The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 25: No Turning Back

Jisoo's smile twitched.

Then—

She laughed.

Soft. Amused. As if she was genuinely entertained by Jin's response.

"You don't seem like the type to listen to reason." she mused, tilting her head.

Jin exhaled slowly. "Is that what you call this?"

Jisoo simply smiled.

"I call it an opportunity," she said. "For you, for us, for all of us. But if you'd rather throw that away—"

Her eyes flicked toward the man Jin had cut down.

"Hanseong." Her voice was light, but edged in disapproval. "Still breathing?"

The man—Hanseong—grunted, still clutching his chest. Blood seeped through his fingers, but he forced himself to straighten.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Just got caught off guard."

Jin's eyes narrowed.

He had slashed Hanseong across the chest. It should have slowed him down—should have weakened him at least a little.

But the man rolled his shoulders like it was nothing.

Jin felt his jaw tighten.

Not just any opponent.

A trained one.

Jisoo sighed, shaking her head. "I told you not to get sloppy," she mused.

Then—she snapped her fingers.

"Take them."

The instant she spoke, her people sprang into action.

Jin moved—but the moment he took a step, a blur shot toward him.

FAST.

Faster than anything he had fought before.

His instincts screamed. Bloodlust burned through his veins.

WHOOSH.

Jin barely had time to react before something slammed toward his ribs.

He twisted—but not fast enough.

BOOM.

A fist crashed into his side. The sheer force rattled through his entire body.

Jin's boots scraped against the ground as he absorbed the hit, but he didn't get knocked down.

His eyes flickered up.

The man was already gone.

Not teleportation.

Pure speed.

His heartbeat slowed.

His vision sharpened.

Then—

A voice.

"Huh."

The blur stopped.

Jin's eyes locked onto him.

A lean, sharp-eyed man stood a few meters away, arms crossed, weight shifted lazily to one side.

He wasn't tense.

Wasn't on guard.

If anything—he looked entertained.

"Didn't expect you to take that so well," he said, tapping his knuckles together. "Most people? That would've sent them flying."

Jin exhaled, adjusting his stance. "I'm not most people."

The man grinned.

"Yeah. I can tell."

Then—his stance shifted.

His eyes glinted with curiosity.

"So, tell me…" he mused. "Think you can handle that again?"

Jin didn't respond.

Because the instant the words left his mouth—

Dae-won moved.

Jin's instincts flared. He shifted, gripping his broken katana, trying to predict—

BAM.

A strike—faster than before.

Jin barely caught the movement in his peripheral vision before it slammed into his shoulder.

He gritted his teeth, staggering back.

The world around him blurred for a second.

Jin forced his focus back.

The fight wasn't just his.

He caught a glimpse of the battlefield behind him.

Echo and Joon had broken off into their own fights. Seul was at Chul's side, the two keeping their distance, watching for an opening.

And Ryu—

Ryu had stepped forward.

His gaze locked onto Jisoo.

The moment her men attacked, so did she.

Clang.

Metal met metal.

Jin's eyes flicked to them just in time to see Jisoo's blades press against Ryu's forearm. His skin had already hardened to iron, the attack barely leaving a scratch.

Ryu exhaled, unfazed.

"Attacking the leader first?" he muttered. "Smart move. Shame it won't work."

Jisoo's smirk deepened. "We'll see."

Then—

Jin's instincts screamed.

Dae-won was coming.

Fast.

Jin barely turned before—

CRACK.

A fist shot toward his jaw.

Jin ducked. Barely.

Dae-won's attack missed by inches. But the force of it? Jin felt it in the air, like a gunshot rushing past his ear.

He twisted his body, swinging the broken katana—

But Dae-won was gone again.

"Not bad," a voice said from behind.

Jin whirled.

Dae-won stood a few feet away, shaking out his wrist. Completely relaxed.

"You're keeping up," he mused. "Kinda."

Jin exhaled, rolling his shoulder. That last hit had hurt.

A pure speed-based fighter.

Jin's fingers twitched.

His katana was useless against someone this fast.

Unless—

His eyes flicked to his surroundings.

The others were still locked in combat. The open lot they were fighting in was filled with debris, shattered pavement, even a few loose metal poles from the wrecked infrastructure.

Weapons.

Jin's mind moved fast.

Dae-won wasn't teleporting. He was just outrunning Jin's reactions.

Which meant—

Jin inhaled.

He adjusted his grip on the broken katana.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see how much faster you are."

Dae-won grinned.

