The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 78: The Battlefield Splits

His laughter was deep, rumbling from his chest like shifting rock. It carried through the open street, bouncing off the ruined buildings around them, lingering in the stale air.

Then—

It stopped.

Like a switch had flipped, his grin vanished. His broad chest rose and fell with a slow, deliberate breath. His muscles twitched, thick veins pulsing beneath his skin. It wasn’t the full transformation they had seen before, but it was enough to show his patience was thinning.

"You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?" His voice had changed. No amusement, no mockery—just a razor-sharp edge.

Jin didn’t answer. He just rolled his shoulders, exhaling through his nose.

The two men flanking him didn’t move, but there was something unnerving about how still they were.

Like they already knew how this would end.

He flexed his fingers, letting out a slow breath. Then he cracked his knuckles, stretching his neck from side to side.

"Since you came all this way," he said, voice steady, almost casual, "I’ll be nice."

His lips curled, but there was no humor in it.

"You should know who’s about to kill you."

The two beside him finally stepped forward.

"We’re not just some gang of nobodies you can push around," Daeho continued, voice slow and deliberate. "We were soldiers before this world went to hell. The kind of men who led squads into battle. And now? We lead this one."

He motioned lazily between the three of them.

The man on his right spoke first, his voice smooth but detached. "Nam Kyungjoon. Lieutenant."

The second man adjusted his grip on the long knife at his waist, his tone flat. "Baek Seungmin. Second Lieutenant."

The first guy rolled his shoulders, lifting his chin slightly. "Kang Daeho. Sergeant."

Jin’s gaze flickered between them, committing the names and ranks to memory. A Sergeant, a Lieutenant, and a Second Lieutenant. That meant they weren’t just trained—they were leaders. The kind of men that didn’t just survive on the battlefield, but commanded others through it.

It explained their confidence. They weren’t just strong individually. They knew how to fight as a unit.

Daeho exhaled slowly, rolling his neck.

Joon’s fingers sparked with electricity, his stance shifting into an offensive guard. Echo exhaled slowly, the air around him humming with vibrations. Areum clenched her fists, jagged shards of glass already forming between her fingers.

And Haneul?

Haneul’s grip on his staff tightened.

Daeho exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "Alright," he muttered. "No more talking."

His muscles bulged slightly, just enough to make the veins in his neck stand out.

And then—

He swung.

Jin twisted away just as a massive fist tore through the air where he’d been standing. The impact cracked the pavement, sending jagged lines racing outward like lightning. Chunks of concrete exploded into the air.

Jin moved. Ducked. Twisted. Slid back.

No weapon. No rifle. Just his hands.

Daeho’s next punch came faster. Jin dodged again. The sheer force behind it sent another shockwave through the street.

This was bad.

Jin’s mind worked fast. He needed something. Anything.

His fingers flicked open his inventory. Wooden debris.

Not ideal. But it would do.

In a blur of movement, Jin materialized a thick wooden plank into his grip.

Just in time.

Daeho’s next swing came straight for his ribs.

Jin shifted his stance, raising the plank as a shield.

CRACK.

Daeho’s fist smashed into the wood.

The impact rattled Jin’s entire body. He skidded back, boots scraping against the pavement.

The plank didn’t break.

Jin smirked. "Nice punch."

Daeho exhaled through his nose. "You’re really gonna fight me with a piece of wood?"

Jin twirled it once in his grip. "You’d be surprised how much damage a stick can do."

Daeho’s jaw flexed. Then—he moved again.

Jin braced himself.

The battlefield erupted.

Joon surged forward.

Kyungjoon moved at the same time.

One moment, he was standing still—the next, he vanished.

A blur of motion.

Joon barely reacted in time. His Magnetron spheres zipped into place, forming an electrified barrier—

Kyungjoon appeared behind him.

Too fast.

A fist slammed into Joon’s back. The impact jolted through his body, nearly knocking him forward. Kyungjoon was gone again before Joon could counter.

Doyun moved fast, launching a compressed air blast straight for Kyungjoon’s position.

The attack hit—but Kyungjoon barely flinched.

His head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing at Doyun. "Huh," he muttered. "That almost felt like something."

Doyun’s stomach twisted. That should have sent him flying—but Kyungjoon had barely reacted.

Then—Kyungjoon flickered again.

Doyun didn’t see him move.

