The Call for Unity
Tokyo, two days later.
A private chamber in the Prime Minister's residence buzzed with a weight heavier than war itself. The Japanese President sat at the head of a mahogany table, advisors and generals lined on either side. Reports of burned cities and collapsing military defenses filled the room.
The President's jaw was tight, his voice grim.
> "Enough. This isn't just Japan's battle anymore. If demons have truly awakened across the globe, then humanity itself is at war. Call the United Nations. Request an emergency council in Geneva. I want every world leader present within forty-eight hours."
A hush fell. His secretary hesitated.
"Sir… a full council? That has never been done outside world wars."
The President's gaze was unyielding.
"This is war. A war not against nations, but extinction. Prepare the message. Tell the President of the United States directly."
The screen flickered to life moments later, connecting across the Pacific. The face of the U.S. President appeared—stern, cautious, tired from his own nation's chaos.
Japan's leader wasted no time.
"Mr. President, demons are no longer myth. You've seen the reports—Tokyo, Busan, parts of Moscow. We're losing lives by the thousands. If this continues unchecked, there may be no nations left to govern. We need the world united. Geneva. Two days. UNO emergency summit."
The U.S. President leaned back, brows furrowed. For a moment, silence ruled the call. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"…Very well. I'll make the calls. In forty-eight hours, the council will meet. Pray humanity has that much time."
The screen went dark. The order had been given. History was about to turn.
---
Awakening in Chains
Rehan woke to the sound of soft ticking. His head throbbed as though he had been struck by steel. Slowly, his vision cleared.
A high-ceilinged office. Heavy curtains drawn across glass walls. The Japanese flag stood tall in the corner. And before him—sitting with poise behind a vast desk—was the President of Japan himself.
Rehan shot up, crimson aura sparking instinctively.
"Where is Ishita? Why am I here?!"
Guards around the room tensed, weapons drawn, but the President calmly raised a hand, silencing them.
"You are safe, Aura Wielder of India. And so is the girl. For now."
Rehan's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"For now? Don't play games with me. Bring her to me—now."
The President's expression didn't waver.
"You will see her. But first, you must understand—her existence has thrown this world into chaos. Two days from now, at the Geneva summit, world leaders will demand answers. The truth of demons. The truth of aura wielders. And the truth of the Scarlet Bloodline."
The word made Rehan stiffen. His aura flared hotter.
"You dare drag her name before politicians? You don't understand what you're meddling with—"
The office doors creaked open.
"Rehan."
Akira entered, his shoulder still bandaged, his blade resting against his hip. He placed himself between Rehan and the President, raising his hand gently.
"Calm down. Listen. I know how you feel… but the world needs to hear this. If we hide her, fear will only spread. Leaders will move against her in secret. At least if she's at the council, we can protect her openly."
Rehan's fists clenched, trembling with suppressed fury. He wanted to tear down the room, to break the smug calm of politicians. But Akira's gaze—steady, resolute—cut through his storm.
"…Tch." Rehan turned away, his voice low.
"If anything happens to her, Akira… I'll burn your nation to ash myself."
Akira's lips curved faintly. "Then I suppose I'll just have to make sure nothing happens."
---
Geneva – The Summit
Two days later, the skies over Switzerland roared with engines. Military jets, presidential convoys, armored motorcades—all converged upon the secure compound of the United Nations in Geneva.
The great council chamber had been expanded beyond its usual form. Dozens of long tables stretched across the marble floor, flags of nearly every nation rising like forests of color. The air buzzed with languages from across the world, translators scrambling, tension so thick it nearly suffocated.
At the central dais sat the five permanent members of the Security Council:
United States – President Harrison Cole, cold and calculating.
China – Premier Li Zhen, unreadable, his expression like carved stone.
Russia – President Sergei Volkov, broad-shouldered, voice like thunder.
United Kingdom – Prime Minister Eleanor Grant, sharp-eyed and hawk-like.
France – President Lucien Moreau, his tone elegant but cautious.
The world's most powerful figures, gathered not for diplomacy—but survival.
---
The Revelation
Japan's President rose first, bowing lightly before the assembly.
"My fellow leaders… thank you for coming on such short notice. I will not waste your time. Our world is under attack—not from armies, not from terrorists, but from creatures thought lost to myth. Demons."
A murmur swept through the chamber. Some laughed nervously, others whispered furiously, but no one left.
"These beings," he continued, "were sealed centuries ago. But the seal has broken. And now, cities burn."
