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Chapter 17 - The Old Man

The illusory shrine doors dissolve like mist, revealing the cold, rust-stained stone of Guan Diego's high-security tier. Jeremiah's breath is ragged, his Muti threads dim and frayed from the fight. Across the hall, Seizen stands beside Vonn, both framed by the still-swinging cell doors of two newly freed Red Order prisoners. The prisoners already step forward, six in total, their aura flaring like stormfronts.

Seizen: (calm, voice cutting through the distance) "You've been fighting a shadow for the last ten minutes, Jeremiah. That's why you're tired."

Jeremiah exhales once, his chest rising and falling like a man who refuses to admit the hit landed.

Jeremiah: "Tch… you're still good at wasting my time."

Before Seizen can step forward, the ground shudders. Heavy, uneven footsteps echo from the far end of the corridor. No killing intent, no pressure, just a slow, elderly shuffle. And yet… the air begins to constrict.

A silhouette emerges from the dim, leaning slightly on a weathered cane. White hair tied back, travel-worn robes still smelling faintly of sea salt. His back is slightly hunched — but every Seeker above Bronze rank in the hall goes still the moment they see him.

Vonn: (mutters under his breath to Seizen) "…That's—"

Seizen: "Yeah. That's him."

Master Elric stops midway down the hall, gaze sweeping over the scene like he's counting faces in a classroom.

Elric: (scratches his chin) "Huh. This is a mess. Jeremiah, you're leaking aura like a bad roof."

Jeremiah: (half-grin, walking toward him) "Gramps, you're late."

Elric: "Old legs. And I took the scenic route. Caught a whale bigger than my boat… or maybe the boat was smaller than I remember."

Jeremiah: "You're ridiculous."

Elric: (winks) "And you're winded."

Kendra steps forward, her body framed by a wall of chittering arachnids, both aura-formed and real. Some are small enough to crawl into a nostril; others are the size of wolves, their eyes burning with venomous Muti light. The five others fan out, an Abyssal brute with stone-cracking fists, a whip-thin Psychic wearing chains like jewelry, a Martial savant whose arms glow with heat, a Spatial slicer twitching in impatience, and a heavyset Alchemy user whose body steams with corrosive mist.

Kendra: (voice cold) "They sent you? One old man to stop six of us?"

Elric: (shrugs) "Budget cuts."

The six attack almost at once, Kendra's swarm spilling over the walls and ceiling, the brute charging with fists like battering rams, the Psychic pulling at his balance, Spatial slices tearing the air around him.

Elric exhales softly — his aura doesn't spike; it folds in, like a tide pulling back before a storm.

Harionago Spiral Web – Hair-thin aura threads shimmer for a heartbeat, wrapping Kendra's swarm mid-air, redirecting their momentum into the charging brute. The collision shakes the corridor.

Aka-Manto's Folded Veil – The Martial savant's flaming strike fizzles as a blood-silk shroud wraps his arm, sealing his Muti for precious seconds.

Kosodate Puncture – A single knuckle jab into the brute's midsection sends him crashing upward into the ceiling.

Nurarihyon's Slipkill – Elric's form blurs — suddenly he's behind the Psychic, cane resting across their neck before they even register he's moved.

Elric: "One… two… three. You all breathing still? Good."

Jeremiah plants himself at Elric's side, blades drawn.

Jeremiah: "You're not doing this alone."

Elric: (half-smile) "I was hoping you'd say that. Just don't get bit — her spiders don't ask before they lay eggs."

Kendra: (snaps her fingers) "You'll be fertilizer."

Kendra's Muti blooms, the walls turn black with silk, massive armored arachnids tearing through the web to drop on Elric and Jeremiah. The air fills with a toxic, cloying haze as her aura hardens the silk into cutting threads. The other four prisoners surge forward through the chaos.

Even with six enemies pressing in, he never overextends. His cane blocks a strike, redirects it into another attacker. His foot pivots — a whip cracks through the air.

Datsue-ba Wrath Snatch – He catches one of Kendra's web lances mid-flight, aura folding around it, then hurls it into the Spatial slicer — severing their shoulder.

