Ren was limping at first, but with every step forward, his pace began to normalize. His limbs ached but his Drive Core remained stable despite the prolonged battle and the constant strain of energy output.
"You insects! I'm going to crush you all and turn you into a message for ZEAL!" Drake roared.
Ren ignored the threat. He began jogging slowly at first, then faster, gaining momentum with each stride as he closed the gap between them.
Drake roared and slammed his fists into the ground, tearing out two boulders with brute force. He coated them with his volatile orange aura explosive before throwing them toward Ren.
Ren didn't need anyone to shout a warning, his instincts knew what exactly what to do. He slipped past both boulders just before they struck the ground and detonated violently.
So he can weaponize the terrain like that? Terrifying, Ren thought.
Without slowing, he extended three fingers, his thumb, index, and middle then channeled Drive Core energy into a sudden burst.
In an instant, three lightning platforms small enough for his foot to land, sparked into existence, surrounding Drake in a triangle about three meters away. Ren leapt onto them without hesitation, zigzagging around Drake in an unpredictable rhythm.
The platforms only lasted a split second before vanishing, but Ren's training had sharpened his reflexes and output control. He was already generating new ones mid-air, always three at a time making him never miss a step. It looked like he was sprinting through the air fast and getting even more faster.
Drake roared, eyes clearly frustrated as he lost track of Ren's movements. He unleashed a barrage of explosive blasts in every direction to try and hit him, but none of them connected.
Ren upped his game, weaving thunderous slashes across Drake's body in a blur here and there. Sparks danced in the air as he moved faster and faster.
"You annoying mouse!" Drake roared, his muscles bulging with power as he began charging explosive energy. But then–
BOOM!
A green comet-like bullet slammed into Drake's chest, cutting his charge short.
"It's now or never, guys!" Seth shouted over comms.
"Sora! On three!" Ren called out.
Sora nodded and started preparing.
Ren struck twice, lightning flashing off his blade, and on the third strike, Sora threw her daggers, blazing with blue fire, perfectly synchronized with Ren's final swing.
"Burning Comet!" she shouted.
Ren leapt high into the air, coming down like a falling star. Everything moved too fast for Drake to register. But his instincts flared just in time, forming a barrier of explosive aura around him.
Sora's daggers hit first, pushing hard against the barrier, crackling as they fought to pierce it. The barrier held barely.
Then—
CRACK!
Ren's katana tore through the sky like a thunderbolt, lightning exploding from its edge.
"Blade of the Storm!"
The blade crashed down, shattering the weakened aura. Sora's daggers fell, but Ren's strike didn't stop. It drove straight through Drake's chest, the force behind it carrying Ren past him.
Ren landed behind Drake, staggering but still standing and his katana was sheathed with a soft click.
Drake stood frozen.
After a few seconds, he dropped to his knees and collapsed with a heavy thud.
"I-I-Is it over?" Miko's voice crackled through the comms.
"It might be…" Seth replied, still catching his breath.
Ren collapsed onto the rubble, face-up as a tired smile spread across his face. Sora approached and did the same, letting herself fall beside him.
"We really did it, huh?" she said, staring up at the sky.
"I guess so." Ren chuckled softly. "I hope the captain treats us to something once she gets the report."
"I sure hope so too…"
Seth descended into the crater and jogged toward them, smiling as he sat down beside the two.
"Good work, guys."
"Can we stay here a little longer?" Ren muttered.
"Yeah… I'm pretty much out of energy too," Seth agreed.
A moment of quiet washed over them until a sharp static sound buzzed in their earpieces.
The three glanced up.
Alen stood at the edge of the crater, wearing a sinister grin. He casually tossed the unconscious bodies of Kaela and Miko down into the pit.
"Hey! What the hell did you do to them?!" Seth shouted as he stood up.
"Oh, don't worry," Alen said with a smirk as he descended down the crater. "Just knocked them out. For now."
