Silence. Deadly, hollow silence.

  Morvane had vanished into the darkness and did not reappear.

  Kuro walked slowly, pacing in tight circles, eyes scanning the eternal night. His sword was gripped ready, body healed completely—yet some form of pain still lingered deep in his bones, a phantom ache that refused to fade.

  He took small, cautious steps. Then stopped.

  His eyes widened with realization.

  He jumped, curling his body tight—

  Morvane appeared like a jet fighter, wings folded, beak opened wide enough to swallow him whole. The beast streaked through the air with impossible speed, jaws descending.

  Before the beak could snap shut, Kuro twisted Mosvmora's handle.

  Click.

  The mechanism triggered. The handle extended with a sharp metallic sound.

  SNAP.

  Mosvmora lodged crosswise between the massive beak, jamming it open. The blade held firm, unable to penetrate the reinforced bone but refusing to break.

  Morvane didn't stop its flight. Instead, it angled upward, sheering through the wind, trying to crush the sword through sheer force and velocity.

  No luck.

  Kuro hung between the beast's jaws, gripping the extended handle with white-knuckled desperation. He reached down with his free hand, pulled his knife from his boot, and prepared to drive it into the soft tissue of Morvane's mouth—

  The beast shifted its lower jaw sideways.

  The sword tilted. The angle changed.

  Mosvmora came free.

  "Shit!"

  Kuro jumped away from the closing jaws, sword clutched tight. The beak snapped shut behind him with a sound like thunder breaking stone.

  He landed on the branch of a giant tree, several meters above the ground, boots finding purchase on ancient bark.

  Morvane flew above him and vanished.

  "Dammit. Fucking bird is smart," Kuro cursed.

  WHOOOOSH.

  Morvane zoomed past, shattering the branch into splinters. Kuro had already jumped, falling freely toward the ground below, trusting his enhanced body to survive the impact.

  Morvane didn't waste a second.

  The beast closed the distance in heartbeats, lower claws extending. Five talons—each sharp as knives—grabbed the falling Kuro, closing tight around his torso.

  They penetrated flesh. Blood gushed.

  Morvane flew straight toward one of the tallest trees and smashed Kuro against it with devastating force.

  The trunk snapped in half like a twig.

  CRACK.

  Kuro fell alongside the broken tree, hitting the ground hard. Thud. Bones broke with wet, grinding sounds.

  Morvane vanished again.

  Kuro lay flat on the forest floor, drenched in blood. His wounds began to mend—flesh knitting together, bones repairing themselves with soft clicks and pops.

  His eyes remained open, wandering in thought.

  How do I kill this thing?

  Morvane landed several feet away, watching him with clinical interest.

  Kuro rose slowly, pain radiating through every nerve despite the healing. His eyes caught something wedged in the ground to his right—a horn. Large, curved, familiar.

  The Hrungnir Queen's horn.

  A dry, bitter laugh escaped his throat. He turned to face the beast again, raising his sword.

  Morvane looked curious. Amused, even. Its ocean-blue eyes gleamed with intelligence.

  It spread its first pair of wings wide.

  Flap.

  Vanished.

  Kuro stood motionless. Calm. He had accepted death, and that acceptance brought clarity.

  His eyes remained wide open, tracking shadows, listening to silence.

  Whoooosh.

  Morvane appeared at his side, mouth gaping, crooked sawteeth ready to tear flesh from bone—

  BOOM.

  At the last possible second, Kuro swung Mosvmora in a full arc, hitting Morvane directly in the head—blade connecting with the creature's ocean-blue eye.

  The impact was thunderous.

  Morvane's face buried itself in the ground from the force, dirt exploding outward in a crater.

  The beast pulled its head back and retreated, putting careful distance between itself and Kuro. It looked at him with confusion.

  And anger.

  It was completely unscathed. Even the eye was unharmed, gleaming with that same impossible beauty.

  "Tch." Kuro's jaw tightened. "What kind of eye is that? Tough motherfucker." He raised his sword again. "First time Mosvmora didn't cut something. Let's see how long that lasts. Come on, bird!"

  Morvane stood fuming, muscles tensed.

  It flapped its wings and vanished.

  Materialized behind Kuro.

  Kuro spun, sword already swinging in full motion, and hit the beast square in the side.

  Morvane flew backward, crashing into the ground and tumbling through debris.

  Kuro tried to press the advantage, but the beast was already airborne again. It landed on a high branch, staring down at him with eyes that clearly asked: How?

  "Hmph. What?" Kuro called up, voice carrying mockery. "Come on, disappear again. Third time's the charm, after all. Right, Night King?"

  Morvane's anger intensified. It began crushing the branch beneath its talons, wings flaring—

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Then it noticed something.

  Embedded in its feathers, almost too small to see: Kuro's knife, wrapped in a torn piece of his coat.

  The fabric was large enough to be visible even in darkness.

  Kuro had figured it out.

  When he'd been caught in Morvane's mouth, he'd noticed the beast was flying faster than before—but not fast enough to truly vanish. That meant it wasn't magic. It was a trick.

  He'd gambled. Let himself be caught. Struck the knife deep into Morvane's plumage with the cloth attached—bright enough to track.

