The brave volunteer led Genji to a small camp where the gang of bandits surrounded him. Genji assessed them and calmly asked, "Is that all? For a group to be so audacious, I thought you’d be stronger than that."
The bandit leader scoffed. "We’re more than enough to take you down. You might be a witch hunter, but that doesn’t change your situation. Now hand over everything, or we’ll open fire."
Genji shook his head in disappointment and clicked his tongue. "I don’t think you understand. I didn’t come here because I didn’t notice your lousy trap. I came because I’m confident in my strength. Yet now that I see you, I realize you’re not even worth my effort. Alright, clean them up. I just need one alive."
With those words, blood spikes burst from Bruce, brutally skewering the bandits. Then he yanked the spikes out, draining their bodies of all blood. Lifeless husks fell to the ground, terrifying the remaining survivor.
"Y-you, what sorcery is this?" the bandit stuttered.
Genji ignored him, gestured for Bruce to tie him up, and turned to the volunteer. "Alright, do what you need. I’m going back to town to clean up the loose ends. I don’t care if your story is a lie, but the missing people better be back by tomorrow, or I’ll hunt you down. And don’t try anything fancy. I have ways to find you."
Genji flicked his finger, grazing the man’s cheek and drawing blood. Bruce guided this stream of blood into a bottle, which Genji corked and menacingly shook before the man’s eyes.
The man gulped in fear. He’d heard stories of how witches could curse their victims through a medium, but he’d never expected to be on the receiving end—especially from another man. How was this possible? Wasn’t it only women with deep-seated hatred who became witches?
How could this man use such terrifying means? Was he really a witch hunter, or something more demonic? Perhaps he’d unlocked a way to possess these dark powers? If so, could he obtain them as well?
"Now get to work," Genji’s indifferent voice sounded, eliminating all distracting thoughts in the man. Either way, it wasn’t his place to explore these mysteries. Otherwise, he might end up as scavenger food without understanding why.
Genji then rode back to town, cruelly dragging his captive behind him. The bandit bounced along the road, stirring up a light dust cloud. Yelps of pain sounded, but the abuse persisted without mercy. Soon, Genji returned and dragged the heavily bruised man toward the bar.
He kicked open the door, drawing everyone’s attention before throwing the man into the building. The crash of toppling furniture sounded as Genji stepped inside.
"Alright, a little birdie told me there were some rats in here. Let me handle some cleaning, free of charge." Genji loaded his six-shooter and spun the chamber for effect. Then he opened fire, targeting all the suspicious people he’d noted earlier. Blood splattered everywhere as horrified patrons looked on.
Genji reloaded, finished off the remaining spies, and approached the thrown bandit. He stomped on the man’s chest, filling the air with snapping bones, aimed down, and pulled the trigger. He shook off the blood, spun the gun by the trigger ring, and approached the counter.
"There we go. I’ve cleaned up all the bandits. I’d like my side of the bargain now."
The bartender tried to appear unperturbed, but his trembling hands gave him away. All the patrons held their breath as Genji sipped from his cup. An audible gulp swept through the saloon as everyone tried to calm their anxious hearts.
"So, what’s up with this town? Anything unusual happening around here?" Genji asked casually.
"No, sir. Everything’s normal," the bartender replied, his voice a bit higher than usual. He feared that if he admitted to anything, Genji would unleash a massacre to “quell the anomaly.” The demonstration had been that brutal.
"And what about nearby? I’m sure there must be something. The world is in chaos. I’d be very surprised if you don’t know anything."
Under Genji’s silent threat, the bartender could only apologize to the residents of nearby towns. They couldn’t afford to keep this god of disaster around. Who knew what unhinged actions he might take?
"A notorious group of outlaws has occupied an abandoned stronghold. No one wants to deal with them since they have the terrain advantage. You can try your luck there if you’re up for the challenge."
