Renji felt each heartbeat strike his chest like a hammer. The air was heavy, thick with the strong smell of blood and sulfur. Tiberku stood pressed to his back, breathing in ragged gasps. The demons' eyes gleamed in the night, and their sharp sounds mixed with the wind blowing between the warehouses.
One of the demons detached from the circle surrounding them. his body was covered in black scales, and his curved horns were like blades. It stopped a few steps from Renji and let out a guttural sound, like a distorted laugh.
— "Now I feel you more clearly," said the demon, his voice echoing like a deep reverberation. "Your aura… it's stronger. More alive."
Renji gripped his sword and stepped forward. His gaze turned cold, but a short shiver crossed his face. He felt something strange too. Something inside him responded to the demon's call.
— "Tiberku, something's wrong," he said through gritted teeth. "It's reacting to me."
Tiberku raised his weapon, eyes never leaving the demon.
— "That means there's no time left. If it senses your energy, they'll all come."
The demon advanced slowly, a crooked smile revealing his sharp fangs.
— "You can't hide anymore, half-human. Your scent is like ours. You carry it inside, but you don't understand it yet."
Renji felt something pulse beneath his skin, like a foreign energy trying to escape. His sword trembled slightly in his hand, and his vision blurred for a moment.
Tiberku noticed and approached.
— "Control it, Renji. Don't let it pull you into his trap."
Renji closed his eyes for a second, drew a deep breath, and raised his blade.
— "I won't let it. But if my aura is what they want, then I'll give it back to them."
The demon let out a roar, and the others stirred around, preparing to strike. The tension stretched in the air like a cord ready to snap.
Renji stepped forward, feeling the power burning inside him mix with adrenaline.
— "Let's see how much you like this aura," he said, and launched himself at the first demon, his sword slicing the night in two.
Renji rushed at the demon, and his blade struck with force, cutting through air and flesh. The creature screamed, his black blood splattering the ground. But at that very moment, something broke inside him. A terrible pain struck his nape and flowed in waves down to his chest.
He stopped abruptly. His sword fell from his hand, and the sharp sound of metal hitting stone echoed around him. Renji brought his hand to his neck. Under his skin, the seal placed by Eris burned like hot iron. The magical line engraved there began to glow bright red, pulsing with every heartbeat.
— "Renji!" shouted Tiberku, but Renji could no longer hear him.
The pain intensified, and thin, warm blood began to trickle from the seal down his collar. Each drop seemed to take a part of his strength with it. The air smelled of metal mixed with the heavy scent of demons.
Renji fell to his knees. His breathing faltered, and his hands trembled. His eyes sparkled with a reddish light, almost inhuman. He tried to draw air into his lungs, but something deep inside him struggled to surface.
— "No… not now…" he whispered through gritted teeth.
The seal burned hotter. The skin around it blackened, and the blood flowed more, staining the ground beneath him. The demons had stopped, watching in fascination. One of them licked his lips, sensing the change.
— "It's waking up," hissed the same demon who had spoken before. "Finally… it's coming to the surface."
Renji lifted his gaze. His pupils had narrowed, and a reddish shadow stretched from his eyes to his temples. The ground vibrated slightly beneath him, and the air grew dense, as if the entire world held his breath.
Tiberku ran toward him, but a wave of energy struck him, throwing him back several steps.
— "Renji! Calm down!" he shouted.
Renji tried to rise, but his knees no longer obeyed. He gritted his teeth, his voice turning into an almost muted roar.
— "Eris… what have you done to me…"
The light of the seal spread across his neck and collarbone, tracing glowing lines that pulsed in rhythm with his heart. Around them, the demons seemed drawn, trembling with desire and fear at the same time.
Renji felt his blood boil, and the demon's voice inside him rose from the depths, clear, cold, and familiar.
— "Stop resisting," whispered the voice inside. "Let me out…"
Renji brought his hands to his head, trying to push it away, but it was too late. The pain turned into fire, and the air around him vibrated with energy that made even the demons step back.