  As he'd suspected: Morvane wasn't using magic. It was blending itself with the darkness, camouflaging perfectly, creating the illusion of disappearing to trick its prey.

  The cloth betrayed it.

  Morvane descended, landing heavily on the ground. It spread its front wings first—the dominant sapphire pair.

  Then, slowly, it opened the secondary wings.

  The black wings. Blade-spikes riddled along their edges.

  "Good." Kuro dropped into a combat stance, grinning. "Now we're talking. Show your colors."

  Morvane stood with all four wings raised wide, a phenomenon of cruel nature made flesh.

  Several seconds passed.

  Then—WHOOOOSH.

  All four wings flapped at once, creating a miniature windstorm.

  Kuro was caught by surprise. The force launched him backward, his body crashing through trees and undergrowth like a ragdoll.

  Morvane tucked its secondary wings and flew toward him.

  "Fucking hell—"

  Kuro scrambled upright, multiple tears across his body already mending. "Dammit. External wounds heal, but the fucking pain doesn't fade at all—"

  Whoosh.

  Five long talons closed together into a spear-point, diving straight for him.

  Kuro deflected the blow at the last second and started running, mind racing. I can deflect attacks. Track the speed. But that wind—that's a problem.

  The attacks kept coming. Kuro dodged and deflected, weaving through the forest.

  Morvane opened its secondary wings mid-flight and released another blast.

  "Tch. It's just wind. As long as I land safely, I can manage—"

  The wind struck.

  SLICE.

  Blood sprayed everywhere. Deep cuts opened across Kuro's body—dozens of them, precise and brutal.

  His sword fell from his grip.

  "Fuck!"

  The wind itself was sharp. Bladed air cutting through skin like razors.

  Kuro staggered, vision swimming.

  Morvane came for the kill, aiming for his head.

  In seconds, it closed the gap.

  Mere inches away. No time to evade. No time to deflect.

  All Kuro could do was face his doom head-on.

  It's over.

  "THAT'S IT? GIVING UP ALREADY?"

  "What—?"

  Kuro's eyes widened. That voice—deep, hoarse, familiar.

  He saw Morvane inches from his face, frozen mid-strike. The wind stopped. The forest went silent—even the small rattling noises ceased.

  Everything stood still. Including Kuro's body.

  He couldn't move. Only his mind remained active, his senses sharp.

  Fucking bird. Are you the one talking? Kuro thought furiously. What, trying to have a disappointed talk before you kill me?

  "HMM... DISAPPOINTING? WELL, YOU TEND TO DO THAT."

  Oh, sorry, Dad, for disappointing you every time. Kuro's internal voice dripped sarcasm.

  "VINCENT KARL. YOU REMEMBER YOUR TRUE NAME, RIGHT? OR MAYBE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN HIM—THE MAN WHO FIGHTS TILL HIS LAST BREATH. THE MAN WHO OVERCOMES THE ODDS."

  You're being extra talkative today. But sorry, bird—I don't give a fuck what you think. Just shut up and kill me already.

  "HM... FINE. IF YOU'RE KEEN ON DYING RATHER THAN THRIVING, SO BE IT."

  What? How the fuck can I—

  "ALL I'M SAYING IS: I AM THE DESTINY YOU SEEK THAT VANISHES IF YOUR FEET DO NOT MOVE."

  What are you talking about, you piece of shit? Oi!

  Silence.

  That's it. Tch... shitbird.

  Kuro went quiet, thinking deeper. Each second stretched. His curse mark throbbed—but this time, it felt different.

  Warmer. Purposeful.

  Time began to move again. Slowly at first, then faster.

  BOOM.

  Smoke and dirt filled the clearing. Through the haze, Morvane's massive head seemed to be crunching down on Kuro, beak closing.

  The smoke cleared.

  Morvane was struggling—wings tense, legs stomping forward, pressing down with all its weight.

  But Kuro was there.

  Gripping the tip of the beak with both hands—one on top, one below—holding it open through sheer strength.

  Morvane pressed harder, dragging Kuro backward across the ground. His boots carved trenches through dirt and stone.

  But he held.

  Kuro lifted his right foot and placed it against the lower jaw. He stomped down hard, forcing the mouth wider.

  Morvane panicked.

  It took flight, crashing Kuro into giant trees—once, twice, three times. Bark shattered. Trunks cracked.

  Kuro still held on.

  "Damn, you smell," he muttered, peering into the depths of the beast's throat.

  Then his eyes caught something.

  Deep inside the mouth—a sharp object protruding from the flesh.

  "Fuuuh—"

  Kuro jumped clear just as the object launched forward like a spear, slamming into a nearby tree. The trunk exploded, splitting in half.

  Kuro landed on the ground, unscathed.

  "What the fuck? How many tricks does this shit have?"

  He looked down, searching for his sword. Spotted it lying in the dirt twenty feet away.

  He ran toward it.

  Morvane landed directly on Mosvmora.

  Picked it up with its beak.

  Snap.

  Gulped it down.

  Kuro froze mid-run, expression shifting into something he'd never shown before.

  Pure, shocked disbelief.

