The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 24: One Last Favor

Jin exhaled.

There was no point dragging this out.

He turned to Ryu. The man had been standing there quietly, listening. He wasn't rushing them, wasn't pressing for an answer—but he was waiting.

Jin met his gaze.

"We're leaving," he said. Simple. Direct. No hesitation.

Ryu didn't react at first.

No shift in stance. No flicker of surprise. Just a small nod—like he'd already expected it.

"I see," Ryu said.

Jin hesitated.

He wasn't sure what kind of reaction he had expected—maybe frustration, maybe disappointment. But there was none of that. Just the same steady composure.

Jin exhaled. "I just wanted to say… we appreciate everything. You and your men helped us survive when we didn't know what the hell we were doing. But…" His fingers curled slightly. "If we want to get stronger, we can't stay here."

Ryu studied him for a moment.

Then, he nodded again.

"I understand."

That was it. No argument. No resistance.

Jin felt some tension leave his shoulders.

Then—

Ryu's eyes flicked toward his system screen. The same notification Jin had seen earlier.

[Nearby Group Detected.]

His voice was calm. Measured.

"Then before you go, I have one last favor to ask."

Jin frowned slightly. "The approaching group."

Ryu nodded. "Let's deal with them together."

Jin exhaled slowly.

So much for an easy goodbye.

He turned to the others. Joon had his arms crossed, expression unreadable. Echo let out a quiet sigh, while Seul glanced between them, lips pressed into a thin line.

Chul shifted uncomfortably. His fingers twitched at his side.

Jin could tell just from looking at them—none of them wanted to get involved.

And yet, not a single one of them said no.

"…How do you want to handle this?" Jin asked.

Ryu didn't answer immediately. His eyes stayed on the system notification, his expression unreadable.

Then, he closed the screen with a sharp motion.

"I don't want a fight if I can avoid it," he said. "We don't know what they want. Could be nothing. Could be trouble."

Jin frowned slightly. He doubted it was nothing.

If this was just another group of survivors looking for shelter, they would've come in smaller numbers. They wouldn't be approaching as a full force.

Ryu must've been thinking the same thing, because he exhaled sharply. "We'll meet them first. Figure out their intentions."

"And if they don't want to talk?" Echo asked.

"Then we make them leave."

Simple. Straightforward.

Jin nodded once. "Alright."

The group gathered a few last-minute supplies.

Jin strapped his katana to his side, adjusting the grip slightly. It still felt unfamiliar—but not nearly as much as before. Two weeks of practice hadn't made him a master, but at least now, he wouldn't be swinging blindly.

Joon slid his reinforced glove on, flexing his fingers as faint arcs of energy crackled at his palm. "Damn thing still feels weird."

Echo rolled his shoulders, letting out a slow breath. "You're not the only one."

Chul grabbed a long, steel baton from a nearby table. His grip was tight, knuckles pale. He hadn't spoken much since they agreed to go, but Jin could see the tension in his stance.

Seul didn't take a weapon. She never did.

She didn't need to.

"Alright," Ryu said, pulling up his system map. "They're heading west. About a fifteen-minute walk."

Jin let out a slow breath.

They still had time.

Time to turn back. Time to say no.

But none of them did.

With that, they left the station.

The walk was quiet.

Jin had expected conversation, maybe a last-minute strategy discussion. But instead, they moved in near silence.

Even Echo, who always had some kind of comment, kept his mouth shut.

No one needed to say it. They all felt it.

Something was off.

The tension only grew as they neared the meeting point.

Ryu led them with measured steps, his eyes flicking toward his system map every few seconds. The approaching group was holding position—not moving any closer, but not backing away either.

Waiting.

Jin's fingers twitched near his katana. He didn't like that.

Then—through the gaps in the crumbling buildings, he caught sight of them.

At first glance, they looked normal.

Not like raiders. Not like lunatics. Just a group of survivors, standing in the open.

Their leader—a woman—stood at the front. She was young, maybe in her late twenties, with tied-back hair and an easygoing expression. She was even smiling.

Jin's grip tightened slightly.

Too relaxed.

The moment they stepped into view, the woman raised a hand. "Whoa, now—no need for weapons. We come in peace."

Her voice was warm, almost friendly.

Jin didn't buy it for a second.

Ryu stepped forward, arms crossed. His stance was firm, but not aggressive. "You're close to our territory," he said. "State your business."

The woman let out a small laugh. "Straight to the point. I like that."

Her group stayed behind her—silent, waiting.

"We're looking for an alliance," she continued. "Figured we'd check things out before stepping on any toes."

Jin glanced at the others. None of them looked convinced.

Then—Chul inhaled sharply.

Jin turned.

Chul had gone rigid. His face had darkened, eyes narrowing—not with fear, but with recognition.

Jin's stomach tightened.

"…Chul?"

Chul didn't hesitate. His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

"Seul." He didn't take his eyes off the woman. "It's them."

Seul tensed beside him. Her head snapped toward her brother, brows furrowing.

Jin frowned. "You're sure?"

Chul let out a short, bitter laugh. No hesitation. No doubt.

"I don't forget faces," he said coldly. "Especially not the ones that were hunting me."

The shift was instant.

The woman's easygoing demeanor didn't crack—but it changed.

Like a card player realizing they'd been called on their bluff.

Her eyes flicked to Chul, then to Jin, then back to Ryu.

She sighed. "Guess there's no point pretending, then."

Ryu's expression remained unreadable. "You were hunting people?"

The woman tilted her head slightly. "Hunting? That's such an ugly word."

Joon scoffed. "What word do you prefer?"

She smiled lightly. "Cleaning up."

Seul's whole body snapped forward.

Only Jin's arm blocking her kept her from lunging.

"You—!"

