As the five figures drew closer, they all came to a stop, their gazes locking onto the two men standing before them. The wind howled through the icy wasteland, carrying the sharp sting of snow against their faces.
Shun took a step forward, his tone calm yet curious. "So, are you the ones who sent the message?"
The group exchanged glances before a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward. His expression was hard, his stance rigid with confidence.
"Message?" he scoffed. "We don't even know who you are." His voice was rough, edged with undisguised irritation. "But it looks like you were waiting for us. Which means… you already know why we're here."
Shun tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting to the weapons strapped to their backs. "Well, we don't exactly know who you are," he said softly. "But coming all the way out here, armed and ready? There's only one reason—you're here to hunt."
Jin let out a slow breath, his brown eyes steady as he spoke. "You do realize it's illegal to hunt these beasts, right?" His tone remained gentle, yet firm. "If they live far from the cities and don't harm humans, they're protected by law."
A heavy silence followed, the cold wind the only sound between them.
"Protected by law? Hah! You really think we give a damn about that?" the short man sneered, gripping his sword.
"Right now, you two are at our mercy. Spill—who do you work for, and what are you doing here?" the short man demanded, gripping his sword.
Shun let out a small chuckle and glanced at Jin. "At their mercy? Isn't he talking a bit big for someone his height?" he said in a hushed tone, but loud enough to be heard.
Jin smirked, barely holding back his laugh, but before he could respond—
"Pfft—" One of the women suddenly snorted. Then, as if a dam had broken, she and the other woman burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The short man's face turned red with anger. "What the fuck are you laughing at?!" he shouted, gripping his sword tighter.
The second woman wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling. "Sorry, sorry, it just… slipped out with the flow."
Jin finally exhaled through his nose, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the short man. His amusement faded, replaced by a cold seriousness. His voice was calm, almost gentle, but carried an unmistakable weight.
"You're the ones who hunts and consumed the organs to grow stronger, aren't you?" He took a step forward, his tone dropping lower. "Let's not waste time. Tell me who's ordering you… and we'll let you live."
As soon as they heard Jin's words, the group immediately took a stance, ready to fight.
"We don't work for anyone. And even if we did, why the fuck would we tell you?" the bulky man growled. His fists clenched, revealing a pair of stunningly crafted gloves, each detail precise, built from some kind of tough, reinforced material.
Jin barely reacted, his tone still calm as he turned to Shun. "You fight the women."
Shun scoffed. "Nah. Not my style. You fight them."
Jin raised a brow. "Since when do you have a style? Or rules?"
"Just now." Shun crossed his arms, giving Jin an annoyed look. "Besides, you don't have any rules either, so you handle them."
Jin sighed. "Fine. Let's decide, then." He turned back to the enemy group. "Just give us a moment."
The three men and two women exchanged glances, confused, but stayed in their stances.
Then—without warning—Jin and Shun raised their hands and threw them forward.
Jin's hand sign: Rock.
Shun's hand sign: Rock.
A brief silence. Then they tried again.
Rock. Rock.
Again.
Rock. Rock.
The enemy group just stood there, dumbfounded, watching as these two grown men—who were supposed to be their opponents—were now completely absorbed in playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who would fight.
Minutes passed.
The bulky man's patience was wearing thin. One of the women sighed. The other rested a hand on her hip.
Yet Jin and Shun kept going.
Rock. Rock.
Paper. Paper.
Rock. Rock.
It was never-ending.
Then, finally—after ten whole minutes—Shun threw scissors.
Jin threw paper.
Shun fist-pumped in victory. "Ha! Finally! Looks like you're up."
Jin exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Fine, fine..." He turned back to the enemy group, cracking his neck.
The five enemies, who had been standing there the entire time, just stared at them in sheer disbelief.
"Are you two seriously done?" one of the women asked, completely baffled.
"I'm done with this bullshit."
The short man's patience snapped. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot—a gust of snowburst outward as he launched forward with blinding speed.
Before Shun could react, the man was already in front of him, his sword slicing through the icy air with a sharp SWOOSH!
CLANG!
Shun raise his arm in time, blocking the attack, but the sheer impact sent a violent shockwave through the air. The ice beneath them cracked from the pressure, and in the next instant—
BOOOOM!!