  "Shitty-ass bird!"

  Morvane looked satisfied. Relaxed. As if it had already won.

  Kuro removed his torn overcoat and let it fall. It was in pieces anyway. He rolled up his sleeves and dropped into a fighting stance—fists raised, weight balanced.

  Morvane vanished again.

  Even though the knife and torn cloth had fallen long ago, Kuro could still track the beast. The curse had sharpened his senses beyond sight.

  Snap.

  Kuro evaded the strike and countered with his bare hand, punching Morvane's face with brutal force.

  The beast flew backward, crashing through debris.

  Kuro looked at his hand. "Tch."

  He clenched his fist and ran toward the bird.

  Morvane raised all four wings and flapped hard.

  Kuro drove his hands deep into the ground, gripping tight. The windstorm struck him, but he didn't move—rooted like the ancient trees around him.

  Morvane kept flapping, sending wave after wave of cutting wind.

  Kuro stood his ground.

  Then Morvane straightened the blade-spikes on its lower wings and flapped with devastating force.

  Razor-sharp wind blades shot forward.

  "Of course you won't make it easy." Kuro smiled. "And that's more like it."

  He jumped, dodging the wind blades by launching himself left and right, driving his hands into the ground for purchase each time. The blades struck where he'd been standing, tearing apart earth and stone.

  Fallen trees were reduced to minced wood in seconds.

  Morvane stopped the attack, flew across the clearing, and landed among scattered stones and debris.

  Then it resumed the assault.

  Now the wind carried projectiles—sharp wood fragments and stones flying like bullets.

  Kuro took off running sideways, dodging actively, striking incoming projectiles with his fists when he couldn't evade.

  One piece of wood—sharp as a blade—punched through his left thigh as he jumped.

  He rolled behind a tall tree, gasping.

  The windstorm stopped.

  "Shit."

  He grabbed the embedded object, trying to pull it free.

  It didn't budge.

  On closer inspection, it wasn't wood. It was one of Morvane's mouth-spikes—the same projectile that had launched earlier.

  The spike was organic. Alive. It had rooted itself into his flesh, growing tendrils that wrapped around muscle and bone.

  He couldn't pull it out.

  "Dammit."

  He struggled again and again, pain shooting through his leg with each attempt.

  While resting his head against the trunk, breathing hard, he noticed something lying nearby.

  Morvane walked toward Kuro cautiously, each step deliberate.

  Kuro stood, left leg trembling and wobbling with each movement. Thunderous pain shocked through his entire body.

  But he stepped out from behind the tree, facing the incoming beast.

  Morvane stopped in its tracks, eyes filled with confusion.

  Kuro walked toward it slowly, limping, agonized.

  Morvane didn't attack. Instead, it tried to analyze the human before it, anticipating some trick.

  Kuro got close and stopped, leaving some distance between them. He breathed heavily, sweating. The spike was taking its toll—draining his blood, growing inch by inch inside his leg.

  Morvane and Kuro locked eyes. Both sharp. Both calculating.

  Suddenly, Kuro looked up with a sharp jerk.

  Morvane—trying to be cautious—fell for it. The beast looked up, following Kuro's gaze.

  A sharp object fell from above toward its eye.

  Morvane noticed in time and jerked left, evading the falling stone but—

  There was a sickening, wet pop.

  Water and dark blue blood leaked from Morvane's right eye.

  Kuro's knife had sunk deep.

  Kuro stood with his hand still extended. "Idiot."

  A nightmarish scream echoed through the Sunless Depth.

  For the first time, Morvane made a sound.

  For the first time, it felt pain.

  The impenetrable blue gem-like eye had been destroyed.

  Morvane flapped wildly, dancing in agony. Fear formed in its remaining eye—real, primal fear.

  "That's why you should always be careful," Kuro said quietly. "But not so careful you lose your senses."

  He smiled.

  Now die. You're tough. Tougher than most, deserving a miserable death.

  Kuro jumped toward the panicking beast with crushing pain, hand gripped reaching for the knife embedded in its ruined eye. He would drive it deeper. Pierce the brain. End this.

  A terrible silence fell.

  Kuro's hand struck the knife.

  It didn't sink.

  Kuro's eyes widened in shock. The strength that had been surging through his body—vanished. Gone, as if it had never existed.

  A terrible realization crashed over him.

  Morvane flapped its wing, sending him crashing to the ground. He hit hard, coughing blood, body tearing and leaking.

  He tried to move.

  His body didn't respond.

  He had become a normal human like in his world.

  Morvane seized the opportunity. Both talons came down like spears, aiming to impale him.

  A red streak shot from the woods—fast as a bullet, straight and true.

  CRACK.

  The projectile hit Morvane's left secondary wing, burning through feathers and flesh. The beast screamed and crashed into the deep forest, disappearing among the trees.

  "What... what happened?"

  Kuro blinked weakly, struggling to stay conscious.

  Armored boots appeared near his head. A hand held a strange weapon—something resembling a short-sized rifle, sleek and mechanical.

  A gun. In this world?

  Kuro's vision blurred.

  The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was the figure standing over him, weapon still smoking.

  Then nothing.