With his neck soaked in blood and his eyes burning red, Renji fell forward, his palms hitting the wet ground. He trembled, caught between pain and something far more dangerous.
— "Tiberku…" he murmured, barely breathing. "Run…"
Tiberku froze, unsure if the being before him was his friend or something else entirely.
He rose, blood spurting from his split lip after being thrown to the ground. He saw Renji trembling on his knees, the seal burning like a living wound. The demons closed in, circling, sensing the blood and energy pouring from him.
— "Renji! Hold on!" Tiberku shouted and lunged toward him, raising his weapon.
A large demon, covered in gray skin with ember-like eyes, leapt in his way. Tiberku thrust his blade straight into the creature's throat, black blood splashing his face. The demon fell, but others approached. One struck him from the side, slamming Tiberku into a warehouse wall. A dull sound of breaking bones filled the night.
Still, he got up again, limping, weapon shaking in hand.
— "Don't touch him!" he yelled.
He rushed among them, cutting, striking, every movement born of instinct and desperation. Every blow was followed by a roar, but the demons did not stop. For every one felled, two more appeared.
Renji, fallen, tried to lift his gaze. Everything swayed. He could only see Tiberku fighting alone amidst the crowd of shadows.
— "Tiberku… stop…" he whispered, his voice faint.
Tiberku turned briefly and smiled shortly.
— "Never. I won't leave you here."
In the next instant, a giant demon with pillar-like arms emerged from the darkness and lunged at him. His massive claw pierced his chest, lifting him off the ground. The sound of metal falling from Tiberku's hand rang clearly, cold.
Renji opened his eyes wide. Everything seemed to stop. The wind, the sounds, the breathing. Only the drops of blood falling from Tiberku's body remained.
— "No…" Renji whispered, his voice trembling like a dying flame.
The demon threw Tiberku to the ground. His body struck the earth lifelessly, eyes open to the cloudy sky.
Renji felt something inside him break. The pain in his neck now mingled with a deeper, unbearable one. He reached for Tiberku, but could not reach him.
— "Rise…" he said through tears and blood. "Please… rise…"
Tiberku did not move.
The demons closed in around Renji again, laughing softly, sensing his power starting to slip out of control. The light of the seal became blinding.
Renji fell completely to the ground, forehead pressed to the wet earth. His tears mixed with blood, and a deep, almost animalistic sound rose from his chest.
— "You made a mistake…" he whispered.
The ground began to vibrate. The air turned red around him. The demons paused, sensing the rising energy.
Renji slowly lifted his gaze. His eyes were no longer human. The red light pulsing from them was alive, raw. The seal burned completely, blood poured, but beneath it, something had awakened.
Tiberku lay lifeless beside him, but the calm expression on his face suggested he had not feared. Renji looked at him briefly, then in a low voice said:
— "I promise I won't let them live."
Around him, the demons stepped back, but it was already too late. Renji's aura exploded, and the entire night was swallowed in red light.
Renji rose slowly, bathed in the red light pulsing from his body. The air boiled around him, and the demons stepped back, sensing a force no longer human. His eyes burned, his voice changed, and every movement left traces of energy in the air.
The first demon lunged at him, but Renji stopped it with a short gesture, as if an invisible force crushed his bones. The creature screamed, his body contorted and collapsed inert. The others rushed in, and Renji responded with near-animalistic violence. Every strike was precise, yet his eyes revealed a struggle.
A deep voice echoed inside his mind.
— "Finally… freedom."
Renji paused briefly, breathing heavily. He felt a force trying to seize his mind, to control his movements. It was Ubik, the demon bound to him.
— "This isn't your freedom," Renji said through gritted teeth.
Ubik laughed, a cold, satisfied echo.
— "You don't understand, boy. This power is mine. You only carry it. You can't control it."
