Chapter 1
SLASH!!
SLASH!!!
Ahhh!!
A figure shot through the clouds halting mid air in a flash of gold
Are you okay Renji!!!, A voice cut through the tension
Gasp!
Gasp!
Gasp!
His eyes burning with fury
Yes ! I'm not done yet ! Renji replied
Good let's end this once and for all— The voice in Renji's head replied
Let's do this !!!! Renji answered
Ahhhhh!!!!!! Renji and the voice screamed in unison
Thunders cut through the clouds and power began to surge through renji
And then he moved
Deep within the tension his voice cut through the scenes of the chaos that unfolded.....
"They said power corrupts. But what they never tell you… is what happens when the powerless are the ones who suffer the most."
He moved again!!
"Reality hits harder than any god ,when you've lost everything ,when the world turns its back on you what else is left, except to rise!?
The sky burned crimson.
The land screamed beneath waves of fire and thunder.
And three figures stood before him no not figures entities—their forms so vast the horizon bent under their presence. And behind them was an army of beats millions upon Millons moving in unison...
They were neither light nor shadow, but something in between. The air cracked and folded around them, as if reality itself could not decide what they truly were.
Renji stood alone, white hair whipping in the storm. Circles of fire spiraled around his body, glowing brighter with each heartbeat. His right eye burned beneath a jagged scar a wound that pulsed like a heartbeat of its own.
He raised his staff, spinning his staff and holding it at this back.... With an aura stance and the air trembling in anticipation.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
With his razor sharp gaze
He mustered one sentence
COME AT ME !!!
The first entity struck moving in unison with it's army
Renji vanished in a flash of gold.
The collision shattered the sky — soundless, timeless — until the shockwave followed, tearing the earth into canyons of molten light.
He continued his words ...
"I never wanted this," he said, voice echoing through fire and void alike.
"But destiny doesn't ask for permission."
Another entity lunged; he countered, each movement fluid, absolute —like a god dancing at the edge of existence.
Circles of flame formed wings behind him.
Every strike carved new scars into the world.
And as the storm reached its peak, his voice returned,low, calm and unyielding..
"This is the story of how I lost almost everything… and why I swore to never bow again."
He moved once more!!
The flames roared one last time then, suddenly, the light dimmed. The world began to crumble like glass, folding into nothingness.
Renji stood at the center of it all, smiling faintly, the scar on his eye flickering with light.
"Remember this moment," he whispered. "Because it's where everything began."
Flash back ( present day)
It was 27 years ago,The world outside had descended into chaos. A massive gate one of the fabled thresholds between dimensions had opened right in their district. From it poured creatures of nightmare, beasts whose claws tore through concrete, whose roars shattered glass. Hunters flooded the streets, their swords and spells clashing with the monstrous horde, turning the city into a war zone. Flames climbed the walls of apartment buildings, smoke choked the air, and the screams of neighbors echoed like a chorus of despair.
Renji had been ten. Ten years old and already forced to run from death. Lily, barely four, clung to their mother's waist, her small body trembling as they navigated the burning corridors of their apartment complex. But the fire moved faster than they could, devouring everything in its path.
It was their father, Daichi, who carried them forward. A man without mana, without supernatural power, yet with a courage so immense it could rival the strongest of warriors. His arms shielded them, his voice slicing through the roar of the inferno.
"Don't stop! Keep going!" he shouted, coughing violently from the smoke. Every step he took was agony, yet he refused to slow, refusing to falter.
Then, as they neared the exit, a massive beam, glowing red-hot from the flames, cracked loose from the ceiling. It barreled toward Rachel, their mother. Without a second thought, Daichi shoved her out of harm's way, taking the full weight of the collapse himself.
Renji never forgot the sound. The sickening snap of timber breaking. The sudden, all-consuming blaze. The scream that tore from his father's throat as fire claimed him in seconds.
His mother's voice tore through the chaos, raw and shattering.
"DAICHI!!!"
But it was too late. The flames devoured him, leaving only a memory of courage and love etched into Renji's mind. In those last moments, all he could see was his father's silhouette standing tall against the fire a final, defiant act of protection.
That night hollowed Renji's mother out. The woman who had once filled their home with warmth and laughter became a shadow, her soul fractured by grief.
The years that followed were merciless.
Rachel sank into herself, swallowed by sorrow. Sickness crept in alongside her despair, and she sought solace in alcohol not out of indulgence, but as a thin shield against the unbearable memories. Every sip blurred the horrors of that night, though it also stole fragments of her, leaving only the barest shell behind.
Renji grew up too fast. By twelve, he was hustling through odd jobs, learning the bitter taste of responsibility. At fifteen, he lied about his age to guild clerks, begging for low-rank gate cleanup work, scraping together coins for medicine for his mother and school supplies for Lily. He skipped meals, endured exhaustion, smiled through hunger everything to keep his sister alive.
But the memory of his father's death gnawed at him endlessly. A burning weight of guilt. A shame for being powerless when the flames took his father. A hatred for himself that never faded.
The apartment was silent now, save for the soft, rhythmic patter of rain against the window. His mother lay curled on her futon, fragile as porcelain, her breaths shallow and uneven. The sake cup beside her sat almost empty her feeble attempt to ease a pain too great to bear.
Renji knelt beside her, trembling as he held her cold hand in his.
"Mom… please," he whispered, voice breaking. "Stop drinking. You… you can't leave us. Not now. Not ever."
Rachel turned her head slowly, eyes glassy, yet filled with faint recognition and lingering love.
"Renji… I see him," she murmured. "Your father… every time I close my eyes. The fire… his screams…" Tears traced the lines of her face. "The bottle… it helps me forget, even for a little while."
Renji's jaw ached as he bit down on his lip, tasting blood. He wanted to shout, to shake her, to force her to fight, but the sickness had already claimed so much of her.
She coughed violently, flecks of blood spattering her lips. Still, she reached up, trembling, cupping his face with her frail hand. "Renji… listen to me. Your father gave his life for you and Lily. Now… it's your turn. Protect her. No matter the cost. No matter how hard it gets. Keep her safe."
Renji's vision blurred with tears. His throat burned as he whispered, his voice raw:
"I… I promise, Mom. I'll protect her with everything I have. I won't let anything happen to her."
A faint, broken smile touched her lips. "Good boy… my precious boy… I'm proud of you."
Her hand slipped from his face. Her chest rose and fell one final time before the stillness of death claimed her.
Renji remained kneeling there, his body trembling, the weight of reality pressing down on him. The woman who had been his anchor, the warmth of his childhood, was gone.
In the next room, Lily stirred, clutching her small stuffed rabbit. She didn't understand yet. Not fully.
Renji stood, gathering her into his arms. Her small body shook with sobs as she realized their mother would never return. The raw, unfiltered pain tore at his own heart. He had known loss, had known suffering, but Lily… she was just a child.
"Shhh… it's okay," he murmured, holding her close. "I'm here. I'm your family now. I'll take care of you… always. I swear it."
Outside, the rain fell harder, as though the heavens themselves mourned with them. And in the suffocating dark of that tiny apartment, a promise was forged a vow in fire, grief, and unyielding love.
Renji would protect Lily, no matter the cost. Even if it burned him alive, just as it had his father.