Chapter Title: Treachery's Bloom
Theme: Soundscape to Ardor
The air was thick with tension burning rubble still smoking from the aftermath of battle. Inside the shattered remnants of the gala hall, blood dripped steadily from broken chandeliers, shattered glass sparkled beneath the dying light, and silence reigned for a heartbeat… until it was broken by a voice.
"Little sister…" Silas Moraku's voice rang with venom and dark amusement as he stepped forward, the edges of his cloak soaked with blood, his cleaver weapon made of blood dragging across the ruined marble. "You're always following me around like old days, Boo. No matter how many times I cut you down, you just keep clawing back with that disgusting existence of yours."
Asger stood across the debris-strewn hall, blood seeping from her lip, eyes blazing.
"And once again," Silas continued, eyes twitching with that familiar madness, "you've decided to defile me by standing with the Sovereign Union Hunter Association? The very people who chained us, dissected us like monsters, and discarded us like rotten meat? You now protect them?"
"I found salvation, Silas," Asger said, her voice soft but unwavering. "And I wish you would too."
"Bullshit."
The word cracked through the air like a gunshot. Silas raised his hand, fingers spread wide.
"Enough of this nonsense. I shall eradicate you today for you shall sin no more."
He raised his head, eyes glowing with violent intent. "Voremortis… arise."
A pulse of crimson blood burst from behind him—WHOOOOOOM—and from the swirling vortex of red mist, the demonic shadow known as Voremortis emerged. Its hulking, malformed body twisted into existence, dozens of fanged mouths snapping in excitement, blood-soaked tendrils writhing with anticipation.
Asger's eyes narrowed. Her feet shifted. And in an instant—
BOOOOM!
They vanished.
A blur. A crash.
CRACK!
Fist met face. Silas' punch slammed into Asger's cheek at the same moment her fist collided with his jaw. The resulting shockwave sent both of them skating backwards, boots grinding against broken tile.
Silas rolled and came up snarling, blood trailing down his lip. "Father was the most useless man alive. Gave you the family uniqueness —you! When it's me who deserved them! I'm better than you, Asgerrrrrrrrrrr!"
Veins bulged across his temple—no, vines—thin red strands curling through his skin like possessed roots. And without lifting a finger, Asger's limbs jerked backward violently.
"Ghkk—!" Her body floated into the air, limbs bent grotesquely behind her, coiled in a phantom grip.
"You always struggled against this, haven't you?" Silas whispered. "Let me crush you, dear sister. Slowly… like the pest you are."
Her bones began to crack. Blood trickled from her eyes.
But her mouth opened—wide.
Silas blinked. "What—?"
SLURP!
From Asger's mouth, her reborn body emerged. A clone of herself, tearing out from within her own body. First the head, then shoulders, arms, and legs—reborn in an instant through an ability known as Blood Art: Rebirth .
THWACK!
Asger's reborn fist slammed directly into Silas' face but first had had blurred forward towards , the punch lifted him off his feet and drived him into the marble below with a thunderous BOOM! She followed through with a spinning kick—CRACK!—into his torso, sending him skidding back across the ruined floor.
"We may come from a cursed family…" she said, hovering above him. "But you'll never speak of our father like that again."
Silas rose slowly, ribs cracking and healing mid-motion. He wiped blood from his mouth and laughed, unbothered.
"So you've mastered it. The Rebirth Technique." He grinned, psychotic. "But you're still nothing like me."
FWOOOOOOSH!
His Shen aura surged, rippling across the battlefield like a tidal wave. Asger shielded her face.
Then—
Blood Art: Blood Parasite Virus.
The blood Silas had spilled earlier suddenly floated upward—then disappeared into the air. Asger turned sharply, searching.
"What are you up to—"
Too late.
The blood had shifted into microscopic form—thousands of parasites slipping into her skin, seeping into her bloodstream.
Inside, her cells screamed.
"Aghhhhh—!" she fell to the ground, convulsing as the blood virus ravaged her organs.