Russia's Volkov slammed his fist on the table.
"Then explain how! Who released them?"
The Japanese President hesitated, then spoke firmly.
"A girl. A vessel of power. The Scarlet Bloodline."
The chamber exploded into chaos. Delegates shouted, presidents cursed, questions flew like daggers.
"What is Scarlet?"
"Why a single girl?"
"Where is she now?"
The Japanese President silenced them with a raised hand.
"The Scarlet Bloodline, when awakened, unseals demons. If the wielder of Scarlet is slain, the demons will once again be sealed. This is fact."
The U.S. President leaned forward, eyes sharp.
"Then what are we waiting for? One life against millions? Eliminate the girl."
Nods and mutters of agreement spread through the council. One by one, voices echoed:
"Yes… kill her."
"It's logical."
"Seal them again."
Until finally, someone asked:
"Where is this girl now?"
The Japanese President slowly turned toward the massive gates at the chamber's end.
"Here."
---
The Arrival of Power
The great iron doors groaned open. Light spilled through as twelve figures entered, their footsteps echoing like thunder.
The Aura Wielders. Humanity's last guardians.
Japan – Akira Tanaka, Weapon Wielder, blade on his back.
South Korea – Hyejin, Elemental Ice Wielder, frost trailing her steps.
USA – Ethan Blake, Weapon Wielder, dual sabers gleaming.
Russia – Dmitri Ivanov, Earth Wielder, towering like a mountain.
Germany – Klaus Weber, Wind Wielder, coat fluttering though no wind blew.
UK – Sophia Carter, Light Wielder, radiance glowing faintly around her.
France – Amélie Dufort, Water Wielder, calm as a river's surface.
Brazil – Maria Torres, Storm Wielder, crackles of lightning across her skin.
Egypt – Zahir Al-Fahim, Sand Wielder, aura shifting like dunes in desert wind.
The room fell into awed silence. Presidents who once scoffed at myth now stared at living legends.
But whispers soon rose.
"Do they agree?"
"Will they kill the girl?"
"What do the wielders say?"
The question was posed directly to them:
"Do you, guardians of aura, agree that the Scarlet Bloodline must die?"
---
Defiance
Before any could answer, crimson light burst at the chamber's edge.
Rehan appeared, standing tall in his black coat, aura burning like wildfire. His voice rang with fury.
"No."
All eyes turned. Murmurs exploded. Another wielder? From India?
Rehan's glare swept across the council.
"Ishita will not die. Not by your orders. Not by anyone's hands. Kill her, and demons will return again and again. As long as Scarlet exists, sealing will never hold. The only true path… is to destroy the Ghost Demon itself. Forever."
Gasps. Shouts. Disbelief.
The U.S. President slammed his fist.
"You defy the entire world for one girl?"
Rehan's aura flared dangerously.
"I defy cowards who would sacrifice the innocent to hide their own fear."
---
China's Entrance
The chamber doors creaked once more. A new figure stepped in, robes flowing like midnight silk. His presence was quiet, but the very air shifted around him.
Li Wei – China's Soul Wielder.
And beside him… walked Ishita.
Her scarlet aura flickered faintly, restrained but undeniable. Gasps rippled across the council.
Li Wei's calm voice echoed.
"This girl is no curse. She is a key. I will not allow her execution. The Scarlet Bloodline is rare, perhaps dangerous… but also humanity's greatest weapon."
The word Scarlet struck like thunder. Even leaders who had demanded her death faltered. Fear warred with curiosity. Hope battled dread.
---
The Challenge
The chamber was split. Some demanded Ishita's execution. Others hesitated, unwilling to anger aura wielders.
Then Egypt's wielder, Zahir, stepped forward, sand swirling at his feet. His eyes locked on Rehan.
"Enough words. Let action decide. You claim she deserves to live? Then prove it. Fight me. Here. Before all nations. If I win, the girl dies. If you win… she lives."
Gasps. Leaders leaned forward, anticipation and dread mixing.
Rehan's eyes blazed. His voice cut through the silence.
"…Fine. I accept."
Excitement surged across the council. Some cheered for blood, others paled in fear of what such a battle might unleash.
The two wielders stepped into the center. Crimson aura clashed with golden sand, filling the air with suffocating pressure.
Sophia of the UK whispered, almost in awe:
"This… will decide the fate of a world."
The council chamber held its breath.
The duel for Ishita's life was about to begin.
To be continued…