Chapter: 111
"What do you mean?" Renji shouted into the darkness.
Januza smiled.
His form dissolved into swirling smoke inky blackness that drifted upward like burning mist before reassembling itself on the bony throne towering above Renji.
"Why do you think," Januza began, voice echoing, "that on the brink of despair… you awaken a portion of that power within you?"
Renji gritted his teeth.
"I told you.... I told you..... I TOLD YOU!"
He shouted louder, voice shaking,
"This isn't my power! Did you hit your head or something? Are you crazy? Saying this is my power?!"
Januza's smile widened, calm and infuriating.
"I've done nothing but guide you."
Then he raised a single finger, the void trembling.
"You see… I'm your subconsciousness."
Renji's breath caught.
"You created me to guide you again," Januza continued, voice turning low and resonant. "It has always been you. You are not a vessel. It has always been your power."
Januza rose from the throne, shadows forming around him like wings of smoke.
"But you made a deal with the Witch of Endor. To seal your power. To awaken it only little by little
when you are on the brink of death or despair or near death.
You made a deal to erase all your memories.
And only when your brother awakens… do your memories begin to return as well."
Renji gasped.
"Brother???!" He barked out a laugh loud, sharp, almost desperate. "Noo I understand now..… I think you've finally gone nuts. You know what? Take your stupid power! You are lying no, you are LYING!"
He pointed at Januza angrily.
"I had a father! I had a mother! I have a family! I have a sister! Do I look like two thousand years old to you?! And YOU are the one who said you saw into my future before I was even born! You picked me because I could withstand your power! Don't tell me trash!"
Januza chuckled softly.
"You…" He leaned forward. "Do you remember your first despair? When you were at the brink of death?"
The word stabbed into Renji's chest.
Despair.
His eyes widened as memories flickered
The first dungeon raid with Choji and Tang Shi.
The darkness.
The moment everything changed.
Renji's expression twisted. "Tch…"
Januza pointed again, delighted.
"Oooooo, so you DO remember!"
He continued.
"Then the second despair against Tang Shi! When you were at the brink of death once more!"
Renji looked away sharply.
Again, Januza's voice boomed.
"Oooooo, you remember, don't you?"
Januza leaned back on his throne.
"At the brink of every death… every despair… why do you think a portion of your power awakens? It's because of the deal you made with the Witch of Andor. I never come out. All of that everything you did ...you did with your own strength."
Renji's eyes trembled.
"Then… what about those memories?" he demanded. "The gods' battle I've seen. The screams every night. The dreams."
Januza smiled.
"You are showing it to yourself."
Renji froze.
"I am only tied to your soul, Renji Kurogane. I have no power over you. All you did… you did with YOUR strength. At the brink of despair, you awaken. You grow stronger. And each time… you retain a portion of yourself."
Januza tilted his head.
"Do you remember your last despair???"
Renji clenched his fists.
Januza's smile widened.
"Ooooo, so you DO remember!"
He continued, voice darkening.
"You remembered your human parents' death. And how you fell into despair. Rage took over… and your power increased again."
"Enough!!" Renji screamed, voice cracking. "You lie!! Even if what you say is true why would I want ANY of this?!"
Januza raised his finger once more.
"Because you chose to."
Renji's heart stopped.
"You made a deal with the Witch of Andor to erase yourself from existence and reincarnate yourself one thousands years into the future. The story in the books the one saying you erased yourself it's a lie."
Januza leaned forward.
"You made that deal… because of your brother."
Renji eye's grinned "what do you mean "?
Meanwhile, Arisa Arrives at Renji's Apartment
Arisa stood in front of the apartment door, clutching her purse tightly against her chest.
She took a breath then pressed the doorbell.
Ding-dong.
"Coming...." Lily's voice echoed from inside.
The door opened Lily peeked out with bright eyes.
"Oooooi! Big sister Arisa!"
Arisa blinked. "Eiiiii you must be Lily, Renji's sister!"
"Yesss!" Lily beamed. "Oooo, you're the one Renji's going out with, aren't you??"
Arisa laughed shyly.
"Yes… may I come in? And where's Renji? Isn't he up?"
Lily stepped aside quickly.
"Ooo, sorry—yes! Come in! My brother is upstairs. You can go meet him!"
"Thank you." Arisa bowed slightly and entered.
She walked toward Renji's room, palms sweaty.
"I can do this… I can do this…" she whispered repeatedly.
She reached his door and knocked softly.
"Uhh… Renji, it's me! Emm… I didn't hear from you, so I thought I could come by and, you know… check on you."
No response.
She knocked again, louder.
"Renji? Are you in there?"
Still silence.
Her heart tightened. She slowly opened the door.
Then gasped—
Her hand flew to her mouth.
Renji was floating in midair—
His body limp,
Head bent backward unnaturally,
Eyes shut tight.
"RENJI!!" Arisa shouted.
She quickly shut the door behind her, panic flashing in her eyes.
"Is this… a spell?!"
She inhaled sharply, then slammed her hands together.
Tiger!
Boar!
Rat!
Her eyes glowed a vibrant green.
"Release!!!"
A shockwave passed through the room.
