Chapter 11

In the heavy silence that enveloped the barren lands of Ronda, the wind passed through like a ghost whispering across the desolate void. Suero’s staggering footsteps barely left a trace on the hardened soil. His back was hunched as if bearing invisible burdens, and his breaths came heavily, struggling out of a chest that groaned with exhaustion. As he walked, echoes of words from the past stabbed at his mind like hidden daggers:

Camyo’s scowling face emerged in his memory, speaking coldly:

"Why would he want to train the weak?"

Then came Moryo’s sharp, piercing words, ringing like a bell of failure:

"You won’t be able to! You’ll continue to watch humans die before your eyes at this level!"

And finally, Sbyam’s voice, cutting through his heart like a blade:

"What will you do when you see your family dying before your eyes?"

Sbyam’s tone grew colder, unforgiving:

"The beasts will attack, and you’ll be powerless to protect the ones you love!"

Then, he remembered what he had said earlier:

“Yes. If I don’t continue on this path, I won’t be able to protect humans from the monsters that threaten them, nor can I protect my friends… I’d be the reason for their deaths if I keep hesitating.”

The weight of these memories pressed down on him even harder. His legs barely obeyed him as the path led him to the entrance of the metro station—a gateway to another world awaiting him. The solid ground beneath his feet emitted faint echoes with each step, while the suffocating silence felt as though the universe itself was watching his collapse.

When he reached the stairs, he stopped for a moment, staring downward. Suero began his descent, each step feeling as though it brought him closer to an abyss with no end. The sound of his footsteps reverberated in the empty space around him, the only noise reminding him that he was still alive.

Across his weary face, his features seemed like a mirror reflecting a deep internal struggle. His eyes, though tired, held a faint glimmer of determination—a dying ember refusing to be extinguished.

—

At Metro Station B1, Veb walked with heavy steps, each movement draining the last remnants of his energy. His red, charred skin resembled a piece of coal, so disfigured that it robbed him of any recognizable features. Yet, his white teeth glimmered in a haunting manner, even with his mouth shut. His right eye was the only one left, while the left had vanished into an empty socket. Despite it all, his steps were steady, echoing in the quiet station.

In a low voice, as if speaking to himself, Veb muttered, his exhaustion weighing heavily on his words:

"What is happening to me?"

He kept moving, a deep frustration consuming him. His voice, barely audible, continued:

"Why has my life turned upside down like this?... Is it because I became a sorcerer?"

As he drowned in his thoughts, he suddenly looked up and found himself facing a crowded horde of monsters. The sight of them turning their heads toward him in unison was nightmarish. Their glowing red eyes locked onto him, as if they had been waiting.

Veb felt an overwhelming pressure but barely managed to lift his weary head. He whispered to himself, his voice drenched in fatigue:

"Ah... I'm exhausted... no, completely drained... but that doesn’t matter now."

When the monsters charged at him, his right eye struggled to remain open. He muttered again, trying to make sense of the situation:

"What happened above? I heard some commotion... I nearly died in the fire if I hadn’t used the 'Terravallis' technique to open a hole that brought me here... but now... is everyone okay?"

Before he could think further, one of the monsters lunged at him, striking his face with tremendous force. His body flew like a ragdoll, slamming into the wall with a force that created a deep crack. He barely caught his breath before another monster pounced, kicking his face so hard that blood gushed from his mouth like a fountain. Veb tumbled to the ground, rolling before coming to rest on his back, staring at the blinding light that tormented his only eye.

As the monsters approached again, he lay still for a moment, defeated. In a choked voice, he muttered:

"What is this state? I have a sister to care for... I can't give up now!"

Veb began to rise with difficulty. Exhaustion weighed down his every movement, but a fiery determination ignited within him. Sparks of brown energy gathered around his clenched fist, and with a faint flicker, a sword materialized from the energy.

In an instant, the exhausted Veb vanished, reappearing in front of one of the monsters. With a swift strike, he severed its neck, sending its head tumbling as its lifeless body collapsed. Another monster charged with a punch, but Veb disappeared again, reappearing behind it. With a powerful thrust, he drove his sword into the monster’s back, letting out a strained cry as he slowly tore through its spine. Blood gushed like a fountain, drenching his burned skin, before the beast fell lifelessly to the ground.

