chapter 54:The Black Path

Chapter 53: The Black Path

A Choice Made

Rin's fingers twitched on the hilt of his dagger. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, lungs burning from the chase. The man before him—tall, poised, unreadable—waited with an extended hand, his dark coat barely shifting despite the dust-filled air. His silhouette was stark against the dim emergency lights, as if the tunnel itself had birthed him from shadow.

Explosions rumbled overhead. The Voz mercenaries were still searching. The scent of burning metal and scorched concrete filtered down through unseen cracks in the old infrastructure, a grim reminder that time was slipping away.

Beside him, Hudson shifted, his stance tense. "Kid, you sure about this?"

No. He wasn't.

But staying here wasn't an option.

Rin took a slow step forward, locking eyes with the stranger. He could feel the weight of his own decision pressing down on him, like unseen hands gripping his shoulders.

"If I walk this path, there's no turning back."

Still, he reached out.

"Lead the way."

Lazarus Vale—if that was his real name—smirked, his extended hand lowering as if satisfied with Rin's choice. "Good choice."

With a push, the old iron door groaned open, revealing a vast, abandoned underground railway. The tracks stretched into the abyss, barely visible under the flickering emergency lights. Water dripped from unseen cracks above, and the air carried the stale, suffocating scent of mildew, rust, and something older.

A ghost of a forgotten past.

They moved quickly, their footsteps swallowed by the cavernous space. Every instinct in Rin screamed to stay alert. His wounds ached, his muscles tight with exhaustion, but he forced himself forward. Hudson trailed behind, muttering complaints but staying close, hand never far from his pistol.

Lazarus walked ahead, silent, his stride effortlessly smooth. Not rushed. Not wary. Just… aware.

It unsettled Rin.

Minutes passed in near silence. The distant explosions above faded, swallowed by the depth of the tunnels. That should have been reassuring.

It wasn't.

Rin's instincts prickled.

The air had shifted.

A presence lurked in the dark, just beyond their sight.

A whisper of fabric. The faintest scuff of boots on stone.

Rin's grip tightened.

Then—

Movement.

He barely dodged the blade aimed at his throat.

The assassin melted from the shadows—silent, masked, precise. A phantom in the dark.

Hudson swore, yanking his pistol free—

Two more figures darted forward.

Lazarus exhaled, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Of course."

Then he moved.

A blur. A silver arc.

His sword—so fast it barely seemed real—sliced through the air, severing one assassin's tendons before they could react. The masked figure collapsed without a sound, body jerking as they tried and failed to move. The second leaped back, but Lazarus was faster, pivoting smoothly and driving the hilt of his blade into their ribs. The impact sent them crashing into the tunnel wall.

Hudson fired twice. The gunshots echoed like thunder. The third attacker twisted away, narrowly avoiding the bullets, but Rin was already closing the distance.

A feint. A quick step inside their guard.

His dagger flashed, deflecting their incoming strike—

Then he drove his knee into their stomach.

The assassin barely faltered.

Rin didn't hesitate. The moment their stance broke, he slashed across their chest, the blade biting deep.

But—

No scream. No hesitation.

The masked figure barely reacted to the pain.

They weren't here to kill.

They were watching him.

That realization sent a chill down Rin's spine.

Then, just as quickly as they had appeared, the assassins vanished, retreating into the tunnel's depths.

A test.

Lazarus exhaled, wiping his blade clean on the fabric of a fallen assassin's sleeve. His expression didn't change. "Persistent."

Hudson scowled. "You wanna explain what the hell that was?"

Lazarus turned to Rin, studying him.

"They were testing you."

Rin narrowed his eyes. "Who are they?"

Lazarus's smirk didn't reach his eyes. "The Seven Crowns."

The name sent a ripple through Rin's thoughts. He had never heard it before.

But the weight in Lazarus's voice meant he should have.

Hudson crossed his arms. "Never heard of 'em."

"You wouldn't have," Lazarus replied. "They don't belong to the underworld you know. Not the Voz. Not the Balotelli. The Seven Crowns rule from the dark, pulling strings even the most powerful fear."

Rin frowned. "And what do they want with me?"

Lazarus's smirk deepened. "Not dead, apparently."

That wasn't comforting.

The tunnel stretched on, leading them deeper into the underground. Finally, they reached an old security checkpoint—a remnant of a Voz outpost, long abandoned. The rusted metal door groaned as Lazarus pushed it open, revealing a small but intact control room.

"You're safe here," he said. "For now."

Rin leaned against the wall, exhaling. His wounds burned. His body demanded rest, but his mind was still reeling.

Hudson rummaged through an old cabinet, tossing Rin a half-used med kit.

"Patch yourself up," Hudson muttered. "You're still bleeding all over the damn place."

Rin caught it, wordless. As he worked, he kept his gaze on Lazarus.

The man was too calm. Too prepared.

"You knew we'd be attacked," Rin said.

Lazarus met his gaze. "I suspected."

Hudson scoffed. "Great. Love working with cryptic bastards."

Lazarus ignored him. Instead, he turned to Rin, his expression shifting—serious now.

"You don't understand your place in this yet."

Rin tensed. "Then explain it."

Lazarus studied him, then spoke.

"The Shirairyu weren't wiped out by accident."

Silence.

Rin's breath hitched.

Lazarus continued, voice low. "You're not just some kid trying to claw his way back to Sky City. You're a piece on a board much bigger than you realize."

Rin's hand clenched around the bandages in his grip.

He had spent his life fighting to survive. Pushing forward, not understanding why the world seemed determined to bury him.

Now, someone was telling him it was planned?

He gritted his teeth. "Who's pulling the strings?"

Lazarus tilted his head. "You already know."

A name flashed in Rin's mind—

The masked man who took everything from him.

The one who killed his mother.

Zord.

Lazarus watched him, then smirked.

"Now you're starting to get it."

Before Rin could press further, a distant explosion rumbled from above.

Hudson sighed. "City's still on fire. Great."

Rin exhaled sharply. He had learned enough for now.

But there was one thing left to do.

It was time to report to his teammates.

He pulled the old comm device from his pocket, turning it on.

Static. Then—

Engine's voice crackled through.

"Rin?"

Rin exhaled. "I'm alive."

A pause. Then—

Engine chuckled.

"About damn time."

Rin glanced at Lazarus. The pieces were moving.

And he was in the center of it.

For better or worse.

To be continued.