CHAPTER 42: FAR TOO WEAK

Zarveth wasted no time, his Core Release erupted like a volcano unleashed. In an instant, the heart of the junkyard field transformed into a storm of molten boulders, each one crashing down with earth splitting detonations.

"Core Release: Eternity’s Doom." Zarveth’s grin widened as the molten rocks rained.

The fiery projectiles dropped continuously at terrifying speed, detonating on impact and ripping apart the steel littered grounds. Yet amid the chaos, Ren remained motionless, calm, and calculating. With a sharp glint in his eyes, he unsheathed his katana, each strike was like a blur as he deflected the blazing chunks of rocks, scattering sparks into the air.

So it wasn’t luck that he beat Grin. Zarveth thought. Those projectiles could destroy houses, yet he treats them like pebbles. But don’t get too confident, my Core Release isn’t just about falling stones.

He dashed forward with his massive arms ignited, revealing his skin that is transmuted into living magma as both fists blazed like twin meteors. The sheer speed of his charge made the air scream, and Ren knew that any clean strike would crush, shatter, and tear his flesh apart.

For an instant, even Ren’s focus faltered. The speed was monstrous. And the power, it was lethal.

But instead of retreating, Ren’s gaze sharpened. A surge of black lightning rippled across his body, crawling up his blade as his aura burned with rage. The intensity hit Zarveth like a wall, halting his charge mid step and stepping back.

A chill ran down his spine.

What was that? Am I.... his eyes widened. Scared?

But Zarveth’s pride was stubborn.

No. I can’t be losing. I’m faster and stronger. I can feel it! He told himself, teeth grinding as he lunged forward once more. This time he feinted with a straight punch as he maneuvered his body low and twisted left into a vicious uppercut.

But Ren just tilted his head slightly to avoid it, letting the strike cut through nothing but air.

He had seen it from the start. The feint, the shift in Zarveth’s shoulders, it was all too obvious. Ren had already prepared for the follow up before the blow even came.

Zarveth’s eyes burned. It’s luck. That’s all it is.

He pressed harder, unleashing a relentless flurry. Feint, uppercut, feint, right hook. His fists tore through the air like a seasoned boxer, each swing violent enough to break bones and destroy.

Yet Ren’s stance never wavered. He didn’t take a step back. He simply leaned, shifted, and twisted his torso at the bare minimum needed, every attack slipping past him as if Zarveth were fighting against a phantom.

What is this? How can he see through my attacks?! Zarveth thought as his eyes narrowed while instinctively stepping back.

He’s faster and stronger, but not untouchable.

Ren thought as his lips curved into a faint smile. There’s no strike he can throw that I can’t evade. My martial edge is sharper, those endless training sessions with the others weren’t for nothing.

Zarveth’s face twisted in rage as he yelled."What are you smiling at? Mocking me? Then come at me!"

He slammed both fists into the ground. The area trembled as jagged spikes of molten rocks covered in lava surged upward, crawling like predators toward Ren.

For the first time, Ren moved. His body blurred, weaving between the crashing projectiles with blinding speed. Black lightning sparked and crackled around his feet as each step left an afterimage.

"Thunderstep."

In a second, Ren vanished and reappeared before Zarveth, his blade cloaked in a shroud of crackling black lightning.

"Thunderclap."

The strike cut through the air like a storm’s wrath, but Zarveth caught it with ease, his lava coated hands flaring as he deflected the blade, the impact sending Ren flying backward.

"I’ve seen that trick before!" Zarveth laughed.. "You think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?"

Ren skidded across the stone, sparks trailing his heels.

I knew it. He’s stronger and faster than me for now.

His breathing steadied. Slowly, the black lightning around him condensed, no longer wild and untamed. It flowed calmly, crawling up his body and covering across his face, shaping into a black mask of pure stormlight.

"Core Release, Lightning Requiem." Ren whispered.