Renji's eyes snapped open—he collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently.
"Renji!!!" Arisa cried as she ran to him, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?! What was that?!"
But Renji only gritted his teeth.
"Tch…"
His eyes were still trembling from the remnants of Januza's words.
Arisa's voice trembled softly as she leaned closer to him.
"Renji… are you okay?"
Renji's eyes snapped open, widened in shock—he had been so deeply blinded by Januza's words echoing in his mind that he hadn't noticed her presence at all.
"Ehh Arisa, you are here?" he replied, startled.
Arisa's face instantly turned red. Seeing Renji in that outfit slightly messy hair, eyes still glowing faintly with leftover mana made her heart skip a beat.
She pressed a hand to her cheek, trying to steady herself.
"Y-Yes… yes…" she stammered. "We didn't pick a place for our shopping and I didn't have your number so I came to check on you but… you were flying!!! I broke the spell but… who could attack you with a spell from this range? The person is obviously an SS-ranker!"
Renji smiled gently, shaking his head.
"Noo, one did this to me. I—"
But he couldn't finish.
Because at that exact moment
GBIM!!!!
A thunderous pulse erupted through the air, shaking the windows.
Both Renji and Arisa froze. Their irises shimmered, mana responding instinctively.
"W-What's this power?" Arisa gasped.
Renji's jaw tightened.
"Tch… impossible. So it's true…"
"Ehh? What is true??" she asked, panic mixing with confusion.
Renji looked at her, seriousness washing over his expression.
"I'll explain later."
He stood abruptly, the room vibrating with the rising mana.
"Please you need to take Lily and Choji to the Hunters Bureau now."
Arisa stepped forward, shocked.
"W-What is going on, Renji?"
"Please, Arisa… just do as I say."
Then Renji leaned forward and kissed her.
Arisa froze—face turning bright crimson.
He whispered, voice low but steady:
"I love you, Arisa." I should have told you but I do
Her lips trembled, her entire body heating up.
"I… I love you too…"
Renji smiled softly.
But then
GBIM!!!!!
Another pulse. Stronger. Violent. Like a giant's heartbeat striking the sky.
Arisa staggered.
"W-What is this magic power?!"
Renji's eyes glowed,deep, dangerous, ancient.
At that moment, Dracan burst into the room—his tiny dragon form spiraling through the window, wings beating rapidly.
"RENJI-SAMA!!!"
"Yes—let's goo!" Renji responded.
In mid-air outside the window, Dracan's body began to shift—scales expanding, bones stretching, wings tearing outward with divine force.
FWOOOOM—!!
He transformed into a colossal dragon, gleaming like obsidian lightning.
Then
ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
The roar shook all of Tokyo.
Civilians screamed as the shadow of the dragon passed overhead.
"D-DRAGON!!!!!!!"
Sirens erupted. Cars crashed. People ran in blind panic. Air trembled as chaos swallowed the streets.
Arisa stood speechless, eyes wide.
"Renji—this is…"
She didn't finish.
Renji nodded.
"I understand… go!! Get to Takeda now!" Arisa shouted, determination returning.
Renji leapt from the window, coat whipping wildly.
He ascended straight into the sky
Meeting Dracan mid-air.
"Let's go!!!"
Dracan roared in response, wings snapping downward like thunder.
Meanwhile — Hunters Bureau
Inside the command center, alarms screamed as mana meters spiked violently.
"Sir! Mana levels increasing again! It's climbing—fast!"
The red sirens blared across every screen.
A colossal gate ripped open in the sky black, swirling, monstrous. Bigger than any gate seen since the General's invasion.
"Not again…" one officer whispered.
Wang Chi the commander slammed his fist on the table What's the status!! How did we miss this gate again!!?
Wang chi stood, eyes wide, sweat running down his temple.
Then he spoke .
"SPREAD THE WORD! Every nearby hunter—A-rank and higher REPORT immediately to the colossal gate!! MOVE!!"
The entire Bureau burst into frantic movement. Papers flew. Officers shouted across rooms. Monitors flickered with red alerts.
This time, it wasn't multiple gates.
It was one an enormous abyss blotting out the sky, surrounded by spiraling darkness.
Citywide sirens activated at once.
BWEEEEE!!! BWEEEEE!! BWEEEEE!!
A cold, automated voice echoed across Tokyo:
["This is a state of emergency , This is a state of emergency ALL citizens evacuate to underground shelters immediately. Repeat: ALL citizens evacuate to underground shelters."]
Sirens rippled across every district.
Phones vibrated.
Screens flashed red.
Tokyo was drowning in fear.
Renji soared through the air on Dracan's massive back, the wind tearing at his coat, carrying the scent of doom.
His thoughts spiraled as Januza's words echoed again
(Light flashes)
Your memories are awakening because your brother has awakened… and his minions are coming for your head… to bring you to him.
"Why…?" Renji had asked.
You already know the answer… because you already remember.
(Light flashes again)
Renji gritted his teeth.
"Azerin, huh…"
"Renji-sama."
Dracan's voice echoed telepathically.
"Yes!!" Renji answered. "I see the gate!!"
