Chapter 15: [CRIMSON SHADOW]

Eli, still shaking like a leaf, turned around—and froze.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips. His breath caught in his throat.

“Y-You’re… You’re…” he choked out, voice barely above a whisper as his heart thundered in his chest like a war drum. The adrenaline hadn’t even left his veins, but now something else replaced the fear.

’No way. No fucking way. That’s—’

“You’re Kair—”

But he didn’t get to finish.

Kairo had already moved.

A gloved hand seized Eli’s arm and yanked him back—fast, firm, and unhesitating.

Eli stumbled, startled, and that’s when he saw why.

The ogre—what remained of it—let out a final, monstrous bellow, so loud it pierced the air like a siren. Eli covered his ears, gritting his teeth as the sound rattled through his skull.

Its foot—cleanly severed.

Blood burst from the stump in a violent spray, painting the street crimson. Kairo had pulled him back just in time to avoid the torrent. The ogre staggered, groaned… then collapsed.

BOOM.

The ground quaked beneath the beast’s weight. Nearby windows shattered. Car alarms blared. The force knocked Eli onto one knee.

“Tsk.” Kairo clicked his tongue in annoyance, barely fazed. He tapped his watch, voice calm and clipped. “Come in. Come in. This is Kairo.”

“Kai!” a voice crackled back—frantic, male. “Have you seen the posts? Apparently, there are og—”

“I’m already here,” Kairo interrupted, sharp and focused. “You’d better be on your way. There are casualties. Buildings are down.”

“Y-Yeah, Mel and I are coming now.”

’Mel? That’s…. one of his squadmates. That means the one he’s talking to is—’

“Make it quick, Mio,” Kairo added flatly, then ended the call with a tap.

Eli could barely breathe. He stood there frozen, still processing the weight of everything—his near-death, the child, the blood, the earthquake—and him.

’Kairo. The Crimson Shadow. The nation’s most terrifying Hunter… is standing right in front of me.’

Eli was utterly starstruck.

He’d obsessed over S-Class Hunters for years. Especially Kairo and Caelen. Even though the two hated each other which meant their fans were also at odds, Eli had admired both from afar—watched their fight replays, studied their stats, even fanboyed on forums under a fake name.

He never thought he’d meet either of them.

And yet… here he was.

Meeting Kairo himself.

’I should say something. I should thank him. Or bow. Or scream. Or something—FUCK. He’s looking at me.’

Sure enough, Kairo turned to face him fully, releasing Eli’s arm with a sharp flick of his wrist.

His red eyes bored into him.

“Why were you just lying on the ground like that?” Kairo asked, blunt as ever, his tone clipped and cold. Not unkind. Just… indifferent.

Eli tried not to flinch under the weight of that stare.

He smiled—awkward, shaky, clearly malfunctioning.

“I-I uh…” he began, voice cracking. “The ogre… and then there was a—uh—a mom, and I so… uh…”

Words failed. His brain short-circuited.

“M-My… the…”

’Smooth. Very smooth. Real eloquent. Just keep going. Maybe throw in a bark and a backflip too.’

Kairo narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him like a puzzle with missing pieces.

“…Are you mentally challenged?” he asked slowly, with no malice—just genuine curiosity.

Eli wanted to die.

Not because Kairo insulted him. No—because he genuinely meant it.

A rush of mortification slammed through him. His ears turned red. His cheeks flushed hot.

’Please. Someone summon the ogre’s ghost and have it stomp on me again. I’m begging you.’

But before he could spiral further—

“Young man!” a woman’s voice called out.

Eli turned, startled.

The mother. Tears streaming down her face, clutching her child tightly to her chest as she ran to him. “Oh my lord, you’re safe. You’re safe…!”

She threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. “Thank you, I owe you everything. I thought—oh god—I thought we were both going to die!”

The little girl looked up at him too, teary-eyed but smiling. She stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“T-Thank you, mister,” she sniffled.

Eli’s chest tightened.

His heart swelled.

Shakily, he pushed himself upright. “I just did what I had to, ma’am,” he said, voice quiet but sincere. “Now please go. There could still be others nearby.”

He turned to the girl, gently patting her head.

“Stay safe, Lila,” he said with a soft smile. “And stay close to your mommy, okay?”

She nodded with a small smile of her own, hugging her mother tightly.

Eli watched them go, every bone in his body aching—but his heart felt… full.

’It was all worth it.’ Eli thought, his chest rising and falling with each shaky breath as he watched the mother and daughter disappear down the ruined street. ’Is this… what Hunters usually feel when they save someone?’

It felt so good.

For a brief moment, the pain faded. The bruises, the shame, the exhaustion—it all blurred beneath that quiet satisfaction.

Then—

“So, you’re not mentally challenged,” Kairo’s flat voice came from behind him.

Eli stiffened.

’Goddammit—’

He turned his head slowly, like he was bracing for impact. Kairo stood there with arms loosely crossed, gaze sharp and unreadable.

Eli didn’t trust himself to speak. So he just shook his head.

“…And you saved that child?”

Eli nodded once more.

Kairo’s eyes narrowed. He stepped closer.

His gaze dragged up and down Eli’s figure, slow and scrutinizing. Judging. Measuring. Weighing.

And Eli… felt exposed.

Despite this being someone else’s body—despite it being taller, leaner, more attractive—Eli still felt like he was being seen through. Like Kairo was peeling away the illusion, one glance at a time.

It made his skin crawl.

It made his throat tighten.

’He’s sizing me up. Trying to figure out what the hell I am.’

“How?” Kairo asked, blunt.

Eli blinked.

Right.

Of course.

To someone like Kairo, it didn’t make sense. Eli’s physique wasn’t bulky. His aura wasn’t intimidating. He barely looked like he belonged in a fight, let alone one against an S-Class ogre.

A B-Class body. No weapon. No offensive ability. And yet somehow, he saved a child from a monster that could’ve crushed buildings.

Eli hesitated, trying to find the right words.

’What am I supposed to say? That I blinded it with a mirror and hoped for the best? That I threw myself under it like a human mattress?’

But then—his senses sparked.

A ripple of warning.

That familiar pressure, crawling up his spine like static. Not from Kairo—behind him.

His eyes widened, heart leaping into his throat.

Silhouettes. Big ones. Moving in the smoke.

Three. No—four.

The remaining ogres.

They were coming.

He could feel it in his bones—the ground vibrated faintly beneath their stomps. Their presence clawed at his danger sense like sirens in the dark.

’They heard the roar. They’re responding to it. Shit. Shit. shit. shit.’

Kairo seemed to notice his shift in expression, and perhaps his eyes were glowing again.

“What?” he asked, his voice low but alert, turning slightly.

Eli took two steps back, mouth dry.

“…More,” he breathed, eyes fixed on the horizon. “More are coming.”

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