Shun was blasted backward, his body soaring through the stormy sky like a ragdoll. The powerful wind and freezing snow whipped against his face, the howling Antarctic storm roaring in his ears. He was flung at least two kilometers away, spinning uncontrollably.
Before he could stabilize himself—
SWOOOSH!!
The bulky man with the gloves appeared right in front of him, mid-air, his massive fist already cocked back.
BOOOOM!!
A thunderous shockwave exploded as the punch slammed into Shun's arms. He managed to block again, but the sheer force behind the attack sent him hurtling straight down toward the ice-covered ground.
The frozen terrain rushed toward him at breakneck speed.
CRACK!!
The ice beneath him shattered into massive chunks as he crashed, sending a violent tremor rippling through the frozen wasteland. The entire ground split apart, jagged cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
But before Shun could stand straight—
A sudden, bone-chilling presence loomed behind him.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHH—!!"
A horrifying, earth-shaking SCREECH tore through the air.
It came from the third man—the one who had been silent until now.
His mouth opened unnaturally wide, releasing a monstrous sonic blast. The very air distorted, the pressure ripping across the battlefield like an invisible tsunami.
KRRRRRRAAAAAASSSHHH!!!
The shockwave obliterated everything in its path.
The sheer force of the attack lifted him off the ground, sending him flying straight into an ice mountain.
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
The entire mountain detonated on impact.
Chunks of ice the size of buildings were launched into the sky, crashing down like meteorites. The blast radius stretched over four kilometers, sending devastating tremors shaking the frozen wasteland.
The battlefield was left in ruins.
The howling winds carried the aftermath—a blizzard of shattered ice and debris, proof of the sheer destructive power unleashed.
Even from afar, it was clear—these three men weren't ordinary.
They were S-Ranked Evolvers.
"You got a pretty voice there."
A voice suddenly came from behind the screaming man.
He stiffened. His blood ran cold.
Slowly, he turned his head—
Shun stood right behind him, completely unscratched.
A smirk tugged at his lips, his black eyes gleaming with amusement.
"When did he—"
The man's thoughts were cut off by pure instinct.
Without hesitation, he screamed again—
But this time—
It wasn't just his mouth.
His entire body vibrated, and then—
BBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
A monstrous shockwave erupted from every inch of his being—his flesh, his bones, his skin—turning him into a walking sonic weapon.
The air itself warped.
The sheer force of the attack ripped through the frozen landscape, the powerful soundwave drilling into the ice like a divine hammer.
BOOOOOM!!!
The frozen ground was obliterated.
A massive crater—**one kilometer wide and endlessly deep—**opened up beneath them as the shockwave annihilated everything in its range.
The very snow and air were sucked away for a moment, creating a terrifying vacuum, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Then—
WHOOOOOOOSHHH!!!
Everything came rushing back—the ice, the snow, the storm—all violently collapsing into the void left behind.
FWOOOOOSH!
Before the screaming man could react, Shun vanished.
And in the next instant—
BOOM!
Shun appeared right in front of him.
The man's eyes widened.
Too late.
Shun's fist sank into his face.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
A relentless barrage followed—**lightning-fast punches slamming into his face, chest, stomach, arms—**so fast that his body twitched violently like a ragdoll caught in a storm.
His suit rippled from the sheer force of impact, but it didn't tear—designed to withstand his own devastating soundwaves.
WHAM!
One final punch to the gut—
The man's feet left the ground.
His body flew backward, spinning uncontrollably—
And then—
CRAAACK!
His back slammed into the frozen ground.
Ice shattered beneath him. A deep crater formed around his body.
Silence.
He didn't move.
Unconscious.
Shun dusted off his hands and stood over him.
"Woah... You're an S-ranked Evolver?"
His voice was soft, almost mocking, but his smirk was genuine.
"You must train a lot... and that suit of yours
Shun nudged the unconscious man's chest with his foot.
"It didn't even tear from your own soundwave."
His black eyes gleamed.
Shun turned back, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"What are you waiting for, shorty?"
His voice was soft but mocking, each word dripping with playful arrogance.
The short man's face twisted in frustration.
"You're really getting ahead of yourself now!" he snapped.
Then—
VWOOSH!
He vanished.
