"Among all paths, the Path of Kara is the sharpest: a trail of pitfalls, peaks, and suffering.
No one is certain to see its end… and that is why those who reach it become extraordinary."
The ice prison contracted violently upon itself, crushing and freezing everything inside with a dull, final thud. Then, it shattered into a thousand glittering shards that fell to the ground like a rain of diamonds, leaving no trace of what was once a Blood Burn.
Diana stood there for a moment, in the middle of the silent, frozen alley, her breath forming small clouds of mist in the cold air.
The police officer, who had witnessed the entire scene, dumbfounded, got up, trembling. He looked at the glittering remains of the ice prison, then at the young woman who had just saved him.
The Man:
— Who... who are you?
Diana didn't even turn to him, her gaze already scanning the shadows of the alley, on the lookout for other threats.
Diana:
— My name is not important. Please get to safety.
The Man: (regaining some composure)
— I am from the Agiscor police force and I can...
He didn't have time to finish his sentence.
Four more Blood Burns burst around the corner, screaming, their red eyes fixed on Diana.
Diana, without taking her eyes off the newcomers, addressed the officer in a firm voice.
Diana:
— I urge you to leave if you value your life. And above all, do not speak of this to anyone.
The Man: (understanding the situation)
— Thank you... and good luck!
He got up and started running in the opposite direction. As he moved away, his thoughts swirled.
"Incredible... I never would have thought it possible. This would explain all the unexplained circumstances of the murders in the country. I have to inform them... and hope they don't take me for a madman."
In the alley, Diana now faced her four new adversaries. An aura of Celestial Kara, a pale and icy green, pulsed around her.
She didn't give them the initiative. She rushed toward them, sliding on the ice she had created herself, her speed making her almost invisible.
The first Blood Burn attempted a wide swing with his sword. Diana ducked, passing under the blade, and struck the ground with her palm.
Diana:
— Creeping Frost Wave!
A wave of sharp ice crept across the ground, freezing the feet of her two closest opponents, immobilizing them on the spot.
She continued her slide, arriving behind the third. He turned, surprised, but Diana was faster.
Diana:
— Internal Kara: Kiss of the Ice Serpent!
She didn't strike him. Her slender, agile fingers brushed several pressure points on his neck and chest. With each contact, a mark of frost appeared. The man froze, his eyes widened, then he fell down, stone dead, his nervous system completely frozen.
The last Blood Burn, seeing his companions fall one after another, flew into a mad rage. He concentrated all his Black Kara into his fists and struck the ground.
— "DIE!"
A shockwave of dark energy spread out, shattering the ice on the ground. Diana leaped back to avoid it, landing gracefully.
She raised both hands, joining her palms. The air between her hands grew so cold it condensed into a bow of pure ice.
Diana:
— Celestial Bow: Arrow of Absolute Zero!
She drew back the invisible ice string, and an arrow of glacial light shot out at incredible speed. The Blood Burn tried to parry it, but the arrow passed right through him, freezing him from the inside out before he could even let out a cry.
Silence fell again. Diana remained in position, her ice bow slowly dissolving. She had eliminated seven Blood Burns in a matter of minutes.
She let out a breath, the tension finally subsiding.
And it was at that precise moment that a hand emerged from the brick wall right beside her.
It was not a hand of flesh. It seemed to be made of the stone of the wall itself, but it moved. Before Diana could react, the stone hand closed around her throat, lifting her off the ground and slamming her violently against the wall.
Her breath was cut off. Her Kara, disrupted by the shock and lack of air, wavered. She tried to struggle, but the grip was of inhuman strength, as if the entire city held her captive.
Next scene...
The Burning Lair.
An underground palace of unreal beauty, bathed in the glow of hundreds of floating lanterns.
In the center of a training arena, two figures faced each other. On one side, Fullness Anemiya, whose Black Kara vibrated with fury. On the other, Shiro Takahashi, motionless.
Fullness:
— "I refuse to let him get away unscathed. Not again today," he thought.
