Chapter 21: Ember City Massacre – Part 3

Katsu wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands trembling slightly as he stared at the man before him.

Caleb Be.

A well-known newbie Ranker with a reputation drenched in sadism. Unlike most up-and-coming Rankers who sought fame through strength, Caleb sought something else—the thrill of torture.

His wicked smile stretched from ear to ear as he cracked his knuckles, stepping over a pile of corpses like they were nothing.

"You've got some nerve, brat," Caleb sneered. "Punching me like that? You think being a Ranker means you can play hero?"

Katsu gritted his teeth. The things he had seen since the attack began—the senseless bloodshed, the suffering, the fear in the eyes of innocent people—it was breaking something inside him.

He clenched his fists.

"…What does it even mean to be a Ranker?" Katsu muttered under his breath.

Caleb tilted his head, then burst into laughter. "What kind of stupid question is that?" His body hardened, his skin transforming into solid stone, the texture rough like hardened concrete. "Being a Ranker means being strong. Means doing whatever the hell you want. Means you get to crush the weak."

Katsu lunged forward, flames bursting from his fist.

He swung with all his might—but the impact barely made a dent.

Caleb didn't even flinch.

"Pathetic," Caleb sighed, before grabbing Katsu by the arm and slamming him into the ground with bone-crushing force.

Katsu coughed blood as the street beneath him cracked apart.

"You don't get it, do you?" Caleb said, kneeling down and grabbing Katsu by the hair, lifting his face up. "Your flames? Your attacks? They're all useless against me." He let go and stood back up, rolling his shoulders.

"My body scales all the way to an apartment-level."

Katsu's mind raced. That meant Caleb was physically stronger than him. His attacks wouldn't work.

Caleb smirked, stomping on Katsu's stomach. Katsu gasped for air, trying to roll away, but Caleb grabbed his leg and swung him into a nearby building. The structure collapsed on impact, burying Katsu under tons of rubble.

As dust filled the air, Caleb let out a disappointed sigh.

"Come on now, is this really all you've got?"

Beneath the rubble, Katsu clenched his fists.

He had to get up.

But even as his body screamed at him to move, his mind still lingered on the same question—what did it mean to be a Ranker?

And was he even meant to be one?

⸻

Far across the city, the western district burned—its towering factories reduced to metal graveyards, its transport lines shattered by the force of the attack.

A gust of wind blew away the dust as Simon Shepard emerged from the wreckage.

His coat was torn, his gloves stained with blood, but his eyes—those cold, golden eyes—burned with something far more dangerous than pain.

"…That was quite the punch," Simon muttered, cracking his neck. "Guess I should start taking you seriously."

Bethalamoew stood a few meters away, his massive 7'9 frame casting a monstrous shadow across the ruins. His cybernetic arms hummed with energy, steam rising from the impact of his previous attack.

"You're still standing?" Bethalamoew muttered, rolling his metallic shoulders. "Good. I was afraid you'd be boring."

Then he vanished.

Simon's eyes barely caught the movement—Bethalamoew's speed was insane for his size.

BOOM!

The cyborg's fist came crashing down, but Simon twisted his body at the last second, narrowly avoiding the impact. The ground beneath him exploded, sending a shockwave that shattered nearby windows.

Simon countered immediately—his fist shot forward like a bullet, slamming into Bethalamoew's gut.

The cyborg barely moved.

"…Is that all?" Bethalamoew asked, unimpressed. Then he grabbed Simon's arm.

Simon barely had time to react before Bethalamoew swung him across the battlefield, smashing him through three buildings.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Simon skidded to a stop, coughing out dust as he wiped his bleeding lip.

"…I really hate fighting tanks," he muttered.

Bethalamoew cracked his metallic knuckles. "Don't worry," he said, taking a stance. "I'm more than just a tank."

Simon grinned. "Good. Then I don't have to hold back."

The two charged at each other again—their clash shaking the entire district.

⸻

Deep in the heart of Ember City, the massacre raged on.

But Chad Kawasaki ignored it.

His footsteps echoed against the stone walls as he descended into the tower at the city's center—a hidden shrine buried beneath generations of history.

The deeper he went, the heavier the air became.

Finally, he reached the bottom.

And there it was.

A massive shrine, ancient and untouched by time, standing in eerie silence. Blood dripped from above, pooling around its base.

Chad's lips curled into a grin.

"So this is it, huh?"

He took a step forward, the blood rippling beneath his feet.

"Let's see what secret you've been hiding all these years, Ember City."

To be continued…..