Limit Breaker zero – Chapter 4: The Principal's Judgment
Ren Kurogane gestured sharply for Joseph Ayikon to follow him, but Joseph's gaze lingered, distracted. His dark eyes swept over the incredible sight before him: massive elephants soaring gracefully through the sky, birds the size of small horses gliding alongside them, and colossal artworms tunneling beneath the ground, carrying riders on their backs as if the earth itself were alive.
"Follow me!" Ren barked, irritation lacing his voice, the first sign of real emotion he had shown since meeting Joseph.
Joseph blinked, pouting like a petulant child for a brief moment, lips pressed together as he tugged at the corner of his jacket. Then, as if shaking off the distraction, his expression turned serious again, eyes empty and emotionless. "Let's go then," he said calmly, his voice flat.
Ren froze, taken aback by the same chilling, blank stare he had seen before. It's that look… he has it on his face again, Ren thought, shivering slightly. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. "We're going straight to the principal of the school. He's going to decide your fate."
"My fate, huh…" Joseph murmured to himself, a faint trace of curiosity flickering through the emptiness. "This should be interesting."
They approached the massive, weathered front door. Ren raised his hand and knocked sharply.
"Come in," a raspy, aged voice replied from within.
The door creaked open, and the two of them stepped inside. Immediately, a wave of oppressive energy slammed into them. They both stumbled, falling to the ground, hearts pounding. Joseph's chest tightened; his stomach churned under the invisible weight.
Ren shouted, "Hey! You're going to crush us! Suppress that pressure of yours!"
The old man's voice carried a calm innocence. "I am suppressing it."
Ren's face darkened. "You bastard… don't lie to me! How can you be suppressing it when it's crushing us?"
He paused, a shiver running down his spine as he realized the truth. Well… it's not far-fetched to believe he's suppressing his aura. He's one of the greats, after all. The best of the best… the greatest of the greatest. Even so, Ren thought, I can understand him suppressing a powerful force, but even me being crushed like this… it's embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Joseph's thoughts drifted inward. His life had been marked by danger from the very beginning. At four years old, a poisonous snake had attacked him and his mother back in America, in the snake-infested swamplands where they had lived. He had killed it, alone, without hesitation.
At five, he had faced a serial killer—another brush with death—and survived, bearing the scars as proof.
Throughout his life, danger seemed drawn to him, yet he had never felt anything like this. This… chilling pressure. His chest constricted as he clenched his heart, a strange sensation crawling through his body.
Is this fear? Joseph thought, dark eyes narrowing slightly, the emptiness in them tinged with the faintest flicker of apprehension.
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This version:
Keeps all your dialogue and story beats intact.
Adds cinematic sensory details: crushing aura, oppressive pressure, reactions of both Joseph and Ren.
Adds Joseph's inner thoughts and history, giving readers insight into why this pressure is different and unsettling.
Reads naturally like a web novel chapter, building suspense and tension for the principal's judgment.