Then—he vanished again.

Jin moved.

His free hand shot toward his belt—toward his inventory.

In a flash, he pulled something free.

A metal baton.

One of the spares he had picked up at the station.

Dae-won appeared in front of him.

Jin didn't hesitate.

His arms crossed.

Katana in one hand. Baton in the other.

Dae-won's attack came in fast—

And Jin blocked it.

CLANG.

The impact rattled through Jin's arms.

Dae-won's punch slammed against the metal baton, sending vibrations up his wrists. The force alone should've knocked him off balance—

But Jin had braced for it.

He gritted his teeth, digging his feet into the ground, forcing himself to absorb the hit instead of resisting it.

Dae-won's grin faltered.

Jin saw it—the slight hesitation, the realization that his usual overwhelming speed wasn't enough to finish this in one blow.

Good.

Jin didn't hesitate.

He twisted his grip, angling the broken katana in his other hand, and swung.

Dae-won's eyes flicked to it.

A blur of motion—he shot backward, just narrowly avoiding the jagged edge of the broken blade.

Jin didn't stop.

He lunged forward, closing the distance, swinging both weapons in tandem.

Dae-won weaved between the strikes, dodging smoothly—but Jin was watching now.

Tracking.

Every movement, every pivot, every shift in balance—Jin was adapting.

Dae-won smirked. "Not bad."

Then—he vanished again.

Jin exhaled sharply. He was ready this time.

He twisted his grip on the baton, dropping low.

He wasn't aiming for Dae-won anymore.

He was aiming for the ground.

With a sharp, precise swing—

Jin slammed the baton against the cracked pavement beneath him.

BOOM.

Dust and debris exploded upward.

Jin heard Dae-won's sharp inhale—

Then—

There.

A flicker of movement—a shadow in the dust.

Jin moved first.

He swung the baton upward, predicting Dae-won's angle—

And connected.

CRACK.

The baton slammed into Dae-won's ribs.

A sharp grunt escaped the man's lips as his momentum was thrown off.

Jin didn't let him recover.

He lunged forward, driving his knee into Dae-won's gut, then brought the blunt end of the broken katana down against his shoulder.

Another impact.

Dae-won staggered.

Jin pressed forward—

But—

Too slow.

Dae-won grit his teeth, planting his foot into the ground.

WHOOSH.

He twisted—vanishing again.

Jin's breath came fast.

He had landed solid hits. But it still wasn't enough to put him down.

Dae-won's voice came from somewhere to his left.

"Hah… Alright."

Jin turned sharply.

Dae-won stood a few feet away, rolling his shoulder.

Blood dripped from the corner of his lips. His clothes were torn where Jin's attacks had landed, bruises already forming.

But he was still grinning.

Dae-won wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Damn," he muttered. "You really don't go down easy."

Jin tightened his grip.

Dae-won exhaled, shaking his head.

"Guess I gotta start trying for real."

Jin's stomach dropped.

Before he could react—

Dae-won vanished again.

Jin turned sharply—just in time to see nothing.

Dae-won was already gone.

Jin's pulse spiked.

His grip tightened around his weapons as his eyes darted through the battlefield, searching—tracking.

The dust from their last clash still hung in the air, clouding visibility. The others were fighting their own battles. Ryu's iron-clad form held off Jisoo's precise slashes, each impact echoing like a hammer against steel. Joon's blasts of energy forced his opponent on the defensive, while Echo darted between attacks, his voice warping the air.

But Jin's battlefield was silent.

No footsteps. No taunts. No flicker of movement.

Just… stillness.

Jin's stomach twisted.

He didn't like this.

His instincts screamed at him—Move.

He braced himself, muscles coiling, ready to react—

Then—

A whisper of wind.

Jin spun—too late.

CRACK.

A fist slammed into his ribs.

His feet left the ground.

Jin's vision blurred as he flew backward, skidding across the pavement, rolling once before he dug his weapon into the dirt, forcing himself to a stop.

Damn it.

His breath came sharp. His ribs ached.

He pushed himself up, katana hilt digging into his palm—

And froze.

Dae-won stood just a few feet away.

His stance had changed.

Before, he had been loose, casual—playing around.

But now?

His weight was centered. His hands flexed at his sides, fingers twitching slightly.

His grin was still there—but sharper now.

Hungrier.

Dae-won exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Aight," he muttered.

His eyes locked onto Jin's.

"Time to get serious."

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Jin barely had time to react before Dae-won disappeared again.