Mason faced Kane with a cold smile on his lips. The wind around him roared like a wild beast, lifting dust and debris from the ruined battlefield.
— I heard you and my brother hate each other. — Mason raised his chin arrogantly. — Why don't you join me and we destroy him together?
Kane arched an eyebrow and laughed mockingly.— Don't make me laugh. I'm not the kind of hero who betrays just to kill another hero. Especially not someone like Ryan.
Mason sighed, disappointed.— What a shame… either way, I was going to kill you anyway.
In an instant, the Crown of the Tempest – Level 2 awakened. Hurricanes surged around him, ripping the ground apart, tearing entire buildings as if they were dried leaves. The central district of Hero City was swallowed by colossal whirlwinds, forcing Kane to move at top speed.
Kane's crimson eyes gleamed. His body seemed to glide through space, anticipating every movement. The slashes of wind, the tornadoes, even Mason's hidden attacks — all failed.
Mason narrowed his eyes.Impossible… he's not reacting to what he sees. He's reacting to what I feel.
Kane smiled confidently.— It's impossible for you to defeat me, thanks to the Crimson Reflex.
📖 AUTHOR'S NOTE:Crimson Reflex is like a psychic echo. It's not vision, it's sensation. The user doesn't predict movements but rather intention, fear, hesitation. A preventive defense based on emotion.
Kane shot forward at high speed, his blade cutting the air into dozens of slashes. Mason was hurled against a building, swallowed by dust. But when the gray curtain fell, the young Valeborn emerged, eyes glowing with an inner storm.
— So that's the secret… — Mason whispered, raising his hand. — Not bad for a boy my brother's age. Unlike him… you're interesting. Tell me your name.
Kane hesitated for a moment but replied:— Kane. Kane Jayson.
Mason smirked coldly.— Mason Valeborn… pleasure.
Violent winds echoed, ruining the central district even further. Lightning split the skies.
— Then I'll beat you now, and after that, I'll beat your brother. — Kane dashed forward, swift as a shadow.
Mason gritted his teeth and unleashed his full power.🌀 Crown of the Divine Tempest.His hair turned silver, floating with the rarefied air. Ethereal wind dragons rose around him, roaring — each one a living embodiment of the storm.
Kane narrowed his eyes and let his antimatter aura surge.— Crimson Reflex + Antimatter… I'll end this quickly.
The ground quaked. The two collided.
🌀 Cyclone Winged Dragons
Mason's wind dragons detached from his body, charging in multiple directions. A tornado hunted him, a hurricane roared overhead, and a whirlwind cut at his feet. Kane dodged many, but not all.He was struck. Blood dripped from his lips.
Mason advanced, triumphant.— I figured it out. The secret is to have no intention. But too bad… you'll still die.
He raised his hand for the finishing blow. That's when a shadow intercepted him.
Mason's hand was stopped by a tall figure with a scarred face, foxlike eyes, and golden irises. A cursed katana gleamed in his other hand.
— Hey, who do you think you are, beating up one of my comrades like this? — the man said firmly.
Mason smirked cynically.— Oh… Judas has returned.
Zen Kagetsuni sighed, exasperated.— How many times have I told you I'm not Judas? Whatever… Hey, Kane, can you still stand?
Staggering, Kane spat blood.— Don't underestimate me.
Zen nodded.— Good. Give me five minutes and I'll crush this bastard.
Mason narrowed his eyes, enraged.— I'll make you swallow those words.
Zen smirked provocatively.— Shut your mouth, bastard.
The word pierced Mason like a blade. His aura erupted, consumed by rage.— You'll pay for every word that came out of your filthy mouth, worm!
Zen bit his thumb, tracing a seal on the ground.🩸 Shadow Contract: Absolute Predator Mode.His orange aura burst, his muscles pulsed, and the entire field trembled.
🌪️ Throne of the Heavens – Judgment of the Tempest
Mason raised his arms. The wind dragons merged into a colossal cyclone, a storm king-dragon covering the horizon.The sky split open in green.Gravity shattered.Buildings, stones, even nearby oceans — everything floated into the air.
The dragon collapsed upon Zen and Kane.The impact tore the air from their lungs, shattered bones, shredded flesh with invisible blades of wind.A sepulchral silence reigned.
But Zen was still standing.🕸️ Predator's Trap – Hunting Zone.A cursed field sealed the space.— Welcome to my lair, Mason. Kane… now!
Kane gathered energy, the darkness of antimatter in his palm.— Jayson's Collapse!
The black sphere engulfed Mason. His aura was devoured, his powers disintegrated. When the sphere vanished, Mason crashed to the ground, gasping for air.
— NOOOOOO! — he screamed as memories assaulted him.
🌧️ Flashback — Mason's Mother
"Mommy, is Daddy coming home soon?"Little Mason, with shining eyes, smiled at his mother, Mia.
She answered tenderly:— Yes, dear. Your father is a very busy man… a great scientist.
Mason clapped his hands, excited.— When I grow up, I want to be a scientist like Daddy!
Mia's smile was warm, but there was something hidden behind it.
One day, Mason heard screams.— Alfred, how could you?! You lied to us… you have another family! Another son!— Mia, let me explain…— No more lies, Alfred! We're leaving!
The days grew darker. His mother's eyes lost their shine.And then, the tragedy.
Mason came home and found Mia with a pistol in her hand.
— Mom…?
Tears were already streaming down her face.— Forgive me, dear…
The gunshot echoed.Blood stained the floor.Mason fell to his knees, screaming until his voice broke.— MOM, NOOOO!
Years later, he saw Ryan at the Hero Draft, being celebrated.Hatred and pain blended inside him."That bastard and my father… they were the cause. I swear, Mom. I'll avenge you in your name."
🌑 Back to the Present
Wounded, bloodied, Mason looked up at the sky.— I… lost… Damn it. I won't achieve my greatest goal.
Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the rain beginning to fall.
Kane raised his hand for the final strike.— It ends now.
But Zen stopped his arm.— No. He's already defeated. That's enough.
Mason collapsed unconscious.
In the darkness of another place, Kairon and Tyrus faced each other.Tyrus was on his knees.On the throne, Kairon observed him coldly.
— You know why I summoned you here, Tyrus.
The scene froze. The chapter ended with Tyrus silent, bowed before the Emperor.
⚡ End of Chapter 83