This is it. I feel light, no leaks of energy, no throbbing pain. I feel like I’m one with the lightning.

Zarveth’s laughter faltered, fear flickering across his arrogant face. Impossible, he’s changed. More stronger. More terrifying. I need to escape!

He undid his core release and ran, darting across the mountain of junk with desperate speed.

But Ren was already there. Lightning streaked through the air as he appeared above him, bringing down a brutal axe kick.

"Thunderfoot!"

The blow smashed into Zarveth’s skull, slamming him deep into the mountain of twisted metal.

Ren didn’t stop. He formed and threw spheres of black lightning in rapid succession from both his hands for a couple of seconds. Each one exploded on impact as the junkyard trembled beneath the relentless barrage and smoke engulfed the battlefield.

When it finally cleared, Zarveth was barely standing, battered, bloodied, and trembling in raw fear.

"N-no, no! I’m sorry!" He pleaded.

But Ren was in front of him in an instant. His hand closed around Zarveth’s throat, lifting the larger man into the air before slamming him back down into the wreckage.

To finish it, Ren charged his fists with violent black lightning. He drove them into Zarveth’s face, pounding him into unconsciousness.

Ren breathed heavily before stepping back.

"I won’t kill you," He muttered coldly. "I won’t stoop to your level."

As Ren finally eased after defeating Zarveth, a silhouette emerged under the moonlight. The figure stood atop the pile of metal scraps, his outline flickering like a shadow in the cold night air.

A slow clap echoed across the scrapyard. His jacket hung loosely over his shoulders, fluttering with each gust of wind.

"Well, I didn’t expect him to be beaten this badly." The man muttered in amusement, still clapping. "After all, Zarveth was one of our more successful experiments."

He smirked, his voice laced with cruel delight. "I gotta hand it to you, Ren. You’ve proven yourself worthy. Worthy of being my brother."

Stepping into the open, the man revealed himself. It was Kade, his features strikingly similar to Ren’s, only older. But unlike Ren’s cool gaze, his eyes burned a deep crimson, a predatory gleam that made the air feel heavy. Hanging loosely across his shoulders was the dreaded dark red jacket of the Shikkoku’s Fangs, its presence alone enough to make men falter.

Ren’s heart sank as it pounded violently against his chest. His thoughts spiraled into chaos as his knees buckled, sending him crashing onto the cold ground. The truth he had long feared was now undeniable. The only family he had left was truly a Fang.

He had known it deep inside, but seeing it right there, right in front of him, struck harder than any wound. For him, it was a raw shock and a crushing pain.

"You’ve grown." Kade said. "But it’s still not enough. You’re nowhere near my level."

"B-Brother, why?" Ren stuttered, his body trembling as he forced himself to stand again. His voice cracked with desperation. "Why would you join them?! Our parents got killed by vicious and evil gangs! And now you, you joined one! Why?!"

Kade’s expression shifted as disappointment shadowed his face.

"Maybe you really haven’t changed at all. Our parents weren’t killed by some random gang, Ren. They were killed by the very gangs they once belonged to."

Ren’s eyes widened. The revelation hit harder than the sight of his brother wearing the Fang’s crimson.

"Huh? What are you saying? Our parents were part of a gang?"

"There’s no point explaining it to you." Kade muttered. "You barely even understand this world. I guess I’ve failed as a brother."

"Kade, stop. Do you really want revenge? Is that why you joined the Shikkoku? Why them?"

"Why?" Kade’s tone shifted into fury. "Because the only way to erase destruction is to unleash destruction itself! And no one does it better than Shikkoku."

"W-what are you talking about?" Ren’s voice faltered as the distance between them grew wider than ever.

"On your feet, now! Have I ever taught you to show weakness before an enemy?" Kade yelled, his crimson eyes burning. "You’re a member of ZEAL, aren’t you? Then never show weakness before me, a Fang." Kade muttered with a mocking smile.

Suddenly, Gale’s voice echoed in Ren’s mind. "Knock some sense into your brother."