His aura exploded. He charged, his fist wreathed in destructive energy, and struck the ground in front of Shiro.
BOOOOOOM.
The impact was titanic. The marble floor shattered, and a cloud of black dust engulfed the scene.
A second later, a figure was violently ejected from the cloud. It was Fullness. Propelled like a projectile, he crashed against a pillar, which collapsed on top of him with a deafening roar.
Silence fell.
Then there...
Slowly, a shadow cut through the dust.
Shiro Takahashi walked forward, hands in his jacket pockets, without a scratch, without even a crease on his clothes. He hadn't moved. He had simply absorbed the shockwave and sent it back.
He raised his chin slightly, his scarlet gaze settling on the rubble where Fullness was buried.
No smile. No contempt.
Just the cold, absolute serenity of the Master of the Lair.
Unshakeable. Untouchable.
Inhuman.
Then...
A low rumble rose from the rubble. The marble blocks were thrown to the sides as Fullness Anemiya rose, his body covered in dust and a few cuts, but his eyes burning with renewed fury.
Fullness:
— He took me out again without...
But he didn't have time to finish his sentence.
A whistle tore through the air. From the high vault of the cavern, several figures dove at a dizzying speed. They landed silently, without a sound, forming a perfect horizontal line in front of Shiro. The elite Blood Burns. The most powerful in the organization. All of them knelt, their heads bowed.
Feynord Raki (leader):
— We are all here, Master!
Shiro ignored them for a moment, his gaze still fixed on Fullness, who had just realized the training was over. Then, he addressed the assembly, his calm voice echoing throughout the hall.
Shiro:
— Perfect. I want to remind you that all of you, every single one, holds no place in my esteem. Perhaps your leader, Feynord Raki. But not quite.
Their faces tensed. Some, like Fullness, let a contained rage show. Others, more cautious, displayed a respectful fear.
Shiro:
— However, following the disgraceful defeat of Johan Traken, the former Blood Burn Number 5, I have decided to replace him. With him.
Shiro made a lazy gesture with his hand. Behind him, space tore open, forming a gateway of shadow and distorted light. A figure slowly emerged.
It was one of the two thugs from the alley in Kazemori. The survivor. The one who had fallen to his knees, his mind broken by terror. He was no longer the same. His face was devoid of all expression, his eyes cold and dead. He wore a simple dark blue jacket, and an aura of dense, unstable Black Kara pulsed around him.
At the same moment, in a dark corner of the hall, another massive figure observed the scene. It was a Superior Kageyami, but different from the others. Its body seemed malformed, and at times, its skin hardened, taking on the appearance of rock, betraying its anger and confusion. It was the other thug from the alley. The one whose head had been torn off. Shiro hadn't just killed him. He had transformed him into a monster, a creature of nightmare.
The Kageyami looked at its former friend, now promoted to the rank of Blood Burn, with an indescribable hatred and frustration. They were two sides of the same tragedy, two toys broken by the cruelty of a god.
Shiro scanned the assembly, making sure everyone had understood the message. Then, a slow, wide, and utterly heatless smile stretched his lips. A frightening smile that didn't reach his dead, red eyes.
Shiro:
— See it as a warning. A testament to the fact that you are all, without exception, replaceable pawns.
(Transition – Back to Goma, just before the attack on Diana)
Night, City of Goma – East District.
Chaos reigned. The usually bustling alleys were now scenes of slaughter. The bodies of civilians, lesser Kageyami, and low-rank Astroforges lay on the cobblestones. Blood mixed with rainwater in the gutters.
In the center of this carnage, several Kageyamis reveled in the destruction. Most were lesser creatures, nightmare beasts acting on pure instinct. But three of them stood out for their size and oppressive aura. Superior Kageyamis.
One of them, however, was different. Its body seemed unstable, its skin hardening in places to take on the appearance of rock before returning to dark, swollen flesh. It stood apart, its gaze lost in the void, ignoring the screams and the blood.
It was remembering.
(Flashback – The Scene in the Burning Lair)
End of Chapter 33