chapter 16: The battle against the northern star

Chapter 16: The battle against the northern star

The wind howled through the night as Rin fought against the weight pressing him down. His opponent, the ruthless chariot driver, had him pinned against the wooden frame of the speeding cargo, his calloused fingers wrapped around Rin's throat.

Rin's vision blurred. The driver's strength was overwhelming, and he could feel his grip loosening on the reins. The horses galloped wildly, their hooves pounding against the dirt road as the transport veered dangerously.

Think.

The driver's knee dug into Rin's chest, crushing the air from his lungs. His free hand reached for a dagger, ready to plunge it into Rin's side.

Rin's mind raced. He had one shot.

With a final burst of effort, he twisted his wrist, jerking the reins violently. The sudden movement threw the driver off balance, making him shift his weight for just a second. It was all Rin needed.

He let go of the reins with one hand and grabbed the small knife hidden in his sleeve. With a sharp thrust, he jammed it into the driver's thigh.

The man howled in pain, his grip loosening.

Rin shoved him with all his strength.

The driver tumbled backward, his body rolling off the side of the chariot and disappearing into the darkness.

Coughing, Rin pulled himself upright, grabbing the reins once more. The horses were still out of control, but he managed to steer them in the right direction.

Ahead, the battlefield came into view.

...

The air crackled with tension as Rin arrived at the battlefield, his suit now tattered from his earlier scuffle. Blood dripped from his knuckles, staining the dirt beneath him. Ahead, the North Star of the New Generation loomed over Selina, his chain swinging lazily at his side, fresh from his decisive victory over the Hax Brothers.

Selina, despite the bruises on her arms and the cut tracing down her cheek, refused to back down. She stood firm, gripping the hilt of her blade, her chest rising and falling in steady defiance. Around them, the aftermath of the battle was evident—bodies of the lackeys she had dismantled lay scattered across the ground.

Rin scoffed, shaking his head. "Need a hand? Trust me, I don't wanna help you."

Selina, still catching her breath, side-eyed him. "Then don't get in my way."

But Rin stepped forward anyway. He knew she was pushing herself beyond her limit, and against an opponent like the North Star, fighting alone meant certain defeat.

The North Star exhaled in amusement. "Two against one, huh? Not that it'll make a difference."

Then, without warning, he lunged.

The Battle Begins

Rin barely had time to react as the North Star swung his weighted chain, the links slicing through the air like a whip. Selina intercepted, twisting her body to parry the incoming attack, her blade sparking against the steel. She used the momentum to close the distance, launching a spinning heel kick toward his ribcage.

The North Star blocked with his forearm, barely flinching. With a swift movement, he snagged Selina's leg with his chain, yanking her mid-air and slamming her to the ground.

Rin darted in, aiming to capitalize on the opening. He threw a rapid barrage of jabs and elbow strikes, forcing the North Star to shift his defense. But the gap in their strength was glaring. The North Star dodged Rin's blows with precision before countering with a devastating palm strike to the chest.

Rin coughed up blood, his vision spinning.

Before he could recover, the North Star delivered a brutal uppercut, sending him crashing backward. Rin barely managed to roll away as a downward heel stomp cracked the ground where his head had been moments ago.

"Too slow," the North Star mocked.

Selina's Hidden Power

Selina wiped the blood from her lips, then exhaled sharply. Something in her stance shifted. She twisted her fingers in an unfamiliar pattern, her muscles tensing. The North Star's eyes narrowed as recognition flashed across his face.

"That stance…!" he muttered. "That can't be. That clan was wiped out!"

Selina didn't respond. Instead, she vanished.

Her speed doubled—no, tripled—as she closed the gap between them in a blink. She struck with a palm technique long thought extinct, her movements almost inhumanly fluid. Her attacks bypassed the North Star's guard, landing devastating blows on his ribs and joints.

He grunted, finally forced to retreat a step.

"Impossible!" he spat, his voice carrying a mix of rage and disbelief. "That clan no longer exists!"

But Selina didn't care for history. She pressed forward, her strikes relentless, her body moving with eerie precision. It was the most damage the North Star had taken so far.

Still, even with her technique, he was stronger.

The moment Selina's guard slipped, he exploited it.

A knee strike to her abdomen knocked the air from her lungs.

A chain-wrapped fist slammed into her face, sending her skidding across the dirt.

She didn't rise.

Rin's Desperation

Rin, now battered and barely able to stand, looked at Selina's unmoving form. His breathing was ragged, his muscles screaming in protest.

"You're next," the North Star said, cracking his knuckles.

Rin pushed himself up, his knees shaking. He clenched his fists.

He knew he couldn't win.

The difference between their skill levels was too vast. The North Star had technique, experience, and power—while Rin only had stubbornness.

Still, he rushed forward.

He feinted left, twisting at the last second for a rising knee strike.

The North Star caught him mid-motion.

With a single hand, he slammed Rin into the ground.

Rin's world blurred. His ears rang. His body refused to move.

The North Star sighed, stepping back. "Pathetic. I expected more."

He turned his back on Rin. "This fight is over—"

Then, a sharp kick slammed into the North Star's side.

A kick that was identical to Selina's.

The North Star froze.

Rin stood again. But something was different.

His eyes were pitch black.

The Awakening: Rin, the Copycat

The air grew cold.

Rin's stance shifted. His breathing evened.

And then—he moved.

He attacked with Selina's exact technique, his strikes flowing seamlessly as if he had trained in her lost clan's art for years.

The North Star barely blocked in time. "What the hell…?"

Then Rin switched styles, mimicking the North Star's own fighting technique. His footwork, his punches, his chain movement—it was as if he had studied the North Star's battles his entire life.

Engine, watching from afar, smirked.

"A copycat, huh? This kid…"

The North Star, now on the defensive, struggled to adapt. Rin's attacks mirrored his own perfectly, but faster, more precise, more ruthless.

Still, the North Star had experience.

"You're strong," he admitted, blocking a devastating elbow. "But you lack experience."

He twisted, aiming for a finishing blow.

Rin feinted.

A final kick.

The North Star, prepared to counter, sighed.

But his eyes widened.

The kick was a distraction.

A blade glinted in the air.

The North Star's eyes darkened as Rin's knife sank into his ribs.

Rin exhaled. "The code of battle, huh?"

The North Star coughed up blood. "You…bastard…"

Rin's voice was calm. "Who cares about codes? If I want you dead, you die. No exceptions."

At that moment, he regained consciousness. His blackened eyes flickered back to normal. The battle was over.

Engine Intervenes

Before anything else could happen, a sharp voice cut through the silence.

"Enough," Engine commanded.

The North Star froze.

Even in his wounded state, he obeyed immediately.

Everyone feared Engine Snow.

A legend of the Down World.

Meanwhile, in another part of the battlefield, Ray screamed as his mind was shattered by Penguin's gas.

Engine sighed, twirling his umbrella. With a flick of his wrist, he blasted the room apart, dragging Ray from the ruins.

The battle was won.

But Rin's true nature had just been revealed.

The Copycat.

And Engine now had his suspicions—Rin wasn't fully aware of what he had become.