chapter 24: The Burial of the Shirairyu
Got it! I'll expand Scenes 1–3 as you requested, keeping the battle sequence fast and impactful while making the Son of the Shirairyu stand out with his unique features. I'll also ensure that the final gaze between him and Rin
Chapter 24: The Burial of the Shirairyu
The air in Silas' shop was thick with anticipation as he dramatically unrolled a sleek black suit, holding it up with reverence.
"This," he announced, "is perfection."
Rin took a glance, then immediately froze.
Right there, on the chest, was the unmistakable Balotelli family crest.
A long silence.
Then—
"You trying to get us killed?" Rin's voice was flat, but the danger was real.
Silas, already backing away, waved his hands. "N-Now, hear me out—"
Engine, rubbing his temples, sighed. "You stole this, didn't you?"
"'Stole' is a strong word. I prefer strategically acquired."
"You stole it," Rin repeated.
"Borrowed!"
"From a crime family?!"
Silas nodded solemnly. "Yes."
Another beat of silence. Then, they lunged at him.
"YOU WANT TO GET US KILLED?!"
Silas barely dodged, rolling behind a pile of discarded suits. "Think of the respect! The prestige!"
"Think of the bullet holes!" Rin countered.
"You were literally shot at last week!" Engine added, shaking his head.
After a brief but violent negotiation (mostly involving Silas being put in a headlock), he begrudgingly revealed his finest tech suit—a masterpiece of adaptive plating and neural support.
Rin picked it up.
"I'll take this one."
Silas let out a pained gasp. "No… no, you wouldn't."
"I would."
"Not my prized collection piece!"
"You'll live."
Silas fell to his knees, whispering, "My baby… why…?"
Engine smirked, patting Silas on the shoulder. "Sacrifices must be made."
Before Silas could launch into another dramatic performance, Valdo's chariot arrived.
It was a fine invention, nearly silent as it hovered just inches above the ground. The design was sleek, black with gold linings, moving with a grace that belonged to royalty.
Rin adjusted his stolen—or rather, forcefully acquired—suit. "Let's go."
As the chariot smoothly pulled away, Silas collapsed onto the floor in exaggerated grief.
"Monsters… all of you."
As they arrived at the burial site, the first thing Rin noticed was the silence.
A vast monument towered before them, its dark stone glistening under the slow, heavy rainfall.
Before it stood a sea of figures, all dressed in black, standing with unnatural stillness. Their presence alone exuded crushing weight—the kind that could break lesser men.
For a brief moment, Rin felt that weight begin to settle on him.
But his tech suit adjusted, an invisible net-like layer reinforcing his body, allowing him to stand firm.
He exhaled. Not today.
Guards moved through the crowd, holding umbrellas to shield the elites from the rain. Yet, Rin noticed something.
The bodyguards were powerful, but their contractors—their masters—were stronger.
Then, a masked woman stepped forward.
She moved with a storm's authority, her presence shifting the air itself.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"The Queen of the First Generation."
She spoke, her voice unwavering.
"The Shirairyu stood between gods and men. Their legend was their own. But today, we lay them to rest."
A young man stepped forward.
The Son of the Shirairyu.
His presence alone commanded attention.
He was strikingly beautiful, almost inhuman in his perfection, with silver-blue eyes that reflected the falling rain like mirrors.
A little older than Rin, but there was something ageless about him, as if he had already lived lifetimes.
In his hands, he carried a framed picture, walking forward in perfect silence.
Then, a rider appeared.
A man on horseback, cutting through the storm.
He wore a wide-brimmed hat, a cloak dripping with rain, and carried a cross-shaped sword.
His hawk-like eyes locked onto the Son of the Shirairyu.
"You dare disrespect this gathering?"
Silence.
Then—
The Son of the Shirairyu moved.
To an average human, he vanished.
To trained fighters, he moved faster than the mind could process.
In an instant, he stole two swords from a guard without them realizing it.
Then—
Clash.
A single strike against the Hawkeyed man.
The impact created a shockwave so sharp it snapped a normal guard's neck clean.
Sparks from the clash blinded two more men, leaving them screaming as blood ran from their eyes.
Then—nothing.
The Hawkeyed man simply stepped back, unfazed.
"He had to fight." His tone was casual. "To prove his place. There shall be no next Shirairyu."
Then, as if nothing happened, he turned and left.
As the tension settled, Rin felt it.
A gaze.
The Son of the Shirairyu was looking at him.
It wasn't just a glance—it was a test of will.
Aura weighed down on Rin, the kind that could crush the weak.
But Rin didn't falter.
This time, he wasn't moved.
This time, he had made a decision.
He would use all of them.
For his own goals.
The Son of the Shirairyu's expression didn't change, but—
For just a moment—
"Someone with the same gaze as that man?"
A flicker of recognition.
Then, without another word, the Son of the Shirairyu turned away, rejoining the elite figures, continuing his conversation as if nothing had happened.
As if Rin was just another piece in the grand game.
But Rin smirked.
"Not for long."
Away from the intensity, Valdo finally spoke.
"You asked about the wierdo I was in an argument with before," he said. "There are those in this world who only seek to expand territory. I disagree with them."
Rin tilted his head. "And what do you seek?"
Valdo chuckled. "Something else."
Rin reached into his suit, pulling out a small bottle.
"Then let's talk business."
Valdo raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"Try it."
Valdo took a sip. His expression changed immediately—first surprise, then satisfaction.
"...You made this?"
Rin smiled. "Based on the styles in Azra."
Valdo took another sip, then grinned, flipping a black card toward Rin.
"We'll talk business in the future."
Engine smirked, watching. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."
Rin simply closed his fingers around the card.
One step closer.
One step closer to the Sky.