Chapter 3

Laura stared at the Shikigami, her face pale with terror as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. "This... this is a Shikigami! It's tens of times stronger than the monsters we usually face!" she thought in fear, her legs trembling beneath her.

In front of her stood Suero, radiating fury, his eyes blazing with rage. He roared, his voice deep and trembling with both anger and dread:

"I'll kill you... I'll curse you with an eternal damnation!"

Laura shouted anxiously:

"Suero, stop! This is madness!"

But Suero didn’t turn to her. The Shikigami moved suddenly with incredible speed, the air ripping apart as it launched forward. Its punch struck Suero, slamming him into the wall. The impact cracked the stone, scattering debris into the air as dust enveloped the scene. Suero fell to the ground, his body bloodied.

Laura froze in place, staring at him in horror. "He can’t stand against it… This is impossible!" she thought, her body paralyzed with fear.

The Shikigami, smirking coldly, spoke with a voice devoid of empathy:

"What a child you are! Acting purely on emotion. But now… it’s your turn."

Its eyes locked onto Laura, glinting like a predator sizing up its prey. Slowly, it raised its hand and said with chilling detachment:

"Die."

Laura stumbled back a step, her mind racing. "I can’t fight this… my power is only for healing, not combat!" She felt as though her end was near.

Suddenly, the sound of falling rubble broke the tense silence. The Shikigami turned its head toward the debris. Amidst the wreckage, Suero began to move, pushing stones off his battered body as he slowly stood up. Dust covered his clothes, but his resolve seemed unshaken.

The Shikigami, its gaze narrowing in disbelief, muttered:

"Impossible… that attack was no ordinary blow. How can he still stand?"

Suero, staring down at the ground, spoke in a low voice, heavy with pain and anger:

"My mother was killed... I was there when she left. My friends... they all disappeared one by one before my eyes. Even Master Kamasi... didn’t survive. They’re all gone..."

Raising his head slowly, his eyes glimmered with an icy determination:

"And you think I’ll just stand here and do nothing?!"

The Shikigami narrowed its eyes, violet sparks flickering around its hand:

"Enough talk… you won’t survive this time."

Suero didn’t respond. He stepped forward, blue sparks beginning to crackle faintly around his hand. Lifting his gaze, he spoke in a calm yet razor-sharp tone:

"Oi, you monster… I have something to tell you."

The Shikigami sneered, its expression full of mockery:

"Oh? Are these your last words?"

Suero’s fist clenched tighter, the blue sparks around it growing brighter.

"I’ll keep killing you all… one by one… until I rust!"

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The world seemed to pause for a moment, as if time itself held its breath. Suero stepped forward, his movements slow, his body swaying from exhaustion, yet he didn’t stop. From afar, Laura watched him, thinking: "This isn’t normal… something has changed in him."

When Suero stood directly before the Shikigami, their eyes met. In Suero’s mind, Moryo’s voice echoed:

"This… is the Shrine Punch. A rare technique... something not easily learned. But you’ve shown it now, which means the Blue Sorcery in you is far more potent than you realize."

Taking a deep breath, Suero ignored the pain ravaging his body. "If his words are true… I’ll only know by stepping forward."

Both fighters stepped back, the sparks around their fists intensifying. The air became charged, heavy with anticipation, as if the next clash would change everything.

The Shikigami charged first, its fist hurtling toward Suero’s abdomen with tremendous force. But Suero countered with his own punch, creating a violent shockwave. The Shikigami twisted to exploit an opening, but Suero caught it off guard. The sparks around Suero’s fist, initially blue, began to shift to a dark crimson.

With a roar that echoed through the room, Suero shouted:

"Shrine Punch!"

His fist collided with the Shikigami’s torso, the sheer force launching it like a ragdoll. Walls shattered as it was hurled through them, one after another, dust billowing in its wake.

Suero stood still, his breaths ragged, his body trembling from exhaustion.

Laura stared at him in astonishment, her voice barely audible:

"What kind of power is this? Is this really Suero? This isn’t just Class B… he’s stronger than that!"

As Suero gazed at the blood-soaked battlefield, the torn bodies around him, he stood silent for a moment, unmoving like a statue. Laura felt compelled to act. She placed a hand on his shoulder and said:

"We need to leave."