----------------------------------------
A few hours later at dusk, Genji stood amidst a pile of bodies at the supposed location. Blood soaked into the sand, creating a darkish red paste. Empty cartridges rolled on the ground, making light, tingling sounds as metal scraped against rocks. Small wisps of gun smoke wafted around the cover, filling the air with a bitter smell.
Genji checked his energy prism and noticed barely any change. The curse energy within these outlaws was no different from the surrounding atmosphere. This made sense; they wouldn't be hiding here if they could actively manifest curse energy. These outlaws didn’t even qualify as mid-level, second-step. Most of their combat strength came from their firearms, not any inherent abilities.
'What the hell is going on in this world? Even these weaklings can terrorize people now?' Genji inwardly sighed and instructed Bruce to clean up the area.
Blood swirled around them, leaving not a drop behind. They collected the bullets, buried the guns, and set out for the night. Along the way, they hunted a wandering elk and set up camp.
"I can’t understand this world. On one hand, we have mass-produced weapons, and on the other, rampant chaos. Where are they getting all these guns, and why aren’t regular people arming themselves? Wouldn’t they be better off banding together to eliminate these unstable elements before facing the witches?"
Bruce shrugged with his tentacles and continued turning the meat. Astros helped by sprinkling spices from Bruce’s head, paying no mind to Genji's questions. Suddenly, Genji sensed the atmospheric curse energy growing turbulent. Now that the suns had set, their extreme heat could no longer restrain the rampant curses. The most intense activity occurred back at the stronghold they'd come from.
Genji’s eyes narrowed. This couldn’t be a coincidence. "I'm going to check that out. Be back in a few minutes."
He vanished from his position, leaving behind a strong tailwind. Bruce and Astros kept cooking, unfazed by Genji’s departure. They trusted his ability to handle such situations and saw no need to drop everything to follow him—besides, doing so would burn the meat, a sacrilege to Bruce.
When Genji reappeared, he saw the unruly curse energy converging around the fallen bodies. The energy poured into the chest wounds, circulating beneath the skin, creating grotesque bulges. Bones contorted at strange angles, muscles snapped, and skin ripped, triggering a harrowing transformation within the corpses.
In the end, a swarm of hairless, deathly white humanoids stood before Genji. Their sharp claws glimmered in the dim moonlight, exuding a menacing presence. These transformed creatures had solidly entered the third step. The monsters snapped their heads toward Genji and roared, their jaws opening wider than their heads. Then they bolted at him, their limbs flailing unnaturally.
Genji fired a few shots with his six-shooter, but the bullet wounds closed as streams of curse energy poured into them. He switched to a streak of cutting intent and severed a neck, but the body continued to run. The monsters arrived and swiped fiercely.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Genji sidestepped the attacks and slashed downward with his daggers. A thick beam of light struck the attackers in front, slicing them into thumb-sized cubes. Plumes of cursed mist seeped from these chunks, seeking to return to the atmosphere.
But before the energy could escape, the prism at Genji’s waist emitted a powerful suction, capturing the mist. The freshly released curses, weaker than those lingering in the atmosphere, were easily drawn in.
Genji summoned his second dagger and charged forward to meet the remaining foes. His body spun through the air, executing acrobatics as he cut down the crowd. After 30 seconds, his enemies collapsed, and a cloud of mist swarmed toward the prism. Genji checked its progress: the outer prism was now 50% full.
'Not a bad harvest.'
Moments later, the group chat buzzed with messages as others shared similar encounters. Curiously, only six had witnessed the odd transformation, while 18 saw no changes despite being near bodies at the time. After some discussion, one member proposed a plausible theory.
Harper: I think it has to do with resentment at the moment of death. The stronger the collective resentment, the more likely they are to mutate. The deaths also have to be relatively fresh. I don’t know the exact time frame, but let’s assume within 15 minutes before night. If we want to learn more, we’ll have to experiment. If anyone’s interested, I can organize a collective study. Each person will run a different set of tests, and I’ll compile the results.
