The explosion wasn’t just sound — it was feeling.

  It tore through the apartment like thunder wrapped in flame. The pressure slammed into my chest and threw me across the room. I didn’t even remember hitting the floor — only the ringing in my ears, the blinding light, and the smell of dust and burning.

  When my eyes opened, everything was chaos.

  Smoke filled the air, thick and suffocating. Sparks from broken wiring flickered on the floor. The wall facing the street had been completely blown out — I could see the neon lights of Shinjuku flickering through the opening, distorted through the haze.

  And then, through the smoke, came the shadows.

  They weren’t human.

  Their outlines were sharp, yet shifting — as if reality itself couldn’t decide what they should look like. Their limbs were too long, their bodies covered in writhing marks that pulsed with red light. The temperature dropped so suddenly my breath came out as mist.

  Yomurei.

  “Ren, move back!” Kaito’s voice snapped me out of my trance.

  He was already on his feet, blade drawn, his coat whipping in the wind from the shattered windows. His silver Shin’en shimmered around him like a living flame.

  Airi was beside him, her sword drawn, eyes fierce despite the fear glimmering beneath. Daigo had already picked up his iron staff, his stance grounded and solid.

  Meanwhile, I was still on the floor.

  Useless. Frozen.

  Daigo’s voice cut through the smoke. “We had a Yomurei Detector! Why didn’t it activate?! Did it malfunction somehow?!”

  Airi parried a slash from one of the monsters, sparks flying. “It can’t be! The Yomurei Detector was already tested dozens of times in the lab!”

  Daigo cursed, twisting his weapon and slamming it against the ground, sending a shockwave that threw the Yomurei back a few steps. “Then how the hell did they sneak this close?!”

  Kaito’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t answer. He simply extended his right arm forward.

  His hand glowed — faintly at first, then blinding.

  “Shinsei Barrier.”

  The ground beneath us flared with symbols — intricate, circular, and pulsing with sacred energy. In an instant, light erupted upward like a column of fire. The explosion’s noise was swallowed whole by silence as a massive sphere of shimmering silver light enclosed the area.

  Outside the barrier, the world went still.

  The wind, the cars, the distant city hum — all cut off.

  Inside, only our breaths and the Yomurei’s inhuman growls remained.

  I stared in awe. The Shinsei Barrier wasn’t just a technique — it was like watching the heavens close their gates.

  Even though the barrier’s light was beautiful, it carried a heavy pressure, pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

  “This will keep civilians safe,” Kaito said, his voice calm, though sweat already rolled down his cheek. “No one gets in or out until they’re gone.”

  Airi nodded. “Got it.”

  The Yomurei screeched in response, their voices echoing like knives scraping glass.

  The nearest one lunged, its clawed arm stretching unnaturally long. Kaito spun his sword in a silver arc, cleaving through the limb in one strike. The creature shrieked, its arm dissolving into black mist — only to reform again seconds later.

  “Regeneration,” Kaito muttered. “Fast one, too.”

  “Then we don’t hold back!” Daigo shouted, charging in. His Shin’en burst from his fists like molten energy. He slammed one straight into the creature’s chest, sending it flying into a broken wall. The impact cracked the barrier slightly, small fractures glowing in the silver dome.

  “Daigo, careful!” Kaito warned. “Don’t overextend!”

  “Don’t worry, I got this!” Daigo yelled back, though I could hear the strain in his voice.

  Airi moved like lightning beside him. She drew a circle with her sword mid-swing, her Shin’en manifesting into sharp blue petals that scattered and sliced through the Yomurei’s form. Each impact left bursts of white sparks, forcing the monsters back for a moment.

  Their teamwork was perfect — fluid and practiced.

  Every step, every strike, connected.

  And yet… it wasn’t enough.

  The Yomurei weren’t ordinary. Their movements were faster than before, more intelligent. They anticipated attacks, dodged, countered. Their crimson eyes glowed like burning cores, and with every hit they took, they regenerated stronger.

