong individuals with professional training. Without hesitation, they immediately cut off all of Rin's escape routes, forcing him back into a desperate situation.
Rin's stamina was almost depleted, the wound on his waist pulsed with severe pain, and the poison continued to corrode his body. He knew that ordinary "Shadow Strike" and "Shunpo" were no longer enough to contend with the immediate crisis. The shadow of death, accompanied by Ye Xue's tear-streaked face, again appeared before his eyes.
"If she was forced… I absolutely cannot die here!"
A powerful conviction, like molten lava, boiled within him. He had to survive, he had to find answers, he had to personally uncover all the truth!
Just then, he felt an unprecedented power, like a tsunami, surge from deep within him. This power was even more vast and more violent than "Shadow Strike" and "Shunpo." His vision instantly became incredibly clear; everything around him seemed to slow and solidify. He saw every tensing of enemy muscles, every subtle tremor of their weapons, even the dust motes in the air were clearly visible.
A new term, carrying an ancient and bloodthirsty aura, exploded in his mind.
"Shadow Strike, Second Form: Consecutive Shadow Rupture!"
The next moment, Rin's body transformed into a true black afterimage, no longer just a single disappearance and reappearance, but like a phantom, flickering continuously among the four enemies. His speed was so blindingly fast that it was impossible for the naked eye to track. He seemed to break through spatial limitations, every afterimage carrying a deadly edge.
"Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Almost simultaneously, four sounds of blades entering flesh rang out.
Blood rained down in the dim alley!
The four enemies, who had moments ago been so aggressive, froze rigidly in place, their eyes filled with unbelievable terror and despair. Their throats, hearts, and temples were precisely pierced almost simultaneously. Rin's attack had no wasted motion, no sound; extreme speed and lethal precision completely surpassed human limits.
When Rin's figure reappeared clearly in the center of the alley, the four bodies finally crashed to the ground, blood gushing like fountains, instantly staining the ground a shocking crimson.
Rin stood in the center of the bloodbath, his body unstained by a single drop of blood, yet his short dagger glowed with a chilling crimson. His eyes were colder than the abyss, colder than glaciers, devoid of all emotion, holding only pure slaughter and indifference. This was the true combat style of the "Blade of Demise"—a killing machine that walked the line between life and death, harvesting lives without a trace of hesitation or earthly attachment.
He slowly sheathed his short dagger, the intense pain and exhaustion washing over him like a tide, almost causing him to faint again. He forced himself to stand, leaning against the cold wall, gasping for breath. But his gaze had completely changed. The struggle of "kindness" was utterly gone, replaced by absolute ruthlessness and decisiveness in killing.
In another area of the Grey Zone, Ye Xue had just finished a battle. She had dealt with several opponents with equally cold efficiency and was now cautiously moving through the ruins. Her perception of killing intent was sharper than ever.
Suddenly, a powerful, suffocating surge of killing intent, accompanied by an extreme sense of speed, violently erupted from nearby. This killing intent was so familiar, so pure, so violent, that the hairs on her body stood on end.
It wasn't ordinary killing intent; it was the unique aura that only the "Blade of Demise" could exude in an extreme state of slaughter.
She sharply turned her head, her gaze piercing through layers of ruins, locking onto the direction of the killing intent's eruption. Though the distance was considerable, she could feel the intense energy fluctuations in that area, and the sudden silence that followed.
Ye Xue moved like lightning, rapidly approaching that area. When she arrived, she saw only Rin standing alone in the center of the alley, in a pool of blood, a chilling aura emanating from him. At his feet lay four corpses, their deaths incredibly gruesome.
She clearly perceived that what Rin had just executed was an evolved form of "Shadow Strike" beyond her comprehension. That continuous, intangible flickering and precise fatal attacks—even she had never seen anything like it in any records.
Ye Xue's expression suddenly froze. In her clear, cold eyes, disbelief appeared, along with a hint of undetectable fear.
"...How is that possible?" she murmured unconsciously.
This was not just because of the powerful strength Rin displayed, but more so because the aura emanating from him at this moment—that extreme coldness and combat style—perfectly aligned with the vague image of the "Blade of Demise" that had caused her endless shock in her deepest memories!
She remembered her dream of murmuring "I'm sorry," and the ice blade she had plunged into his chest with her own hands. She had thought it was just a dream, just a guess. But now, the terrifying aura of the "Blade of Demise" emanating from Rin validated that question in her heart like never before.
He really was the "Blade of Demise"! The terrifying assassin who was executed by the organization, yet mysteriously revived!
Ye Xue's body involuntarily trembled. She didn't know how to face this man who had "returned from the dead." Was it fear in her heart, guilt, or some more complex emotion?
She quickly suppressed all her presence, again hiding in the shadows, not daring to approach Rin. Rin, at this moment, was like a cold volcano, ready to erupt at any time.
Rin did not notice Ye Xue's presence. He merely gripped his short dagger tightly, feeling the power within him that had not yet fully subsided. He knew this was just the beginning. He had to fully master this power to survive in this academy brimming with undercurrents, to approach the truth, and to face the bloody and complicated destiny between him and Ye Xue.
The trial continued, and the fates belonging to the "Blade of Demise" and the "Cold Moon Assassin" were being pushed to their climax in an even more brutal way.