Chapter 124: The Return of Light

Rayl sprinted through the ravaged streets, his mind consumed by images of Kyoyu. Anxiety churned in his chest, intensifying as he neared Shingin's home. Each step brought clearer signs of battle—shattered structures, scorch marks, and the oppressive weight of lingering power in the air.

Abruptly, a collapsed alleyway caught his attention. Rayl skidded to a halt. Revolutionaries who had been tasked with protecting Kyoyu lay sprawled in pools of blood, their lifeless bodies still. A chill gripped his heart, and his face turned ashen. "Damn it, no… This can't be happening!" he muttered before breaking into another desperate sprint.

When Rayl reached Shingin's doorstep, the sight froze him in place. Kyoyu stood at the entrance, pale and trembling, clutching the doorframe tightly. Out in the open street, Yahageshii was locked in fierce combat with a dark-robed figure.

The figure's long cloak twisted unnaturally with his movements, like a serpent writhing in shadow. A deranged smile stretched across his bloodless face, accentuated by cracked lips that seemed to have never known moisture. His most haunting feature, however, was his eyes: pitch-black voids punctuated by crimson sparks, as if hellfire smoldered in the depths of his pupils. His gaze radiated a maddening energy that made Rayl's skin crawl.

Rayl's breath hitched as recognition dawned. "Watcher 13," he whispered, his voice trembling with both anger and dread.

"Hahaha! Your flames are pathetic!" Watcher 13's voice was a sharp, mocking screech, dripping with sadistic delight.

Yahageshii roared in defiance, his fists engulfed in raging flames. With a powerful swing, he launched a blazing punch aimed squarely at Watcher 13's chest. But the robed figure moved like smoke, effortlessly slipping past the attack. His cloak danced with eerie grace in the flickering firelight. A flick of his hand sent an iron chain snaking toward Yahageshii's legs.

Kyoyu cried out, her voice tinged with panic, "Yahageshii, watch out!"

"Aunt Kyoyu, stay back!" Yahageshii shouted over his shoulder, his focus unwavering as he evaded the chain.

But he wasn't fast enough. The chain coiled around his left leg like a venomous serpent, its runes igniting in an unsettling blue glow. Yahageshii let out a pained grunt as the flames around his fists flickered, dimming rapidly.

Watcher 13 cackled maniacally as he closed the distance between them. Twisting energy began to coil around his hands, its distorted form suggesting something far more sinister than mere physical power. "Distracted, are we?" he taunted.

"Damn it!" Yahageshii gritted his teeth and yanked at the chain, trying to break free. His fists reignited briefly, but each strike at the air seemed futile. Watcher 13's movements were unnervingly precise, dodging every blow with infuriating ease.

"Why… why can't I hit him?!" Yahageshii's voice trembled with frustration, sweat dripping from his brow. A creeping sense of fear gnawed at his resolve.

Suddenly, Watcher 13's mocking laughter ceased. He thrust a hand forward, unleashing the coiled energy in a blinding flash aimed directly at Yahageshii.

Rayl reacted without hesitation. He sprinted forward, delivering a swift kick to Yahageshii's side, sending him sprawling away from the blast. Yahageshii crashed into the ground with a loud thud, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Rayl! What the hell are you—" Yahageshii's angry shout was cut short as his gaze snapped toward the unfolding disaster.

A radiant beam of light streaked across the street, its trajectory sudden and merciless. At its end was a young woman, frozen in terror. She had been hiding at the edge of the battlefield, watching from a seemingly safe distance.

"No!" Rayl's voice cracked as he yelled, his legs moving as if to close the impossible gap.

The beam struck the woman in the chest. She screamed in agony, her body convulsing violently as the energy tore through her. Her hands clawed at her face, and her limbs twisted unnaturally as though gripped by an unseen tormentor.

Her transformation was swift and grotesque. Flesh lost its vitality, her skin turning pale as paper. Wrinkles vanished as her form regressed. Her once-flowing hair withered, replaced by fine, downy strands. Her body shrank, her limbs shortening and rounding until she was nothing more than a wailing infant, crumpled amidst her discarded clothes.

"What… what is this?!" Yahageshii's voice cracked, his wide-eyed stare locked on the infant. Kyoyu gasped, her trembling hands covering her mouth in shock.

"This is Watcher 13's power…" Rayl muttered darkly, his fists clenched tightly. His voice was heavy with fury and unease. "A sealing technique. He reverts his victims to infancy… or worse, erases them entirely."

Watcher 13 tilted his head back and laughed, the sound sharp and grating. His crimson-streaked gaze settled on Rayl and Yahageshii, a predator sizing up cornered prey. "Afraid yet? This is just the beginning."

The battlefield fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the infant's distressed cries and the ominous hum of Watcher 13's gathering power.