Zon: Sounds good. Count me in.
BlueJeans: Same here.
Enigma: I’ll also contribute if it’s convenient.
In the end, 12 people agreed to join the project. Genji put away his device and backtracked. Upon his return, he noticed several vulture-like creatures on the ground. Bruce and Astros had also been attacked by reanimated corpses, though theirs had been much weaker.
"Pain in the ass world," Genji mumbled as he sat down. "Can’t even rest at night anymore."
Bruce nodded and handed him a hind leg. Genji took a bite and spread his perception, prepared to fend off any unwanted visitors. Fortunately, the night passed without incident, and they resumed their journey the next day. Along the way, Genji found and annihilated another bandit group.
This time, he made sure to cremate all the bodies before leaving. Although the chance of mutation was low, Genji preferred not to risk it, especially given his mission. A single mistake could lead to uncontrollable consequences or ripple effects.
Soon, the suns reached their highest point, and the ambient temperature spiked. Steam vapors seeped from the ground, creating a light sizzling sound. Amidst this hazy sight, Genji noticed a traveling caravan in the distance. The escorts around it grew tense upon noticing Genji and drew their guns.
"At ease. I mean no harm," Genji called out, raising his witch hunter badge.
The escorts squinted at Genji, unable to make out the badge's details with sunlight reflecting off the metal. Genji stopped a short distance away, tossed the badge halfway between them, and backed up. A caravan member came forward to verify the badge, then waved to signal the others to lower their weapons. “Esteemed witch hunter, please, welcome.”
“What’s going on here? Where are you heading with all these supplies?” Genji asked as he approached.
“Fort Malanche, sir. The soldiers there are in dire need of supplies. They’ll suffer heavy losses if we don't restock in time.”
Genji reviewed his map and located his destination - about four hours away at his current speed. The fort stood near the entrance of a monster-infested valley, serving as its first line of defense. It was a decent spot to gather more curse energy. "I'm coming with you. Let me hitch a ride."
“We’d be honored to have you,” the escorts agreed, parting to let him through.
Genji boarded a carriage, and the journey resumed. As the suns began to set, a line of silhouettes blocked the road ahead. Without warning, they opened fire on the convoy. Genji dashed out, drew two guns, and returned fire, each shot landing a target’s skull. The other escorts followed his lead and they forced the attackers into retreat.
“What was that about? They had nothing to gain,” Genji muttered.
“Not quite,” one escort replied, gesturing to the red bandanas over the attackers' faces. “I recognize that look. They’re the Red Clutches, a notorious gang that plagues these parts. They have no regard for the lives of their members, only their end goals. It's a surprise how they got so many people to join with those ideals.”
“How many are we talking? A hundred? Two?”
“Try six hundred. They’ll do anything to expand their forces. Now they’ve set their sights on our weapons, they'll never let go. This trip just got a lot harder.”
“Seems there’s more trouble around here than you expected.”
"That's because this group only popped up recently. I didn't think they would have the audacity to attack a military convoy so early into their establishment."
“Well, as long as they keep coming in groups like this, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble.” Genji reloaded his guns and spun the chambers.
“Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. A scouting team if you will. I hope we can make it in time under their harassment,” the escort said, glancing worriedly at the sky.
As night fell, the convoy set up camp and reinforced their defenses. A few monsters attacked, but the convoy quickly dispatched them in a hail of bullets. What they hadn’t anticipated, however, was a midnight assault by the Red Clutches, right when the cursed mist was most active.
The initial ambush claimed a dozen lives before the convoy regrouped and retaliated. Genji dove behind a wagon and unleashed a volley of shots. This exchange lasted a few minutes until Genji spotted a group of bandits charging forward with gleaming daggers. These bandits, all female, wore red shrouds reminiscent of fresh blood and bracelets made of animal bones.
Bullets tore through their bodies, but streams of black mist healed their wounds. Genji’s eyes narrowed as he delivered several headshots to the same target. There was no effect other than a few stumbles from the impact to the head.