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Despite his exhaustion, Veb kept moving, a spectral assassin in motion. His speed was terrifying, as if his broken body had tapped into some otherworldly energy. With every move, he ended another monster’s life, blood splattering everywhere.

The station turned into a pool of blood, its walls painted crimson. Veb continued to slaughter the monsters, one after another, even as his body screamed for rest. His cries, a mix of pain and fury, echoed through the void as he pressed on in a battle that seemed endless.

—

In another part of the metro station, Suero walked sluggishly, exhaustion weighing him down as his mind swirled with fragmented memories and overlapping thoughts. Suddenly, muffled screams reached his ears from afar. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he whispered, his voice barely audible:

"Master Veb...?!"

---

Nearby, Veb stood amidst a pool of blood, surrounded by the mangled remains of the monsters he had brutally slain. His feet were submerged in the crimson liquid, and his features were weighed down by exhaustion. As he struggled to catch his breath, he felt a hand touch his back. He didn’t turn around but spoke in a faint voice, as though addressing the darkness itself:

"Who are you?"

Behind him stood Solio, wearing a confident smile, his hand resting lightly on Veb’s back. In a voice cold as ice, Solio said:

"Don’t bother with names; you won’t have time to remember them."

Despite the fatigue that overwhelmed him, Veb muttered:

"Have you been here the whole time?"

Solio chuckled softly, his face adorned with a mocking expression:

"Oh, man... I’ve been here from the start, watching you struggle to survive."

With a voice laden with weariness, Veb asked:

"Then what do you want?"

Solio responded with a mix of sarcasm and pride:

"I want nothing... I’m just enjoying the arrival of a new soul."

---

Suddenly, Suero appeared, stumbling as he ran, his breath ragged and uneven. Upon arriving, he froze in place, confusion plastered across his face. He shouted, his voice shaky and stuttering:

"M-Master Veb!"

Both Veb and Solio turned, startled. Solio slowly pivoted to face the newcomer, an odd look of admiration flickering across his face as he muttered to himself:

"Suero Rashid?!"

Veb, on the other hand, lowered his head in unease as his thoughts churned:

"Suero?!... What are you doing here?!"

Solio, however, couldn’t suppress his mocking grin and began to think hysterically:

"The person I’ve always despised... standing before me now?!"

Yet Veb, despite his exhaustion and unease, made a firm decision within himself:

"No matter what this sorcerer does... I must protect Suero at all costs!"

---

Purple sparks began to dance on Solio’s hand, slowly extending toward Veb, encircling his burnt body. With every passing moment, Veb thought in silence, trying to ignore the pain:

"So, this is his plan... but Suero cannot bear this burden."

Suero, his voice filled with worry, called out softly:

"Master Veb?... Are you okay?"

But Veb’s mind raced on:

"Impossible... He’s just a 17-year-old boy... I can’t curse him with such words."

As Veb was consumed by his internal struggle, Solio asked, his tone hysterical:

"Any final words?"

Slowly, Veb raised his head. Despite his fatigue, a warm smile spread across his face. He turned toward Suero and spoke in a reassuring tone:

"Suero... please, take care of 'Yamato.' Keep her away from the clan... And don’t forget... Fulfill your dream! You must become the strongest sorcerer!"

Without warning, the purple sparks engulfed Veb’s entire body like a storm. In an instant, his body exploded, fragments scattering through the air. Time seemed to freeze momentarily as the shock registered on Suero’s face, his eyes wide as he watched Veb’s remains scatter and blood erupt into the air before falling like raindrops.

Standing amidst the chaos, Solio smiled in satisfaction, a mix of mockery and triumph. Suero stared at him, words frozen in his throat, but finally managed to stammer out in a broken voice:

"What... what have you done?!"

He screamed in anger, his voice tearing from his chest:

"What are you, you cursed man?!"

Solio turned slowly, his manic smile still plastered across his face, before he responded with hysterical glee:

"No need to shout, Suero Rashid... I can hear you perfectly."