He cast her a glance before looking ahead again. He whispered to himself:

"Yes… I must keep moving forward."

The two made their way toward the elevator, leaving behind a battleground that bore witness to the fury and despair of Suero's struggle.

—

Outside the Ronda zone, atop one of the towering buildings, stood Master Surichi, his gaze fixed on the massive magical barrier enclosing the entire area. The cold wind brushed against his face, but his expression remained firm, a blend of concern and restrained fury.

In a low, steady voice, he muttered:

"Is this your plan, Raizo?"

He paused, as if revisiting distant memories, before adding in a deeper tone:

"You were never a talented sorcerer at first… but you reached this level after merging your power with that woman from the Raipozi Clan. Your beloved… was the price worth it?"

His fists clenched tightly, his eyes never leaving the barrier. With a voice laden with unease, he said:

"But I don’t think things will end so easily. My technique tells me that what’s happening inside is only the beginning of a battlefield…"

He stood in silence for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Then, as if addressing someone far away yet able to hear him, he whispered:

"We’re counting on you… Sbyam."

His gaze returned to the barrier, reflecting unwavering resolve in his eyes. There was no room for retreat.

—

At Metro Station B4, Sbyam stood confidently, one hand in his pocket and a sly smirk on his face. In front of him were Campeis, Pico, and Darwin, their eyes locked on him with tense anticipation. The air was thick with tension, as if an explosion was imminent.

Suddenly, Campeis and Darwin launched themselves at Sbyam with lightning speed. Sbyam remained rooted in place, his gaze calmly tracking them, his expression unchanged. Darwin raised his hand, shouting:

“Motion Freeze!”

From beneath the tiled floor, solid ice shot up as if summoned from the void, encasing Sbyam's feet. The temperature plummeted instantly, and the sight of cold vapor made everyone in the station shiver in fear. Sbyam glanced down at his ice-covered feet with a detached curiosity, tilting his head slightly as if evaluating the situation.

Campeis and Darwin seized the opportunity. Crimson sparks danced around Campeis' hand as he charged at Sbyam, delivering a devastating punch. The force of the blow caused a booming sound, making the station lights flicker briefly before plunging into complete darkness. Screams echoed in the chaos.

When the lights flickered back on, Campeis stood frozen in disbelief.

“Impossible!” he muttered, his wide eyes fixed on Sbyam, who hadn’t moved an inch, as though nothing had happened.

Sbyam raised his head slightly, his face adorned with a mocking grin. In a calm yet challenging voice, he said:

“There’s no need to try and immobilize me… because as long as I’m using the 'Immortal Mountain' technique, you simply can’t touch me. So… are you ready to die?”

Campeis froze in place, tension radiating from him. Darwin attempted an attack from behind, kicking Sbyam with all his might. But the impact bounced back as if he had struck a steel wall. Darwin gasped in shock:

“What?! Is this… a barrier?” Then, muttering to himself in alarm, he said:

“No… it’s him!”

Before anyone could react, droplets of blood sprayed into the air. Everyone, including Sbyam, turned toward the source. Standing in the middle of the battlefield was Pico, holding the severed heads of men whose throats he had slit effortlessly. Their lifeless bodies crumpled to the ground as blood pooled beneath them.

The dark smile on Pico's face brought a fleeting sense of reassurance to Darwin and Campeis, but it didn’t last long. In an instant, Sbyam vanished from his spot.

Campeis, mistaking the moment for victory, shouted with excitement:

“Where did you go, Sbyam Brius? Did you run away in fear?”

Darwin snapped at him angrily:

“Idiot! That’s impossible!”

Campeis looked up, only to see Sbyam floating in mid-air, the ice around his feet completely melted. His back was turned to them, yet everyone in the station, even the civilians, stared at him in terror.

Sbyam slightly turned his head toward them, his voice low but charged with undeniable authority:

“Oi.”

Everything stopped. The sounds, the movements, even the air seemed frozen. His piercing gaze locked onto Campeis, who felt an unfamiliar fear creeping into his chest.

Sbyam spoke in a calm but menacing tone:

“Do you all really think you can defeat me?

Campeis’ heart raced, but words failed him, stuck in his throat. Silence blanketed the scene, and it was Sbyam’s chilling glare that delivered the final blow.

End of the chapter.