Chapter 23: Ember City Massacre – Part 5

Katsu was still on the ground, struggling to process everything happening around him. The sky was red, the city was in ruins, and the stench of blood filled the air. His battle with Caleb had already left him battered and exhausted, but now, something even more unexpected had happened.

The Resistance had appeared.

Caleb, still fuming, charged toward the man leading the group, his stone-coated fists clenched tight.

"You damn pests!" he roared, his muscles tensing as he launched himself forward.

The leader, a towering figure dressed in a black hood, stood motionless. His spiky black hair shifted slightly in the breeze, and his lifeless eyes barely seemed to acknowledge Caleb's existence.

Then, in a single swift motion—

WHAM!

The man grabbed Caleb's head mid-charge, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Katsu's eyes widened in shock. Caleb, the sadistic fighter with stone durability, was being held in place like a mere child.

The hooded man effortlessly lifted Caleb, then hurled him into a nearby building with such force that the entire structure collapsed on impact. A cloud of dust and rubble erupted into the air as Caleb vanished beneath the debris.

Katsu swallowed hard.

Who… is this guy?

The man turned toward Katsu, his lifeless eyes locking onto him. His footsteps were eerily calm as he approached.

Katsu instinctively crawled back, his body aching from the fight.

But the man didn't attack. He simply stopped and stared down at Katsu.

"Why are you hesitating?" he asked in a cold, emotionless tone.

Katsu was too stunned to respond.

"The only way to rank up…" the man continued, his voice unwavering, "is to take the badge of someone stronger. And the only way to do that—"

He paused, letting the words linger.

"—is to kill them."

Katsu felt his blood run cold.

The man turned away, motioning for the Resistance to move out. Without another word, they vanished into the ruined streets, their battered flag swaying in the wind.

Katsu sat there, his hands trembling.

Kill someone?

Was that really the only way?

His gaze shifted toward the rubble where Caleb had been thrown.

Had Simon… done this before?

Was this what it meant to be a Ranker?

For the first time since he started this journey—he wasn't sure he wanted to continue.

But before he could process his thoughts, a low, guttural growl echoed from the rubble.

CRASH!

Caleb staggered to his feet, his entire body covered in cracks and bruises. His stone armor was barely holding together, and blood dripped from his forehead.

"You… bastard…" he snarled, his breathing ragged.

He turned his hateful gaze toward Katsu.

"I guess I'll air out my anger on you, then!"

Caleb let out a furious scream and charged once more.

⸻

Meanwhile, in the western district, the battle between Simon and Bethalamoew raged on.

Both fighters were evenly matched, trading devastating blows that sent shockwaves through the crumbling city. Bethalamoew's cybernetic enhancements gave him an edge in raw power, but Simon's speed and combat instincts kept him one step ahead.

Each clash shattered the ground beneath them, causing explosions of debris with every exchange.

But suddenly—

Simon paused.

Bethalamoew, mid-strike, hesitated.

"Why did you stop?" the cyborg asked, his red eye flickering.

Simon exhaled slowly, then raised his hands.

His black gloves—which had been on since the start of the battle—began to loosen.

"You know…" Simon muttered, his voice turning cold.

"The only reason you're still standing… is because I've been holding back."

Bethalamoew's eye narrowed. "Holding back?"

Simon nodded, rolling his shoulders.

"My gloves," he said, flexing his fingers. "They're made to suppress my strength—cut it in half, actually."

A moment of silence.

Bethalamoew's cybernetic mind processed this information. "Then why wear them?"

Simon's expression darkened.

"Because," he said, slipping the gloves off one by one,

"I don't have full control over my power."

The moment the gloves fell, a sudden shift in the air took place.

A white aura erupted around Simon's body, cracking the ground beneath him. The atmosphere grew dense, the sheer pressure making it harder to breathe.

Bethalamoew took an instinctive step back.

Simon smirked as his aura flickered wildly, pure raw energy coursing through his veins.

"The city's already in chaos…" he muttered.

"So I guess… I might as well go all out."

His golden eyes glowed intensely, and with a sudden burst of speed—

Simon vanished.

Bethalamoew's scanners barely had time to react before—

BOOM!

Simon's bare fist slammed into the cyborg's chest, sending him flying through five buildings in an instant.

The ground beneath Simon's feet completely shattered from the impact.

Simon cracked his knuckles, his aura flaring up.

"Playtime is over."

To be continued…