Chapter—The Crack That Devours Aura
Blue light tore through the night like a wound in reality.
Luke and his friends arrived at the site just as the crowd was being pushed back. The ground ahead of them was split open—a massive crack, stretching across the street like a jagged scar. From deep below, an unnatural blue glow pulsed rhythmically, as if something beneath the earth was breathing.
Metal barricades surrounded the area. Armed guards stood in tight formation, their faces tense, weapons ready.
Beyond the barricade, chaos ruled.
Civilians lay injured on the ground—some unconscious, others crying out in pain. Aura creator rushed from one to another, hands glowing as they tried desperately to stabilize them.
"This is bad…" Uno whispered.
Marin didn't hesitate. She ran forward, kneeling beside an injured man, her hands glowing with a soft emerald light. "Stay still. You'll be fine."
Luke stood slightly apart, eyes locked on the crack.
That aura… it's not just leaking. It's feeding.
After helping the injured, Liod looked toward the barricade. "We need to know what's happening inside."
They moved forward—but guards immediately blocked them.
"No entry," one guard said firmly. "This area is restricted."
Uno bristled. "We're a guild!"
The guard shook his head. "Orders from the top. Only Aura Creators or Destroyers of 3-star rank or above are allowed inside."
Everyone fell silent.
Marin stepped forward calmly. "I'm a 4-star Aura Creator."
The guards exchanged glances, then stepped aside.
Marin turned back. "I'll go inside and check the situation. You all stay here—help the injured, control the area."
Luke met her eyes for a moment. "Be careful."
Marin nodded—and crossed the barricade.
---
Inside the Restricted Zone
The moment Marin stepped closer to the crack, she felt it.
A heavy pressure.
Her chest tightened. Her aura—normally stable and abundant—began to slip away, like sand leaking through fingers.
"…This feels wrong," she murmured.
Suddenly—
"M-Marin!"
A small figure collapsed into her arms.
"Mie?!" Marin caught her instantly.
Mie was pale, trembling, her aura flickering weakly. "The crack… it's absorbing aura. Constantly. That's why… I got weak…"
Marin's eyes widened. "So that's the reason…"
She gently placed Mie inside her bag, surrounding her with healing aura. "Rest. I'll handle the rest."
Marin moved deeper until she reached a group of elite aura users.
At the center stood Kaizen.
His presence alone made the air feel heavy—controlled, disciplined, powerful.
Marin approached respectfully. "Aura Master Kaizen."
Kaizen nodded. "You sensed it too."
Marin looked at the crack. "What exactly is happening?"
Kaizen's expression hardened. "The crack is absorbing aura at an extreme rate. Faster than any known phenomenon. Even maintaining our strength here is difficult."
"What's the plan?" Marin asked.
"We must create an Aura Shield around the crack," Kaizen replied. "If we can isolate it, we can stop it from draining us."
"I can help," Marin said immediately.
Kaizen studied her. "It won't be easy. Our aura is being drained continuously. Even I can only maintain a small shield right now."
He paused, then added quietly, "I'm glad more capable people arrived."
Marin clenched her fists. "Then let's do it."
Kaizen told "Soon we are waiting for more people so it beacome safer and secure ".
As she turned back toward the entrance, Kaizen thought silently:
How do I tell them… that this could risk very much of there aura and health?
---
Luke stood in the shadows, slightly away from the crowd.
"Auru," he whispered.
"Yes," Auru replied from beside him, barely visible. "Even from here, I can feel it. Our aura is being drawn toward the crack."
Luke's gaze darkened. "Marin's aura too. Tremendously."
"They only allowed high-rank creators and destroyers inside," Auru said. "Do you think they can handle it?"
Luke didn't answer immediately.
"I think they can… for now," Auru continued.
Just then, Marin emerged briefly to report. Luke stepped toward her instantly.
"What's the situation?" he asked.
"There's a massive crack absorbing aura continuously," Marin explained. "Mie collapsed because of it. They're planning to create a shield around it."
