Crimson : The Ghost Beneath the Rust (Part - 1)

"Sometimes, it's not the enemies in front of you… but the memories they awaken that are the most dangerous."

( In Previous Chapter...

Rai gets captured by some worst adventurers. Then they were saved by a women, Selene kaelith also known as the Silent Moon. After she killed the adventurers and the saber dragon... She turned back to the prisoners who are Rai, Marie and two kids named Rock and Lily. After some introduction. Suddenly a strong presence from Rai, Selene turned to Rai, stepping back and draw her sword from her sheath. Raising the blade slowly. With the piercing blue eyes that glowed like snowfire.

Her voice was sharp, cold.

> "Who... No... What are you?" )

Now presently...

The clouds swallowed the moon. Its light vanished like a dying breath. Even the wind fell silent. The trees, once whispering secrets in the dark, now stood frozen as if nature itself held its breath. Only one glow remained… The light of Selene's sword. It gleamed against Rai's face, exposing his calm but confused eyes, standing still… saying nothing. Selene's voice cut the silence like a blade.

Her eyes sharp, her sword steady near his throat.

Selene:

> "Who are you… No... What are you?"

Rai blinked. He didn't answer.

He looked stunned, lost, not because he was caught, but because… he didn't understand the question.

Just then, a voice broke the tension.

Marie stepping forward :

> "Mrs. Selene… please. What are you doing? He didn't do anything wrong!"

Selene without looking away :

> "Stay back, Marie. That man… I can feel something from him. It's not normal."

Marie stepped infront of Rai, voice sharp with desperation :

> "But he was caught like us! He helped me and the kids. He gave us food! He even tried opening the cage before they grabbed him too."

Selene in cold voice :

> "Anyone can pretend. Even monsters wear human faces."

Marie, her voice rising with anger:

> "He is not a monster... He is a human..."

Suddenly, two small voices joined in.

Rock says with little fear eyes :

> "Big bro isn't bad, sis! He tried to get us out!"

Lily joins his brother and says in tremble :

> "Y-yeah! H-he shared his fish with us… even when he had nothing!"

Rai's eyes widened slightly.

Their words echoed inside his mind.

"Big bro…?"

"They're… defending me?"

"They don't even know who I am... And still... They stood by me. Why? Why does that... Hurt more than hate?"

His chest tightened. Something warm built up inside him, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Tears silently touched the edge of his eyes. He lowered his head… and chuckled softly. It wasn't joy. It was the kind of laugh you let out when you're already broken. He looked up, tears still falling, and whispered.

Rai with broken voice :

> "You ask me who I am… what I am…"

> "…I wish I knew."

He took a slow breath. Then smiled gently, painfully.

Rai says with gathering his feelings from bottom of his heart with a small fake smile :

> "I'm just a mistake...."

> "A shadow trying to walk under daylight... And failing."

> "I'm no one. Just a name without a story… a face no one remembers."

His voice faded with each word. The smile didn't fade. But it was shattered… the kind that cuts instead of comforts. In mind he whispers:

"They stood up for me... And I can't even stand up for myself."

His voice cracked, almost too soft to hear.

> "I'm... nothing."

Selene blinked. For a moment, she saw not a monster but a broken boy stitched together by sorrow. His smile was broken, yet it reached her heart like a dull blade pushed slowly. Something in his words made Selene's fingers tremble. Her grip loosened for just a second. But a second was all fate needed.

The Begin of hunt :

The air shifted. Suddenly – The weight of the world dropped like a hammer. A pressure so heavy it made breathing feel like drowning. Rai's knees slammed to the ground. Marie clutched her stomach, falling beside him, vomiting violently. The two children beside Selene, collapsed into unconsciousness. Selene turned sharply, eyes widening, turn her back towards the presence. Two figures stood at the edge of the darkness. Wrapped in black cloaks, like shadows stitched to human forms.

Selene stepped forward, sword gleaming.

> "Identify yourselves!"

She ordered, voice like thunder in the night.

A mocking chuckle came from one of the cloaked figures.

> "Well, well… the Royal Knight Selene. One of the top five. Didn't expect to meet royalty in this graveyard of a forest."

Selene's heart froze mid-beat. They knew her. She was actually on a undercover mission, No one knows her true identity. Only couple of people who she met knows her identity.

> "How do you know my name?" She demanded.

> "And who are you people?"

The second cloak figure said nothing.

Just vanished. Not blinked. Not stepped.

Vanished. A heartbeat later, he appeared beside the unconscious kids, hand stretched out to grab them. Selene reacted on instinct. Her feet barely touched the ground as she surged forward like a gust of winter wind. Her sword arced silently – Silver light dancing like moonshine.

