Sanjiken!

Why are these invaders so weak? I've never encountered such feeble opponents from Muvah. Are they trying to deceive us? Even though Sarzapur is just an ordinary city, shouldn't they be targeting Marinabad? Why are they here? They should be concentrating their forces on Marinabad," the Division Commandant thought, suspicion gnawing at him.

"Commandant sir!!!" Captain Sangini greeted him urgently.

"What is it?" the commandant asked, his gaze sharp.

"Sir, we have gained some intelligence," Sangini said, extracting some papers from her bag.

"Huh!! What is it about?" the commandant asked.

"About the war," Sangini replied.

"Then SPIT IT OUT, fast," the commandant demanded, his desperation evident.

"The Muvah Army's 90% force is currently either occupied fighting in Malwai or is marching towards Malwai," Sangini said with a straight expression.

"What the—" the commandant was shocked.

"This order is directly from the Muvah PM to their Army Chief. It is like a suicide attack, with all assets online. This war will last for at least 14 days, even if Malwai destroys half their strength. The number of military personnel in the Muvah Army is faked on the International Peace Society's website and in the Union of Nations' records. The real numbers are three times Malwai's. On top of that, 40% of their forces can compete with our level 1 soldiers, and the rest lie somewhere between level 2 and level 4," Sangini said, her voice trembling.

"The hell are they trying to pull? Oh yeah, although we didn't fake our numbers, we did put our top soldiers along with the level 1 soldiers in the same group. Huh! Do you know that the number seven 'Ren' can easily defeat 16,000 level 1 soldiers, but he is still considered a level 1 soldier?" the commandant said confidently.

"How can this be? It certainly means we are worried for no reason," Sangini said, her confidence shaken.

"Indeed. We have soldiers on par with battleworms," the commandant assured her.

"But how? I never heard that," Sangini said, puzzled.

"Oh yeah, I think I forgot to mention it at the event," the commandant said with a chuckle.

"That event was months ago," Sangini pointed out.

"I'm really sorry for that. Let me explain," the commandant said.

"About 2 to 3 years ago, a meeting was held in the military council. All the commandants and commanders, along with their subordinates, were there. Even Pannival Mahaji was present. He announced that, along with the other 12 regiments, a new regiment would be formed—the Runestone Regiment. All the cadets from the annual exams were posted there, and after some time, training was conducted not just for cadets but for all the soldiers of the attack force. You know that the top 10 to 12 are given promising spots in the regiment, and the commanders of the 12 regiments are promoted to the Defense Force. Therefore, our defense force is more capable than those attack forces, but they outmatch us in one thing: combat. They are monsters, and the most powerful monsters are given ranks below 5. For example, the big 3 of Runestone are ranked 7, 12, and 14," the commandant explained.

"What does this even mean?" Sangini asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It means that the real monsters of Malwai are the top 3 at Runestone: Sainen, Anata, and Mazhiro. In my opinion, the No. 2 of Runestone, Anata Shikawa, is the most monstrous of all. She is on par with no. 4 or 5 warheads. Sainen is on par with no. 7, and Mazhiro is stronger than no. 1 battleworms," the commandant said.

"This is amazing," Sangini said, her eyes widening in awe.

"Oh! Did I interrupt your conversation, old man Yuno?" a voice called out.

"Sansa Sir!!!" Sangini bowed.

"Long time no see, Sansa. Where were you?" the commandant asked.

"Oh, my dear commandant, I was on a mission to Japan; didn't you know that?" Sansa replied with a grin.

"Ho Ho Ho, I'm just joking. I cannot forget what task I gave to my very own subordinate. On top of that, the most promising is Vice Commandant Sansa. I need to keep an eye on you," the commandant said with a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha!!! But it's no time for joking around," Sansa said, his expression turning serious.

"Oh yeah! We were discussing that," the commandant agreed.

"Sangini, speak up," Sansa ordered.

"Uhm… Yes, S-Sir!!" Sangini stammered, taking out another paper and beginning to read.

"The Muvah Army's 70% forces will be charging on Malwai from every possible direction—north, west, and even east. They plan to capture 50 towns and enter the inner circle," Sangini read aloud.

"What the—" the commandant exclaimed.

"Not from the south?" Sansa asked.

"Nope. Dravida is our ally," the commandant confirmed.

"I will take care of the intruders at Sarzapur Fort; old man, you go towards the other cities that are under attack," Sansa said, his tone firm.

"What about me?" Sangini asked.

"You will fight with me!" Sansa ordered.

"Sir!!!" she agreed, her resolve unwavering.

Sansa and Sangini rushed towards the fort to assist the men on the front lines. Meanwhile, the commandant forwarded the crucial information to all the commandants and commanders, along with the two Bakshi.

At the Fort Wall

"Sword Style: Sword of Hope" "First Form: Faith," Ren mumbled.

"As the 7th Warhead of this nation, I, Ren, will cease y'all's existence," he swore, bloodlust glinting in his eyes.

