“For someone with so much killing intent” Rin spoke in front of her house. “You're surprisingly patient.”

“Letting you make your final preparation is the least I can do.”

Facing her was a man, around his twenties. He had brown colored hair. His eyes were unfocused and blank. He was visibly blind.

“Who are you?” Rin asked with hostility.

Like the man had said, he had given the black haired girl time to prepare. Although, she wasn't as leisurely as to change clothes and only wore a plain shirt and shorts, she still took her signature mask and katana.

“Simply a puppet that has come to claim your live.”

Tension raised between the two people.

An unnatural sparks emitted from the blind man's hand. Reacting to it, Rin quickly drew her sword before her face, blocking the sudden bolt of lightning launched at her. Numbness spread through her whole hand as electricity coursed through it.

However, she didn't back down and resisted with only a frown.

“Quite resilient, I see.”

Rin breathed out through her mask. Her eyes glued on the man. Her gripping force increased on her katana.

Then, like a scene right out of a movie, the two people disappeared out of sight. Metal sound were heard everywhere at the same time. Adding to that the devastating sparks of electricity coming from nowhere, the surrounding gradually degraded little by little.

Similarly to Rin, the blind man used a katana.

Blade clashed against each other. Neither of the two backing down from the confrontation. Mirroring her previous battle, the black haired girl tried her best to economize her stamina.

Though, this time around, it seemed to be more difficult. Contrarily with Diaz, the blind man was much more thorough. He, too, was an adept in martial arts.

At some point during the fight, Rin and the ‘puppet’ reappeared on the ground. The girl with heavy breath while the man with confidence.

“Why are you attacking me?” Rin asked, recovering her stamina.

“I was ordered to.”

“By who?” She increased her tone.

This was a crucial information that she needed to know. After all, not even a month has passed since she has joined ‘unchained’. And even in that short period, she had remained very careful.

Right now, no connection should have linked her to any criminal organization. So why exactly was she targeted? And in her house no less.

Was it because of her prestige of being in one of the 4 great families? Or was it because someone has already discovered her new secret identity?

“Rin Kagane.”

The girl frowned at these words. ‘The latter it is, then.’ She thought with a troubled expression.

“...How?” She asked, baring her anger at the blind man.

“By the help of a singularity, of course. No need to worry though. As of now, we're probably the only one knowing your connection with unchained.”

“ 'We'?” Rin asked once more.

Obviously however the man didn't answer anymore. With an even deeper frown, the girl resumed the fight.

Spinning her sword, she advanced step by step before breaking into a dash. Blade clashed against blade once again.

◇

A powerful shockwave ensued as a certain man blocked an attack.

“Sneak attack are for” Ed shouted, clenching his own fist. “Weakling!!”

He punched his assailant in the belly, making her stumble backward. To his surprise, though, she didn't even wince and regained her balance rather quickly.

His opponent was a girl around thirteen years old. She had short white hair and similarly colored eyes. Her clothes couldn't be called as such and were more akin to rag than anything else.

“Who the heck are you!?” Ed asked, more pissed than usually.

The girl, however, didn't say anything and just silently gazed at him. A gaze too much lifeless for the man's taste.

Ed had encountered many kind of people in his life. From crazy psychopath to simple scammer. But never had he encountered someone that seemed so devoid of emotion like the one in front of him.

“—!!”

Without warning, the lifeless girl thrust her hand at Ed's face. An attack that was barely avoided by the man and still leaved a blood red line on his cheek.

Not any second later, he felt a sudden pain on his stomach and was sent crashing from the roof of a building to the road on the ground. Furthermore, with no breathing room, he rolled to his left side, dodging the devastating feet that was once again aimed at his head.

Annoyed by the constant attack, he skillfully rotated on the ground and regained his stance on his two legs. Counter-attacking he barraged the little girl with his punch. Not withholding his strength, he mainly targeted the head.

Yet, just like earlier, the girl didn't even shriek. It was apparent that she received damage. Despite that, her lifeless gaze didn't show any sign of reaction whatsoever. Her two hand, barely protecting her face.

Still, Ed didn't show any pity. Tightening his fist one last time, he violently smashed the girl on her left cheek, blowing her a good ten meter away.

“I won't ask it again,” Ed stated, loosening his hand. “Who the hell are you?”

Surprisingly, the girl finally talked. However, it wasn't to answer the question.

“Strength analysis complete. Beginning adjustment.”

