CHAPTER 50: A TASTE OF REDEMPTION

Chapter 50

I only got grazed and it tore a whole chunk of my flesh away! Ren’s eyes darted across the barrier, following the endless schools of blood-formed fish. And there are thousands of them in here, all waiting to rip me apart.

"I told you." Luciena’s voice cut through the air. "That speed of yours doesn’t matter. As long as you’re here, you’re finished."

Ren’s mind spun. He clenched his teeth, forcing his body to move faster, faster than ever before. Lightning sparked at his feet as he conjured platform after platform from his fingertips, darting through the air with everything he had.

But no matter how quick, the blood fish swarmed. Each time he slipped past, another grazed him, tearing into his flesh, stripping his skin. His body screamed in pain as crimson streaks marked his path.

It felt like drowning in a sea of flesh hungry piranhas. No escape. No air. Only bites tearing at him from every angle.

Seconds dragged into eternity. His breath grew heavy, his speed faltering. Already, he was slower than when he first unleashed his Core Release.

Luciena watched him with delight, her smile sharp and merciless. To her, Ren was nothing but prey, a mouse trapped in a cage, struggling pointlessly while misery closed in.

What do I do? Ren’s chest tightened as he darted through the blood filled storm. As long as I’m inside this barrier, I’m trapped! My speed won’t matter. My power won’t matter, not if I can’t even find an opening to strike.

His teeth clenched. Should I just go straight at her even if it means sacrificing my whole body for a single attack?

The thought lingered, tempting him. But deep down, Ren knew he couldn’t falter. Not here. Not to the likes of the messengers who chained themselves to orders without will. He hadn’t even stood face to face against another Fang yet, nor done anything truly worthy to bring peace to Aetherpolis.

So what can I do here?

Then it came to him. Luciena’s words, echoing in his mind. "As long as you’re here, you’re finished."

Ren’s eyes widened. Then what if I disappear?

The answer sparked within him. If I can chain Thunderclap continuously, without breaking my rhythm, I can vanish. Out of sight. Out of reach. Just like Rago told me.

But reality weighed on him. Chaining Thunderclap was close to impossible. To perform even one, he needed a foothold. If he’s going to do this continuously in the air, he needs to conjure lightning platforms, while focusing a huge amount of his energy into his feet before blasting forward. Doing that again and again, darting unpredictably without losing rhythm, was something almost beyond human limits.

It demanded absolute control of his Drive Core. Every thread of energy had to be routed with perfect efficiency, so smooth that even he wouldn’t feel it.

And for that, Ren would need to pull out Drive energy from his core at a speed that would suffice for all of this.

How? How do I do it? Ren’s mind raced. I need to gather Drive Core energy so quickly that I won’t even notice it, something automatic, something that powers me up on its own.

And then it clicked.

What if I force my core into a fast, endless spiral? If I spin it outward continuously, it’ll release energy on its own at a high speed. That way, I can focus only on redirecting and guiding the flow, while my core fuels me automatically.

The idea sent a spark of hope through him. But the risk followed right after.

If I do this my time will be limited.

He knew it too well. Spiraling his core at such insane speed would flood him with energy automatically, yes, but it would also drain him dry. His core would bleed out Drive energy while his Core Release was still active, doubling the strain not only on his body but on the core itself.

His teeth clenched. His chest tightened.

At best, one minute. That’s all I’ll have before my body shuts down.

Ren wasted no time. He only needed a second, just a vision.

Deep in his chest, inside his very heart, he pictured his core. Spinning. Spiraling at a blinding speed. In an instant, violent energy surged out on its own, wild and untamed.

"Agh!" Pain ripped through his body, every nerve screaming from the strain.

But it didn’t matter. The agony was proof. Proof that power was pouring into him endlessly, terrifyingly fast.

This is it! Ren’s thoughts burned. Now I just need to chain Thunderclap while forming the platforms! Feel it, Ren! Feel it! Be one with your power!

Lightning roared. Platforms crackled into existence one after another as he launched himself through the air. His speed jumped, climbing higher and higher until suddenly, he blinked out of sight.

Even Luciena’s eyes widened. "Did he just... vanish?"

Her lips curved into a forced smile. "No. Impossible. If he could truly disappear, he would’ve done it from the start. This has to be a fluke."

Yet deep inside, doubt had already begun to gnaw at her.

I still can’t get a hold of this. I need to chain them without a single delay. If I break my rhythm, it’s over, Ren thought, his body trembling with strain.

Thirty seconds passed. His lightning cracked louder, he can now do five Thunderclaps chained in rapid succession. His figure vanished, then reappeared behind Luciena, far from her line of sight.

"What?" Luciena’s eyes darted around, but Ren was gone again.

His movements grew faster, sharper. Each Thunderclap blurred him into nothingness, leaving only flickering afterimages. The swarming blood-fishes lunged at the phantoms, tearing at empty mirages.

But Ren was already meters away.