The woman let out a small chuckle. "Relax, relax. You're acting like I personally did something to him."

Chul's fists clenched. "You led them."

The woman sighed again, looking almost bored. "Now that sounds like an exaggeration."

Seul shoved Jin's arm aside and stepped forward, glaring.

Chul didn't stop her.

Ryu's stance shifted subtly—not aggressive, but prepared.

Jin? He just stared at the woman.

She wasn't denying it. Not really.

The longer this conversation went, the more she let herself slip.

Then, she exhaled and rolled her shoulders back, stretching.

"Look, I get it," she said. "But that's all in the past, isn't it? You survived. I survived. We're all still here."

Seul's voice was sharp. "You left people to die."

The woman shrugged. "And yet, here we are, still talking."

Jin's stomach twisted. She wasn't even trying to justify it.

Just accepting it.

Like it was normal.

Ryu's voice finally cut through. "You came here for an alliance," he said evenly. "Then why bring an armed group?"

The woman blinked, looking almost amused. "Oh? That's rich, coming from someone who also showed up with weapons drawn."

Ryu's gaze didn't waver. "You approached my territory. I had every right to come prepared."

She hummed. "And I have every right to be cautious, too."

The two of them stared at each other. Sizing the other up.

Jin noticed something—Ryu wasn't outright rejecting her.

He was testing her.

The woman smiled slightly. "I think we're getting off track. Look, I'm not here to start something. The system is forcing everyone into this territory game, right? That means sooner or later, fights will break out. And let's be honest, you can't hold a place like this with just a handful of people."

She gestured loosely toward the station in the distance. "We want to work together."

Seul scoffed. "And we're supposed to just trust you?"

The woman's expression didn't change. "Trust isn't needed. Just mutual benefit."

Echo let out a sharp breath. "Yeah? And what about the people you killed?"

The woman didn't even blink.

"I'm not gonna lie," she said, her voice still casual. "We did what we had to do. Same as you."

Joon scoffed. "That's a weird thing to say for someone who definitely did something."

Jin studied her face. She was gauging them.

Testing how much she could push.

Then—her gaze landed on him.

And for the first time, her expression changed.

Not just amusement. Not just ease.

Something sharper.

Curiosity.

"You get it, don't you?" she said softly.

Jin didn't answer.

But something about the way she was looking at him made his skin crawl.

Not just amusement. Not just ease.

She was studying him.

Like she already knew the answer.

The silence stretched between them.

Then—her lips curved into a slow, sharp smile.

"Or maybe…" she tilted her head slightly. "You're still figuring it out how the world works yet."

Jin exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around his katana.

He didn't like this.

The way she spoke—it wasn't a question. It was a test.

And she was waiting for him to prove something.

The woman clicked her tongue. "I'm offering an alliance. That's reasonable, isn't it? But if you'd rather go a different route…"

She raised her hand slightly, fingers loose.

No command. No signal.

And yet—the people behind her immediately shifted.

A barely perceptible movement.

Controlled. Organized. Trained.

Jin caught the way Ryu's stance subtly adjusted.

Even he wasn't underestimating them.

The woman's smile didn't falter.

"I'll be honest with you," she said lightly. "I don't particularly care whether we get along or not. But if you think I'm going to just leave empty-handed…"

Her voice trailed off, her head tilting again.

That same, lazy, relaxed ease.

But there was something cold beneath it now.

A promise.

A threat.

Jin's heartbeat slowed.

Not in fear—but in focus.

Seul let out a slow, sharp breath. "You really think we'd ever work with you when we have no idea who you are?"

The woman sighed dramatically, shaking her head.

"So dramatic."

Then—she finally introduced herself.

"Min Jisoo," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "I used to be a nobody. A girl trying to get by, trying to survive. And now?"

Her smile widened.

"Now, I have power. And that means I take what I need."

Jin felt the shift immediately.

The temperature of the conversation dropped.

This wasn't a discussion anymore.

This was a warning.

Jisoo's fingers flexed slightly before relaxing again.

"I don't like wasting my time," she continued, voice casual. "So, tell me. Do we handle this like adults?"

She smiled.

"Or does this have to get messy?"

Jin didn't move.

Neither did Ryu.

Across from them, Jisoo smiled, her hands clasped behind her back, looking perfectly at ease.

But nobody believed it.

There was a shift in the air. An unspoken tension. The kind that came before a storm.

Her people weren't reaching for weapons, not yet.

Jin's group wasn't lunging forward, not yet.

But everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the first move.

Jisoo exhaled. "Messy it is."

She turned on her heel, walking away.

Jin's eyes narrowed.

No. That's not right.

People like her didn't just walk away.

She took a few more steps, shaking her head. "We could've built something great together, you know."

Still walking.

This was wrong.

Jin glanced at Chul.

Then his stomach dropped.

MOVE.

Jin turned—fast.

Too fast.

The world blurred. His body moved on instinct.

Metal clashed.

Jin's arms rattled as his katana caught the incoming strike.

A blade. A flash of movement.

The force splintered through his sword.

Jin's breath hitched.

SNAP.

The katana broke.

A clean cut through the steel.

But Jin didn't freeze.

Didn't hesitate.

Didn't even think.

The moment his weapon cracked, he was already moving.

His hand shifted lower. His grip tightened around the broken hilt.

The blade may have snapped—

But it wasn't useless.

His arm lashed forward.

The jagged edge tore across his attacker's chest.

A harsh slash. A quick retreat.

Jin stepped forward, twisting his body.

The blunt edge of the broken sword slammed into the man's ribs.

A sharp crack.

His attacker stumbled back.

Jin exhaled slowly.

Then—he tilted his head slightly.

His voice was steady.

"Messy, huh?"

His eyes locked onto hers.

"Fine by me."

[Bloodlust: Dormant → Active]