Chapter 136: The Black Sheep and the Gravity of Betrayal
The tunnel, still echoing with the faint, chaotic symphony of distant combat, fell into a pocket of unnerving silence as Moon and Ryo faced the new arrival. It was Ken Xiao. He stood as if he had simply materialized from the shadows themselves, an immaculate and imposing figure. His long, ink-black hair flowed like a river of night down his back, contrasting starkly with the pristine white of his sharp-featured face. His traditional Chinese kimono, dark and embroidered with subtle, silver threads, hung perfectly on his frame, not a fold out of place. His hands were tucked calmly into his wide sleeves, and his expression was one of detached, almost bored, observation.
Moon and Ryo were not men of complex strategy or protracted analysis. Their world was one of instinct and immediate action. Seeing a familiar, albeit unexpected, face in the heart of the enemy's stronghold, Ryo acted first.
"Ken!" Ryo's voice, usually a lazy grumble, was sharp with confusion and a flicker of hope. "You're here! And Shi? Where is he?"
Moon, who didn't know Ken beyond a brief introduction, simply fell in step behind Ryo, his body tensed and ready.
But then the shadows behind Ken seemed to congeal and breathe.
A creature emerged from the darkness, so large it had to partially fold its wings to fit within the cavernous tunnel. It was a colossal, nightmarish crow, its plumage a void-like black that seemed to absorb the scant light. Its most horrifying feature was its exposed ribcage, which glowed with a sickly, phosphorescent green light, illuminating its long, wickedly sharp beak. Perched serenely on its shoulder was a small, luminous white figure, a stark, ghostly contrast to the beast's oppressive darkness.
Ryo's advance faltered. His eyes, wide with a primal alarm, fixed on the monstrous bird. "K-Ken..." he stammered, a rare tremor in his voice. "Behind you... look!"
Moon, too, felt a jolt of alertness. His casual readiness evaporated, replaced by the coiled-spring tension of a fighter facing an unknown, powerful threat.
Ken's reaction was not one of alarm, but of amusement. His lips curved into a slow, deliberate, and deeply unsettling smile. It was a smile that didn't reach his cold eyes, a smile that acknowledged the horror behind him and found it pleasing.
The colossal crow moved with a speed that defied its size. It was a blur of darkness and glowing bone. It didn't target Ken; it ignored him completely, its glowing eyes locking onto Ryo. It lunged, its beak becoming a piston of destruction.
Thwip! Thwip! THWIP!
The sound was like scissors snipping through thick canvas. The beak struck Ryo's shoulder, his arm, his thigh—each impact precise and brutal, punching through flesh and muscle before Ryo could even fully raise his arms in a desperate, last-moment defensive cross-guard. He grunted, stumbling backward, dark blood already blossoming across his red robes.
Moon roared and started to surge forward to help, but he was a fraction of a second too slow.
The crow-like creature didn't give its prey a chance to recover. It didn't need to dodge Ryo's feeble, pain-shocked counter-punches; it simply flowed around them, its movements eerily fluid. With a powerful beat of its vast, shadowy wings, it didn't create wind, but a visible, concussive shockwave of pure force. The wave hit Ryo square in the chest, lifting him off his feet and hurling him across the tunnel like a discarded ragdoll. His body crunched against the reinforced concrete wall with a sickening finality and slid to the ground, leaving a bloody smear on the surface. He did not get up.
A sharp, unfamiliar pang of concern lanced through Moon. Ryo was an unwashed, often irritating bastard, but he was his partner now even though unwashed, irritating bastard. Seeing him broken and motionless ignited a cold fury in Moon's gut. His attention snapped from Ryo's fallen form back to the monstrous crow, his body automatically shifting to charge at it, to avenge his fallen comrade.
He never took the first step.
Ken Xiao simply appeared in front of him, having moved without a sound. His hands were still folded serenely within his sleeves, that unnatural smile still plastered on his face.
Moon skidded to a halt, confusion warring with his anger. "You! What are you doing? Move! That thing is going to finish Ryo! He's hurt!"
Ken's smile widened a fraction. He didn't respond. Instead, Moon suddenly felt the world twist around him. It wasn't a push or a pull, but a fundamental rewriting of gravity itself. An immense, invisible force slammed down on him, crushing him to the tunnel floor. It felt as if the entire weight of the mountain above them was resting solely on his shoulders. The concrete beneath him cracked under the pressure.
Ken tilted his head, his voice a mockingly pleasant sing-song. "Why help another, when you're already in trouble?" He paused, feigning surprise. "Ohh, damn. This shit rhymes. Hahahahaha!"
The laugh was hollow, manic, and utterly terrifying. Moon, pinned to the ground, struggled to lift his head. "Enough of this stupid game, Ken! We're a team! Stop joking around! Ryo is in a bad way!"
Ken's laughter cut off instantly, replaced by a look of cold, condescending pity. "How stupid does someone have to be," he said, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper, "to ignore all the signs?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes boring into Moon's. "You fucking Black Sheep of the Alhuwalia Clan."
The words struck Moon with more force than any gravity attack.
The air left his lungs. The frantic struggle in his limbs stilled. All the noise of the world—the drip of water, the distant fights, the rustle of the colossal crow's feathers—faded into a dull roar in his ears. Black Sheep of the Alhuwalia Clan. It was a secret identity, a shame he and Kai had buried deep in the slums of Nova Lumina. No one was supposed to know. How? How could he know?
His brain, slow to process complexity but sharp with instinct, finally connected the dots. The ambush. The perfect timing. It all led back to the calm, smiling man in front of him.
"How..." Moon's voice was a ragged, stunned whisper. "How do you know about my relation to the Alhuwalia?"
He never got an answer.
Ken's leg was a blur. A kick, imbued with the same gravitational force, connected with Moon's face. There was no pain at first, just a blinding white light and the sensation of weightless flight. He was hurtling through the air.
Then the gravity fields began to dance.
Left. DHAAM! An invisible hand swatted him horizontally into the left tunnel wall.
Right. DHAAAM!He was yanked across the empty space and smashed into the opposite wall.
Down. DHAM!The force reversed, pile-driving him into the floor, cratering the concrete.
Up. DHAM!He was launched towards the ceiling, his head cracking against the reinforced steel beams.
It was a brutal, chaotic game of pinball where Ken controlled the flippers and the entire tunnel was the board. Moon was the ball, a ragdill of bruised flesh and broken pride, tossed around with effortless, terrifying precision. He couldn't orient himself, couldn't brace for impact, couldn't even form a coherent thought beyond the all-consuming, disorienting violence of it.
As Moon crumpled to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time, his body screaming in protest, his vision swimming in and out of focus, he saw the colossal crow take a final, deliberate step towards Ryo's unconscious form. Its glowing beak raised, poised for a killing strike.
He was helpless to stop it. The Black Sheep was being sheared, and the wolves were everywhere.
To be continued…