  “Kaito!” Airi shouted. “They’re adapting!”

  Kaito gritted his teeth. “Then push harder!”

  He raised his hand, summoning streams of Shin’en that formed symbols in the air. “Reisei no Tenketsu!”

  A flash of white tore through the barrier. A wave of divine energy blasted across the floor, vaporizing one of the Yomurei instantly. For a second, it felt like victory — until two more shapes crawled from the mist where the first had fallen.

  Their presence was heavier.

  Their forms — larger, denser, their skin rippling with crimson veins.

  The air grew colder. Even Kaito took a step back.

  “B+ rank…” he whispered. “Maybe higher.”

  My stomach dropped.

  I’d heard him say those words before — in passing, when describing Yomurei ranks during training. B+ rank Yomurei were supposed to require multiple Yomu Executioner working together to take down. A-ranks were disasters that demanded evacuation orders.

  And yet, here they were — right in front of us.

  The ground cracked as the two Yomurei stepped forward, their red light painting the smoke.

  Kaito shouted, “Airi! Daigo! I’ll take the one on the right!”

  “Understood!” Airi replied, her eyes fierce as she darted left, blades flashing. Daigo followed, his weapon blazing orange as he struck from behind.

  The two collided — power meeting darkness.

  I stood there, knees shaking, watching their Shin’en clash with the monsters’ corrupt energy. The light from their attacks illuminated the debris like a storm of starlight. Each impact shook the ground. Each scream tore at my mind.

  I wanted to help.

  I needed to help.

  But my feet refused to move.

  My body remembered too much — the fear, the pain, the helplessness.

  All I could do was watch.

  I could hear my heartbeat echoing louder than their shouts. The barrier’s light reflected off my trembling hands.

  “I’m useless,” I whispered, my voice lost beneath the roar of battle. “I can’t do anything…”

  Another explosion of energy.

  Daigo was thrown back, crashing through a half-destroyed wall.

  “Daigo!” Airi cried, spinning toward him — but the second Yomurei lunged, slashing her across the arm. Blood sprayed across the floor, crimson against the pale silver barrier.

  Kaito intercepted the creature before it could strike again. His sword burned brighter, his Shin’en screaming through the air. “Tenshou… Seigeki!”

  A vertical beam of divine light descended from above, cutting through the Yomurei’s torso. The creature howled, its body splitting in two — but even as it fell, its halves began crawling back together.

  Kaito’s breathing grew heavy.

  He was pushing his limits.

  “Damn it!” Daigo roared from behind, struggling to stand. “We can’t take both at once!”

  Kaito didn’t answer. He was focused — eyes locked on the creature, sweat dripping down his chin. His body trembled, but his stance didn’t falter.

  For a moment, it felt like time slowed.

  The barrier flickered.

  The Yomurei’s glow pulsed stronger.

  Airi wiped the blood from her mouth, her breathing ragged but her gaze determined.

  And me… still frozen, still useless, still watching.

  Kaito turned his head slightly toward me, his voice softer now despite the chaos.

  “Ren… don’t look away.”

  His eyes were calm. Sad. As if he already knew what was coming.

  “Watch closely. Someday, you’ll need to remember this.”

  I didn’t understand what he meant. But something in me broke hearing those words.

  My eyes burned, my fists clenched so tight they bled, but I couldn’t move.

  The Yomurei screeched again — louder this time, as if mocking us.

  The ground shook, cracks spreading beneath our feet. The air filled with black mist.

  Airi shouted, “It’s summoning something!”

  Before anyone could react, the Yomurei raised its clawed hand to the sky. A circle of red light formed above the barrier — pulsating, spinning, drawing in energy.

  Kaito’s eyes widened. “No… it’s trying to break the barrier from the inside!”

  The Shinsei Barrier trembled, its light dimming. The runes that once glowed bright now flickered weakly.

