Akachigripped his blade, blocking another strike. 'Damn, she's got not only unbreakable defenses and spacial awareness, but her strength is that of Captain-Rank user!'
Their have been about a couple of S-Rankers, mainly cause of how affected the world had become from revenant. But through a transcended understanding of revenant and enlightenment. Revenant users can surpass S-Rankers and achieve the 3 ranks of a type of transcendent.
Captain:
The beginning of ascension—a pivotal stage where a character starts to break free from conventional limits and forge their own mythic path. It's not just a military or leadership title—it's a symbol of awakening, of someone who has begun to touch the edge of the impossible.
Omega:
A Rank that represents a level of power that transcends all known limits. It's not just a step above S-Rank—it's a qualitative leap into something mythic, cosmic, and reality-defying.
Echelon:
A tier that goes beyond Omega, not necessarily in raw power, but in dimensional complexity, strategic influence, or metaphysical significance. It's not just about strength—it's about transcendence, command, and existence on a higher plane.
Akachi had heard of it before from Kenzo. Hell, Kenzo is the first to become an 'Echelon' it's on of the reasons why Nexus has remained untouched for so long.
Akachi's skin crawled as he dodged another vicious attack from Lìhuì, but just barely.
Satsujin sat atop a rooftop, looking at the fight.
*Ding!
He dug into his pocket, taking out a smart phone and read a text from someone named: Maeko
"I'm in position. But are you joining?"
Satsujin replied to the text. "No, Kenzo's already keeping tabs and searching for me. But he would never expect the supposedly dead Maeko would attack that bedridden bastard."
On the other side of conversation, Maeko and Yami were smiling at the text messages. "Looks like we can get that rematch we've been waiting for darling~"
Yami smirked at Maeko before kissing her deeply. "Seems that way my love."
Kodak keeps his calm demeanor, focusing on the output, efficiency, quality, and even quantity of his circulation process.
Kuroi, Kiko, and Fūshuku watch him, studying and seeing if any mistakes were happening.
Kiko then spoke up, directing it towards Kuroi. "He passed the basics with no difficulty whatsoever. I think he needs to go into the process of condensing his kinetic energy core." Her tone filled the room with a beautiful and peaceful feeling.
Kuroi then looked back towards Kodak, seeing his head starting to sweat. "Seems like you're pretty determined on going too far woth your training."
Kodak's eyes were closed, yet aware. "I'll be fine. I can unravel my pathways afterwards. Plus, time is five times faste in my mindscape. It'll be worth it."
Kuroi's brow frowned in disapproval. "Are you wanting to get stronger for your own benefits? Or are you doing it for those you deemed worth protecting?"
Kodak then opened his eyes, revealing a color of both purple and red. The crimson kinetic energy then crackled from his body, and Kuroi shook his head. "Don't be an idiot Kodak. If we fight each other while you're in this weakened state from endless training. The mindscape will forcefully kick you out."
Kodak's hand then crackled. "I don't fucking care. If you even think of questioning my reasoning for pursuing strength. I will cut you down."
Kuroi raised his hands, trying to prevent the scuffle from occurring. "Kodak, stop this nonsense! Or do you want to disappoint Fumiko-"
[Artifact: Ryūjin has been summoned!]
Red and blackened sparks of kinetic energy crackle from beneath Kodak's feet, revealing a small rift formed from the energy.
Kodak then extends to grab something within the rift, but before he could do anything a warning from system flickered in front of him.
[Combat Sense is detecting two threats!]
Kodak then disappeared as the same message appeared from Kuroi's perspectives.
Kuroi's eyes widened at the names, more so shocked in than horrified.
Kiko and Fūshuku looked at him confused. "What's happening?"
Kuroi exhaled a breath of stress. "Maeko and Yami, their back and alive stronger than before!"
Kodak then woke up, looking at the messages from the system.
[Destructive Battle Arts can't be used due to your time in mindscape, give it time to heal!]
[Cooldown: 2 days!]
Kodak looked at the message, annoyed. 'Great, looks like my artifact, 'Nagomi' is gonna be out of commission until the cooldown. Not to mention the D.B.A Formations and Soulfire skills I forged in the mindscape. So that leaves basic revenant skills amped by the kinetic formations I still can use.'
Kodak looked around the empty room, listening and looking for anything. But as he exited his room, he was met by the horrible site of numerous amounts of murdered guards.
'Looks like these were the guards I heard about Kenzo leaving to protect me. I can tell their around the lower tiers of S-Rank. Seems like my opponent, or opponents aren't to be taken lightly.'
[Left flank. Another Behind!]
Kodak tensed his legs, feeling revenant coursing through his body as he launched himself out of the hospital window.
'Such a murderous presence! And this revenant... Is it those two I killed before!?'