But he felt the fist collide with his stomach.

Hard.

Doyun choked on his breath as he was launched backward.

Joon reacted instantly. Electricity surged through his veins, sparking between his fingertips.

"Not bad," Joon muttered.

Kyungjoon smirked. "Not fast enough."

Then, he disappeared again.

Haneul shadow-stepped.

The moment the fight broke out, he melted into the darkness, reappearing behind Haru.

His staff swung down. A clean strike.

Haru moved before it even connected.

Her arm shifted, twisting into a blade.

The staff clashed against metal.

Sparks flew.

Haneul’s arms rattled from the impact.

Her body was a weapon.

Areum reacted next. Twin glass daggers formed in her hands, gleaming in the low light.

She lunged.

Haru smiled.

Areum slashed toward her ribs.

Haru didn’t dodge.

She let the blade cut into her flesh.

Areum froze for half a second.

It was a mistake.

The wound morphed instantly.

The glass that had stabbed her sank into her skin—then reformed as jagged spikes extending from her forearm.

Areum barely dodged the retaliating swing.

"Interesting," Haru mused, glancing between the two of them. "You, too," she nodded toward Haneul. "I don’t see many shadow users."

Haneul didn’t respond. He just tightened his grip on his staff.

He didn’t like the way she talked.

Like she had done this before.

Like she had killed plenty of people just like them.

Echo saw Jin engage Daeho.

He saw Joon and Doyun struggling against Kyungjoon.

He saw Areum and Haneul barely holding their ground against Haru.

They were being pushed back.

They needed an opening.

Echo made one.

A sharp snap echoed through the battlefield.

The soundwave slammed into Daeho’s side.

It actually made him stagger.

For half a second.

Then—Daeho shook himself off like a dog shaking off rain.

He turned to Echo.

"That all you got?"

Echo grinned. "You tell me."

Daeho lunged.

Echo moved at the last second, vanishing and reappearing a few feet away.

Daeho’s eyes tracked him.

He didn’t look frustrated.

He looked amused.

Echo’s smirk twitched. This guy was annoying.

Jin wasn’t watching the others. He didn’t have time.

Daeho had shrugged off an attack that should’ve knocked him down.

Every second counted.

Jin’s fingers tightened on the wooden plank in his grip.

It wouldn’t last.

But it would have to do.

Daeho cracked his neck. "You done thinking?"

Jin exhaled slowly.

No.

But he was done waiting.

Daeho lunged again.

Jin twisted to the side, feeling the rush of air as a fist the size of his head tore through the space where he’d just been. The force behind it sent another shockwave through the pavement, splintering the ground further.

Jin barely had time to process before Daeho was already swinging again.

Fast.

Not fast like Kyungjoon—not vanishing and reappearing, not flickering like an afterimage.

Just pure, overwhelming speed for something that big.

Jin raised his plank just in time.

CRACK.

Daeho’s fist slammed into the wood, sending another violent shock up Jin’s arms. This time, the plank cracked, splintering slightly at the center.

Jin’s feet dug into the ground, sliding back a few inches before he stopped himself.

Daeho raised an eyebrow. "Still holding up?"

Jin exhaled. "Yeah."

Then he stepped in, swinging the plank at Daeho’s side—

Daeho didn’t even try to block. He tanked the hit, chest barely shifting as the wood connected.

Jin didn’t stop moving. He followed up with a sharp downward strike toward Daeho’s knee.

This time, Daeho moved.

He twisted his body at the last second, catching the plank with his forearm. Then, before Jin could react—

Daeho yanked Jin forward.

Jin stumbled, balance shifting—

And Daeho’s knee shot up, aiming for his ribs.

Jin barely twisted out of the way, but the edge of the attack clipped his side, sending him rolling across the pavement.

Joon saw it happen out of the corner of his eye.

He didn’t have time to react.

Kyungjoon was on him again.

Fast. Too fast.

Joon barely had a second to breathe before a fist came for his jaw.

He ducked—but the moment he did, Kyungjoon vanished.

Joon cursed.

Behind him.

He felt it before he saw it—Kyungjoon’s foot slamming toward the back of his head.

Joon’s Magnetron spheres whipped around, blocking just in time.

CRACK.

The impact still sent him skidding forward, but it wasn’t a direct hit.

Kyungjoon smirked. "Good reaction."

Joon rolled his shoulders, grinning. "You should see my follow-up."