  Kaito tightened his grip on his sword. “I won’t let that happen.”

  He stepped forward.

  And as he did — his Shin’en burst out of him like a silver flame storm, twisting the very air.

  The ground beneath him cracked open from the force. The light burned bright enough to erase all color.

  “Shinsei—Tengen Gekirin!”

  The world exploded in light.

  For a moment, the Yomurei were engulfed in pure radiance. The red circle shattered, the mist burned away, and the monsters screamed in agony as their bodies were torn apart by the divine blast.

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  But when the light faded… they were still standing.

  Torn, weakened — but alive.

  The barrier cracked again.

  Kaito fell to one knee, his sword trembling in his grip.

  Airi ran to him. “Kaito!”

  He shook his head. “Don’t… stop fighting…”

  Daigo gritted his teeth, Shin’en flaring again despite his injuries. “If they want a fight…” He slammed his fists together. “Then we’ll give them one!”

  He charged, roaring, as the barrier’s cracks spread farther.

  And I — still couldn’t move.

  Every breath hurt. My mind screamed to do something — anything — but my body felt locked in chains.

  I could only whisper under my breath.

  “Why can’t I move…?”

  The battle continued — relentless, beautiful, tragic.

  The city outside didn’t know what was happening.

  Inside this dome of light, a war raged — and I could only watch as the strongest people I knew began to fall.

  The sound of chaos had weight. Each impact rattled the concrete, each roar bent the air itself.

  Kaito’s Shinsei Barrier shimmered around the block — a dome of translucent silver light that trembled like liquid glass. It sealed the streets, cutting off the screams of the outside world. Inside that circle, there was only the howling wind, the reek of ozone, and the metallic tang of Shin’en burning too fast.

  Ren lay sprawled beside the shattered railing of the apartment stairs, vision blurry, chest heaving. His arms wouldn’t move. He could only watch.

  The Yomurei stood in the center of the ruined street — a beast of smoke and molten shadow. Its limbs were long and sinewed, skin cracking with veins of red lightning. Each time it breathed, ash scattered like black snow.

  “Daigo, flank left!” Kaito shouted.

  “Already on it!”

  Daigo lunged forward, his fists coated in swirling white Shin’en. He smashed into the creature’s ribs, sending out a burst of energy that fractured the asphalt. The Yomurei didn’t even flinch. It swung its claw — a blur of darkness — and Daigo barely ducked under it, the claws grazing his hair and slicing a glowing mark through the wall behind him.

  Airi followed, sliding across the ground, summoning her Ketsu-Arts sigil in midair — a glowing blue circle inscribed with divine characters. She slammed her palm into it.

  “Hōrai: Heaven’s Thrust!”

  From the sigil, a spear of light erupted, piercing through the Yomurei’s side. It screamed — a distorted, layered sound that made Ren’s heart seize. The spear burst through, scattering fragments of its body into the air like burning coals.

  But before Airi could withdraw, the Yomurei’s hand lashed out and grabbed her wrist. Her eyes widened. “Wha—!”

  Kaito appeared in a flash, slashing his katana down in a crescent arc. “Reijin – First Style: Hakanai no Kaze!”

  The strike cut through the Yomurei’s arm, freeing Airi, but black energy splattered across Kaito’s shoulder. It hissed and burned like acid.

  “Kaito!” Daigo yelled.

  “I’m fine—!” He gritted his teeth, twisting his sword to absorb the impact of the Yomurei’s counterstrike.

  The dome of the Shinsei Barrier vibrated violently — like the creature’s presence itself was tearing it apart.

  [At the Tenka Corps Main Building – Shinjuku, Tokyo]

  Inside a sleek office overlooking the glowing cityscape, Akihiro Saiten stood before a digital map displaying Tokyo’s Shin’en network. A faint tremor pulsed across the grid — red zones flickering near Shinjuku Ward.

  A knock came at the door.

  “Sir Saiten! I have a report!”

