Chapter 36 – Ember City Massacre - Part 17

Wind howled as Chad and Sir Endrick continued their brutal battle.

Chad, moving like a whispering breeze, effortlessly danced between Endrick's devastating stone attacks. Every punch, every kick was enhanced by his air-based abilities, giving him an edge in speed and fluidity.

Endrick, however, was unyielding. His mastery over earth kept him firmly rooted, his strikes heavy and crushing. Each attack shattered the ground, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

Chad darted forward, his hands swirling with air currents, aiming for a rapid series of strikes to overwhelm Endrick's defenses.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each hit connected, but Endrick barely flinched.

He stomped the ground, sending a wave of jagged stone spikes erupting in a semicircle around Chad.

Chad, grinning, leaped over the attack with ease.

"You're slow, old man," he taunted, twisting mid-air and launching a compressed air bullet toward Endrick's head.

Endrick raised his arm, a stone shield forming just in time to block the impact.

But as the dust settled—

Chad's ringtone echoed.

He blinked in surprise.

The sudden break in combat made Endrick hesitate for only a second.

Chad reached into his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, then turned back to Endrick.

"Hold on a sec. I gotta take this."

Endrick's eyes narrowed.

And then—he charged.

"Like hell I'll wait!"

Before Chad could react, a beam of energy shot past him, striking Endrick dead in the chest and sending him crashing into a wall.

Chad turned—Bethalamoew's single eye glowed faintly.

Chad chuckled. "Nice save."

He picked up the call.

A voice on the other end spoke.

"Head to the Ember Tower. We'll pick you up from there."

Chad's lips curled into a smirk. "Understood."

Endrick gritted his teeth, pushing himself up. His eyes burned with fury as he enclosed Bethalamoew in a prison of solid rock, trapping him.

Then he turned back to Chad, lunging forward for a final strike.

But—

Chad vanished.

SLASH.

Before Endrick even knew what had happened, his vision flipped.

Everything spun—the sky, the city, the battlefield.

Then—blackness.

His head hit the ground.

His body stood still, motionless.

Chad, standing a few feet away, held his blade out, dripping with blood.

He looked down at Sir Endrick's severed head.

Bethalamoew's stone prison crumbled, and Chad reached down, grabbing the head by the hair.

He slung Bethalamoew over his back and held Endrick's head in his free hand.

Chad smirked.

"Things are about to get interesting."

Then—he walked toward the Ember Tower.

⸻

The clash between fire and lightning continued, their battle growing more ferocious with every second.

Achtur's blade sparked violently, his strikes faster and deadlier.

Katsu, now fully engaged, countered with his blazing fists, dodging the crackling swordplay while delivering explosive counterattacks.

Their movements were so fast that the air itself burned and crackled from their powers.

Achtur lunged forward, sword raised—

Katsu ducked, then uppercut him with a fire-coated fist.

BOOM!

Achtur was sent flying, but before he hit the ground, he twisted mid-air, kicking off a broken building and launching himself back at Katsu.

He spun, his sword coiling with lightning, then slashed downward.

Katsu crossed his arms in defense—

ZAP!

A powerful shockwave erupted, sending both fighters flying in opposite directions.

Katsu skidded to a stop, his hands burning, while Achtur landed hard against a pile of rubble.

Both were breathing heavily.

Then—

They realized something.

They had fought their way to the base of the Ember Tower.

Before either could react—

BOOM!

Something slammed into Katsu, knocking him face-first into the ground.

"Ow! What the hell?!"

A familiar voice groaned.

Simon.

Simon had been thrown into Katsu by sheer force, landing directly on top of him.

Katsu's muffled screams of annoyance were drowned under Simon's weight.

Simon, lifting himself slightly, muttered, "Relax. I'm not that heavy."

Katsu kicked him off. "Get off me, you idiot!"

Achtur, standing nearby, looked stunned when he saw Simon.

The mysterious man, still standing calmly nearby, analyzed the situation.

Achtur clenched his fists. "You brought reinforcements?"

Katsu, still catching his breath, snapped back, "I don't even know that guy! I only know Simon!"

Simon, now standing, dusted himself off and looked at Achtur.

His expression changed.

"You're from Colnite City, aren't you?"

Achtur's eyes narrowed. "So what if I am?"

Simon smirked. "I saw some Colnite knights earlier. In my fight, too."

Achtur tensed. "What happened to them?"

Simon's smirk widened.

He didn't answer.

Achtur's rage exploded.

His body surged with electricity, his eyes glowing with fury.

"BASTARD!"

He charged, his sword crackling with unstable lightning—

SWOOSH!

Simon side-stepped, then kicked Achtur aside effortlessly.

Achtur crashed into the rubble.

Simon sighed, then looked at Katsu.

"You look depressed. What, did you finally kill someone?"

Katsu's body stiffened.

His mind flashed back to Caleb's face.

The moment he ended his life.

His hands shook.

Simon, watching his reaction, only smiled.

Katsu, after a pause, asked, "Simon… have you ever killed anyone to rank up?"

Simon tilted his head. "Obviously."

Katsu's eyes widened. "What…?"

Simon laughed. "Why are you acting surprised? When I told you I killed Reznor, you didn't react like this."

Katsu stared at him in shock.

"I thought you were joking. I didn't think you… really killed him. Why didn't you tell me we had to kill to rank up?"

Simon shrugged.

"Because you would've given up."

Katsu's breath hitched.

His fists clenched.

"You're seriously telling me… we have to kill?"

Simon scoffed. "Don't be a baby. It's just one kill. It doesn't matter. You'll need more if you wanna survive."

Katsu gritted his teeth.

He was about to shout—but—

A calm voice interrupted them.

"Enough. Stop fighting like children."

Akiko stepped forward, her presence immediately shifting the tension.

Her gaze hardened.

"What's below the Ember Tower will shock you."

They turned.

The tower's core had split in two—a blinding light shining from within.

Above it, a message—written in blood—hovered in the air.

「王や戦士,ランカーたちによってではなく,サンギュイン・パクトの子たちによってのみ主張されるだろう.」

Simon and Katsu couldn't understand it, but they knew it was a clue to the Stone Mask.

Akiko pulled out a map in a bottle.

"The directions to the next clue," she said.

Katsu's eyes widened.

"That's the bottle I got from the Mystic Ocean."

Akiko smirked.

"I took it while you were asleep."

Then—a slow clap.

Chad approached, carrying Bethalamoew on his back.

He tossed Sir Endrick's head forward.

Achtur, seeing the severed head, let out a scream of pure rage.

Lightning exploded around him.

His body began glowing.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

To be continued…