Lightning surged through his hands.

He snapped his fingers.

A thin current of electricity shot through the air—directly at Kyungjoon.

Kyungjoon flickered. Gone again.

Joon clicked his tongue. This was getting annoying.

Haneul and Areum were still locked in with Haru.

Areum’s breath came sharp, chest rising and falling rapidly as she stared at Haru’s shifting body. Her own glass blades had been turned against her.

Baek tilted his head, examining his arm where the glass had been absorbed.

Then, he flicked his wrist—and the jagged glass extended outward, reshaping into a long, curved blade.

Areum swallowed.

Baek grinned. "Don’t look so nervous. I’m sure you’ll land another hit."

Areum lunged.

Haru blocked easily, the glass-on-glass screeching as their weapons clashed.

Then, suddenly—Baek ducked low, whipping her arm in a vicious arc.

Areum barely dodged, the curved blade slicing just inches from her face.

Haneul moved in immediately.

He shadow-stepped behind Baek, staff already swinging—but Haru twisted her body unnaturally again, intercepting with her reshaped limb.

Haneul’s eyes narrowed.

This wasn’t normal.

This wasn’t just a combat ability.

It was instinct.

The way he moved, the way he reacted—it wasn’t like he had learned it.

It was like he had lived it.

Areum exhaled sharply. "He’s not just fast."

Haneul gritted his teeth. "Yeah. He’s dangerous."

Echo was still dodging Daeho’s attacks, keeping just out of range.

He needed an opening.

He needed something.

His fingers twitched as he moved, amplifying the sound of his own footfalls—then abruptly cutting the noise entirely.

Daeho’s eyes tracked him.

Echo clicked his tongue. Not as dumb as he looked.

"Still holding back?" Echo called.

Daeho didn’t answer.

Instead, he moved faster.

Echo barely twisted out of the way before a massive fist slammed into the space beside him.

He snapped his fingers.

The shockwave blasted outward.

Daeho staggered—just for a second.

Echo’s eyes flickered toward Jin.

He saw it.

They were getting overwhelmed.

They needed to split.

Jin saw it, too.

His eyes darted across the battlefield—then locked onto Echo’s for half a second.

A silent message passed between them.

Echo exhaled sharply.

Then—he moved.

Echo dug his fingers into the ground.

The vibrations pulsed beneath his fingertips, humming with raw energy. He could feel it. The frequency of the earth, the shifting weight of the battlefield.

This was gonna hurt.

Daeho saw him crouched down, fingers buried in the dirt.

His lips curled into a sneer. "What the hell do you think you’re doing, kid?"

Then—he moved.

Jin’s eyes flickered.

Too fast. Daeho was already surging forward.

Jin twisted his grip on the splintered plank in his hands—and swung.

CRACK.

The wood slammed into Daeho’s ribs—not enough to take him down, but just enough to make him shift his attention.

Daeho whipped toward Jin, scowling. "Really? Again with the—"

Then the ground lurched.

Not just under him—everywhere.

Kyungjoon stopped mid-step, eyes narrowing. "What the—"

Baek tilted his head slightly, sensing the shift before he even felt it.

Then he turned toward Echo.

Echo exhaled sharply, gripping the dirt tighter. His body trembled slightly, the vibrations resonating through his arms, his chest, his spine.

Too late.

The earth cracked open.

It wasn’t an explosion. It wasn’t just shockwaves.

It was control.

The terrain itself lurched violently, massive chunks of asphalt and dirt ripping free from the ground and surging upward.

Daeho’s eyes widened as the force slammed into his chest, lifting him off his feet.

Kyungjoon tried to flicker away—but the shifting terrain threw his movement off. A massive chunk of road shot upward, catching him mid-dodge and sending him crashing backward.

Baek was the only one who tried to counter. She twisted, using the debris as leverage, pushing off one of the rising chunks.

Then—the earth surged again.

The entire battlefield split apart.

Walls of stone and shattered road shot up between them, dividing the area into three distinct sections.

Jin’s breath slowed. It wasn’t just an attack.

It was a separation.

A battle division.

Echo exhaled sharply, his arms dropping slightly. His entire body felt the weight of what he just did.

"That..." he muttered, wiping his brow. "That took way too much outta me."

Jin exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Doesn’t matter."

Because it worked.

Now?

They had gained some level of control.