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Chapter 22 - Episode 22 - Clash in Riverlands ( Part 2)

The Clash Deepens

The river raged like a wounded beast, churning against the warriors' boots. What once was a lifeline of water now stretched into a battlefield—a stage painted with mist, splashes, and blood.

Kaen's blade arced through the air, steel screeching as it met the masked warrior's sword. Sparks flew like fireflies, briefly cutting through the fog.

His chest heaved. Sweat mixed with river spray, dripping from his chin.

(Inner monologue):

"My arms… they're getting heavier. Every strike is draining me. But I can't stop. If I fall, everyone else follows. No… I won't allow it."

Lyra (shouting): "Kaen! Left side!"

Kaen twisted just in time. The warrior's blade came crashing down like thunder, narrowly missing his shoulder. He blocked, knees bending under the force, metal grinding against metal.

The shock ran through his arms. He nearly stumbled—but he didn't.

Across the rippling water, Riku's voice rang out like steel:

Riku: "Don't break formation! If you scatter, he'll tear us apart. We live as one, or not at all!"

Their breaths fogged the air. Their blades sang. The squad warrior advanced slowly, each step deliberate, relentless.

And yet—he said nothing.

No taunt. No command. Only silence.

A silence so heavy it pressed against their chests, telling them without words: You cannot win.

---

Daren's Brute Force

Kaen ducked under another strike, the blade screaming past his ear. Water exploded upward, droplets slicing his face.

But before the warrior could follow through—

Daren roared. His voice shook the riverbed.

Daren: "You think we're afraid of you?!"

He lunged forward, his great weapon gripped with both hands, veins bulging across his arms. The river seemed to bow under his step.

Steel collided. The warrior's blade met Daren's in a catastrophic impact. The sound cracked the mist like thunder, the force spraying the team in water.

Daren slid back a step, boots carving through riverbed stone, but he held. His teeth ground together, muscles screaming.

(Daren's thoughts):

"My body's built for this. I'll take the brunt… so they don't have to. I'll be the wall. I'll be the shield. If I fall, it better be with my fists still swinging."

The warrior tilted his mask slightly—like an acknowledgment. Then, with a surge of inhuman strength, he shoved Daren backward.

Daren staggered, boots skidding. But he didn't collapse. He slammed his weapon down, forcing himself upright, eyes blazing.

Kaen (gritting teeth): "Daren—hold him steady!"

Daren (snarling): "Try and move me!"

His roar split the mist as he braced for another strike.

---

Fin's Awakening

Behind them, Fin trembled. His short blade quivered in his hands, his knees nearly buckling beneath him.

His eyes darted between Kaen's relentless clash, Daren's roar, Lyra's agile movements…

And himself.

(Fin's inner voice):

"What am I even doing here? I can't keep up. One mistake and I'll die. Everyone else fights like they belong… but me? I'm just… useless."

Then—disaster.

The squad warrior's strike slipped past Daren's guard, a silver blur cutting through the mist, aimed directly for Lyra.

Lyra (eyes widening): "!"

There was no time. No one could reach her.

Except—Fin moved.

He didn't think. His body acted. He hurled himself forward, crashing into Lyra, shoving her aside. His blade rose in a desperate arc.

Steel screamed against steel. The force rattled his bones. His arms shook so violently he thought they would snap.

But—he held.

Fin (screaming): "I-I won't let you touch her!"

The warrior's masked gaze fell on him. A flicker of interest? Or disdain? It didn't matter. Fin's legs quaked, his breath ragged—but his feet did not move.

Lyra (softly, stunned): "…Fin…"

Kaen's voice roared across the river, a rare fire sparking in his eyes.

Kaen: "Good! That's it—fight with everything you have!"

Fin's body shook. His palms bled against the hilt.

(Inner monologue):

"If I run again… if I cower one more time… they'll die. I'll lose them. And if I lose them… I lose myself."

His fear didn't vanish.

But it stopped controlling him.

---

Kaen's Instincts

The warrior knocked Fin backward, tossing him aside like a broken branch.

But that heartbeat of distraction—was enough.

Kaen surged forward. His blade flashed through the mist, his steps swift, his body moving with a rhythm he didn't recognize—yet felt right.

Riku (watching, eyes narrowing): "That stance… it's not something he learned. It's something… buried. Something inherited."

Kaen's blade cut low, then twisted upward, a crescent of steel forcing the warrior back. Water sprayed as the masked man's boots slid against the river.

Kaen's chest heaved. His hair clung to his face, droplets sliding down his jaw.

(Inner monologue):

"This feeling… this hunger. My blood is burning. It's like something is waking inside me… something ancient."

The warrior tilted his mask slightly, as though he, too, recognized the shift.

---

The River Runs Red

The clash reached its crescendo.

Blood dripped into the river—Daren's arm slashed, Fin's palm sliced open, Kaen's side grazed. The current carried crimson downstream.

But none of them retreated.

Lyra (fiercely, eyes blazing): "We're not prey anymore!"

She hurled a dagger, the blade slicing across the warrior's mask, leaving a shallow scratch.

The warrior's head turned.

Kaen lifted his blade, shouting with all his breath:

Kaen: "Together—now!"

They struck as one:

Daren swung with brute force, veins bulging as his weapon crashed down.

Lyra slashed, fast and precise, her movements a dance of steel.

Fin thrust desperately, a raw scream tearing from his throat.

Kaen struck last, his blade tearing across the warrior's chest.

For the first time—the warrior stumbled. His knees hit the river, water rippling outward.

But he didn't fall.

The mist swirled around him, curling like a living shroud. Slowly, his form dissolved into shadow.

Riku (whispering, pale): "…He's not dead. He retreated."

The silence that followed was deafening. Only the river spoke, carrying their blood away.

---

Ending Scene – Quiet Resolve

One by one, they collapsed on the riverbank, their bodies trembling, weapons hanging limp.

Fin stared at his trembling hands. His chest rose and fell violently. His lips parted, his voice hoarse:

Fin: "I… I fought. I actually fought…"

Lyra knelt beside him, her hand light on his shoulder. Her smile was small, but real.

Lyra: "And you saved me. Never forget that, Fin."

Fin blinked rapidly, tears threatening. He nodded once, biting his lip.

Daren spat blood into the river, his grin fierce despite the gash across his arm.

Daren: "Hah… now that's a fight. Damn near broke me in half… but I'm still standing."

Kaen sat quietly, blade across his lap, his breathing ragged. His eyes lingered on the fading mist where the warrior had vanished.

(Inner monologue):

"That wasn't victory. That was survival. If just one of them nearly broke us… then how many more are waiting in the mist? And when they come… will I be ready?"

The river roared. The screen faded to black.

The sound of rushing water lingered like a curse.

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