Silas floated upward, face triumphant. "I made this technique just for you, sister," he sneered. "You'll never be able to fight me. Your strength is your weakness."
He turned mid-air, stretching a blood tendril to wrap around Cecelia's form.
CRASH!
Silas smashed through the window, dragging Cecelia with him into the night sky.
But—
ZRRRRRRRRRRP!
Marcus, coated in glitch-like static, emerged from the rubble. His eyes locked onto Silas.
"…Found you."
With a flash of his hand—ZING!—pixelated lines surged across a skyscraper. The entire building blinked out of existence—
—and reappeared ABOVE SILAS as he flew out in the air .
KRRRRRAAAAAAAAASSHHHHHH!!!
The tower dropped like a meteor. Silas' eyes widened, but before impact—
SPLATTER!
A monstrous, red hand—Voremortis'—intercepted it.
SWOOOOOSH! A massive cleaver of solidified blood carved through the falling building.
SHING! The blade shifted mid-air into a bow, and a blood-drenched arrow screamed toward Marcus.
FWOOOOOOM!!
KRRRAAAAASHHHH!
The building Marcus stood on detonated from impact.
From the sky, Silas whispered, "Thank you, Voremortis."
The demon's dozens of mouths laughed—KAKAKAKAKAKA!
Seoul, – Rooftop Overlook
A black dragon ripped through the air, spewing fire over the crumbling skyline.
Standing at the highest spire was Sir Caelum Veyne, the Chainsmile Knight.
He yawned.
"Yare yare… this flying cocktail's getting on my nerves."
Behind him, the ChainSmile—his animated, chained sword—shivered.
"I know, I know, buddy," he murmured. "You're hungry for a fight."
He spread his arms. "Alright then. Let's have some fun."
CHAINSMILE… EXTEND.
WHIP-WHIRRRR—!!!
The chain shot forward with terrifying speed—SCHLICK!—and in a single blink, it sliced the dragon clean in half.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The beast exploded mid-air, raining scorched scales over Seoul.
As the chain slithered back onto his back, Sir Caelum adjusted his untied tie. "Good boy."
But then—
THMP.
A slow, ominous footstep behind him.
Sir Caelum turned, smirking.
"I thought villains didn't do late arrivals?"
A towering figure stood before him—military cape flowing, mask gleaming with a red-hot symbol of ruin.
Sparta.
"It seems," Sparta said, voice distorted and hollow, "you're the one positioned here."
Elsewhere, lower Seoul.
Hirito's eyes narrowed as his summoned dragon dissolved in smoke. He turned to Kazuki.
"Go. Get the piece. I'll hold them."
Kazuki nodded. A giant paper bird materialized beneath him—FLAP!—and carried him skyward.
Jayesh prepared to pursue.
Rajesh wheezed, "That would be unwise to go after him and leave him all to me… if I were at full strength would have been different,Don't worry. Mujin won't go down easy."
"ROAR, MAZ OF THAR-ZUL!!!" Hirito shouted.
SHRRRRRRROOOOOOOMMMMM!
The Maw's jaw opened, and a soundless sound exploded from it. Rajesh and Jayesh froze.
Their vision went white.
No movement. No hearing. No taste. No touch. No smell.
All five senses—gone.
The Inkbound Warden raised its massive hand—BOOOOOOM!—and slammed down.
But at the last second—
FWOOSH!!
Phoenix flame ignited.
Rajesh burned red, his body shielding Jayesh as he erupted into Phoenix Flame Mode, saving them both from annihilation.
KRRRAAAASSHHHH!!!
The ground cratered. The Seoul Hunter Association building collapsed from the impact.
Far below, within the underground bunker…
Mujin stood in a blood-slick hallway. Three bodies lay lifeless around him. Only one remained alive—barely.
Thomas who had returned to Seoul from Greenland some days ago,
"Mujin…" Thomas rasped.
"What happened?" Mujin asked.
Thomas' hand trembled. He opened his eyes, pale and shaking.
"…Sparta."
End Chapter.