With her similarly lifeless voice, the girl's chest began to shine. All of her blood vein brightened up in a yellow color. Red liquid flowed out from her nose and eyes but she didn't seem to be in pain. Or at least, she didn't show it on her face.

Ed felt a sudden increase of pressure from the girl. His instinct telling him that this opponent was bad news.

Trusting himself, he dashed quickly toward the girl. His aim was to interrupt whatever the younger person was trying to do.

Too late, though.

The fist that he launched was effortlessly stopped by the girl's tiny hand. Her previously lifeless eyes now seemed eerily dangerous.

◇

Rin breathed heavily, dodging the barrage of lightning coming at her. She ran, using building, wall and everything she could to escape the still nameless man.

Even if he was blind, his degree of precision was scarily accurate. Though, on the plus side, it permitted for Rin to conclude that, much like her, the enemy avoided damaging inhabited house.

‘Now!’ The girl thought seeing an opening.

Instantly switching to offensive mode, she appeared behind the man and fiercely swung her sword. Unfortunately, the other person seemed to have predicted the move. Placing his two hand on the large handle of his weapon, he blocked the attack coming at his side.

“Being blind have its own benefit, you know? It taught me how to see with my other four senses!”

The blind man lifted his feet and swung it behind himself, aiming for Rin. The girl, with good reacting time, blocked it with her other free hand. Nevertheless, it didn't stop her from being blown back.

The sound and the sight of a spark in the corner of her eyes alerted her of the incoming attack. Putting force in her feet she jumped to the left avoiding the ray of electricity.

Not wasting time, Rin once again ran from building to building. It is to note, however, that she mainly moved in a circular way and didn't stray too far from her house. Which further precipitated another realization in her.

Rin and the blind man didn't use any flashy move, indeed. Excluding the lightning singularity, they only used their katana to fight. And even with only just that, they had destroyed a fair chunk of the road and damaged certain building.

That was why it was so strange. Why was no one reporting this incident? It may be night, but the noise should have awakened some of the people.

“It's poison.”

Answering her thought was the man's voice. He was pursuing her at a scary pace.

“I spread it around before coming to you.”

Understanding that running would just be a waste of stamina, Rin stopped and clashed blade with her opponent.

“It's nothing lethal, though.”

Obtaining the supremacy in strength, she pushed the man back.

“With your level of power, you would have only felt light-headed at most.”

Not letting go of her offensive, the girl swung her sword once again.

“So you can take off that mask without worry.”

Her blade grazed her opponent's shoulder before electricity forced her to back away.

Like the man had hinted, Rin's 'nano-mask' also functioned like a gas mask. Preventing any sort of poison to go through it.

Of course, even if her identity was known and the danger minimal, she didn't follow the older person's suggestion. Better be safe than sorry, after all.

Taking the silence as her answer, the man activated his singularity. Small crackle of light appeared on his free hand. Using his electricity like an additional boost, he shot himself at Rin with terrifying speed.

To his surprise, however, the girl easily parried his attack and got out of his range with one fluid motion. Sensing the blade coming at him from behind, he reflexively turned around and caught the sword with his hand.

Blood gushed out from it but the man didn't flinch. Instead, he took it as a new opportunity. Channeling lightning to his hand, he intended to course it through his enemy's katana.

A plan too evident for Rin to not have predicted. Filling her dominant leg with energy, she smashed it at the blind man's stomach with all her strength. And for the nth time since their encounter, distance was created between the two opponents.

Coughing a little from the blow, the man opened his blind eyes.

“You're strong, but,” He said in a serious tone. “You lack will.”

Tightening her grip on her katana, Rin spoke. “...Shut up.”

She leaped toward the man, not willing to talk more than necessary. Nonetheless, contrarily to his previous action, the man didn't retaliate anymore. He simply dodged with extreme swiftness.

“Three.” He spoke, feeling his bloodied hand. “That was the number of times you could have dealt a fatal blow to me.”

Rin flinched a little from his statement. With anger filled strength, she slashed the man's head in one instant.

Finding himself staggering back, the nameless person touched his neck. Feeling the new line of blood from it, he smiled.

“Make it four.” Correcting himself, he reformulated. “You could have killed me four times already.”

Further annoyed by his words, Rin continued her onslaught.

“Why are you hesitating?”

The girl's attack increased in speed resulting in scratch appearing on the man's body. Slowly she began to adapt with her opponent's movement. Victory wasn't far off.

“Just kill me.”

And yet, these words alone sealed her in place.