CHAPTER 27: SHADOWED HEARTS

Aku lay almost buried in the rubble as blood spilled from his mouth. Every breath was a struggle, yet he forced his battered body to move.

"I’ll ask for the report later," Aeri said to Kaela. "Let me clean this up first."

In the next instant, she was gone, then reappeared before the barely standing Aku.

Panic flashed in his crimson eyes. Spears of black smoke formed immediately around him and shot forward, but Aeri weaved through them effortlessly as a faint smile on her lips started to form before driving a brutal punch into his gut that crashed him down to the floor below.

What is she? Aku’s thoughts ran wild. I’m a Saint now. I won’t let you ruin it!

With a desperate yell, he unleashed a wave of black smoke that swallowed the entire floor. "Let’s see you find me in this!"

But his regained confidence didn’t last long. In a blink, Aeri’s hand was at his throat. Sword shaped beams of light slashed past them, each grazing his limbs in cruel precision as if mirroring the pain he’d dealt to Kaela.

Desperation surged as Aku got engulfed with violent drive core energy, forcing Aeri to release him.

"Core Release: Darkness Unleash!"

Dozens of black smoke clones of him emerged, grinning as they surrounded her. But Aeri simply raised her finger as drive energy light gathered at its tip. In less than a second, all the clones vanished in a storm of light beams.

He wasn’t even able to react. All he knew was he was feeling a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He looked down to find a hole where the light had pierced him, rendering his arm useless with its sensation gone.

"Agh! Who are you?!" he yelled in frustration as he charged at Aeri with daggers made out of black smoke.

"The light," Aeri replied as she vanished out of sight, making Aku swing at nothing. "Light that cancels out your dark."

From behind, bright light beams pierced the air, striking Aku’s vital points with precision. His body was immobilized, as it collapsed face first onto the floor.

"Kill me!" he yelled.

"Nope. You’ll be our prisoner," Aeri replied.

"No! I’m the great Saint Aku! Being held prisoner is a shame to my existence!"

Aeri tilted her head slightly. "Well, I got to give it to you. You put up a good fight against my clone."

And just like magic, another Aeri stepped into his view as the one who had been in front of him vanished in a shimmer of light.

Aku’s eyes widened. A clone?

Even at full strength, even with his core release unleashed, he had been defeated by an imitation. Realizing that fact, his body went limp and unconscious.

Aeri tapped her earpiece and spoke in her usual calm tone. "I’ve got a prisoner up here. Subdue him once you’re finished below."

After giving the report, she quickly went back up to Kaela, kneeling beside her and quickly treating her wounds. Kaela quickly hugged her, sobbing into her chest.

"I was so scared, captain. I thought I won’t be able to see you guys again."

Aeri said nothing as she simply held Kaela, letting her sob into her chest. Sometimes, being there was more than enough.

Minutes later, the Raging Waters unit arrived, securing Aku. One member moved with Seth on his side, helping him walk as his arm was wrapped over the guy’s shoulder.

"Captain... I’m sorry," Seth muttered.

"No," Aeri said, meeting his gaze. "I’m sorry I arrived too late. You both did well."

"But Ren, Sora, Miko..." Seth’s voice broke as tears started welling down on his dirt covered face.

"Calm yourself," Aeri said. "I would’ve let you rest but time isn’t on our side. Brief me. Everything that happened."

Despite being exhausted and drained, Seth and Kaela told Aeri everything. From how they’d been ambushed, met the Saints, fought Grin, taken down Gray, joined forces with Zeishuro, lost Sora and Miko, and that Ren and Zeishuro were on their way to rescue them.

Seth added that Asahi, second in command of the Raging Waters, had destroyed the final transmitter and held the guards of Smileys prisoner.

"Got it. I’m heading there now. Let’s hope they can hold out in their weakened state." Aeri said. She ordered the Raging Waters to care for Seth and Kaela and cut down the Smileys’ numbers around the ward before going.

Then, in a flash of light, she dashed toward the Saint’s lair in hopes to make it in time to save them.

Please be safe, guys.

—------------------

"Prepare for an ambush when we pass that door." Zeishuro said, pointing toward the dusty wooden door at the end of the narrow hall they traversed.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked as his hand tightened the grip on his katana’s hilt.

"Think about it. We’ve come all this way, and there’s been no guards at all. Yes, no one aside from the saints and father knows this path, but considering the current situation, he would send Kuro at least."

Ren’s eyes narrowed. He realized that Zeishuro was indeed right. The sewers had been full of Smileys, but since entering this tunnel, there hadn’t even been a single sound besides their own footsteps.

Zeishuro placed his hand on the doorknob tightly. He glanced at Ren, and they exchanged a nod before pushing it open.

Beyond was the vast cathedral hall of the Saints’ lair. Eerily empty, lit only by the cold moonlight coming in through the tall windows.

In the center stood a cage bound in chains with its interior swallowed in darkness.

Zeishuro pointed toward it. "Your friend is probably in there."

Ren stepped forward cautiously then the floor beneath him bloomed into shadow. Whispers and distorted voices flooded his surroundings as he lost sight of Zeishuro and the whole cathedral.

This wasn’t the same nightmare as before. This time, he saw all of Squad 4 around him with their weapons drawn towards him, preparing to strike.