It was like a splash of cold water across his face. His focus returned. His resolve hardened. He clenched the hilt of his katana, grounding himself in determination.

Black lightning surged once more across his body, crawling up his face until it shaped the fearsome mask of black thunder.

"Core Release, Lightning Requiem." Ren whispered.

"That’s it!" Kade muttered, violet lightning flaring wildly as it wrapped around him and his black sheathed katana. "Come at me with the same power you used against Zarveth!"

Ren vanished in a crackling flash, reappearing before Kade in the blink of an eye. His katana, cloaked in black lightning, cutting through the air in a precise, graceful arc.

"Thunderclap"

But before the blade could land, Kade casually lifted a single finger as violet lightning concentrated at its tip.

With effortless ease, he blocked the strike, then flicked it, sending Ren crashing back into the pile of metal and rusted junk.

A finger? Ren’s eyes widened. I need to go all out!

He kicked off the ground as black lightning burst from his feet and chained themselves around Kade’s legs. Sparks crackled as the chains tightened, locking him in place.

Ren didn’t stop. He summoned black lightning platforms around Kade, each one hovering about three meters away. Using them like springboards, he shot forward in a zigzag, his speed blurring under the moonlight.

Kade didn’t even flinch. He simply followed Ren with his calm crimson eyes.

Ren struck from every angle, his katana slashing whenever he saw an opening. But with a single smooth motion, Kade drew his own blade and deflected every strike as if swatting away flies.

Finally, Ren launched himself high above, his silhouette shining against the moon. He poured every ounce of his power into his katana, black lightning condensing and swirling violently around the blade making the air itself seem to tear apart.

"Blade of the Storm!" Ren yelled as he dove down. "This ends here, Kade!"

But Kade only smirked. Violet lightning surged around his hand as he reached up. With terrifying ease, he caught Ren’s descending blade.

"Too weak."

Kade ripped the katana from Ren’s hands, clamped his other hand around Ren’s throat, and slammed him into the ground with bone crushing force.

"Do you really think you can fight me with that pitiful power?" Kade muttered as dark violet lightning flared violently around his fist, the aura twisting and crackling like a storm barely contained.

"Let me show you what true power and true destruction looks like, little brother."

Ren’s vision blurred, his body barely holding together as he stared at the incoming haze of violet light. He knew he couldn’t move in time.

The fist descended.....but it never landed.

A surge of mist burst forward, colliding with Kade’s strike. The ground shook from the impact, but the blow was stopped.

Standing between Ren and his brother was Kaien, his arm stretched with his fist wrapped in a dense shroud of mist.

From the side, a portal tore open. Valen stepped out, daggers gleaming with lethal intent as he lunged straight for Kade.

But another portal opened as Lyra stepped through. With a graceful twist, she blocked Valen’s dagger mid air with a kick, her heel shimmering with drive core energy as sparks scattered from the clash.

"I see you’ve brought a friend." Kade said, lips curling into an amused smile as he looked at Kaien.

Kaien smirked. "I don’t know why this blockhead showed up, but I’m glad he did."

"Huh? Blockhead?" Valen shot him a glare.

The tension thickened, but then Kade and Lyra stepped back, retreating a few paces while Kaien and Valen stood in front of Ren.

"Kaien.....Valen? Why are you here?" Ren muttered before his consciousness slipped away.

"Lyra, we’re leaving." Kade said suddenly, his grin unfading.

"Eh? Why?" Lyra pouted. "We can take them right here."

"Not yet." Kade replied. "Destruction is always sweeter when you crush them at their peak. Today, I only came to see my little brother."

"Tch! Fine." Lyra sighed before opening another portal with a flick of her hand as both she and Kade stepped through, carrying the unconscious Zarveth and vanished into the night.

"Should we go after them?" Valen muttered.

Kaien shook his head. "No. Ren comes first. We’re getting him back to safety."