Renji clenched his fists. The burned seal still pulsed, but now the energy flowed through his veins without destroying him. He stretched out his hand, and a wave of black energy burst from him, throwing three demons into the air.
— "Yes, I can," he said, voice trembling.
The fight continued. Renji moved among them with impossible speed, cutting, crushing, making the ground quake with every step. Demons fell one by one, but blood already covered his arms and clothes.
In his head, Ubik raged.
— "How is this possible?! How can you use my power without losing yourself?"
Renji answered in short breaths.
— "Because I'm not like you. I choose who I belong to."
A large demon grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground. His claws sank deep into his flesh, while two others held him immobile. Three demons held him tightly, and Renji tried to break free, but their strength was too great.
At the same time, two more demons detached from the circle and moved toward Tiberku's inert body.
Renji saw them. His eyes widened in horror.
— "NO!"
The demons' claws tore his flesh, sinking deep into his left arm. Renji struggled, but their strength was immense. He felt his muscles burn with each second, his blood flowing onto the cold ground. Around him, the demons laughed, while two of them moved toward Tiberku's lifeless body.
— "Don't… don't touch him!" Renji shouted, his voice broken. The claws dragged him down, almost tearing him in half. He looked at Tiberku, and something inside him completely broke. His face twisted with rage and despair.
With his right hand, Renji grabbed his sword. The cold metal trembled in his palm. His breath halted for a moment, and his red eye flared even brighter.
— "I cannot… lose… again!"
He rose abruptly, ripping the chain of flesh and blood holding him. The demon's claws dug in deeper, blood spurted onto his chest, but he did not stop. With an almost inhuman scream, Renji raised the blade above his head and brought it down with all his strength.
The blade cut through flesh, bone, everything. A sharp sound echoed, followed by a rain of blood covering his face. His scream tore the air. It was a roar that made the ground vibrate, a roar that seemed from another world.
The demons paused for a moment, stunned. Renji's arm fell to the ground, still caught in the creature's claw.
Renji fell to his knees, trembling, but a flame that could not be extinguished burned in his eye. He rose slowly, leaning on his sword. Blood poured from him in torrents, but his gaze was cold, focused.
— "I don't need him…" he said through clenched teeth, in a low, almost inhuman voice. "I only need my friend."
He turned toward the demons trying to touch Tiberku and ran at them, blood spraying behind him. Every step left red marks on the ground. Every breath sounded like thunder.
With one arm, Renji moved faster than ever. Fury amplified his strength. Ubik's energy pulsed through him, and the air vibrated. His sword left a red and black trail in the air, and the first demon was cut in half before it could react.
Renji paused, breathing heavily, blood dripping from his torn shoulder. He lifted his gaze, his right eye ablaze with fire, and screamed so loud it seemed the world split in two.
— "UBIK! YOUR POWER IS MINE!"
The sky turned red, and the ground cracked beneath his feet. The demons froze, unable to approach. Renji, missing an arm, soaked in blood, but with burning eyes, seemed unstoppable.
The scene looked like a nightmare. Waves of energy rose from his body, and the air smelled of smoke and hot iron. Even Ubik, in his mind, fell silent for the first time.
Renji breathed heavily, barely standing. The demons moved around him, but he no longer felt fear. Everything was only pain and adrenaline.
Suddenly, a blow struck him in the face. He didn't see it coming. His body was thrown to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth, and his sword fell from his hand.
When he lifted his gaze, the demons were retreating. They watched him from the shadows but no longer approached. Then they disappeared, melting into the night.
Renji was alone. He crawled toward Tiberku, breathing heavily, his vision blurred. He sat beside him and gently turned him over.
Tiberku's chest no longer rose. Renji understood immediately.
He pressed his forehead to his shoulder, trembling, blood running down his face. Everything was silent. The air smelled of death and dust.
Renji closed his remaining eye and whispered:
— "I've lived through this…"
Then silence fully enveloped him.