Luke nodded. "I know its hard but Good luck."
Marin hesitated, sensing something off about his calm—but said nothing. She turned and went back inside.
Luke watched her go.
Then he turned away.
"Auru," he said quietly, "keep watching. Something feels… wrong."
"I feel it too," Auru replied.
Luke slipped into a dark alley.
He unify himself there disquised himself by unifying ,
climbed effortlessly to the rooftop of a nearby building, and stood there—arms folded.
His cloak fluttered violently in the wind, rising behind him like wings.
From above, he could see everything.
Kaizen. The aura holders. The crack.
So this is how it begins…
---
Kaizen stepped forward. "All aura holders—form a circle. We begin now."
Everyone nodded.
"Yes Sir!"
A massive formation began to take shape. Aura flared—gold, blue, green, crimson—intertwining as they pushed outward, forming a massive Aura Shield around the crack.
But the crack fought back.
The drain intensified.
Aura was being pulled away at twice the normal rate.
People began to sweat. Knees trembled. Breathing grew heavy.
Luke understand the situation and speak to himself —
"They are pushing there limit I have to help them.
Then—
A sudden surge.
Strength flooded their bodies.
"What—?" someone gasped. "My aura… it's increasing!"
Kaizen's eyes widened. This isn't coming from us.
Luke stood on the rooftop, one hand slightly raised.
Invisible to most.
But powerful beyond measure.
I'll stabilize the flow by giving by aura, Luke thought. Just enough.
The shield solidified.
After several agonizing minutes, the Aura Shield locked into place.
Cheers erupted.
"We did it!" someone shouted.
Kaizen lowered his hand, breathing heavily—but relief washed over him.
Who… was that?
Just a minute after celebration.
The Calm Shatters
The ground trembled again.
Stronger this time.
"Auru," Luke muttered, "this isn't over."
The Aura Shield cracked.
Then—
Shattered.
A violent burst of corrupted aura exploded outward.
"Fall back!" Kaizen shouted.
Too late for that.
From the crack, something emerged.
A massive claw, formed entirely of condensed aura, shot upward and try to smash an aura holder.
"No—!"
Aura holder fall on ground with scare and afraid.
Fear froze him.
Then A sphere of pure aura slammed into the claw—
BOOM!
The claw disintegrated.
Everyone turned.
Luke stood on the ground now, mask gleaming, aura swirling violently around him.
Silence.
"…That aura…" Kaizen whispered.
Marin's eyes shone with awe. So this is him…
Kaizen stepped forward. "Who are you? Reveal yourself!"
Luke's voice was calm—but absolute.
"There's something more important than that right now."
Kaizen felt it.
This discipline… this control… this is no ordinary aura master.
He's using aura just to hide his identity… in an event like this…
And My creture cant withstand this situation.
How much power does he truly have?
Luke looked at Kaizen briefly.
Elegant. Powerful. Even I can't sense his aura creature.
He's strong.
More aura hands erupted from the crack.
Luke destroyed one instantly.
Kaizen obliterated another.
Kaizen turned sharply. "Should we recreate the shield?!"
Luke shook his head. "No."
Everyone froze.
"There's something beneath the crack," Luke continued. "That's the source. Shielding from outside won't stop it."
"…You mean…" Kaizen swallowed. "We have to go inside?"
Shock rippled through the group.
Kaizen hesitated only a moment. "What should we do?"
Luke raised his hand. "Create personal Aura Shields. We descend."
Without another word, Luke and Kaizen formed shields around themselves—dense, layered, refined.
"Let's go."
They jumped.
---
As they descended, the aura grew heavier—thicker—hungrier.
Kaizen struggled. This drain… it's insane.
He glanced sideways.
Luke's shield remained perfectly stable.
No strain… no fluctuation…
Unbelievable.
Luke sensed something ahead.
A presence.
They landed.
Deep below, something stood waiting.
Luke stepped forward.
"So… you're the reason."
The figure slowly raised its head.
And the crack pulsed violently.
---
End of Chapter.