CHAPTER 20: CHILLING WIND

Ren knew crossing to the other side shouldn’t be his priority right now. First, he had to defeat Zeishuro. If he let his mind lose focus of the enemy in front by worrying too much about the others, he’d lose.

He glanced down at the black handkerchief tied around his left wrist and took a deep breath.

I trust them. They’ll handle things over there.

He raised his katana, pointing it straight at Zeishuro.

"Why are you guys even doing this? What do you get out of destroying people?" Ren asked.

Zeishuro’s smile widened.

"Destroying them? No, no... we’re saving them."

Ren’s brows narrowed. "What are you talking about? People are literally dying, suffering, and losing their minds out there!"

"Suffering?" Zeishuro chuckled. "I guess that’s one way to put it. But you wouldn’t get it. You’re just an outsider. You don’t understand. We’re saving them for good."

With that, he slashed his machete through the air as razor sharp scythes made of wind tore toward Ren.

Ren’s instincts flared, he knew getting hit by one of those could cost him a limb. He bolted to the side, narrowly dodging the first barrage. But Zeishuro wasn’t done, he moved at the same time, closing in and cutting off Ren’s escape routes with each calculated step.

Tch. He’s following and cornering me. If this keeps up, I’m done. Ren gritted his teeth. I need to flip this around and change the rhythm of the fight.

Lightning sparked at his fingertips. He formed a small platform beneath him and kicked off it with full force, launching himself upward toward the ceiling.

As soon as his foot touched the ceiling, Ren twisted his body midair and slashed downward with his katana.

Scythes of crackling lightning shot toward Zeishuro.

"A taste of my own medicine, huh? That won’t work!" Zeishuro shouted, grinning.

In an instant, a tornado-like burst of wind enveloped him, shielding him from the lightning Scythes. The gust howled violently, scattering sparks across the sewer walls. But when the swirling wind finally faded, Zeishuro looked around and Ren was gone.

"Behind you," Ren muttered.

A sharp kick slammed into the back of Zeishuro’s head.

"Thunderfoot!"

Zeishuro was sent flying, crashing hard into the sewer wall with a heavy thud. Cracks formed along the concrete from the force of impact but Ren didn’t stop there.

He vanished again and reappeared right in front of Zeishuro, his katana already swinging as lightning crackled around it.

Zeishuro blocked with his machete just in time and their blades clashed as sparks flew in all directions. But then, without warning, a barrage of wind scythes rained down from above.

"Tch!" Ren exclaimed, twisting just in time to avoid a direct hit. One of the blades grazed his right leg, slicing through fabric and drawing blood.

Tch! If I had been a second slower, I would’ve lost my foot!

He gritted his teeth, sliding back and planting his stance.

He’s strong. But I’m not being overwhelmed.

Then suddenly, the air shifted.

It grew heavier. Chilling and suffocating.

A strange pressure pulled at his chest, like the air itself was being vacuumed into the grinning Zeishuro.

Ren’s grip on his katana tightened.

What is this? His aura, it’s changing.

"You’re quite capable, I’ll give you that," Zeishuro said as his grin widened. "And your speed, it’s evolving the longer this fight goes. But it’s still not enough to amuse me!"

He spread his arms as if summoning a storm itself.

"I need more! Prove to me I’m not wrong about you! Core release: Typhoon."

Suddenly, the air around them twisted violently.

From the ground, towering pillars of spinning wind erupted, each one nearly ten feet tall. The tornado-like pillars whirled with vicious force, pulling everything toward Zeishuro like a giant vacuum.

Ren’s eyes widened as he felt his body start to slide forward.

He quickly stabbed his katana into the ground, anchoring himself in place as the wind tried to rip him off his feet. But the surroundings were not safe. Dust, rocks, and debris flew past him like bullets grazing him.

What is this? he thought, gritting his teeth as he barely held his ground.

The winds howled around him, fierce and relentless. Debris spun in every direction, slicing at his skin with every passing second. Blood trickled from the small wounds forming across his arms and cheeks.