Kodak then lands hundreds of yards away from the hospital, finding himself in an empty part of town. 'They're not attacking?! Then what are they doing?'
[Skill: Wingless Flight!]
[Kinetic Charge has multiplied your flying capabilities by 200%]
Kodak flies through the air as he feels the intense wind pressure feeding his kinetic energy pool. He stopped before speeding up into the air, far from any civilians.
"I KNOW YOU'RE HERE, MAEKO AND YAMI!"
Sick laughter filled the dark blue sky of the night. Kodak's senses and spacial awareness focused on trying to detect and find the twisted couple.
"COME ON!"
[Artifact: Ryūjin has been summoned!]
The same rift opens as Kodak pulls out a longsword with a blackened blue blade. "Charge, Ryūjin."
The blade then turns completely black as his eyes become completely red, over taking the purple in his eyes.
"I know you're there so come on out!"
[Innate Skill: Ruler's Aura!]
Kodak's body is then covered in a black shade of red kinetic revenant.
Maeko and Yami then appear, revealing themselves finally.
"Long time no see Kawanari boy!" Maeko shouts while wearing a cocky grin.
Kodak just looked at her and Yami beofre asking his question. "How the fuck are you even alive?"
Maeko rolled her eyes. "I can absorb and control blood on an atomic level. You think I could just regenerate my head?"
Kodak then gestures towards Yami. "Then how are you alive? I destroyed your entire upper half of your body with a up close bkast of revenant."
Yami chuckled, unimpressed. "Simple, Satsujin revived me after the fight you had in Nagano with the other revenant killers."
Kodak's eyes widened in shock. 'Seems like Satsujin's evolving with revenant. Just like me and the others.'
Kodak's grip on Ryūjin tightens as he glared at his opponents. "I expect that's the only info I'll get out of you bastards?"
Maeko shrugged. "More or less."
Kodak rubbed his temple with an intense glare. He thought about his options.
He pondered on the circumstances held against him. 'No backup, contact, or even near anyone.'
Blackened sparks of red radiates from Kodak as a smile spread across his face. "Pulse, burst, and crash."
Maeko rushed at Kodak, coming from the left side. Her silent and slick movements mad it quite difficult for Kodak to even track her.
But as she moved faster, Yami clapped his hands, creating a wave of black smoke.
[Innate Skill: Shadow Maw!]
The smoke covered for miles and miles, blinding Kodak's vison. He could feel his other sensory skills like 'Combat Sense' weren't being able to detect anything.
He knew he needed to get out of the vast area of the blackened smoke.
'I can't even see my own hands, not to even mention that the faint traces of Maeko's blood manipulation are being masked.'
Kuroi took his astral form, trying to see what he could see to help Kodak. It was difficult even for him, but his perception detected something behind Kodak.
He yelled out to him, trying to warn his disciple. "BEHIND YOU!"
Kodak's head jerked around as he could see just a few feet in front of him. The blackened blade he held that radiated red sparks of kinetic energy.
"COME ON THEN!" He shouted with an aggressive roar. He wanted them to come at him. He wanted to kill them again.
[Kinetic Energy Pool has reached 75%]
He smirked as he saw the blue screen from the system light up from his perspective. "Looks like I'm ready."
Kodak dug his feet into the ground as he saw multiple pairs of red eyes and jagged silhouettes. It was like monsters were in the fog.
But as Kodak was ready to take on those monsters, blood leaked from his face and he felt sharp cuts and wounds appearing on his body.
He then heard laughter from Maeko echoing through the smoking fog. 'So those monsters are distractions. Nothing worth worrying over.'
Kodak then felt a blade getting closer to him. He smiled as he slammed his blade 'Ryūjin' into the ground, knocking around sparks of red kinetic energy across the battlefield.
[1st Kinetic Formation: Charge and Burst Impact!]
Bolts of the kinetic rain down from Ryūjin.
The red sparks flare up, dispersing the black fog. But the energy doesn't stop there.
[Innate Skill: Siphoning Recharge!]
The red energy comes back towards Kodak, and begins to course through his body at a faster pace than normal.
His vision slowly comes back, revealing a beautiful glow of dark red bolts of eneegy shimmering around his body.
The cold wind of the night then flows through Kodak's long hair.
Yami claps his hands again, ready to cast the same move. But as he claps his hands, he then sees Kodak in front of him.
Maeko then looks back to see Kodak about to swing down his blade.
"YAMI MOVE!"
[Innate Skill: Surging Blood Blitz!]
Maeko launches off the ground with blood, sending her at Kodak at such speeds that it catches Yami off guard.
But he ducks as Kodak is tackled to the ground, and his blade is knocked out of his hands.
Kodak's hands lights up with kinetic energy as he tries to escape Maeko's grapple.
[Innate Skill: Echo Shroud!]