  Akihiro didn’t turn. “Enter.”

  The door slid open, and a young Yomu Executioner in a dark uniform rushed in, clutching a tablet.

  “Sir, there’s been an attack in Shinjuku District. A Yomurei appeared inside a residential zone — location corresponds to Team Hiryu’s base of operation. The Yomurei Detector didn’t activate. It… it’s possible the system malfunctioned.”

  Akihiro’s eyes narrowed. His silver irises reflected the flickering red zones on the map. “Impossible. The detector network has been tested through every rank scenario.”

  “The on-site Yomu Executioner are heavily injured. Reports say the Yomurei’s classification could be B+ or possibly A Rank. They’re requesting reinforcements.”

  Akihiro turned sharply. “Send Mei-rank Yomu Executioner immediately. Tell them to prioritize evacuation and containment. Not one civilian dies. Move.”

  “Understood, sir!”

  The officer bowed and rushed out. The door shut behind him.

  Akihiro’s reflection hovered in the glass window, ghostlike. His mind churned with unease.

  “Yomurei Detector failure…” he murmured. “No. Something interfered.”

  Outside, sirens wailed as a black armored vehicle sped through the night, carrying Yomu Executioner toward Shinjuku.

  ---

  [Back in the apartment – Inside the Barrier]

  The night had become a battlefield.

  Buildings leaned inward like skeletal arms, glass raining from shattered windows. Flames danced on overturned cars, and the Shinsei Barrier pulsed faintly, its light dimming as cracks spread across it.

  Airi and Daigo stood back-to-back, breathing hard, their clothes torn and bloodied. Kaito stood before them, katana pointed down, his aura flaring — silver-blue Shin’en spilling off him like mist.

  Ren’s heartbeat thudded in his ears. He tried to crawl, but his hands slipped against the broken tiles. His voice came out as a whisper, almost soundless: “Kaito…”

  The Yomurei lunged. It didn’t move like an animal; it warped. Its body bent through the air, like reality itself folded for it. One instant it was a blur of smoke, the next it was right in front of them.

  “Reijin – Third Style: Tenma no Kō!”

  Kaito’s blade gleamed, slicing through its chest, but the Yomurei’s body dissolved and reformed behind him. He spun, too late. Its claws pierced his side, sending blood arcing into the air.

  “Kaito!” Airi screamed, unleashing a barrage of sigils — blue, white, gold — that erupted around her like stars.

  “Hōrai Burst!”

  Explosions of light engulfed the creature, momentarily tearing chunks of its body apart.

  Daigo charged in, teeth gritted. “We’re not losing again! Raiten Fist!”

  Lightning crackled around his arms as he slammed his fists into the ground, creating a shockwave that launched debris upward and sent the Yomurei staggering.

  For a heartbeat, it seemed like they had it — that their combined attacks might turn the tide.

  But the Yomurei’s body shuddered. From its wounds, black veins of Shin’en began to spread, pulling the fragments back together. The air grew heavier, the temperature dropping so sharply Ren could see his breath.

  The creature’s voice was a rasp that echoed inside their heads.

  “You cannot kill what is born from your fear.”

  It extended its arms outward. The ground split open, and tendrils of black energy surged up, wrapping around the remains of shattered light — feeding off the Shinsei Barrier itself.

  Kaito’s eyes widened. “It’s absorbing the barrier! Airi, cut the flow!”

  “I can’t! It’s too fast—!”

  The barrier’s light imploded inward, twisting the air.

  Ren’s world slowed — every sound stretching into an echo, every motion like underwater ripples.

  He saw Kaito rushing forward again, Daigo following with one last roar, and Airi’s trembling hands trying to stabilize her sigils as the Yomurei towered over them, its form now larger, darker, glowing with red cracks that resembled eyes all over its body.

  Ren couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He could only watch.