In the depths of Metro Station B1, Suero ran with all his might, his steps faltering on pools of blood, yet his determination never wavered. His eyes burned with anger, locked on Solio, while his right fist crackled with dancing blue sparks.

Solio stood nonchalantly, his hands behind his back, a smirk plastered across his face as if savoring the scene. With mocking disdain, he remarked,

"You think you can reach me? How pitiful."

Suero roared as he closed the distance,

"You cursed wretch!"

He raised his glowing fist, aiming to strike Solio’s face. However, in an instant, Solio’s face split in two, leaving Suero punching empty air. Suero froze, baffled, as he stared at Solio’s bisected visage. Before he could comprehend, Solio's body burst apart into a swarm of small, grotesque entities that surrounded him. Their voices harmonized into a chilling chorus,

"You fool… you’re up against a Shikigami!"

Suero took a step back, his voice trembling with disbelief,

"Shikigami?!"

The fragmented creatures rapidly merged again, reforming Solio’s body. Before Suero could react, he was struck by a powerful blow to his back, hurtling him through the station wall and into the metro's public restroom.

Inside the restroom, Suero slammed into a tiled wall, blood trickling from his nose. Slowly, he wiped the blood with his hand and steadied himself, his gaze sharp and resolute. Meanwhile, Solio walked through the hole in the wall, his smirk unwavering.

With lightning speed, Suero launched himself at Solio, his blue sparks flaring with intensified energy. He yelled,

"Enough!"

Yet Solio disappeared at the last second, leaving Suero’s punch to collide with the wall in a deafening explosion that shattered the restroom.

Suero whirled around, only to find Solio standing behind him, his eyes glinting with sadistic amusement. Suddenly, Solio’s arm extended like a whip, lashing toward Suero. In a swift motion, Suero tilted his head to evade the attack and grabbed Solio’s arm with a firm grip. His voice dripped with fury,

"Stop playing games!"

But Solio's elongated arm sprouted razor-sharp spikes, piercing Suero’s hand. The pain was excruciating, and blood poured freely, yet Suero held on with defiant resolve. With a guttural shout, he lifted Solio’s body and hurled him violently through the restroom wall.

The wall crumbled, sending Solio crashing into the adjacent corridor. Despite the brutal impact, Solio rose effortlessly, dusting himself off as if nothing had happened.

Emerging from the rubble, Suero took slow, deliberate steps forward. Solio, now visibly bored, shot toward him with blinding speed, his arms morphing into colossal hammers. In a split second, Solio’s hammer-like fists struck Suero’s face, launching him backward into a wall. The impact cracked the concrete, and blood dripped from Suero’s battered visage.

Laughing maniacally, Solio’s hands shifted again, this time into dagger-like appendages. He screamed,

"I hate you!"

Rushing toward Suero in a crazed frenzy, Solio’s laughter filled the corridor with an eerie intensity. But just as he was about to strike, pink sparks erupted from within Solio's body, spreading out like a fiery storm and ricocheting off the station walls.

Solio froze mid-attack, his expression twisted in agony and confusion as he yelled,

"What… what is this?!"

Suero opened his eyes slowly, his gaze locking onto the shimmering pink energy. His face lit with a mixture of astonishment and relief as he whispered,

"Baysal...?"

---

At Metro Station B2, another Solio appeared, his body bleeding profusely. In front of him stood Baysal, her body crackling with dancing pink sparks, her eyes blazing with lethal anger.

In the blink of an eye, she launched a series of rapid punches that struck Solio mercilessly. He couldn’t defend himself, each blow pushing him further toward the wall until he collapsed, motionless, against it.

With a sharp, defiant tone, Baysal declared,

"You Shikigami! Do you want us to curse each other?!"

Solio struggled to stand, but suddenly, Baysal’s expression shifted to a grin filled with excitement. She locked eyes withhim and said,

"I want to fight… I want some fun!"

The pink sparks shimmered across the ground as Baysal prepared for the next battle, her eyes gleaming with a challenge.

End of Chapter.