The air stank of metal and smoke.
Nagazora was no longer a city—just a graveyard of steel and concrete. Every gust of wind carried the whisper of things that used to live here, faint echoes lost beneath the rhythmic pulse of that monstrous egg in the distance.
Kuhaku walked at the front, eyes scanning the street ahead. The red veins in the sky pulsed with each distant tremor. Behind him, Kiana dragged her metal rod along the asphalt, the sound grating but familiar. Mei moved in silence, her blade still stained from the last fight. Bronya followed last, one hand glowing faintly as her sensors swept the surroundings.
"Three auras," Bronya said softly. "Weak ones. Close."
Kuhaku nodded. "Then let's clean them up."
⸻
The moment they turned the corner, the creatures lunged. Humanoid shapes with armor-like skin, eyes like molten glass. They hissed through broken jaws as they charged.
Kuhaku moved first.
His body felt light, responding faster than thought. He ducked beneath a clawed swing and drove his tanto upward into its chest. The creature shrieked and fell apart into glowing dust.
Slash.
Thud.
Kiana barreled forward next, her metal rod smashing through the skull of another. The impact shattered bone and concrete alike, dust exploding around her like a cannon blast.
"Ha! Two for me!" she yelled.
"Focus," Mei's voice cut through the chaos—calm and precise. Her katana sang once, twice—each motion deliberate. By the time she sheathed her blade, two enemies collapsed behind her.
Bronya raised her hand and released a line of fire across the street. It hit the last creature squarely in the chest. The flames didn't roar—they hissed, compressed and focused, burning the monster from within until it crumbled.
The streets fell quiet.
[Enemies Defeated: 6]
[EXP +150]
[Level Up → Lv 11]
[Stats Increased +1 | Free Points +6]
Blue light flashed in front of their eyes.
Kiana grinned. "I could get used to this."
Bronya exhaled, eyes flicking across the data on her screen. "Efficiency: moderate."
Mei wiped her sword. "Let's move before more show up."
⸻
They advanced toward the center of the district—where the shadows grew longer. The road narrowed into an alleyway filled with crushed signs and shattered glass.
Bronya's voice broke the silence. "Movement—both sides."
Ten red glows appeared between the debris. The creatures came crawling down walls and leaping across broken cars.
"Brace!" Kuhaku shouted.
The first wave hit fast.
Kuhaku parried a claw, pivoted, and sliced clean through a creature's arm before spinning low to cut its leg. The monster fell, screaming as Kiana's rod came down like a hammer, finishing it.
Mei moved like lightning—her blade cutting arcs that left afterimages. Each step was measured, graceful. Her footwork traced across debris as if dancing through chaos.
Bronya stayed back, palms glowing.
"Pyro burst—release."
A stream of flame erupted, igniting half the alley. The heat wave followed instantly, washing over Kuhaku's cheek as the monsters burned.
But one broke through—a blur of claws and teeth. It lunged for Bronya—
—and Kuhaku intercepted, driving his tanto into its face before it could reach her. Sparks and blood sprayed across the wall.
[Enemies Defeated: 10]
[EXP +300]
[Level Up → Lv 13]
[Skill Progression: Critical Attack Lv.2 / Blade Flow Lv.2 / Pyro Control Lv.6]
Their systems flared again, painting the dark alley in blue.
Kiana rested her rod on her shoulder, panting. "Feels like we're finally keeping up."
"Or they're slowing down," Kuhaku replied, though he didn't believe it.
⸻
The next street opened into a collapsed overpass. Frost shimmered faintly under the dim sun—a warning. Bronya's mana pulsed cold blue.
"They're coming again," she said, raising her hand. "Trying something new."
The temperature plummeted.
A surge of power rippled from her fingertips. Frost spread across the asphalt, crawling like veins of ice. The incoming creatures slowed, their movements jerky, sluggish.
[Skill Acquired: Freeze Lv.1]
Mei didn't hesitate. She stepped onto the frozen street, katana flashing in controlled arcs—cutting through immobilized enemies like paper.
