Chapter 200: The End of Destiny and the Beginning of Legend

The timeline shifts back to the present.

Shingin stood amidst the ruins, his chest pierced by the man's devastating attack. Blood flowed freely down his battered frame, and he barely managed to stay upright. His eyes burned with unrelenting hatred as he fixed his gaze on the man before him. His voice, hoarse and brimming with restrained fury, forced out the words:

"It's… you…"

Every syllable seemed to claw its way through clenched teeth. His eyes were a storm of pain and rage, and the weight of unspoken vengeance hung in the air. For years, through countless sleepless nights, Shingin had clung to this moment.

"You… bastard…" His fingers twitched ever so slightly.

"No, Shingin!!!" Yuko's scream tore through the night, desperate and raw, but it vanished like a pebble sinking into the void.

A sudden, piercing sound split the air.

Thud.

Once more, Shingin's chest was struck. Blood sprayed out in an arc, staining the rubble beneath him crimson. His body convulsed violently, yet he stubbornly refused to fall. His fierce gaze bore into the man before him.

The man withdrew his bloodied hand, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "Pitiful child," he murmured, his voice cold and razor-sharp, cutting into Shingin's soul. "Since you're so intent on knowing, let me tell you: the one who killed your comrades, the one who reduced you to this wretched state… it was me."

He paused, letting the revelation settle like a blade into Shingin's chest. His voice dropped lower, resonating with an ominous finality:

"Remember this well—I am Watcher 06."

His words seemed to freeze time. At last, Shingin's knees buckled. He collapsed onto the blood-soaked ground, his life slipping away with each agonizing breath.

"Shingin!!!" Riyugi's anguished cry shattered the silence. She stumbled forward, her trembling hands reaching out, but her tears blurred everything.

Yuko stood paralyzed, her vision a haze of tears. She bit her lip until it bled, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. The frigid despair in her heart drowned out all else.

In the shadows, a smirk curled on Kaga's lips. Her voice, dripping with sarcasm, was barely audible:

"The sample's secured. Dead or alive, it doesn't really matter."

But even as Shingin's light dimmed, the Watchers' work continued. Watcher 18, a shapeshifter, strode toward Riyugi and Yuko. With deadly precision, their hands morphed into razor-sharp blades, poised to strike—

Until the world itself seemed to rebel.

Boom!

A violent tremor shook the earth. Cities and mountains alike quaked under an overwhelming presence, one so supreme it seemed to halt time itself. The air grew heavy with an incomprehensible pressure, as though an ancient, divine force had descended upon the battlefield.

Watcher 06 raised his head, his expression tinged with astonishment. The suffocating power stole the very breath from his lungs. He muttered, almost to himself:

"This… such a supreme being… Why here? For what purpose?"

Though his composure briefly wavered, it quickly returned. His icy demeanor resurfaced as he issued a command:

"Watchers, fall back!"

He swept his gaze over the battlefield, his voice dripping with disdain.

"This fight… it belongs to us, the Watchers. From this day forward, we will be the 'police' of this new world. This wasteland will bear witness to our supremacy."

He gestured toward the surviving revolutionaries, scattered and trembling in the shadows.

"Take the survivors," he ordered, his tone calm yet unyielding. "They'll serve as witnesses and heralds."

As his subordinates moved to gather the remaining rebels, Watcher 06 watched them, his cold smirk betraying a hint of cruel satisfaction.

"They'll spread the illusion as truth," he murmured. "Today's 'truth' will be what we decree it to be."

The captured survivors, their eyes vacant and glassy, succumbed to the implanted hallucinations. Their movements were mechanical, as though driven by memories not their own.

One by one, the Watchers faded into the shadows, leaving behind a city of ruins. Blood painted the ground where Shingin had fallen. Riyugi's cries echoed, unheeded by the cold, unfeeling night.

Riyugi crawled toward Shingin's lifeless body, her tears mingling with the dirt. Her voice was hoarse and faint, each word heavy with grief:

"Shingin…"

The oppressive aura bore down on her like an unrelenting weight, suffocating her with every step. She clawed at the earth, her fingernails breaking against the rubble.

"Get up!" a voice barked.

It was Myouka. Her grip was firm, pulling Riyugi to her feet despite her resistance.

"We need to leave," Myouka said, her voice quivering yet resolute.

She glanced back at Shingin's lifeless form, her heart twisting painfully. Her fists clenched tightly as she whispered,

"I'm sorry… Shingin."

With Riyugi in tow, Myouka turned and ran, her legs propelling her forward with a singular purpose: survival. Each step was a betrayal, each breath a struggle against the tide of despair.

Behind them, the battlefield lay still. In the center of it all, Shingin's body rested beside the shattered remnants of Ryuosho.

And from Ryuosho's remains, a faint golden glow emerged—a tiny orb of light, flickering with a quiet, unyielding brilliance. The orb floated gently through the air, as though drawn by some invisible force, before merging with Shingin's still form.

For a moment, all was silent.

Then, a shadow fell across the ruins. A figure descended, their presence impossibly vast, radiating an authority that silenced even the winds.

The figure's voice thundered across the wasteland, trembling with fury and desperation:

"Where is Aka?"

Their words shattered the stillness, echoing into the emptiness. Again and again, they called:

"Aka!!!!!!! Where are you————?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

But no answer came. Only the silence remained, vast and unyielding.