Kai twisted, one dagger deflecting the throwing knives mid-air. The impact stung his arm.
And then—
A shadow lunged from behind.
CLANG!
His daggers caught the strike just in time. Sparks flew. The weight behind the blow sent him skidding back across the dirt, boots dragging, breath tight.
Another one.
He didn't get a second to recover.
The air shifted. Another flicker of movement.
Left!
He ducked, barely, as a blade whistled past his cheek and carved into the trunk behind him. Wood cracked and bark exploded.
[Ghost Steps!]
His body blurred into motion. In the span of a breath, he vanished and reappeared ten feet to the side, crouched, chest heaving.
Two of them.
One stood in front—tall, wiry, dagger twirling idly between gloved fingers. His mask was dark red, eyes narrow, calculating.
The other crouched on a branch above, twin blades reversed in her grip. Her eyes were calm. Cold.
They didn't speak. Neither did he.
They just moved.
