"Rise, or let this world collapse with you."
Yurei's voice cut through the choking fog. It wasn't a shout—cold and measured instead—like an order aimed straight at the heart.
Renji staggered, blood still running from his shoulder. The borrowed sword—pale, faintly gleaming—shook violently in his grip. It felt unbearably heavy, as if he were carrying the weight of the world itself.
Across from him, Kurogane stepped forward. A vast, erect shadow—intimidating. His eyes glowed a dull violet, illuminating the mist like a fire stalking in the dark. A crooked, mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"A new Respawner, huh?" Kurogane's voice was low, coarse, every word crafted to crush resolve. "I can smell your fear from here. You don't even know how to hold a sword properly."
Renji tried to raise the blade higher, but his arms trembled violently. His breathing was ragged; his chest heaved uncontrollably.
"Come on," Kurogane advanced, each step heavy but calm. "Show me. Will you die again? Or this time… will you dare to fight?"
Renji froze, rooted to the spot. Every time he met those violet eyes, memories of past deaths surfaced—claws, blood, screams, and loss. The fragments of memory already stolen from his life felt more constricting than any physical wound.
"I… I can't…" his voice cracked. "I'm not a fighter. I'm nobody. I—"
"Enough."Yurei's voice cut in, sharp.
Renji turned. Yurei stood at his side, sword in hand, her stance steady. Her silver eyes bore straight into Kurogane without a hint of fear. There was something in that gaze that pierced deeper than words—a chill resolve, a stubborn will, and something he couldn't name.
"Renji," Yurei said again, her tone softer now but no less firm, "if you fall now, this world falls with you. Every one of your deaths tears the sky a little more. Want to give up? Fine. But understand this: you are not the only thing that will be lost."
Renji went silent. Those words froze the air around him.
The world… would fall too?Could it be true that by dying he was destroying everything?
Suddenly Kurogane's coarse laughter burst out, echoing through the fog. "Hahaha… how beautiful! This world is fragile, tied to the breath of a coward. And me? I'm here to make sure those cracks widen. To break you… again and again… until nothing's left."
From the mist, Kurogane lifted a massive black sword—shaped like a shard of obsidian, jagged, reflecting violet light. The weapon looked less like metal and more like a splinter of the world itself.
Renji took a step back, his heart pounding.
"Listen, Renji." Yurei glanced at him briefly, locking eyes. "That sword—though your hand shakes—can still cut. One strike… prove that you're not empty."
Renji gritted his teeth. His hands trembled, his vision blurred with tears, but a small flame kindled in his chest. A spark that echoed Yurei's words.
He didn't know how to fight.He didn't know if the sword would find its mark.But one thing he did know—if he didn't move now, everything would end.
Renji lifted the sword with both hands. Its tip still quivered, but this time he stood a little straighter.
Kurogane grinned wider. "Good… now let's see how fast I can crush you."
Kurogane advanced like a looming shadow, his jagged black blade tearing through the air with brutal force. Each swing split the fog apart, sending sharp gusts that stung the skin.
Renji flinched, instinct forcing his body to dart aside. The obsidian sword smashed into the ground where he had stood, exploding dust and shards of stone into the air. The earth trembled, as if the world itself recoiled at his enemy's strength.
"Run, little Respawner!" Kurogane bellowed, his laughter echoing—wild, dripping with murderous delight. "But you can't run forever. I'll find you again, and again, and again!"
Renji swallowed hard. His breath caught in his throat, but his legs kept moving, desperately dodging the relentless blows. Each time he faltered, Yurei's voice rang out behind him—
"Left, Renji!""Don't lower your head, lift your blade!""Trust your feet, not your fear!"
Yurei didn't intervene directly. She only stood at a distance, silver eyes watching—like both guardian and examiner. She knew this was not a battle she was allowed to take from Renji.
Kurogane raised his sword again, this time in a sweeping arc. Renji reflexively lifted his own blade to block.
CLANG!
The impact numbed his arms instantly. His sword nearly flew from his hands, but he clung to it with every ounce of strength. The jarring clash tore his palms raw, blood trickling between his fingers.
