CHAPTER 47: THE MESSENGER

The next day, the combined forces of Squads 3, 4, and 7 gathered once more.

Their group looked different this time. Their numbers were clearly reduced, but the fire in their eyes burned brighter than ever.

For many of them, this battle wasn’t just about survival. It was about redemption. About reigniting the spirit of ZEAL, about carrying on the thread of hope passed to them by their fallen comrades, and protecting the citizens who looked to them for hope. Ayato’s words from the day before still lingered in their hearts. The memory of their leader bowing before them, humbling himself, had struck deep. It reminded them of what ZEAL’s two wings truly stood for, strength and compassion, carried together side by side.

After a brief meeting, the squads formed up and set out once again for Ward 10. The air was heavy with tension, yet steady with resolve.

They didn’t know what awaited them ahead. Most likely, another sea of Ashes and Shikkoku soldiers. But if the reports from Ward 9 were true, one thing was certain, Zarveth was nowhere to be found, and if he’s going to show himself, he probably will in ward 10.

When they arrived at the ruins of Ward 10, the squads stopped at the edge of the high ground. From above, they looked down on the crater-like ward of ruins as hundreds of Ashes and Shikkoku soldiers roamed.

They stayed hidden, their presence masked, while Miko set his drones loose.

Five machines flew out, spreading over the ward with a faint mechanical hum. Their lenses flickered as they scanned every inch of the land. These weren’t ordinary drones. Miko had upgraded them, each one capable of seeing beneath the surface, detecting shifts in the earth, tracing unusual currents of energy that might hide traps or ambushes.

Minutes passed before Miko finally spoke, his eyes glued to the data feed.

"I don’t think they’re pulling any tricks today."

The wardens exchanged brief nods.

Rago crossed his arms, smirking a little. "Your kid’s pretty sharp with his toys, huh?"

Aeri chuckled softly, pride flashing in her eyes. "Well, when it comes to tech, he’s the best we’ve got."

The wardens knew one thing for certain, if they let the horde strike first, their formation would crumble. They had to seize control.

"Shin. You’re up front." Valen ordered without hesitation.

Shin stepped forward from the ridge, his figure revealing itself to the enemy. His voice was calm, almost cold, as he spoke.

"Core Release. Gravity Maw."

The ground shook.

In an instant, massive violet rods of energy crashed down onto the enemy’s frontline, forming a circle nearly thirty meters wide. The air warped as the gravitational field locked into place, trapping the horde within its crushing pull.

Shin descended into the center of the zone, each step heavy yet deliberate.

From outside the circle, enemies hurled everything they had. Long ranged drive blasts, molten boulders from the Ashes, and streaks of fire and steel.

But Shin didn’t flinch.

A barrier of dense gravity surrounded his body, stopping every attack mid air before crushing it into dust. He walked on, unbothered, as though the battlefield itself bowed beneath his weight.

Before the enemy could regroup and surround Shin, two more wardens broke from formation.

Rago charged in from the left, his body blazing with heat like a wildfire set loose. Every step left sparks in his wake, every swing of his arms detonating in violent bursts.

"Hono Ryū!" he roared, squatting low before thrusting both hands forward.

Flames spiraled out, coiling together into the form of a massive dragon. With a deafening roar, the fiery beast surged across the battlefield, ripping through the air and tearing apart the frontline. Explosions followed in its path, the shockwaves scattering enemies like leaves in a storm.

Rago grinned, fire dancing in his eyes. "My flames are hotter than anything you could imagine."

On the opposite flank, Aeri moved with elegant precision. Her clones formed mirrors of light, weaving a shifting labyrinth that ensnared her enemies. Beams of light ricocheted between them at blinding speed, splitting and converging at impossible angles, piercing foes before they could even raise their guard. Enemies barely had time to register her presence before the beams pierced their bodies cleanly, dropping them one after another in a seamless display of control.

While Rago tore through the horde like a raging wildfire, Aeri cut them down with surgical brilliance, her illusions weaving death in every direction.

"What are you guys on the high grounds doing?" One Shikkoku grunt muttered, but silence answered him.

By then, Valen had already dealt with them. Silent as death itself. He opened portals from one skyscraper to the next, striking from the shadows and cutting down the enemy’s overwatch with a single blow each.

"Well, that’s a good break of sweat." Valen muttered, sheathing his dagger.

Yet despite their efforts, only half the horde had been dealt with.

"I don’t know how many they’re willing to sacrifice for destruction." Rago muttered. "But there’s no choice but to put them to rest. Charge!"

With the high ground cleared and the frontline scattered, the group surged deeper into the ward, clashing against the enemy in the heart of the city’s broken ruins.

Chaos erupted, steel, flame, and fury colliding as the two sides tore through the shattered streets.

Seth’s sniping team secured the vacant rooftops, dismantling the enemy ranks from afar.

Ren became a streak of lightning, weaving through soldiers and cutting them down in a flash.

"Ren, don’t get too far ahead, we’ll hold formation with Minato, and Kaela." Sora yelled over comms.

"Roger!" Ren replied, already vanishing into another burst of speed.

The members of Squad 4, together with Minato, moved in perfect sync, executing their strategy with practiced precision. Sora and Ren charged the frontlines, their relentless strikes carving a path through the swarm, while Minato and Kaela held steady at the rear. Minato’s binding thorns lashed out to entangle enemies, and Kaela’s petal barriers shimmered, warding off counterattacks.

