Renji stood frozen, eyes wide, as warm blood spread across the torn floor. The pierced bodies of the tavern's patrons lay in a grotesque display, like discarded dolls of flesh. The sharp stench of iron, the smoke from the stove, and the steam of death blended into a suffocating haze.
His hands trembled on the hilt of the broken sword. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, as if every inhalation was stolen by force. His knees weakened, but he could not fall. His gaze locked on the colossus rising from the ground, a demon covered in black spikes, curved horns, and red eyes burning like living coals.
And then… the demon laughed.
A deep, guttural roar shook the air, rumbling in Renji's chest like a cursed thunder. The tavern walls cracked, and bottles on the shelves trembled under the echo of that laughter.
— "I did not expect you to be here…" the voice echoed, heavy and metallic, "not after what happened to you."
The words struck Renji harder than any claw. What… happened to me? he wondered, his heart pounding in his ears.
His breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he remembered the sensation of death, that sudden end, that cold extinguishing, as if life itself had been ripped from his chest. He remembered that… he had died. No strike, no visible wound. Just the end.
And now… the demon spoke of it.
Renji stepped back, eyes fixed on the beast, his voice escaping barely as a whisper:
— "What… what do you mean? What… do you know about me?"
Confusion tore him apart. He did not know if he was dreaming, alive, or trapped in a circle of death. And the demon, laughing before him, seemed to hold the answers he did not dare to seek.
— "Your scent cannot be hidden. I recognize it anywhere. The old mark… the old stain that never fades. Did you think you could escape? That no one would notice that you failed?"
Renji's stomach clenched. He's talking about me?!
He grasped his necklace instinctively, feeling the cold metal in his palm, not even realizing why. His eyes remained locked on the colossus staring at him with hatred and hunger.
— "You… you know nothing about me!" he shouted, trying to bury fear under anger. "I have nothing to hide!"
The demon laughed again, his roar shaking the tavern beams.
— "No matter how you try to hide, your imprint does not vanish. I have always felt it. And here you are, once again before me."
Renji was lost. He could not understand the creature's words, yet each one pierced him like a blade. He heard them, but could not connect them. Only one thought consumed him: What does he know about me? What does he want from me?
The demon stretched his massive claws toward him, his voice hissing with contempt:
— "Did you think you could remain hidden forever? Ha!"
Sweat streamed down Renji's face, his soul torn apart, as he raised the broken sword. He tried to stop the trembling, but his eyes betrayed his terror.
He's talking about me… about me and my death… It can't be anything else.
The demon suddenly lifted his spike-covered arm, shaking the floor. his claws dug into the wood and, with monstrous force, ripped it from the ground. Planks exploded through the air, and Renji dove aside, narrowly escaping the deadly strike.
The shriek of shattered wood blended with the pounding of his heart. He rose quickly on one knee, but his sword was useless, the broken blade trembling like a shard of glass against a mountain.
"Ubik… save me!!!! This is my last chance!" he thought desperately, his entire body freezing.
— "Too weak…" the demon growled, lunging with outstretched claws.
Renji rolled across the floor, feeling the spikes graze past his ribs by a hair. He scrambled up and, without looking back, hurled himself toward the tavern door.
The wood creaked, then harsh daylight struck his face. Renji burst outside, breath ragged, every fiber of his body screaming to flee farther.
But behind him came a roar from hell. The demon howled, launching black, spike-covered spears from his arms. The air whistled, and four spears slammed into the ground just steps from Renji, blasting up dust and stone.
He dove aside, rolling into mud. Another spear whistled past, tearing through the mane of a horse left in the street. He staggered up, knees weak, and ran again, but the demon was already behind him.
— "Run as much as you want…" the deep voice thundered. "You are not even my target."
Another massive arm slammed down, but Renji dropped flat at the last instant. The spikes shredded the stone wall beside him, spraying debris in every direction.
Renji gasped, clothes soaked with mud and blood. He limped forward, but managed only two steps. The demon lunged, his claw raking his right leg.
Agonizing pain exploded like lightning. A sharp talon ripped through muscle, blood spurting onto the wet ground. Renji screamed, losing his balance and collapsing.
The broken sword slipped from his hand. His body convulsed, breath spasmodic.
When he looked up, the giant towered above him. his shadow smothered him, red eyes blazing like torches, fangs bared as if waiting for the order to tear him apart.
Renji lay on the ground, leg shredded, the demon looming directly over him.