Meanwhile, Zeishuro watched as a sphere of shadow swallowed Ren whole. From above, two figures descended in front of him. It was Grin and Kuro emitting strong and raged aura.

"You don’t look controlled," Grin said, his voice calm but with anger behind the mask. "So you’ve sided with those ZEAL punks."

"Father, they’ll save us. I know what you’re trying to do."

"Silence! I didn’t ask for your opinion. Kuro!"

Chains came rushing forward as Kuro launched them from his hands, forcing Zeishuro to dash away as wind wrapped around him, carrying him in swift motion through the cathedral, narrowly avoiding being captured.

"Kuro, no! We’ve been saved! We will be saved!"

But Kuro didn’t stop. His chains still hunted Zeishuro relentlessly. Yet there was a faint flicker in his eyes. A hint of hesitation, like a spark of doubt.

Zeishuro’s strength was far from recovered after his fight with Ren, making his movements a lot slower as the chains were starting to corner him.

Grin just stood still, watching like a predator toying with its prey. This wasn’t a battle, it was a one sided capture.

Zeishuro could only dodge as the chains pushed him closer and closer to Grin. He knew that being this close to Grin meant being captured and taken down.

But then....

The one caught in the bindings wasn’t Zeishuro.

It was Grin.

Grin’s mask clattered to the floor, revealing a face carved by battle, scar after scar slashing across his eyes and mouth. His hair was long and white. His eyes were the eyes of a man who had seen too much war. He looked to be in his late forties, maybe fifties, but the aura he carried felt far older.

And yet, even bound in Kuro’s chains, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he threw back his head and laughed. A deep, hysteric laugh that echoed through the cathedral for nearly a full minute.

Then it stopped as his voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"So... the ones I trusted most would turn their backs on me?" His gaze sharpened instantly, locking onto Zeishuro and Kuro. "And Gray? Did you kill him? Where’s your honor?!"

"He died in battle, Father," Zeishuro answered quietly. "He was smiling till the end."

Kuro stepped forward with his chains still binding Grin and removed his mask. His face was young, almost Ren’s age, just a bit older. It was beautiful, but shadowed with sadness.

"Father. Let’s end this. ZEAL has come to save us. You don’t have to do this anymore."

"There’s no saving anyone!" Grin yelled.

Zeishuro’s eyes narrowed. "We know your plan. You’re trying to use their own weapon against the Shikkoku, but it will consume you, Father."

"Consume me?" Grin’s voice finally snapped. "Do you really think ZEAL can stop them? Those monsters are too strong! The only way to take our revenge is to turn their own weapon against them!"

Then shadows began swirling around him, thick and heavy, like the air itself was turning into darkness.

Then........

BOOM!

The cathedral floor trembled as the chains shattered in an instant, torn apart by the sheer force of his overwhelming aura.

"Well, since you’ve chosen to turn your backs on me." Grin’s voice echoed as he walked slowly toward them. "You’ll have to endure the nightmare I’m about to bestow upon you."

In the next instant, his shadows surged forward like a tidal wave, lashing out at Kuro and Zeishuro. They split apart, dodging with everything they had, still shouting over the relentless chain of attacks.

"Father, no!" Said Zeishuro as he twisted away from darkness. "I know you’re angry, but revenge isn’t the answer! Don’t throw your life away!"

"He’s right, Father," Kuro added while evading. "If Zeishuro deems them worthy, then we should side with ZEAL!"

"Silence!" Grin yelled in frustration. "By any means necessary, I will take my revenge! Even if it means putting you both through suffering. It’s for the ones we lost!" His eyes burned with both rage and grief as his shadows closed in on the two ever closer.

"Kuro!" Zeishuro shouted. "Find the source and free that girl over there! If we do, we might be able to stop this once and for all!"

Kuro instantly let the cage made of chains disappear. Freeing the unconcious Sora from being held.

Grin laughed. "Oh, freeing the girl won’t save you. I lied. I never needed a sacrifice. The drive core energies we’ve collected all this time was more than enough! And the source? That’s impossible to destroy." His grin widened. "Because I implanted the source inside Kuro!"

The words hit like a physical blow. Both Kuro and Zeishuro faltered as their movements slowed for just a moment. But it was long enough for Grin’s shadows.

In an instant, shadows erupted, swallowing Zeishuro inside a massive sphere of darkness, while chains of black smoke formed around Kuro, binding him in place.

Kuro’s breath grew heavier with his mind racing. He couldn’t remember when, but then it came to him. Hazy flashes of that night. Waking briefly only to see Grin leaving his room. He hadn’t questioned it back then, not from someone he trusted so deeply. But now it all made sense.

"F-Father, why?" Kuro’s voice broke as tears welled in his eyes.

"I needed someone with a strong drive core to be the source, the main offering." Grin said coldly. "It would’ve been different if you’d let me use that girl instead. I would’ve transferred it to her easily. But you left me with no choice now."

Across the hall, Sora woke up as her senses slowly returned. Her blurry vision focused on the chaos before her only to see Grin’s shadows, and Kuro being held by it.

Why are they fighting each other? She thought. And shadows? Is that his power besides the nightmares?

Then she felt it, her eyes widening as her heart pounded. Ren’s drive core. She could sense it pulsing, faint but strong, inside one of the two shadow spheres inside the cathedral.

Ren! That’s him! I have to get him out before they notice!