  The sound wasn’t an explosion — it was a silence breaking apart. The silver dome disintegrated into light fragments, scattering through the night like shards of glass. The world beyond returned in a storm of sound — the hum of distant sirens, the wail of collapsing metal, and the roar of the Yomurei as it surged forward.

  Airi screamed as the shockwave hit. Her sigils flickered and died. The impact flung her against a wall, cracking the concrete. Blood trailed down her chin as she coughed, clutching her ribs.

  “Airi!” Daigo sprinted toward her, but the Yomurei intercepted, slamming its arm down between them. Asphalt burst upward, and Daigo was thrown back.

  He rolled to his feet, coughing up blood, and glared at the creature. His Shin’en flared, white lightning bursting across his skin. His voice shook with rage and desperation.

  “Come on, you bastard! You’re not getting through me!”

  Kaito landed beside him, sword dragging against the ground, breathing ragged.

  “Daigo, don’t rush in alone—”

  “Too late for that!” Daigo roared, charging.

  Kaito reached out, but Daigo was already gone — a streak of white light crashing into the Yomurei’s chest. He unleashed a flurry of strikes, each hit echoing like thunder. For a moment, it looked like he was pushing the creature back.

  Then — the Yomurei opened its mouth, a swirling vortex of black energy forming inside.

  Kaito’s eyes widened. “Daigo—!”

  The blast erupted.

  A beam of corrupted Shin’en tore through the air, engulfing Daigo completely. The street melted under the pressure. The explosion’s light consumed the color of everything — white, then red, then gone.

  Ren flinched, eyes wide. His ears rang. The world became muffled. Dust and debris clouded the scene.

  When it cleared, Daigo was lying motionless — smoke rising from his back. His right arm was gone. His once vibrant aura had vanished.

  Airi crawled forward, sobbing, voice hoarse. “Daigo! Get up! Please!”

  She reached him, trembling hands gripping his burned uniform. His eyes opened faintly. He looked at her, smiled weakly, lips barely moving.

  “Still… smiling, huh…? You’re crazy…”

  “Shut up…” she whispered, shaking her head as tears fell.

  The Yomurei’s shadow loomed over them both. Airi turned, summoning every last drop of energy she had left. Her sigils reignited, glowing pure white, her hair whipping wildly in the gust of power.

  “Hōrai: Final Seal!” she screamed.

  The sigils around her exploded into a circle of runes that encased the Yomurei’s body. For a moment, it froze — cracks of holy light spreading through its form.

  She gasped, holding the seal as it resisted, veins bulging in her arms. “Kaito! Now!”

  Kaito launched forward, sword raised. “Reijin: Shukumei no Tachi!”

  The strike cleaved through the creature, a flash of pure silver slicing its chest apart. The Yomurei howled — a sound that shattered windows across the block.

  For one instant, it looked as though it might actually die.

  Then — the seal broke.

  Black energy exploded outward, tearing through Airi’s barrier. The backlash hit her first. The shockwave sent her crashing against the ground. Blood splattered the cracked tiles.

  Kaito skidded back, body trembling, eyes wide as he saw her unmoving form. “Airi…!”

  Her hand reached toward him weakly, trembling, her voice faint.

  “Kaito… it’s… okay…”

  Then it fell, limp. The light around her faded.

  Ren’s heart cracked open. Something inside him screamed — not aloud, but deep within, something raw and suffocating.

  He couldn’t hear his own breathing anymore. Just the ringing. Just the sound of his

  heartbeat hammering against silence.

  Kaito turned toward the Yomurei, eyes now cold — empty. His

  sword shook, his breath heavy.

  “You… you took everything from me…"

  The Yomurei raised its claws again, distorted voice echoing in his head:

  “Everything you lose… was destined.”

  “Then so is your death.”

  Kaito’s aura exploded. Silver and blue Shin’en spiraled

  upward, forming a vortex that bent the surrounding air. His hair whipped back,

  eyes glowing like molten steel. He charged — his movements blurring faster than

  light could follow.