The next second—
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Invisible slashes ripped through the ice.
Shun remained still, hands in his pockets—completely calm.
Then—
CRACK!
The entire iceberg beneath them exploded into countless shards, the sheer force of the slashes reducing it to nothing.
Chunks of ice the size of buildings crashed into the freezing ocean below, sending massive waves roaring into the air.
And yet—
Shun was untouched.
He weaved through the storm of blades effortlessly, his movements so casual it was as if he wasn't even trying.
The short man's frustration boiled over.
"Stand still, you bastard!" he growled, swinging even faster.
But the more he swung—
The more Shun smiled.
Shun dodged effortlessly, his movements smooth and precise, slipping through the deadly wind-enhanced slashes like a ghost.
"You're a wind manipulator, right?" he said softly, his voice carrying through the chaos.
The short man's eyes narrowed, but he didn't slow down—his sword blurred through the air, extending his slashes with razor-sharp wind.
"Never fought one like you before—" Shun continued, his smirk unshaken, "who increases his speed and extends his sword's range like this. Most wind manipulators just rely on wind blades alone, but you... you're different."
He tilted his head slightly, easily dodging another high-speed slash.
"Still..." Shun's black eyes gleamed. "I've fought a much stronger swordsman than you. This won't work on me."
And then—
FWOOOSH!
He vanished.
The short man's eyes widened.
WHAM!
A **kick came out of nowhere—**crashing into his neck like a cannonball.
CRACK!
The sheer force twisted his body in mid-air.
Before he could react—
BOOM!
Shun **swung his leg downward—**slamming the short man into the ice with an impact that sent a massive fracture racing across the frozen ground.
A deep crater formed beneath him.
And just like that—
The short man lay there. Unconscious.
Shun exhaled softly, staring down at him.
"You only use your speed for attacks." His voice was calm, almost lazy. "If you learned how to control yourself at that speed... you wouldn't have been knocked out by that kick."
Then Shun turned away, casually walking past the fallen fighters, when his gaze landed on the bulky man with the reinforced gloves.
"Oh? Are you waiting for a one-on-one?" Shun asked softly, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
The bulky man didn't react to the taunt. Instead, his rough voice cut through the cold air.
"You don't look like you work for the government or any organization. So what's your deal?"
Shun raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Yeah, you're right. How'd you figure that out?"
The man crossed his arms, his massive frame unmoving. "Because I remember every single Evolver above S-rank—whether they're under government control, part of a mafia, or working for some underground group. And you? You don't fit anywhere. So why are you here? And how do you know about that… process?"
Shun's smirk faded slightly. "Me and my friend came here because we found out about what you're doing—killing normal humans and Evol Beasts, using their organs to grow stronger." His voice remained soft, but there was a sharpness beneath the words.
The bulky man frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? We've never killed a normal human. We only come here to hunt evolved beasts. Nothing else."
Shun's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're telling me… you're only here for beast hunts?"
"Of course. That's why we're here," the man replied firmly, his rough tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Looks like we have a guest," Shun said softly, glancing up at the iceberg.
On the other side, as Shun and the three men vanished into battle, Jin remained standing in front of the two women.
They moved without hesitation, drawing their weapons—one wielded daggers, the other a long, thin chain that gleamed under the icy light.
Jin sighed softly. "Look, I don't like hurting women. I mean, if it were a kill-or-be-killed situation, I wouldn't hesitate. But I just need information… and that means I'll have to hurt you. I don't really like that process." His voice was calm, almost regretful.
The woman with the chain smirked. "So what, you're just gonna stand there and let us kill you?"
Jin tilted his head. "Oh, I never said I wouldn't fight. I just said I won't." His lips curled into a small smile. "But my sword can."
The woman with the daggers frowned. "Sword?"
Snap.
Jin flicked his ring finger against his thumb.
BZZT!
A crackling blue light, like electricity, burst from his fingertip—flashing in the frozen air.
And then—
FWOOOSH!
A figure appeared in front of him, slightly taller than Jin, materializing in an instant.
He was holding a pair of chopsticks.
And he was eating.
The air around them tensed.
The woman gripping the chain stiffened. Her expression turned nervous as her voice came out in a whisper.
"R-Ryuto..."
[Chapter 6 end]