But then Kodak begins seeing multiple version of her and they all had traces of a black smoke tracing around their body. Their outlines of their bodies had a flickering appearance. Anyone of them could be the real one.
The multiple clones of Maeko then punch Kodak over and over. Ones landing against his face, liver, gut, and even the back of his head.
He looked back over where Yami was, and saw him using a blackened fog around his hands.
He glared him as the punches to the back of his head begin to overlap.
Yami's hea then screams in pain. His nose then starts bleeding. He wipes his nose, trying to push through the intense pain.
His thought raced as he saw Kodak standing up as the clones got weaker and weaker with their punches.
Kodak's body charged with Kinetic energy as he yelled, "GET THE FUCK OFF!"
[3rd Kinetic Formation: Pulsing Wave Dash!]
His legs flexed with the crimson color of kinetic energy, shrouding his legs completely.
A burst of kinetic energy then radiated in his eyes. Almost like a spark. A spark of conviction.
Kodak then speeds forward, tearing through all the clones at once, and tearing away at tue ground.
The first one was punched a single time, being instantly obliterated. While the second clone was slammed into the ground and stomped on, destroying it immediately.
The other clones then tried to jump Kodak from every direction possible. But he then just disappeared, and reappeared holding Yami by his throat.
Kodak then spoke to him as the clones around disappeared from the concentration Yami had lost.
"You're fucking done."
The Maeko then appeared from above, and jumped at Kodak with her blade.
[Artifact: Thirsting Fang!]
But Kodak kicks her away as he pulls his fist back, embued with kinetic energy. He began punching Yami in the face, over and over. His anger was being released as he yelled at Yami again.
"DID YOU REALLY THINK I'D LET YOU BOTH TAKE ANOTHER HUMAN LIFE, YOU DAMN MONSTERS!"
Yami's face then smirked. "Gotta.. Dumbass"
[Innate Skill: Shadow Maw!]
Dark, jagged monsters then swarm Kodak, biting, and tackling him.
[2nd Kinetic Formation: Wave Burst!]
The monsters then disappear as Kodak stands up. "You're an idiot-!"
Kodak's knees fell to the ground. His legs could move, an his arms went limp. And worst of all, he couldn't even scream or speak.
He was completely paralyzed. 'Damnit! I have to do something, anything. If only I could use Destructive Battle Arts!'
Yami then began healing. His body envelopes itself in a glow of dark energy. His face healed and his wounds closed up completely with no traces of further injuries. "Damn, you still are hard to takedown. And that passive healing factor makes you even harder to damage, much less kill you. But once were done here, Satsujin will use that artifact he found in Nagano to kill that old uncle of yours. It'll be nice and slow."
His tone mocked Kodak's weakness, it mocked his carelessness. It mocked him, down to the last molecule in his body.
He hated that weakness.
Yami then looked to his right, seeing Maeko rushing at the downed Kodak.
"Looks like she's your problem, and lemme tell ya. Never make a woman see he lover in pain. Or that she's got cake makeup."
Kodak's head smashes into the ground as Maeko's hand palms the back of head, slamming it over and over. Again. Again. Again.
Kodak's face drips with blood as he looks behind, seeing Maeko's twisted grin across her beaten and battered face.
Maeko then grabbed the back of Kodak's hair, and leaned into his ear. "Once we kill you, we'll go after the boss's kid, making his death slow and painless. Hell, we might kill that Fujimoto boy, but he's probably captured by now."
Kodak's eyes flared up as his face healed instantly. He wanted to move but he couldn't.
[Kinetic energy is at 93%]
Kodak ignored message.
Maeko's eyes then light up with joy. "Oh, maybe we could kill that Fumiko girl. I mean maybe Yami and I could have some fun with her. Doesn't that sound nice, eh Kawanari boy?"
Kodak's anger then surged through the roof. His mind screamed, yelled, and begged for him to move.
Kuroi looked at him with hopeful. While Fūshuku and Kiko yelled at him to get up.
"GET UP KODAK, PLEASE!" Kiko pleaded as she looked at Kodak with sorrow. Her eye tearing up as she thought back to all the fond memories she had with him, Kuroi, and even Fūshuku.
Fūshuku then slammed his fist on a walll of the mindscape. "DON'T GIVE UP GODDAMNIT!"
Kodak then heard their pleading and sorrow for him. He felt their needs and wants coursing through him. But most of all he felt the unthinkable.
He couldn't even consider letting down Fumiko, Akari, Ashiro, and Kenzo. He had a life to live, friends to laugh with, a family to avenge, and even a girl that he had repaired relations with and was planning for something more.
"LIKE I'D GIVE SO FUCKING EASILY!" He shouted out loud, scaring Maeko with the crimson color shade in his eyes.
[Conditions met: Crushcore Implosion!]