  Each strike hit with the fury of a collapsing storm. He

  slashed through the Yomurei’s limbs, chest, face — but it refused to die, its

  body regenerating through black lightning.

  Kaito roared, thrusting his sword through its core. “Reijin

  – Final Style: Zanshin!”

  The world froze.

  For a single second, it was completely still — the air, the

  dust, the debris — all suspended in silence.

  Then came the backlash.

  The Yomurei detonated. The explosion engulfed the street,

  swallowing Kaito in the center of the blast. The silver light of his sword

  clashed with the Yomurei’s black storm — two forces grinding against each

  other, tearing the ground apart.

  Ren shielded his eyes, wind screaming past him.

  When the storm subsided, the Yomurei was gone.

  And Kaito… was on his knees. His sword shattered at the

  hilt. His uniform burned, his left arm limp. He looked around the battlefield —

  at the smoldering ground, the broken lights, Airi’s body lying still, Daigo’s

  hand outstretched toward nothing.

  He smiled faintly — not from relief, but from exhaustion

  beyond words.

  Ren crawled toward him, trembling. “Kaito…”

  Kaito’s head turned slightly. His eyes softened when he saw

  him.

  “Ren…”

  He staggered up, but his body gave out halfway, one knee

  hitting the ground. He coughed blood, his voice fading. “You have to… listen to

  me…”

  Ren shook his head, tears streaking down his face. “No… no,

  please… don’t talk like that…”

  Kaito smiled — a fragile, fading expression under the red

  glow of distant fires.

  “Thank you.”

  Ren froze. “What are you talking about?”

  Kaito’s gaze drifted past him, to the empty street. His

  voice turned distant, like a whisper carried by the wind.

  “You're not strong enough to fight a Yomurei yet, be a

  Yomu Executioner and fight.”

  He looked back at Ren, his silver eyes dulling.

  He reached out, his hand trembling, resting it on Ren’s

  shoulder.

  "Ren... you're strong...”

  His hand slipped away.

  The final breath escaped his lips. His body fell forward,

  hitting the ground with a hollow thud.

  Ren didn’t move. The world around him was silent. The rain

  began to fall — faint, cold drops hitting his skin.

  He stared blankly at the lifeless faces of his friends — the

  ones who had fought to protect him. His vision blurred as tears mixed with

  rain.

  “Ren… run…"

  The words echoed again in his mind, faint and fading, like

  the last remnants of a dream.

  The Shinsei Barrier’s fragments shimmered faintly before

  dissolving into the wind.

  Shinjuku was quiet once more.

  And Ren was alone.

  Smoke drifted through the ruins of Shinjuku. The streets were cracked and scorched, windows shattered, and the metallic scent of burned Shin’en hung in the air like blood on steel. The Shinsei Barrier had long vanished, leaving nothing but a gaping silence and the faint echo of battles lost.

  Ren’s body trembled where he lay. He didn’t know how long it had been since Kaito’s last breath—seconds, minutes, maybe hours. The world had no sound. The rain had stopped. Only the soft, rhythmic drop of blood from his arm marked time’s cruel persistence.

  Then, from the debris, two shapes emerged.

  The Yomurei.

  They were smaller than the one Kaito had fought but still monstrous—twisted silhouettes made of smoke and sinew, their bodies pulsing with dull crimson light. One had a jaw that split open vertically; the other crawled on all fours, its spine bending backward in unnatural angles.

  Ren’s eyes widened, pupils trembling. His hands wouldn’t move. His mind screamed commands, but his body refused to listen.

  “Move…” he whispered. His voice broke apart in the cold air. “Move… move… move my body!”

  The Yomurei tilted their heads in unison, their glowing eyes like embers in fog. They stepped closer, slow and deliberate, savoring his helplessness.

  Then the nearest one raised its claw.

  SLASH.