Kiana used a chunk of fallen concrete as a platform, leaping high before slamming down on a frozen beast. The ice shattered. The creature didn't get up.
"Nice one!" Kuhaku shouted.
Bronya gave a small nod. "Testing successful."
They pressed forward, their rhythm seamless—attacking in turn, covering each other's blind spots.
[Enemies Defeated: 20]
[Level Up → Lv 14]
[Stats +1 | Free Points +6]
[Skill Progression: Dodge Instinct Lv.2 / Freeze Lv.2]
Each battle was shorter. Cleaner. Their coordination sharper than ever.
Even through exhaustion, a spark of confidence flickered among them—they were learning, adapting, surviving.
⸻
As dusk crept in, the four reached a wide intersection. Dozens of twisted silhouettes prowled between wrecked cars. Red glows shimmered through the fog—eyes, dozens of them.
Kiana tightened her grip. "Okay… maybe I spoke too soon."
"Too many to count," Mei whispered.
Bronya's eyes glowed faintly. "Estimated number: thirty-four."
Kuhaku exhaled slowly, feeling the pulse of their auras through his chest. "Then we clear them. Together."
The ground cracked as Kiana charged. Her rod smashed into the first creature, sending it flying into another. She spun, momentum carrying through into the next strike.
Mei darted forward, faster than before—each swing a flash of silver, cutting through armor like silk.
Bronya spread her hands, alternating bursts of fire and ice—Freeze, then Ignite, each wave trapping and shattering enemies in tandem.
Kuhaku sprinted between them, intercepting anything that got close. His tanto moved in blinding arcs, the sound of cutting air echoing louder than the creatures' screams.
Clang. Shatter. Flame. Frost.
Step. Turn. Slice.
They fought as one—flawless and instinctive.
[Level Up → Lv 15]
[Stats +1 | Free Points +6]
[Level Up → Lv 16]
[Stats +1 | Free Points +6]
The glow of blue screens flared like starlight amid the blood and smoke.
By the time the last creature hit the ground, their arms trembled from fatigue. Silence returned—heavy, absolute.
Kuhaku lowered his blade, chest heaving. "Everyone okay?"
Kiana grinned weakly. "Still standing."
"Mostly," Mei added, brushing dust off her clothes.
Bronya deactivated her magic, frost fading from her fingertips. "Battle efficiency improving exponentially."
They all laughed—tired, but alive.
⸻
As the sun dipped behind the smoke, they checked their systems one last time.
The familiar blue glow washed over their faces.
Kuhaku
[Lv 16]
[HP 100%]
[MP 90%]
[Fatigue 47%]
[Strength 40]
[Agility 40]
[Vitality 28]
[Intelligence 28]
[Sense 40]
Kiana
[Lv 16]
[HP 100%]
[MP 65%]
[Fatigue 55%]
[Strength 40]
[Agility 32]
[Vitality 38]
[Intelligence 26]
[Sense 30]
Mei
[Lv 16]
[HP 95%]
[MP 80%]
[Fatigue 49%]
[Strength 30]
[Agility 44]
[Vitality 32]
[Intelligence 38]
[Sense 36]
Bronya
[Lv 16]
[HP 88%]
[MP 100%]
[Fatigue 60%]
[Strength 26]
[Agility 32]
[Vitality 28]
[Intelligence 48]
[Sense 40]
The four of them stood in the middle of the empty street, the smell of ash thick in the air. The city was still burning, yet for the first time—it felt like they'd fought back.
Kuhaku gazed toward the distant crimson glow of the egg. It pulsed again, stronger, echoing through his bones like a heartbeat.
"If we're getting stronger," he said quietly, "then so is that thing."
No one argued.
The wind blew again, carrying dust, ash… and something else.
A low rumble beneath the ground, faint but growing.
The peace they'd earned tonight wouldn't last.
But for now—just for now—they stood together beneath the bleeding sky, alive.
⸻
End of Chapter 1 – Part 13