She whispers :

> "Silent Moon Style: Crescent Vein."

A flash. Steel sang. The cloak figure vanished again, reappearing beside his partner with only a thin slash across the fabric of his cloak. But Selene saw something. A mark. Burnt into the inner cloth of his robe. A crimson eye surrounded by three curved daggers. Her own eyes widened in disbelief.

> "You're… Hunters... But something is different."

Silence followed. Deadly. Unforgiving. Confirming everything.

> "Why are you after the children?"

Selene's voice broke slightly.

"They're just—"

One figure replies cutting her words :

> "None of your business, Princess,"

the first cloak figure cut in sharply.

> "They're marked. That makes them ours. Just stay out of it, dear."

Selene laughs bitterly and replies :

> "Then... why don't you try to take them while I am here..."

They both laugh and says :

> "You wish..."

Before Selene could respond, they both moved, this time together. Blades drawn. Air shredded.

Selene raised her sword to parry—

But suddenly...something fell.

Heavy. Fast. And loud enough to silence the battlefield.

BAM!!!

Between Selene and the two cloaked Hunters, something was landed with a crack of wind and dust. Before the dust even in air. A voice echoed :

> "Oi, oi…" he muttered, voice rough and with laughter mixed.

> "Two-on-one? And against a woman? That's not fair, you know."

Selene blinked in surprise. Rai's eyes widened.

A tall man from the dark forest walking in scene. He stood, back straight, coat fluttering behind him like a cape. His long red hair gleamed even under moonlight, tied messily with a black cord. The dust goes away, then there is a big red sword cracking the ground. He walked towards it. He dragged the massive curved sword from the ground with one hand. Its edge dented and rusted, yet deadly. He tilted his head lazily. Grabbing his sword behind him.

> "That guy… he's the one," Rai whispered.

The man turns to Rai in funny vibe :

> "Yo brat! Having fun..."

Marie clutched his arm.

> "You know him?"

Rai shook his head.

> " Yes... The one who tried to help me… when I was being beaten in the tavern. I don't know him. But I remember his hair. That red hair… like fire."

Then the red-haired man turned, eyeing Selene with a smirk.

> "It's been a long time, huh? Selene... Or should I say… Princess."

Selene narrowed her eyes.

> "Tomato-head. Still alive?"

He clicked his tongue.

> "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm not that easy to kill."

She smirked.

> "Still ugly as ever."

Then red hair man replies insulting her :

> "Still blue-haired and bossy, and full of yourself." he shot back, grinning.

Selene gets pissed and says :

> "Huh...? You wanna die... Tomato head."

Red hair man says :

> "Bring it on, Snowflake."

They both hit their heads and started quarreling with words.

Rai and Marie with confused and with funny expression :

> "What in the world is happening... A royal is acting indecently..."

But their banter ended abruptly.

Then suddenly —

> "Hey! Focus! Don't ignore us." the cloak figure snarled.

> "Who the hell are you, redhead? Another Royal dog?"

The red-haired man's smile vanished. He slowly hoisted the massive red blade to his shoulder with one hand, and tilted his neck side-to-side.

> "Nah," he said, voice suddenly cold.

> "I'm the one who makes dogs run with tails tucked." The wind howled. The forest seemed to listen.

Selene took a stance beside him, sword pointed downward, shining with silent light.

> "Ready?" selene asked.

> "Born ready," he replied, eyes blazing.

The two cloaked Hunters moved first. One throwing a chain-blade, the other dashing in with curved daggers.

> "I'll take the fast one," the red-haired man said.

> "I got the talker," Selene replied.

And then—

Clash!!

The forest exploded with sound. Sparks flew. Trees cracked. Chains tore the earth.

Selene twirled with blade spinning like the moon's reflection on a stormy lake. She parried each dagger, countering with deadly precision. The red-haired man wasn't graceful. He was brutal. He caught the chain mid-air and yanked it, pulling the cloaked figure off balance, then slamming his rusted blade down like a falling mountain. The cloaked figure dodged, barely. But not fast enough. A shallow cut ran across his chest.

> "You're both... insane," the cloak Hunter gasped.

The red-haired man grinned.

> "You think so... But the party is just getting started."

Rai and marie's eyes widened of the fight because they can't even able to follow their movements.

Marie whispers in shock :

> "Who is that man? He's keeping up with Mrs. Selene, The silent moon..."

Rai says :

> "I remember at tavern whispering like Crimson or something..."

Marie with shocked expression grabs Rai coller in excitement :

> "I-is it Crimson Ghost..? Did you hear that?"