I can’t hold on like this for long. He thought, gritting his teeth. If I stay here, he’ll crush me with the next attack.

He glanced up at Zeishuro, still grinning at the center of the storm.

Tch. Fine then.

With a sharp breath, Ren pulled his katana from the ground and let go. The wind swallowed him instantly, pulling him forward like a projectile.

"You want me to come to you?" he shouted, lightning crackling violently across his body. "Then I’ll come!!"

Ren was pulled in hard, the force of the wind was like a raging beast trying to swallow him whole. But he hasn’t given up yet.

With quick reflexes, he formed lightning platforms midair, leaping between them and weaving past the towering tornado pillars. Sparks danced across his body as he closed the distance, his katana raised and charged with lightning.

He slashed at Zeishuro with everything he had.

But Zeishuro blocked it with ease, grinning as he knocked Ren away with a burst of wind, launching him to the ceiling.

But in a split second, the wind caught him again and pulled.

One of the tornado pillars slammed into him mid-air. It dragged him into a violent whirl, spinning him before throwing him into the concrete wall.

He hit hard and blood splattered from his lips as he gasped, his whole body screaming in pain. Bruises formed across his arms and ribs, and his breathing was heavy.

Still, somehow, he moved.

Ren jammed his katana into the wall, anchoring himself as the pull of the wind tried to drag him back into the storm.

He let out a dry and desperate laugh.

"Heh... This isn’t funny! Think, Ren, think!"

He tried to force an idea, anything, but his mind was a blur, and the sheer pressure of Zeishuro’s Core Release was crushing his confidence even further.

I thought I got stronger but I can’t even handle this alone? Ren thought, clearly frustrated.

"Is this really everything?" Zeishuro muttered with a disappointed expression. "You’re a little boring now."

He sighed, eyes narrowing as the wind around them began to calm. "I guess you’re not the hero in this story who defeats the villains."

As he deactivated his Core Release, the tornado pillars faded into nothing. Ren, now battered and bruised, flopped to the ground with a thud.

Zeishuro casually walked toward him. With a simple flick of his wrist, a powerful gust shot forward and pinned Ren to the wall.

"Ha... ha... hahaha..." Ren let out a weak laugh.

Zeishuro tilted his head. "Did you lose it already? How pitiful for a ZEAL member."

Ren glanced up, his mouth covered in blood, but still wearing a grin. "After calling yourselves Saints, now you call yourselves villains? Make up your mind for once."

Zeishuro’s expression turned cold. Without warning, he threw a punch that slammed into Ren’s face, whipping his head to the side. A few seconds later, another punch dug deep into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

"You don’t know what we’ve been through! You don’t know what we’re doing!" Zeishuro shouted, his voice raw with emotion.

"Haha... all I know..." Ren coughed, "is that you’re controlling people and killing them for your own amusement."

Zeishuro punched him again, straight to the gut, harder than before.

"Amusement!?" he shouted. "Enough! I’m ending this."

He raised his machete and pointed it directly at Ren’s neck.

Ren’s eyes began to close. His vision blurred, fading in and out like a flickering screen. The toll of the one sided beating was catching up to him fast.

Where... am I again? His thoughts were slow and scattered. My vision’s blurry. Who’s this guy in front of me? I can barely see him. Then, through the haze, he recognized the silhouette. Ah... Zeishuro.I just want to sleep.No, I need to get out of here.

He tried to move an arm, a finger, anything, but nothing responded.

I can’t... I can’t move. I can’t anymore...I’m sorry, guys...

And with that final thought, Ren lost consciousness.

—-------------------

On the other side of the battlefield, Gray stood tall, a mocking grin hidden beneath his mask as he stared down Seth and Kaela.

"Well then, try your hardest," Gray said, casually resting his hammer on his shoulder. "I’ll make it quick. I’ve got other matters to attend to. Your two friends might be useful for that."

Seth narrowed his eyes. "Do you really think we’ll lose? You better think again."