Suddenly, a roar pierced the air. From behind Renji, a massive arrow drove deep into the demon's chest. his heavy claws froze for an instant, then his body was hurled backward in a thunderous crash, shattering earth and stone.
Renji shook his head, eyes wide with shock. His breath came ragged, blood streamed down his arms, his mangled leg throbbed with agony, yet survival instinct pushed him forward. He ran as far as his body allowed, desperate to escape the hell struck before him.
But his legs gave way. He collapsed, gasping, struggling to rise, but pain and exhaustion chained him down.
A broken scream, filled with terror, struck him harder than any spike.
— "RENJI!!!!!!!!!!"
Renji flinched, breath ragged. Through the dust and chaos, he saw an archer. He recognized him as the man who had once asked him for food in the village where the fisherman saved him, wearing the same cape.
His wounds burned, his torn leg held him down, the broken sword trembled uselessly in his hands. He tried to rise, but the pain dragged him back to the ground.
The demon was not far. his massive claws shook the earth, black spears flew again, and Renji, helpless and weaponless, had no way to resist. He rolled, dodging some strikes, but his wounded leg betrayed him, slamming him face-first into the dirt, pain surging through thigh and knee.
The demon loomed again, red eyes blazing with fire. Renji gasped heavily, the broken sword lying only inches away.
— "Renji! Run! Don't stop!" the archer shouted, his voice commanding.
Trapped between the giant demon and the wounds that held him down, Renji barely breathed. The demon hunched over him, ready to strike. Every fiber of his body screamed to flee, but he could not.
Suddenly, the archer rushed forward, closing in on Renji. His bow shone, red energy pulsing like a living heart, though Renji did not know what it meant.
— "Renji! Get back!" the archer commanded.
In the next moment, the archer released his arrow. It fused with the air, glowing red-violet, like fire and shadow entwined. The arrow exploded into a wave of energy that tore through the ground, scattering stones and dust, and struck the demon directly.
The demon raised his claws to block, but the arrow's force ripped through, shaking his body and hurling it back several meters, overturning furniture and tearing pieces from the tavern's front.
Renji lifted his gaze, terrified yet fascinated. He did not understand what kind of arrow it was.Taking advantage of the demon's confusion, the archer stepped closer to Renji, ready to defend him and give him a chance to rise, but the broken sword and his mangled leg still left him extremely vulnerable.
Renji felt adrenaline and hope pulse in his chest, but he knew the battle was far from over. The demon was already rising, his red eyes burning and locking onto him once again.
His body trembled with fury. Its claws struck the ground, and from its giant palm erupted a massive fireball that flew straight toward Renji. Red light seared the air, the heat hitting him violently. His wounded leg held him nearly paralyzed, his heart pounding wildly.
Suddenly, the archer fired another arrow. It streaked like lightning, exploding just in front of the fireball, breaking it apart in a burst of pure energy. Flames scattered into waves of sparks and smoke, and Renji remained untouched, eyes wide and breath ragged.
The demon roared in rage and lifted his arms, preparing to strike again. The explosion of the arrow had thrown it off balance for only a few seconds, enough for the archer to close in on Renji and open a window for escape.
Renji felt adrenaline burn through his chest, but he knew the next attack could be fatal. The demon was more dangerous than ever, and he was wounded and nearly helpless.
The archer glanced quickly, then tossed a sword toward Renji. The blade landed firmly in his grasp, and Renji leaned on it, forcing himself to rise. His leg trembled under the weight of his wounds, but the sword gave him a point of support and a fragile sense of control.
— "Lean on the sword and get out of here! Move as fast as you can, don't stay here!"
Renji felt the sword heavy yet steady in his hands, a support that gave him a sliver of control. He lifted his gaze to the archer, then to the battlefield ravaged by the demon, every fiber of his body trembling with fear and pain.
For a second, Renji's heart froze. He had run for so long… left everything behind. How would he avenge Airi and Miyu if he kept running? But now something shifted. He no longer wanted to flee. He no longer wanted to be just a shadow among victims and monsters.
His eyes locked on the demon, the sword in his hands becoming an extension of his will. Step by step, he approached. He stopped in front of the beast, feeling his wounds and fear transform into pure determination.
The demon arched his claws, striking down toward Renji, red eyes blazing with fury. The archer pulled back, powerless, unable to fire another arrow without hitting Renji who stood directly in front of the monster.