"A-Alen?" Sora struggled to her feet, leaning on Seth for support. "What's going on? What about that guy we ran into earlier?"
"Oh, him? Taken care of." Said Alen.
"But why did you attack Kaela and Miko?"
Alen laughed. "Are you really that slow? Did I really look like your ally all this time? I deserve an award for acting! Fooled even your so called prodigy."
He burst into hysterical laughter before continuing. "Who do you think tipped off Drake that you were coming? Well, he was useless for the experiment anyway so you guys just saved us the trouble of cleaning up."
"You bastard!" Seth muttered, loading his pistols and aiming them at Alen.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Alen said, pointing at the unconscious Miko and Kaela. "I could kill these two right now, no problem."
Seth gritted his teeth, unable to pull the trigger.
"So what now? You gonna hide behind hostages like a coward?" Seth provoked. "Too scared to fight three exhausted ZEAL members fair and square?"
Alen's fingers twitched. In a flash, razor-thin strings emerged from it and sliced both pistols into pieces.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Alen said, still smiling. "You're too weak to entertain me as you are. I'm just having fun."
What the hell? Seth thought. According to intel, he wasn't supposed to be this strong…
"Y-You…!" Ren muttered, his voice barely heard as he forced himself to stand up. His legs trembled, his vision blurred, and his body was on the brink of collapse after the relentless battle with Drake.
Alen's fingers twitched, threads glowing in the air. "Tch! This kid's still kicking? You can barely stand, you know?" he grinned, preparing to strike.
But before anyone could react, Ren's energy finally ran out. His knees dropped, and his body collapsed.
And in that same instant, a shadow appeared behind him. A firm hand caught him just before he hit the ground.
"You did well, kid," Shin Amano said softly, a calm smile painted on his face. "Now leave the rest to me."
"Well, well, well... perfect timing," Alen said, stepping forward with his strings glowing in the moonlight. "I've been itching to test my strength against you since I joined what? A year ago?"
Shin's smile faded. "I had a feeling you were a traitor. You were sneaking around our hideout a little too often, so I asked Gin to keep an eye on you." He paused. "Then he vanished. Right after I told him to follow you."
Shin's eyes narrowed. "So tell me one thing, Alen. Is Gin still alive?"
Alen smirked. "Well, if the chamber beneath this basement is still intact then yeah, maybe he's still breathing down there, barely." He chuckled. "But his Drive Core? Gone. Offered to that Core Bleed circle Drake devoured. What a waste. That Skullhead got a little too greedy."
Shin's gaze suddenly turned frightening. "Then it's settled. Come. I'll deal with you myself."
Without another word, Alen charged in, threads shooting from his fingers like solid lasers.
"Careful! Those things can cut through metal!" Seth warned, now carrying the unconscious Ren on his back.
Shin didn't flinch. A crushing gravity aura burst out from him in a pulse but Alen anticipated it, slipping through the pressure with fluid agility.
"Seen that trick a thousand times," Alen taunted. "You'll need more than that."
He leapt, forming a web of glowing strings in mid-air and launching them toward Shin.
"Net of Death!"
But in a flash, Shin vanished.
He reappeared above Alen and drove a powerful kick into his back, sending him crashing into the ground and cracking the floor beneath.
Before the dust could settle, Shin unleashed a surge of dark violet gravity, slamming it down like a meteor.
The smoke cleared. Alen was pinned, coughing blood and unable to move under the immense pressure of Shin's gravity field.
"Let me go!" Alen screamed.
"Sure."
Shin released the field.
And just as Alen gasped for breath, Shin dashed in, grabbed him by the neck, and threw him into the air.
Shin snapped his fingers. A whiplike energy of gravity lashed out from his fingers, grabbing Alen mid-flight and slamming him back to the ground with immense force.
Alen groaned as he coughed blood again. "Enjoy this victory! The Shikkoku and the Fangs will come for you! No, for the whole ZEAL!"
