The battlefield stank of blood, smoke, and venom. The air was torn by shrieks of monsters and the labored breaths of exhausted warriors. The ground was cracked, soaked in red and black ichor from the clash with the three S-rank beasts.
Kaien Mori stood frozen, eyes wide, as Akio Kurogane — the chain-wielder — collapsed. The massive body of the "Duskfang Serpent" writhed, its heads dripping venom, coils smashing through shattered stone, but Akio no longer moved.
"B–Brother!" Emi's scream ripped across the battlefield, piercing through the noise of combat. Her voice carried pain so raw that it silenced even the Hollow Warg's growl for a fleeting second.
She dropped to her knees beside Akio's limp form. Blood spattered her face, but her single remaining arm clutched his body as if her grip could anchor him to the world.
"Wake up, Akio! You promised me! You promised we'd survive this world together!" Tears streaked down her dirt-covered cheeks.
Mori's chest ached. His throat felt tight, but no words came. His legs were heavy — frozen by fear, by guilt. 'He died protecting me…'
Kaida Ren's voice cut through the tension. "No! Don't—"
But it was too late.
Emi rose to her feet, fury blazing in her eyes. She wiped her tears with her blood-soaked sleeve and glared at the Duskfang Serpent, which reared its heads, hissing.
"You…" she whispered, her voice shaking with rage. "I'll tear you apart."
---
> "Emi's Fury"
"You, stop!" Haruka shouted, her voice breaking. "You've lost too much blood—you'll die!"
"I don't care!" Emi roared. Her aura flared, dark and violent, shaking the ground beneath her feet. She snatched Akio's chain, wrapping it tightly around her arm like a weapon.
The serpent lunged, its jaws snapping.
"RAAAH!" Emi screamed, swinging the chain with superhuman force. The links tore into one of the serpent's heads, gouging deep wounds across its scaled flesh. A spray of black ichor erupted.
"Her strength… she's going insane," Renji muttered, gripping his bow tightly.
"She's not fighting with reason anymore," Takumi said, eyes narrowing. "That's pure grief."
The serpent hissed furiously, its massive body crashing into the earth. Emi dodged barely in time, her face pale but her eyes blazing with murderous focus.
"You killed him! You killed my brother!" she shrieked, wrapping the chain around one of its necks and yanking with everything she had. "Die, damn you!"
The serpent thrashed, smashing her into the rocks. Blood spilled from her mouth, but she didn't let go.
"No,Girl!" Kaida shouted, moving forward, but Miya pulled him back.
"Don't! If you go in now, you'll be crushed with her!" Miya's voice was fierce, but her eyes were wide.
---
> "The Struggle"
Emi staggered, coughing blood, but forced herself upright. Her missing arm bled through her torn bandages, her body trembling.
"Still… not… enough…" she rasped. Her chain glowed faintly, her aura igniting like fire. She dashed forward, slamming the chain into another serpent head. The beast screeched, two of its heads now mangled and bleeding.
"She's… holding her own," Daichi muttered, sweat dripping down his forehead as he wrestled against the Hollow Warg.
"But she can't keep that up," Haruka whispered, tears in her eyes. "She's dying."
"Her body's already at its limit," Takumi said, fists clenched. "She's burning the last of her life."
The serpent regenerated. Its wounds closed before their eyes, scales knitting back together. The three heads reared back, glowing with venom.
"No…" Emi gasped, falling to her knees. "I… can't—"
The serpent struck.
---
> "The Near End"
Mori's breath caught in his throat. The world slowed. He saw Emi collapse, the massive serpent looming above her, ready to strike the killing blow.
"Move, Mori!" Kaida shouted.
But Mori couldn't. His body shook, his legs felt like iron. His vision blurred with terror. 'I can't… I can't do anything…'
The serpent's jaws descended.
"No…" Emi whispered, closing her eyes. "Not yet…"
The battlefield grew silent.
---
> "The Shift"
Then—
A heavy, crushing aura fell across the battlefield. The air thickened, so dense it was suffocating. The light dimmed, shadows stretching unnaturally. Everyone — ally, enemy, even the beasts — froze.
"What… is this?" Renji muttered, his voice trembling.
"It feels… wrong," Miya whispered, lightning sparking faintly across her skin.
Saki's eyes widened. She pressed a hand to her chest, her face pale. "This presence… It's not any beast… It's—"
The serpent halted, its heads swaying nervously, as though sensing a predator more dangerous than itself.
---
> "The Awakening"
Deep voice, low and cold, sent a chill down every spine.
"…Die.".Mori
In a blur, shadows erupted from beneath him, slicing upward with terrifying precision. The serpent shrieked, but it was too late.
SILENCE.
All three of its heads fell to the ground, severed cleanly, the cuts so smooth they barely bled at first. The massive body convulsed, collapsing into the dust.
No roar. No resistance. Just quiet death.
---
> "The Aftermath"
Everyone stared.
Renji's bow trembled in his hand. "…What… did I just see?"
Kenta dropped his fire-cloaked fists, his voice shaking. "That wasn't human… That wasn't normal!"
Saki's lips parted, but no words came. She stared at Mori, her heart pounding. She had sensed countless powers, countless elements—but this… this was something she could not read.
"Mori…" Kaida whispered, his eyes wide with both awe and fear.
Emi lay on the ground, staring up at him with tears streaming down her face. She whispered, voice trembling, "…Brother… he protected you. And now… you…"
Mori's aura flickered, shadows retreating back into him. His expression shifted—confusion, terror, guilt. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping.
"What… did I… do?" Mori whispered, trembling violently.
No one answered. The silence was heavier than the battle itself.
---