A piercing, desperate scream.

For Cheong, who had mastered the nuances of various cries through her technique, Axe of the Wicked, it was clear that this wasn't the sound of someone who had tripped or bumped into something. This was a genuine cry of urgency—so desperate that the words help me didn’t even form, leaving only an instinctive scream.

In that instant, Cheong’s mind raced.

An ambush?
A vendetta?
It could be someone who’s been diligent in making enemies, but that wasn’t unusual around here.

How dangerous is it?
A scream like that wouldn’t come from encountering …