  Agony exploded through Ren’s body. His vision went white. His right arm was gone—torn off cleanly at the shoulder. Blood poured like a fountain, painting the concrete.

  He screamed, his voice raw and cracked.

  “AAAAHHH—!”

  He fell forward, trembling violently, clutching at the empty air where his arm used to be.

  “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” he cried, each word choking on blood and tears.

  He tried to crawl, dragging himself across the broken ground. Every movement sent lightning through his nerves. The world blurred, fading at the edges.

  The second Yomurei reached him. Its hand closed around his left leg, claws sinking into flesh.

  Then—

  RIP.

  His scream tore through the silent night, echoing between the ruins. His body jerked violently, blood pooling beneath him. His leg was gone. The pain was so immense it was almost unreal—so unbearable it numbed itself.

  He panted, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. His vision swam, the edges turning black.

  “Am I… dying?” he thought. “I feel… sleepy…”

  He dragged himself a few inches more until his body collapsed beside a huge broken slab of concrete. It leaned against a collapsed wall—a tombstone for the dead.

  Ren sat there, back against the rock, his chest rising and falling slowly. The Yomurei didn’t attack. They stood a few meters away, watching. Their breathing was heavy, almost amused.

  “I see…” Ren whispered. “They want me to suffer first.”

  He smiled weakly, a trembling, broken thing. “Guess… I can’t blame them.”

  The clouds parted slightly above, letting a faint ray of moonlight through. It touched his bloodied face. His eyes softened, filled with something that wasn’t fear anymore.

  “Mom… Dad…” he whispered, his voice fading. “Am I finally going to join you?”

  For a moment, everything was quiet.

  Then—

  A voice spoke inside his head. Deep. Echoing. Ancient. It was like the sound of a thousand souls whispering through a cave.

  “Young one…”

  Ren’s half-lidded eyes flickered open. “Wh… who…?”

  “Let me control you… and you will live.”

  The tone was calm, but the weight behind it was suffocating. It wasn’t gentle like a god’s—it was commanding, endless, something that had seen lifetimes of war.

  Ren’s lips trembled. “What… is this? The voice of heaven…? Have I… been accepted?”

  He closed his eyes. His breathing slowed.

  Then the world changed.

  Everything around him vanished.

  He stood—or floated—in a red void. A universe made of swirling crimson clouds and black stars. The ground beneath him was not solid; it was a reflective surface of liquid fire, rippling with every breath.

  “Where… is this?” Ren asked, his voice echoing endlessly in the vast space.

  The voice came again, louder this time, shaking the air.

  “I will control your body… and you will live.”

  Ren turned around, but there was no figure—only the feeling of being watched from every direction. His body stiffened, his limbs paralyzed.

  “W-what are you—”

  Suddenly, his chest glowed. A red light erupted from within, spreading lines of energy across his body—like roots, but perfectly straight, converging toward a bright core in his chest.

  He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe.

  Then his body snapped back to reality.

  In the ruins of Shinjuku, Ren’s body twitched. The Yomurei paused, tilting their heads in curiosity.

  His left leg began to regenerate—muscle weaving itself from threads of light, skin knitting over bone. Then his right arm grew back in a blinding flash, the process almost instantaneous.

  Ren’s eyes opened—but they were no longer his.

  They were white, pure and glowing, without pupils.

  The Yomurei roared and lunged forward.

  Ren’s body moved before they reached him. He caught the first Yomurei’s claw mid-swing—barehanded. The impact shook the ground, sending shockwaves across the street.

  He squeezed. The Yomurei’s arm shattered like glass.

  Then, his body vanished—appearing above the second Yomurei, kicking it upward into the sky. The ground beneath him cracked from the force of his leap.

  Ren was no longer in control, but he was conscious. He watched through his own eyes as his body fought like something divine and monstrous at once.

  He couldn’t feel pain. He couldn’t feel fear. Only a void—and the burning instinct to kill.