"Bloody hell! They've made a deal with the witches!" A nearby escort exclaimed, spitting out his cigarette.
The charging women—"valkyries," as they are known—closed in, wildly swinging their weapons. Cries of pain filled the air as black mist contaminated the victims’ wounds. Veins bulged and the victims collapsed in agony. Around the same time, the valkyries' speed and regeneration factor experienced a noticeable increase.
'They're getting stronger as they kill. I can't let them continue.' Genji drew his saber and charged to meet them.
Opportunistic bandits fired at him, but wisps of cutting intent sliced through the bullets before they reached him. The lead valkyrie stepped up to accept his challenge, her eyes glinting with bloodlust. However, that look quickly turned to surprise when Genji’s saber cleaved through her dagger and sliced her down. Fear then followed when she realized her regeneration had failed.
The sound of her collapse drew wary glances from her teammates. The other valkyries exchanged a taciturn look before rushing at Genji from all directions, some breaking off to surround him.
Unfazed, Genji pressed forward. His saber nicked a few targets, but the valkyries had grown more cautious. Genji weaved between the slashes like an elegant danger and struck with the ferocity of an unstoppable dragon. His every swing brought massive pressure on his opponents, planting the fear that a single mistake would mean their deaths.
Suddenly, Genji pivoted mid-swing, narrowly dodging a backstab from a hidden valkyrie. He seized her and yanked her into the path of incoming attacks, the air ringing with a sharp snap as her arm twisted like soft pretzel dough. With a swift motion, Genji drove his saber through her heart, impaling another valkyrie behind her. The strike flowed seamlessly into a crescent slash, cutting down two others at his side.
Releasing his hold, Genji manifested [Curse Bearer] and fired three quick shots to repel the others. A ring of cutting intent expanded from his feet, snagging and halting the remaining valkyries just long enough for him to finish two more.
Realizing their precarious situation, the distant bandits focused their shots on Genji, hoping to save the remaining valkyries. Genji ignored all this with a quantum barrier and struck down another three opponents.
The convoy capitalized on this pause to gravely punish the bandit's inattentiveness, inflicting enough losses to force a retreat. The battle ended shortly after when Genji finished the remaining group.
Cleanup then followed as the convey sorted through the loot. They burned the bodies, saved the guns, and discarded the unholy daggers. These daggers contained a witch's powers and should not be used unless one signed a contract with their owner. Otherwise, they would be serving themselves on a chopping block for their enemies.
Bruce refrained from draining the blood, as it could easily be mistaken for a demonic act. Once they settled down again, Genji approached the person in charge to confront him about his suspicions.
"Alright, spill it. What exactly are you escorting to the fortress? There's no way these bandits would send such a group unless you have something worth their efforts. Normal guns and supplies don't meet those requirements."
*Sigh.* "I was afraid this would happen," the man said, disheartened. "We tried to keep this a secret, but they got the news anyway. Seems like someone's been compromised."
"Answer the question. How important is this shipment? Does it need to arrive in full, or can we afford to lose a few wagons?"
"Fort Malanche has recently been overrun with monsters. The only things capable of inflicting significant damage are silver cartridges," he explained, pulling back the cover on one of the carriages to reveal dozens of metal boxes stacked neatly inside. "The more we deliver, the better our chances of holding off this tide. The witches want the exact opposite. They thrive on anarchy and aim to destabilize the resistance. The Red Clutches are just pawns they use to thwart us. I bet these outlaws think this is their ticket to power, but they don’t realize that nothing good ever comes from dealing with witches. Poor bastards won't even know what hit them until they're buried six feet under."
At that moment, Genji turned and began walking away, prompting the man to ask where he was going.
"You said it yourself. We’ll have to deal with these people one way or another. In that case, why should we stay on the defensive?" With those words, Genji disappeared into the night, guided by a certain compass.