Nato7

The Awakening: Around 150 years ago, a mysterious event known as "The Rift" caused a dramatic shift in the world. This event opened portals from another dimension, bringing Essences—mysterious and powerful entities—into the world. These Essences granted some individuals extraordinary abilities and set in motion a global conflict.

Essence Warriors: These are people who possess the power of an Essence, which can take various forms depending on the individual’s soul and affinity. Some are born with their Essence powers from birth, while others awaken them later in life. These warriors are ranked according to their power level, and the rankings play a significant role in their status, training, and missions.

Essence Reborn

The night air crackled with tension as Kazar Vale lunged once more, his massive crimson shield glowing with absorbed energy. Riku backflipped out of the shockwave's range, landing on a tilted streetlight, his eyes narrowed.

"That shield's like a battery…" Riku muttered. "He's saving everything I throw at him. But batteries overcharge. They explode."

Kazar slammed his shield into the ground, releasing another pulse that tore a crater through the street. "You're finished, boy. The next hit will turn you to dust."

Riku wiped a streak of blood from his cheek and smirked. "Then I'll just have to make sure your shield never gets the chance."

With a clap, Riku summoned three clones, all glowing with Essence. They darted in from different angles, each throwing rapid punches to Kazar's flanks.

The crimson shield flared, redirecting most of the energy. But Riku watched carefully. It was slowing down. The glow dimmed slightly. That was his opening.

In a blur, Riku appeared above Kazar and slammed his foot down, not on the shield — but into the ground behind it. The shock sent debris upward. Using that momentum, he spun mid-air and launched a concentrated burst of Essence through the tiny gap between the shield and Kazar's shoulder.

The force rattled the rogue, causing his defense to stagger for just a second — and that was all Riku needed.

"Overdrive: Phase 2."

In a flash of light and shadow, Riku's speed surged. He darted past the shield before Kazar could recover, landing a devastating combo of strikes directly to his core.

The Essence armor shattered. Kazar's shield dropped to the ground with a metallic groan, and the rogue dropped to one knee, coughing.

"You… broke through the Bastion..." he gasped.

Riku stood tall, breathing heavily but still composed. "I told you — no wall is unbreakable."

With the rogue incapacitated, Riku turned his back and walked into the smoke of the battlefield, vanishing into the shadows of the city.

Chapter 63: Bastion Breaker