Shin slowly walked toward the beaten Alen and grabbed him by the neck. "Yeah, that's good. That means I won't have to look for them." With one final motion, he slammed him back to the ground with crushing force, knocking him out cold.
"What destructive power…" Seth muttered in awe.
"Yeah… I'm just glad he's on our side," Sora added.
Moments later, the sound of rushing footsteps and triumphant shouts echoed from above. Backup had arrived, one of them dragging the unconscious dreadlocked enemy over his shoulder.
They all gathered around the massive crater, looking down at the scene below where Shin Amano stood victorious with the squad.
"Victory is ours! They have defeated Drake!" Shin shouted, raising a fist into the air. "Ward 11 is now reclaimed!"
The others erupted into cheers, their voices roaring with pride.
Squad 7 helped Squad 4 back on their feet. A few moments later, Miko and Kaela had finally regained consciousness, both visibly shocked after being filled in on everything that happened.
Meanwhile, Ren was fast asleep, completely drained, peacefully snoring as Seth carried him on his back.
As the cleanup began, Squad 7 conducted a sweep of the surrounding area. Deep beneath the collapsed station, they discovered a hidden chamber. Inside were dozens of unconscious civilians, individuals suspected to be Awakened. Among them was a familiar face.
"Ging…!" one of the Squad 7 members called out, rushing over.
It was the missing squadmate Ging, presumed lost. Thankfully, all the captives were still alive. They were unconscious, but their pulses were steady.
As for Alen, he remained unconscious, both arms tightly restrained. He was taken into custody as a prisoner for interrogation by squad 7.
Shin approached Sora with a calm but firm voice. "Leave him to us. Squad 7 will handle the questioning and pass along anything we learn."
Sora nodded, her eyes lingering on Alen's motionless body. "Alright. Just don't go easy on him."
Miko stepped closer to the faded remnants of the Core Bleed circle etched into the ground. Though it was inactive thanks to Drake absorbing its power, he recognized it immediately. A cold chill ran down his spine as he pulled out his device and snapped a picture.
He knew exactly what this was.
With the perimeter secured and the mission marked a success, the combined forces of Squad 7 and Squad 4 regrouped and made their way back to their vehicles. As they rode toward Ward 1, pride gleamed on their weary faces.
The battle had been brutal. Every member bore bruises and cuts, a mark to the vicious fight against the Skullframes. All except one. Shin Amano, who remained composed and unscathed, as if the chaos hadn't touched him.
When they reached the gates of Ward 1, the two squads parted ways. Shin sat on the roof of one of the pickup trucks with his legs crossed casually. He raised a hand and waved goodbye to them.
Back at Squad 4's apartment complex, Warden Aeri stood waiting at the doorstep, her expression was a mix of worry and relief. As the team stepped out of the vehicle, battered but smiling, they approached her.
"We're back, captain," said Sora with a tired smile.
"Yeah. Thank you for your hard work," Aeri replied softly.
A moment of silence passed between them, filled only by the quiet hum of the night.
Then Aeri spoke again, her voice light. "Well, looks like the new guy really gave it his all, huh?"
"Yeah," Miko nodded. "He landed the finishing blow, after all."
Aeri's eyes softened. "Kaien would be so happy to hear that."
She turned and gestured to the door. "Now go inside and get some rest. We'll get on with the reports tomorrow."
The others headed inside, laughter and weary footsteps fading into the apartment.
But Miko stayed behind.
Aeri noticed and turned to him. "What is it, Miko? Something wrong?"
Miko hesitated, then pulled out his device and showed her the photo he had taken earlier.
"The Core Bleed Circle we found, it's identical to the one from the Corruption Project. The same one ZEAL wiped out a decade ago," he said with a serious tone. "And from what happened earlier, it looks like the Shikkoku and the Fangs are right at the center of it."
Aeri's eyes widened. "That can't be…" She took a long breath, her expression worried. "I'll report it to the Leader immediately. If they're involved… a new war might already be on the horizon."