Luciena’s forced smile vanished. "It wasn’t a fluke! He’s really disappearing! Where is he? Where are you?!"

To Ren, the world shifted. His rhythm held steady, perfect. Each step, each Thunderclap felt like blinking from one space to the next. Short bursts of teleportation. Just enough to stay out of sight. Just enough to slip past everything.

Luciena’s head spun, frustration boiling as her attacks hit nothing. If he isn’t here, then what use is my Core Release?

That’s when the strikes came.

A cut along her arm. Another across her leg. Slashes from nowhere, biting into her flesh.

"Agh!" She cried out, anguish tearing from her throat.

Ren was a phantom now. A ghost in the storm, unseen, untouchable and relentless.

And for the first time, Luciena felt fear. True fear.

The tables had turned. She was no longer the hunter. She was the mouse, caught in a cage, with something merciless gnawing away at her without being seen.

"Thunderclap, thunderclap, thunderclap." Ren kept whispering under his breath, each word marking the rhythm of his strikes as he blinked in and out of existence, slashing at Luciena from every angle.

The final ten seconds came. Ren launched himself upward, forming one last lightning platform in the sky. From above, he vanished and reappeared directly over her head.

Luciena spun in confusion, her eyes searching in the wrong direction.

Where is he? I’m done!

"Blackflash Descent," Ren whispered.

In a single graceful arc, his lightning infused katana cleaved downward, striking her chest with devastating force as he crashed to the ground. The barrier shattered, the swarm of blood fish dissolving into nothing. Around him, the ruined buildings and shattered structures of Ward 10 reappeared.

Ren collapsed onto the floor, chest heaving, drained of strength.

Luciena was still standing, motionless. Her eyes widened with terror as a thin, perfect line split across her chest and blood welled from her lips.

Then, with a hollow thud, she toppled lifelessly to the ground.

"The others... I need to rescue them... but I can’t move..." Ren muttered, dragging himself weakly across the ground, trying to crawl toward the massive crater where Zarveth and the rest had vanished.

Seth rushed over, his boots crunching against the blood soaked earth.

"Ren! What in the world happened? Where are they?" His eyes darted around, panic edging his voice. "All I saw was you trapped in that blood barrier. Nothing I threw at it made a dent."

Ren gritted his teeth, forcing the words out. "The crater... Zarveth pulled them down with him. Go to the others!"

Seth glanced at the battlefield, then at the motionless body of the blood soaked woman lying nearby. Realization dawned, Ren had defeated her, but at a heavy cost.

"Alright." Seth gave a sharp nod, his jaw set. "Reinforcements are already on the way. Hold on, we’ve practically won this war so you don’t have to worry."

Seth dove into the crater, his boots skidding against broken stone as he rushed to the scene below. The place was a mess, four bodies lay scattered across the ground. Zarveth, Kaela, Sora and Minato, who was still pinned against the wall.

His heart tightened, but he forced himself to move. He hurried to the three closest and checked for signs of life.

’"Good, they’re only unconscious." he muttered with relief.

Moments later, reinforcements arrived, quickly aiding in the rescue. The four were lifted out, still unconscious, Ren among them, and rushed back to Ward 11’s hospital.

The battle had ended in victory. Compared to last time, the losses were fewer; the wardens had simply overwhelmed the hundreds of enemies, their might closing the battle swiftly.

That same night, Kaela and Minato regained consciousness. The doctors advised only rest for the day before discharge. Ren and Sora, however, remained unconscious, the price of overusing their Drive Abilities. Though not gravely injured, they were expected to sleep for at least another day.

Upon arriving back at Ward 11, the group walked slowly, their pride carried high in their chests. They had reclaimed what was once lost, the very battle that had defeated them only days before.

This was redemption. It was the rekindling of hope, both for themselves and for the people they had sworn to protect as members of ZEAL.

The three wardens stood upon the sparring platform, watching over the weary yet triumphant warriors.

"We have won this war!" Rago’s voice thundered. "Not only in Ward 10, but in Wards 9 and 12 as well!"

Normally, the crowd would have erupted in cheers. But exhaustion weighed too heavily on them. Instead, relief stretched across their faces, soft, tired smiles that carried the truth. They had survived, they had won. One by one, their bodies gave in, collapsing across the training grounds, until sleep claimed them all.

"Our people did well, huh?" Valen said with a faint smile.

"Yeah. Especially Aeri’s squad," Rago added proudly.

"Well, they certainly did," Aeri replied, smiling back.

Shin hesitated before stepping closer to the three wardens.

"Uhm... are we just gonna let them sleep out here?" he asked.

Rago chuckled. "Let them do whatever they want. They’ve earned it."

As if to shatter their fleeting joy, a figure descended from the heavens, his presence alone pressing down on the ward like an unshakable weight. Ayato landed gracefully, like a hawk swooping from the sky, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

"Summon all the wardens. At once."

His voice was calm yet absolute.