Below, Takeda was already standing before the colossal gate with dozens of hunters, his cloak whipping violently as the void crackled.
Renji inhaled deeply.
Then shouted
"Goooo, Dracan!!!"
"My Lord!" Dracan roared.
Renji smirked.
"Change back and meet me down there. Not even Takeda can stop that thing coming out of the gate."
Dracan nodded, wings folding as Renji launched himself from the dragon's back
FWOOSH—
Renji plummeted downward like a meteor
And landed behind the hunters with a deafening
BOOOOOM!!!!!
The shockwave shook the entire platform.
Hunters spun around in shock
And the real battle was about to begin.
The clouds above Tokyo rippled like an ocean disturbed by a giant. Mana surged violently through the sky as alarms wailed across distant city blocks. But amidst the rising panic, a single hunter stood on the roof of the command post overlooking the massive gate tearing its way into existence.
Kobayashi Ren –an SS-rank hunter specialized in lightning magic watched with narrowed eyes as something dropped from the clouds like a meteor.
A dark silhouette.
A coat fluttering.
Boots cutting through the air.
A pressure like a falling star.
And then
BOOM!!!
A shockwave tore through the street as Renji landed behind the formation of gathered hunters.
Kobayashi Ren blinked, a faint amused smirk forming.
Ohh soo that's the new SS ranked hunter, he thought inwardly, sparks dancing around his shoulders unconsciously. He knows how to make an entrance?
Takeda, who had been staring up at the forming gate, turned at the noise. His jaw dropped.
"Renji??" Takeda stepped forward, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "Are you stupid, Renji? You could just walk, you know, instead of making an entrance."
Renji grinned his teeth, eyes fixed upward.
"Tch…."
The gate above them was pulsing cracking open like an egg about to hatch.
His expression darkened.
"Noo… I'm too late!"
The sky trembled.
Mana violently surged.
Hunters Bureau – Command Center
Chaos.
Pure chaos.
Officers were sprinting across the room, screens flashing red warnings, holographic mana meters breaking past their highest calibration points.
"It's cracking!" one officer screamed. "The mana spikes are off the charts!"
Another stared at the reading, pale.
"Impossible this magical energy… it's stronger than a pillar!"
Wang Chi, the Bureau Commander, slammed a hand down on the console.
"What's the status of the hunters near the gate!?"
A drone-feed officer shouted, "YES!! RENJI KUROGANE HAS ARRIVED AT THE GATE'S LOCATION!"
Wang Chi exhaled sharply. Renji's there… good. If he's there, we have a chance.
"Contact Hiroto Kenzaki!"
Hiroto – Sprinting across the city
Hiroto was already dashing between buildings, mana flaring from his feet as he used every leap to cross blocks in seconds.
The call connected.
A voice from the Bureau: "Bearu commander he's online!"
Wang Chi's voice came through immediately.
"Hunter Hiroto! You are to head towards the colossal gate! Gather any A-rank and above to accompany you!"
"You don't have to tell me twice," Hiroto replied, panting as he ran. "I'm already on my way!"
"Good! Go as fast as you can!" Wang Chi barked before ending the transmission.
But before Hiroto could pick up more speed
A scream erupted from the command center.
"THE GATE IS OPENING! I–It's… IT'S A HUMANOID BEAST!!!"
Wang Chi's eyes widened.
"Impossible…"
Cracks spider-webbed across the colossal gate.
Hunters raised their weapons.
Mana circulated.
Hearts pounded.
And then
A figure stepped through.
A massive, dragon-like humanoid beast emerged from the darkness, wings unfurled, its presence alone suffocating the air.
Hunters panicked.
"Let's go!!!!"
"It's just one we can take it!!"
But Renji's instincts screamed. Something ancient in him trembled.
"RUN!!!" Renji roared, veins bulging. "RUN!!! YOU ALL CAN'T WIN AGAINST THAT THING! RUN!!!"
Takeda turned, stunned at Renji's desperation.
Is this thing… another general of the gods…?
Renji's jaw tightened.
He leapt through the air, coat whipping like a banner, landing beside Takeda.
"Takeda-sama we need to get everyone out of here. We got it all wrong from the beginning."
Takeda's eyes hardened. "Wrong? What do you mean wrong!?"
A powerful impact shook the ground.
BOOM!
Dracan now in human form landed before them, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
Hunters stumbled back, stunned by the magnitude of his mana.
Kobayashi Ren froze.
"T–This magic power… impossible… a pillar???"
But Dracan wasn't paying attention to them.
His eyes were locked upward trembling.
"No… no… impossible…"
His voice quivered.
"Bi–Big brother!!!"
Renji's eyes sharpened.
Takeda's heart dropped.
The dragon-like humanoid beast looked down, smirking.
"Oooo… Dracan."
His grin widened.
"Now then… who dies first?"
A wave of murderous intent hit them like a tidal wave.
FWOOOSH...
Renji and Takeda felt it instantly.
Dracan's eyes widened with primal fear.
"RENJI-SAMA!!"
And then, without hesitation
Both Renji and Dracan leapt into the air, shockwaves exploding beneath them, aiming for the descending monster.