Rai confused :

> "Cool down, marie... I think so..."

Marie replies leaving him :

> "Sorry... I got little excited... Because his name is kairo... Kairo Ignivar... Also known as Crimson Ghost. Some rumours says he is stronger than silent moon. But he was said to be died... What the heck is happening."

Rai surprises after listening to marie's words.

Then the fight gets intense between them. The ground is shaking. Everything is smashed. The air is filled with heaviness. It feels aura itself.

As they stop a little

Kairo says in surprised tone :

> "Woww!!! You are great... You are keeping up with me..."

Black cloak figure says :

> "Hoo... I feel honoured then... What about we get little serious..."

Selene says :

> "Serious... Haa... Then Let's have f—..."

Kairo little confused and asks cutting Selene talk in little funny:

> "By the way... Who the heck are you people..?"

Selene gets angry :

> "You basterd!!! Don't interfere during my dialogue... I will you once this is all over..."

Kairo says in funny tone :

> "Hey...hey... Take it slowly will ya... Don't get mad..."

She stares at him with a pissed expression.

She cools down and says :

> "They're Hunters..."

Kairo tone and vibe is changed it becomes serious :

> "Hunters... You say..."

Selene says :

> "They have marks like hunters... But something feels different..."

Kairo says in hard tone :

> "I don't care... It's time to become serious then..."

Cloak figures whispers :

> "Do you people completed your lovely conversation."

They both in frustrated tone :

> "Who the fuck are lovers, you shithead!?"

The figures whispers :

> "Why don't we play little with you... Showing how frightened we can be..."

Suddenly both the black cloak figures starts to read a enchantment. They are starting to release a spell. As The air compressed the aura and the energy flowing around the area where they fought and also from saber dragon, which Selene fought before. Even kairo and Selene felt the heavy load of the spell.

Selene says in hurry :

> "Kairo!!! Protect the kids... Take them away from here... I will take care of it."

Kairo in cold tone :

> "Selene... You go and protect them. Your body can't handle this spell even you stop it. Believe me... Just go..."

Selene in little shock looks at kairo and gives a little smile at him. And she whispers in mind.

"You were always like this... Even before... You keeps others safety at the first place."

Kairo turns at Selene where she is seeing him asks in confusion :

> "What are you staring at, women?"

Selene in little embarrassing face and tone :

> "N-not you... You shitty tomato head..."

She runs to Rai and marie. Rai carries rock and marie carries lily. Selene grabs both of them and jump to little far from the area where they can be safe and also Selene stands before them. She began chanting softly, blade in hand.

> "Silent Moon Style: Frozen Shield Arc."

She slashes the air, it become a big shield before them.

Rai asks :

> "What about Red hair man...? You have to save him."

Selene with a small smile says :

> "Don't worry... He is the strongest when anyone gets in trouble..."

Selene shouts at kairo :

> "All set Kairo... You have it..."

Listening this... Kairo places his hand on the rough hilt. Calm... But there's a storm underneath.

Kairo smiles :

> "All right then...."

"Finally... Made you wait for too long... Huh? Don't you agree... Kagu..?"

Kairo slowly pulls the blade free. Rust flakes fall like ashes. The metal groans, old and tired. But alive.

Kairo whispers :

> "Tch... Sleeping for years... It's time to hunt again..."

He raises the blade. Light breaks through the clouds. The rust burns off, not scraped, not shattered, but vaporized... like it was never real.

Underneath the rust – a polished black- steel, glowing cracks of molten crimson running through it like veins.

Now....

Kairo eyes glowing faintly red :

WAKE UP!!!

Kagutsuchi..!!

Suddenly, a burst of fiery winds explodes around him. His coat burns and a armour appears on his body with a mark on it. Trees bend. Ground cracks with heat. Air becomes heat even in midnight. The sword screams alive – not loud, not literal, but felt. Like it remembers blood. Like it's hungry.

The black cloak figures gets shivers by his aura.

One figure whispers:

> "It's him... It can't be... He should be dead... Years ago..."

The other figure asks in surprise :

> " Who is he...?"

Figure voice shivers :

> "I- I heard the elders talk about a ghost who was a devil himself... He was a man who single handedly destroyed a whole island and a big army of thousands..."

> "Who in the world are you!?"

Kairo rests his blade on his shoulder, smiling darkly.

Kairo with quiet menace :

"Let me remind the world...

Why they feared the Crimson Ghost..."

The Crimson Ghost... Has Awaken...

"The eyes in the shadows still watching... It's like waiting for something..."

......TO BE CONTINUED.......