Together, they created an opening for Sora and Ren to deliver decisive finishing blows.

It was efficient. It was necessary. No matter how strong they were, the enemy’s endless numbers demanded discipline and endurance above all else.

As they pressed deeper into the ward, the tide showed no sign of slowing. Waves of Shikkoku soldiers surged toward them, snarling, relentless. Squad 4’s formation held strong, cutting them down one after another, until chaos erupted ahead.

Up front, their comrades were being torn apart with alarming ease by something unseen.

"Over there!" Sora shouted, his voice cutting through the clash of battle. "Something’s wreaking havoc! We need to back them up!"

Without hesitation, the group surged forward, tearing through everything in their way as they raced toward the source of the carnage.

Upon arriving at the scene, several ZEAL members were already groaning, barely clinging to consciousness, while others lay sprawled across the ground, completely unconscious.

"What happened here?" Ren asked.

One of the injured men, trembling and pale, forced out a hoarse reply.

"Run..... Call the Wardens, now." His body went limp as he collapsed.

Sora narrowed his eyes, scanning the area.

"What in the world is going on here?" She muttered under her breath. "Kaela, Minato, stay sharp. Prepare for an ambush."

Both nodded silently, shifting into ready stances.

Then, footsteps. Slow and deliberate.

From the shadows of a nearby alley, a figure emerged with eerie calmness. Slender, poised, clad in crisp formal wear of trousers, a fitted vest, and a tuxedo shirt while across his shoulders hung a dark crimson jacket, the infamous Shikkoku colors.

The group instinctively tensed, every muscle braced, as the masked figure advanced until stopping roughly eight meters away.

The mask’s blank expression seemed to sneer as the voice behind it echoed with cold authority.

"I am but a messenger of the Shikkoku, a harbinger of death and destruction, sent to deliver a warning."

The figure spread its arms slightly, as though welcoming them to their own demise.

"I am Messenger Number One. And I shall erase you all."

Ren’s hand tightened around the hilt of his katana, every muscle coiled and ready for a strike that could come at any moment. He didn’t know what this figure’s ability was, or even what a Messenger truly meant, but one truth pressed on him like a weight.

This figure before him was strong.

A Messenger? Ren’s thoughts whispered with unease.

Before the silence could shatter, the sky itself did. A torrent of molten rock rained down, the air boiling as a blazing figure tore through the air.

Zarveth, covered in smoking lava, descended like a meteor as his laughter cracked through the chaos.

"If you’ve forgotten about me, then you’re in deep trouble!"

The ground erupted as he struck. Ren and the others scattered, but Sora, Kaela, and Minato dodged into the wrong blind spot. The concrete beneath them crumbled, collapsing in a molten avalanche. Screams echoed as they fell into the underground, dragged down along with the molten and Zarveth himself.

"I’ll have my fun with your friends, Ren!" Zarveth’s voice echoed as they vanished below.

Ren lunged forward, instinct driving him to dive after them, but a calm, chilling voice froze him in place.

"I wouldn’t take your eyes off me" the figure said.

Suddenly, streams of crimson blood lashed out from the figure’s body—long, whip-like tendrils tipped with razor edges, all snapping toward Ren’s heart.

Instinct took over. Ren’s katana flashed from its sheath, lightning sparking along its edge as he parried the first strike with a sharp crack.

Blood? Ren’s mind raced, his eyes narrowing on the figure. What kind of Drive is this? Zarveth is still out there, I don’t have time to waste!

Before he could regroup, a dozen more whips slashed toward him in rapid succession. Each strike came faster than the last, forcing Ren to retreat step by step, lightning sparks scattering as his blade barely intercepted the blows.

The assault didn’t let up. Blood whips gouged deep holes into concrete walls and shattered stone wherever they struck, their force enough to tear a man apart. Ren leapt and twisted through narrow gaps, using walls and ledges as footholds whenever he was nearly cornered.

I can’t let him pin me down. I don’t even understand what this Drive ability really is, but if it hits me, I’m done for!

Crackling chains of lightning erupted from his arm, lashing out to bind the enemy, followed by spheres of compressed lightning shot from his fingertips as he continued moving to evade.

But the figure moved with equal precision. The lightning chains were severed by writhing blood chains that shot out to intercept them, and the spheres were shredded midair by a dagger of hardened blood forming in the figure’s hand.

"I have to be honest, you’re quite the warrior yourself. You are worthy of knowing my name" The figure said as the relentless barrage of attacks ceased for a moment, giving Ren a moment to breathe.

"I am Luciena Veyra, one of the Four Messengers of Shikkoku, second only to the Fangs and the leader itself. And you?"

She removed her mask, unveiling a beautiful woman with flowing red hair and an expressionless face.

"Ren Asakura." He replied firmly.

"Ren Asakura. To show my respect, I will now fight you with all of my strength, and end this battle. You are strong, but your path ends here."

Then her voice cut through the air as she muttered. "Core Release. Scarlet Dominion."

At once, a dome of blood surged into existence, swallowing the battlefield in crimson. The moonlight was smothered, the world within steeped in a suffocating red gloom. At their feet, blood gathered into a shallow river, ankle deep and flowing with an eerie will of its own, fed by both the spilled blood around them and Luciena’s own.

Ren staggered, his breaths sharp. What is this? My body, it’s heavier, and my feet, I can barely move!