With a calm breath, Seth lowered his sniper rifle carefully to the ground. He reached into his coat, pulling out a sleek black mask with glowing green eyes and slid it on. Then, with a quiet click, he pulled out his dual pistols and stepped forward.

"Seth, no! Stay behind me!" Kaela shouted, stepping in front of him.

"Don’t worry." His voice was calm but sharp and commanding, yet reassuring. "Just cover me."

Kaela froze for a second. That tone, it didn’t sound like the usual timid Seth. It was different. Confident. Reliable, almost like a Shin Amano.

Seth fired a shot directly at Gray’s head.

Gray tilted his head, dodging with ease. "I’ve seen that trick before—"

Before he could even finish, Seth fired again. Then again. A sudden barrage of glowing green bullets, like comets weaving through the air, came flying from different angles. Gray grunted, blocking each one with his hammer, but he couldn’t find an opening to counter. Seth was already on the move, circling, dodging, constantly repositioning.

Kaela understood instantly.

Without hesitation, she created petal platforms in the air for Seth to leap across, mimicking what Ren would often do. Seth caught on quickly, bouncing between them with a natural flow. From ceiling to platform to ground, he moved unpredictably like lightning with no pattern. And between every move, another flurry of bullets rained on Gray. Some missed, others grazed, but they were starting to frustrate him.

Kaela stared in awe. This... this isn’t the Seth I knew. He’s like a whole different person.

With a frustrated growl, Gray swung his hammer fiercely, slicing through the air. A burst of energy shot out from it, shaped like a massive phantom hammer, tearing through space toward Seth.

Seth dodged just in time, the shockwave brushing his shoulder.

Tch! If that thing hits me once, it’s over. He clenched his teeth.

Seth dashed in again, his twin pistols unleashing shots that grew faster and stronger with each passing second. The pressure was piling up. Gray, though initially caught off guard, had started to adapt to Seth’s speed, attempting to catch him mid-movement. But every time he got close.....

"Petal Wall!"

Kaela was already there, casting barriers at the perfect moment to protect Seth. They moved like a duo who had been training for years.

Tch. I need to deal with the girl first. Gray gritted his teeth.

He changed tactics.

With a shout, Gray raised his hammer and summoned glowing drive energy, forming phantom hammers that flew straight toward Kaela like missiles.

Kaela braced herself. "Petal—!"

But before she could finish, Gray was already in front of her.

Too fast! Her eyes widened.

Just as he swung the hammer down for the finishing blow.... Seth came crashing down with a brutal axe kick to Gray’s head, slamming him into the ground with explosive force.

But he wasn’t finished. Dozens of glowing green bullets rained down, lighting up the sewer in a chaotic downpour. The entire floor cracked open as Gray was buried beneath the layers of debris and concrete, vanishing into the earth below.

"Bullet Storm!!" Seth yelled.

For a moment, silence enveloped the area.

Then........

ROOOOAARR!!!

A monstrous growl erupted from the rubble as violent drive energy surged upward and made the ground tremble.

Gray burst from the earth, his mask cracked, face bloodied, yet still smiling creepily. And with him came a hellish rain of energy hammers from above.

"Incoming! It’s his core release!" Seth yelled.

Kaela summoned a barrier just in time, petals forming in the air to protect them. But the sheer force of the hammers was too much. The barrier shattered, and Kaela was sent flying backwards, landing hard on the ground.

"Kaela!" Seth shouted.

His eyes widened as he saw her unconscious, blood trailing from her arm and head.

Without a second thought, Seth dashed toward her, weaving through the deadly rain of falling hammers. He didn’t stop until they were outside the range of Gray’s core release, placing her gently in a safer corner of the sewer tunnel.

Seth walked slowly toward the outside edge of Gray’s domain, his steps calm but heavy. A thick green aura wrapped around him, swirling calmly. Just standing there, he gave off a pressure that made even Gray tense up for a second.

Then Seth muttered under his breath, voice low and sharp.

"Drive Core Release: Silent Crescent."