Ren, after wielding his sword, charged into the midst of the Muvah soldiers, holding his sword aloft. Unaware of Ren's strength, the Muvah men attacked him en masse, only to be repelled by a mysterious shield that seemed to protect him. As they touched Ren's shield, they were instantly incinerated. Within minutes, half of the Muvah soldiers standing against the fort were reduced to ashes. Both Malwai and Muvah soldiers watched in disbelief, unable to comprehend Ren's power. The assigned captain for the Muvah deceiving unit stood back, gazing at his burning soldiers.

"Oh man!!! You fools, do something," the assigned captain barked.

"Who do you think you are? Mr. Nobody became a captain," someone among the Muvah men mocked.

"I'm your superior here, Raka," the assigned captain said.

"Huh! Now give me orders to pulverize this beast," Raka demanded.

"I reject!! You are our ace in the hole, and I cannot let you fight now. Ragin will take care of this; after all, he is the number 6 soldier in the Muvah army," the assigned captain ordered.

"As you wish, I'll be heading to the front lines," Ragin said, stepping forward.

"Ragin this and Ragin that. Why do they always order me around? Who do they think they are? Huh!!! If someday I use my full strength, even the top two soldiers together will be dead," Ragin thought to himself, his resentment simmering.

Ragin walked towards Ren and bowed to show respect.

"Blade Style: Blade of Sorrow" "First Form: Dance of the Depressed," Ragin announced.

"A blade user! Huh!!!" Ren mocked, his voice dripping with disdain.

Ragin held his blade's tip to the ground and tapped the bottom three times. Ren's mockery continued, but Ragin remained still. Suddenly, Ragin moved and disappeared, reappearing in front of Ren. Ren swung his sword, but Ragin vanished again. Ren gripped his sword tightly, preparing for the next attack, but was abruptly stabbed. The shield protected him, but it was pierced and shattered.

"What the—" Ren growled, infuriated.

"Sword of Hope" "Second—" Ren began, but Ragin's constant interference prevented him from completing his attack. Ragin was like an annoying pest, always one step ahead. Ren devised a strategy and leaped high into the air, becoming almost invisible.

"Combat Technique: Speed" "First Technique: Heaven Speed," Ren intoned.

With Heaven Speed, Ren descended upon the fort wall, causing half of the fort to crumble.

"Sword of Hope" "Second Form: Hopelessness," Ren declared.

Now moving at a speed of 70 km/h, Ren charged towards Ragin, his hands behind his back. Within moments, he swung his sword, slicing Ragin's attire. Ren took a U-turn, adding cuts to Ragin's body with every pass. Despite Ragin's attempts to dodge, Ren finally stabbed him.

"This was a piece of cake," Ren said, turning towards Raka in the back.

"Not yet!!!" Ragin shouted, defiant.

"What? This is gonna be fun," Ren said aloud, excitement in his voice.

"Don't come to conclusions, Mr. Whatever," Ragin retorted.

"Ehh. What are you going to do now? Kill me?" Ren mocked, laughing.

"Nope!! I don't know how you stabbed me, but I will take you as a good opponent. Now dodge," Ragin said politely.

"You piece of—" Ren mumbled, his anger rising.

"Transform: Blade of Sorrow," Ragin intoned confidently.

"Huh! Transform. I heard that Transform was a myth. So he too has a sword; no problem, I will still win. Would I not, Lime?" Ren thought, his confidence unwavering.

Ragin's blade glowed, covered in a carmourloud-like aura. Seizing the opportunity, Ren attempted to cut him, but Ragin's body deflected the attack, just as Ren had done earlier. The cloud-like aura enveloped Ragin, forming armor, and the blade began to reveal itself.

"What the hell is this!!" Ren exclaimed.

"O' the Lord looking upon us, let this human be a part of heaven. Forgive him," Ragin said coldly, looking towards the sky.

"Huh! What are you babbling about?" Ren laughed.

"I don't need any forgiveness from anyone in this universe. Talking 'bout me getting into heaven? Never. I was born to go to hell. I am the hell; I am the reaper, your reaper. I will take your life and send you to the place you deserve," Ren continued, his voice filled with malice.

"You bas—" Ragin stopped himself, focusing his eyes on the blade's guard. "Unite!! Sanjiken," he commanded.

The blade transformed, its appearance changing into a formidable sword, clearly stronger than before.

"Sanjiken: The Sword of Sorrow" "First Form: Dance of the Depressed," Ragin announced.

"No, you don't," Ren yelled, running behind the standing fort wall.

"Lime, Lime, Lime, wake up. Damn it, wake up now at once!" Ren shouted inside his mind, closing his eyes.

"Soul Core: Open," Ren intoned.

A space similar to Shailya's soul core opened inside Ren.

As the dust settled, the true victor would emerge, and the world would witness the rise of a warrior whose strength and resolve could change the course of history.

The story of Ren and Ragin had only just begun, and their epic confrontation would echo through the annals of time.

[To be continued in Chapter 16]