  His body’s voice spoke, though his lips did not move. It wasn’t human.

  “You dare touch what is mine.”

  The battle rose into the sky, red light flashing between clouds.

  [Inside the Car – Three Mei-Rank Yomu Executioner]

  The armored vehicle sped through the empty streets. The city’s skyline ahead flickered with flashes of red and white light—like lightning trapped in clouds.

  “Hey, do you see that?” the driver said, his tone uneasy.

  “Yeah… it looks like someone’s fighting up there.” The leader leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Two Yomurei… maybe more.”

  The girl in the back seat pressed her hand against the window. “Those lights… they’re not normal Shin’en. What the hell is happening in Shinjuku?”

  The driver gripped the wheel tighter. “If whoever’s fighting loses stamina, they’re dead. We better hurry.”

  The car accelerated, sirens echoing faintly in the distance.

  Above them, three lights clashed in the sky—red against black, each impact shaking the clouds.

  ---

  Ren’s possessed body pointed its right hand toward the Yomurei. Energy gathered at his palm—a small orb at first, then expanding into a spiraling sphere of red light that bent the air around it.

  The Yomurei roared and charged.

  “End.”

  The blast erupted.

  A beam of crimson Shin’en tore through the night sky, vaporizing both Yomurei instantly. Their bodies turned to ash mid-scream, dissolving into the wind.

  Ren’s body landed softly back on the cracked pavement. The glow faded from his eyes. His right hand dropped to his side. Slowly, his consciousness returned—like waking from a nightmare.

  He fell to his knees, panting. “Wh… who are you?! What… what are you?!”

  No answer.

  The voice was gone. The red energy within him dimmed, retreating into his chest. His body felt heavy again, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

  ---

  Moments later, headlights appeared down the street. The Mei-rank Yomu Executioner car stopped near the rubble, and three figures stepped out.

  The leader—a tall man with short silver hair and calm but sharp eyes—scanned the area. His name tag read Hiroshi Takamura.

  Behind him were Kaori—a young woman with auburn hair tied in a short braid—and Kazuto, a stocky man with a scar running across his jaw.

  Takuma’s gaze swept the battlefield. “What a mess…” He turned to Kaori. “Check if the Yomu Executioner who were here are still alive.”

  “Understood.” She ran off toward the bodies.

  Hiroshi looked around. “Where’s the Yomurei? The readings say nothing.”

  Hiroshi pulled out his detector. The screen showed zero signatures. “What… is this?”

  He turned toward Ren, who sat trembling on the ground, bloodstained but miraculously whole.

  He crouched down. “Kid, where are the Yomurei?”

  Ren hesitated. His lips trembled. He could still feel that presence inside him, lurking in silence. If he told them the truth, he didn’t know what they’d do—study him, imprison him, maybe even kill him.

  He forced a weak smile. “They… they’re gone. Those three… they fought them off.” He gestured to Kaito, Airi, and Daigo’s bodies. “They risked their lives protecting me.”

  Hiroshi's eyes softened slightly. “I see. They fought well.”

  Kaori returned, her face pale. “Hiroshi… they’re already...”

  He closed his eyes briefly. “Understood.”

  Kazuto crossed his arms. “I’m surprised they even held out this long. Two B+ Yomurei at once? Not many can pull that off.”

  Hiroshi stood, staring at the sky where faint traces of red energy still shimmered. “Yeah… but something’s off. Those Yomurei shouldn’t have breached the detector range, and that energy signature… wasn’t theirs.”

  He looked back at Ren, but the boy’s eyes were half-closed now, exhaustion washing over him.

  Hiroshi caught him just as he collapsed forward.

  “Easy… we’ve got you.”

  He lifted Ren gently, placing him in the car. The boy’s breathing steadied, his body finally at peace—for now.

  As the car drove off into the fading night, Hiroshi glanced back once more at the ruins. The air still shimmered faintly red, as though something immense had awakened and returned to sleep again.