Renji felt his breath cut off. The demon was a heartbeat away from cleaving him in two. Instinct and courage seized control. He crouched suddenly, raising the sword and striking at the demon's legs.
A tearing roar echoed. The massive claws shook, and the demon staggered, falling slightly backward. Renji, heart hammering wildly, remained on his knees, staring at the monster that for a moment seemed vulnerable.
It was the first step toward battle, the first signal that he no longer fled. Now, he was ready to face it all.
Seeing Renji's move, the archer quickly released two arrows that pierced deep into the demon's arms. The arrows stuck, binding the giant limbs temporarily and limiting his movements. The demon roared furiously, trying to rip them free, but the momentum now shifted to Renji and the archer.
Renji lifted his gaze, eyes blazing with resolve. His wounded leg throbbed, but the sword in his hands became the extension of his will. His breath came ragged, but his mind was clear.
— "I've run enough…"
Renji lunged forward, sword raised, and struck with all his strength and resolve. The blade cut clean, and the demon let out a howl of agony that turned into a scream of pure pain. The massive body split, dark blood spraying across the battlefield. Dust and shattered wood filled the air, but Renji stayed focused, eyes locked on what mattered.
The demon, though mortally wounded, was not ready to fall. With his last strength, it began murmuring a dark, malignant incantation. Black energy pulsed around it, shaking everything nearby. Stones and wood fragments rose into the air, a wave of destruction gathering, threatening to annihilate them both.
Panic rose in Renji's chest, but Kaizen's words rang in his memory: "Destroy the stone inside it. Everything ends only if you destroy it."
He lifted his gaze and, through the chaos and smoke, saw the stone glowing on the demon's chest, pulsing with ominous energy. His heart thundered, time itself seeming to compress.
Without hesitation, Renji drove the sword deep into the stone. His light erupted in a blinding burst, and the demon's scream twisted into the sound of finality. The wave of dark magic shattered, debris and dust falling slowly like a heavy cascade.
Renji, breathing hard, stayed on his knees, sword clutched tight, chest heaving from strain and tension. The tavern was devastated, but the demon was slain, the stone destroyed.
For the first time, Renji felt he was no longer running. The fight was won, at least for now.
He remained kneeling for several seconds, breath heavy, as dust and wreckage settled around him. The demon's corpse lay lifeless before him.
He drew a deep breath and slowly rose into a guard stance. His wounded leg throbbed, but his eyes were steady, focused. He looked toward the archer who stood behind him.
Renji, his voice trembling yet firm, asked:
— "Who are you… and how do you know me?!"
The archer studied him for a few seconds, his eyes sharp and unreadable. Silence hung heavy, broken only by creaking wood and the fading murmur of spent energy.
Renji felt adrenaline still burning in his veins, but knew this was the moment for answers. His gaze stayed locked on the archer, waiting for the truth that could change everything.
The archer raised his hands slightly in a calm gesture, though his eyes remained serious.
— "Eris sent me after you," he said.
Renji frowned, suspicion flashing across his face. Every beat of adrenaline still hammered through him, his mind racing.
— "Eris…? And you… you're a bounty hunter, aren't you? You want to take advantage of what I've dragged behind me, and that's why you helped…" Renji said, voice tight, tense, as if every move of the archer could be a trap.
The archer raised an eyebrow and answered calmly:
— "No, Renji. This isn't about bounties. Eris received a letter… from an old friend of hers, and she told me about you. She was worried for your safety when she read it."
Renji stared at him with distrust, his heart still racing. The thought flashed through his mind: Sensei told me about her… All of this is thanks to him. Sensei knew I would need help…
Renji's gaze sharpened, voice trembling with both fear and suspicion.
— "And what does that have to do with you?"
— "She told me to help you," the archer continued. "To make sure you reach safety. Nothing more. No bounty, no hidden motive. Just to keep you safe."
Renji stayed silent for a few seconds, eyes scanning every movement, every detail of the archer. His heart raced, but part of his suspicion began to mix with fragile gratitude.
— "And you think I can trust you?" Renji muttered, more to himself than to the archer.
The archer looked at him calmly, a faint smile barely crossing his lips.
— "You don't have to trust me. But for now, we're on the same side."
Renji gripped the sword tighter, still ready for anything, but a slight calm seeped through his veins. For the first time after all the chaos, he was not completely alone.
— "By the way, my name is Tiberku."