"S-So heavy…" Renji muttered, voice trembling.
Kurogane pressed harder, forcing Renji's blade downward. His face drew close, cruel grin stretching wider. "You think that sword can save you? You don't even know what a sword means in the hands of a true Respawner!"
With a savage shove, Kurogane flung him backward. Renji crashed to the ground, sprawling in the dirt. His weapon skittered several meters away, swallowed by the mist.
"Renji!" Yurei shouted, fists clenched, her face tight with restraint—as though it took everything in her not to leap forward and intervene.
Renji lifted his head. His vision blurred, body screaming in pain. He heard the heavy, deliberate steps of Kurogane approaching—each one carrying absolute certainty.
"This is the end," Kurogane said. "Once more, you will die. And this world will fracture that much further."
Renji crawled, hand reaching desperately toward his fallen blade. It wasn't far, but his body felt as heavy as stone. His breath came short, thoughts spiraling.
In his head, the voices began to whisper. Echoes of past deaths, fragments of fading memory.Why fight? You'll only die again.You're weak. Nothing but a worthless fragment.Even your sword rejects you.
"No…" Renji rasped, his voice hoarse. "I… won't stop here…"
At last, his fingers brushed the hilt. A faint shimmer of light pulsed at the touch—like the sword itself had answered.
Yurei's eyes widened slightly. Resonance?
Renji gripped the weapon tighter, hauling it up with what little strength remained. His hands still trembled, but something inside him had shifted. A small flame burned brighter.
Kurogane lifted his massive blade high, ready to strike. "Farewell, cowardly Respawner!"
Renji roared. "I am NOT a coward!!"
From nowhere, strength surged. He swung his sword upward to meet the blow.
CLANG!
The clash was different this time. Renji was no longer flung aside. His blade shuddered violently, but he held firm. The pale light flared brighter, spilling into the fog.
Kurogane's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Oh… you've begun to ignite? Interesting. Very interesting."
Renji shoved with all his might, forcing space between them. His breaths came ragged, but his eyes sharpened with focus. "I… may be weak… but I'm still alive. And as long as I live… I'll keep fighting!"
Kurogane burst into raucous laughter, his voice booming across the battlefield. "Yes! That's it! Show me your resolve, Respawner! So I can break it all!"
He attacked again—faster, heavier. Renji struggled to keep pace, body on the verge of collapse, yet still he endured. The clang of steel rang out over and over.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Yurei narrowed her eyes, grip tightening on her sword. He was holding on… but not for long. If this dragged out, Kurogane would crush him.
The battle grew fiercer. Renji remained under constant pressure, but every savage swing he somehow managed to block, though his body was shredded with wounds. His eyes, though, burned brighter.
Finally, with one ferocious strike, Kurogane slammed against his blade so hard the mist itself shattered away. The thunderous impact shook the air like lightning.
Renji staggered, nearly toppling—but this time, he stayed on his feet.
Kurogane watched him, chest heaving with exhilaration. "You… are not the same as before. But don't be mistaken. You're still far from enough."
Suddenly, Kurogane's body convulsed. Violet cracks spread across his skin, glowing like lightning caged inside flesh.
Renji's eyes widened. "W-What is that…?"
Yurei's voice rang out, sharp with urgency. "Renji! Fall back! That's the power of a true Respawner—!"
Too late.
With a monstrous roar, Kurogane slammed his blade into the ground. Violet fissures raced outward, streaking across the earth like roots of light. The ground trembled, the fog split, and even the sky above quaked as though fracturing wider.
Renji froze. The vibration tore through his bones, locking his body in place.
Kurogane looked at him, grin twisted and savage. "This is the difference between you, newborn… and me, who has tasted death a thousand times over."
Renji clutched his sword tighter, heart hammering. The mist whirled violently around him, the world itself seeming to collapse.
Yurei stepped forward, blade raised. "Renji… this is your trial. If you fall now, there will be no next chance."
Renji met his enemy's gaze, breath ragged, body battered—yet his eyes were no longer hollow.