"Wake up, boy. If you don't, I'll crush your body before the mist has the chance to devour you."
The voice was heavy, raspy, echoing strangely as if the fog itself repeated it. Renji gasped awake, his whole body aching from the last battle. His vision was blurry, but he could see a looming shadow approaching through the thick mist.
Each step shook the ground. From the swirling haze, a towering figure emerged: a man with messy black hair, glowing violet eyes, and a massive dark sword dripping with shadowy mist. A crooked smile twisted his lips, as though his very presence was a calamity he delighted in.
Renji crawled back, trembling. "W-Who… are you…?"
The man halted before him, raising his sword with ease. "I am Kurogane," he said, his voice cold yet dripping with grim amusement. "A Respawner… just like you. The difference is, I've died hundreds of times. And with every death… the world cracked a little more. That… is my addiction."
Renji froze. His words struck like a whip. Respawner? Like him? But this man's aura was monstrous. The dark blade radiated a suffocating chill.
Without warning, Kurogane swung down. Renji shut his eyes, heart leaping to his throat.
CLANG!
Steel crashed against steel. Renji's eyes flew open. The strike was stopped. A silver blade shimmered, glowing so brightly it pushed the mist back in waves.
Standing before him, hair white as snow, silver eyes sharp as lightning, was a girl. She didn't look back at him, but her voice was steady, sharp, filled with authority.
"As long as I'm here, he won't lay a finger on you."
Renji's breath caught. That was… Yurei. The silver-eyed girl.
Kurogane's laughter rumbled low, twisted. "Ah… of course. Yurei. Always you, showing up whenever I find a new toy." He pressed his blade harder, black sparks clashing against the silver light. "Aren't you tired of being the shield for these weaklings?"
Yurei's arms held firm, her expression unreadable. "I don't need a reason. You're too dangerous to be allowed near him."
The mist around them churned violently, growling as if it sensed a storm brewing. Shadows that had once lunged at Renji retreated, slinking back into the fog. They knew this fight was not theirs.
Renji, breathing ragged, could only watch. Two Respawners—humans like him, yet far beyond his reach—stood locked in deadly stillness, eyes burning with intent to kill.
Kurogane's grin widened, violet eyes glowing with savage joy. "Perfect. Just perfect. I want to hear your blade scream again, Yurei. And this time… I'll make the boy watch the world shatter with you."
Steel rang like thunder. Silver and black clashed, sparks tearing holes in the mist. Yurei's movements were sharp and precise, every swing slicing light through the fog. But Kurogane's strikes were brutal, overwhelming, each blow shaking the ground.
Renji staggered back further, clutching his chest. They're… monsters… both of them.
Kurogane swung his sword in a wide arc, and Yurei blocked, but the impact hurled her several feet back. Dirt split open under her boots as she slid.
"You're slowing down," Kurogane sneered. "What's wrong, Yurei? Tired of carrying weaklings?"
Yurei's silver eyes narrowed. She lunged forward again, her blade flashing white. Their swords collided once more, a storm of sparks scattering.
Renji's heart pounded. He couldn't tear his gaze away. Yurei was fighting with everything she had—for him.
But then—Kurogane's smirk deepened.
"How long do you think you can hold me back, Yurei?" His voice was cold as steel. With a brutal shove, he forced her down on one knee. "You're worn out. And that boy…" His violet eyes flicked toward Renji, sharp as daggers. "…is just a burden. So why don't I erase him first?"
Renji's breath caught. "W-What…?"
In an instant, Kurogane vanished. The mist rippled. A cold wind whipped Renji's face—then the man stood before him, towering, sword poised at his throat.
Renji froze, his legs rooted.
"Renji!" Yurei's cry cut through the fog as she darted forward.
But Kurogane tilted his blade, a strike already swinging. Renji fell backward, eyes wide, sure his head was about to be severed.
CLANG!
The dark sword halted. Yurei stood between them, her silver blade catching the blow mere inches from Renji's neck. Sparks exploded, their light burning holes in the fog.
Renji's chest heaved. "Y-You… saved me…"
Yurei's voice was cold, sharp, unyielding. "Idiot! Don't just sit there!"
Kurogane chuckled darkly. "Ah, so sweet. You really are willing to throw yourself away for him? Do you think he can survive? He doesn't even know how to hold a sword."
He pressed harder, forcing Yurei to stagger. Blood trickled from her lip, but her eyes never faltered.
"Renji." She didn't glance back, her voice like a command. "Take your sword. Now."
Renji's body stiffened. "M-Me…? I can't fight someone like him! I nearly died against the mist alone!"
"If you don't fight," Yurei growled, straining against Kurogane's strength, "you'll die right here. And if you die… this world cracks even faster."
Kurogane's laugh was a low rumble, amused. "She's right, boy. But don't think of the world. Just think of this: join me… or die beneath my blade."
Renji's chest tightened. Sweat streamed down his face. His eyes darted between them—Yurei, bleeding yet unbroken; Kurogane, smiling like a mad predator.
He couldn't stay frozen. Not anymore.
His trembling hand reached out, closing around the silver sword Yurei had given him. The moment his grip tightened, the blade pulsed faintly, light trickling into his arm.
He raised it, unsteady but determined. "I… don't know how to fight you… but I won't die again."
Kurogane's laughter exploded. "Hahahaha! Beautiful! Look at that, Yurei—your little boy finally stands. But tell me… will he cut down the mist… or himself?"
With a violent shove, he flung Yurei aside. Her body slammed to the ground, blood spattering the dirt as she coughed.
Renji froze. Now it was only him, staring up at Kurogane.
The man leaned closer, violet eyes gleaming with hunger. "Good. Show me. Will you be the failed hero… or the monster born of the mist?"
Renji's grip shook, but his voice came out raw, defiant. "Mock me all you want… but I will fight."
The mist trembled. The ground split. The air hissed like a blade drawn.
Kurogane stepped forward, sword glowing black. Renji lifted his silver blade, white light trembling in his hands.
And in the corner of his vision, Yurei struggled to rise, blood dripping from her lip, her silver eyes still burning, refusing to look away.