Yamabiko's Echo Storm – The Alchemy user's corrosive blast rebounds as a sonic shockwave, knocking them off balance.

Rokurokubi Chain Snare – His aura chains lash out, binding two prisoners together before slamming them into the ground.

Through it all, he speaks calmly, almost casually, as though explaining a kata to students.

Elric: "Six against two. Odds are better than last time… though I think there were nine then, Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah: "Ten. You forgot the twins."

Elric: "Ah, right. I stepped on one."

[Seizen & Vonn escape]

Seizen glances back once, eyes narrowing as Elric's cane spins lazily — yet the six prisoners can't land a single decisive hit.

Vonn: "We leave now. He'll keep them busy."

They vanish into the shadows, the sound of combat echoing behind them.

The blast door sealed. The echoes hadn't even faded when seven of Guan Diego's most dangerous inmates turned toward the old man.

Elric didn't move. Cane in one hand, the other resting casually behind his back, posture loose, eyes half-lidded.

They moved first.

Star Dragon, celestial tattoos flaring like molten constellations. His Celestial Martial Muti wasn't just flame; each burn in his skin was a stellar core he could detonate on impact. His fists carried shockwaves like meteor strikes, each blow threatening to collapse the hallway walls.

Dagun the Merciless, 600 pounds of muscle, but every step vibrated with Seismic Pulse Muti, letting him send tremors through an opponent's bones without even touching them. His grapples weren't just physical, he could shatter aura flow with a bear hug.

Kendra the Spider Queen, silk threads gleaming under the emergency lights. Her aura birthed spiders in every size, from dust-specks that crept into armor gaps to arachnid titans that slammed into the ground like siege weapons. Webs shimmered with paralytic venom, and her larger summons could inject explosive silk sacs that detonated on her signal.

Shevchenko the Blood Maiden, psychic Muti fused with hematomancy. The blood she controlled could harden into blades, form psychic whips, or invade an opponent's bloodstream to slow reaction time. The air around her tasted metallic, every drop of blood spilled in the room answering her call.

Mona "The Girl Who Stole Gods Eyes" Vesta, two different stolen ocular powers. Her left eye bent space in 5-meter bursts, snapping distances in half mid-strike. Her right eye could copy any aura technique she witnessed once, at 80% efficiency, for the next 24 hours. The combination turned every move into an unpredictable mix of martial and supernatural angles.

Ken Ko, abyssal shadows dripping from his hands, but beneath that was Soul-Harvest Martial, every punch and kick tearing a fragment from his opponent's aura core. Even grazing him for too long meant losing combat stamina. His shadow beasts weren't just constructs — they were stitched from stolen aura, giving them weight and killing intent.

Lisa Deathless, regenerative martial monster. Her Endless Ligament Muti let her overextend joints beyond human limits, whip-lashing her limbs like steel cables. Even beheading her would only buy seconds, her head could fight on its own until reattached. She layered this with a brutal bone-shift style, every strike meant to break or dislocate.

They came in waves.

Kendra's swarms poured in first, a tide of skittering bodies filling the air vents, floor cracks, and ceiling beams. Threads shot out like crossbow bolts, webbing the walls and sealing escape routes. The largest spiders — dog-sized, aura-burning fangs dripping venom — hit the ground in front of Elric, circling.

Star Dragon blurred in, meteor-flame fists detonating on impact with the air, sending shockwaves down the hall. Dagun came from the side, a low stance rippling with seismic aura, the floor cracked beneath each step.

Shevchenko's whips lashed overhead, guided by Mona's left eye bending their path mid-swing so they came in from behind Elric's back. Ken Ko's shadows poured along the floor, beasts rising from them to clamp down on ankles and wrists. Lisa barrelled in last, her right arm elongating unnaturally, bone and tendon snapping into a whip strike aimed straight at Elric's throat.

Tap.

Elric's cane kissed the floor — Kata 03: Tengu's Gentle Descent.

A ripple of wind snapped outward.

Star Dragon's flame burst into harmless sparks.

Dagun's tremor died before reaching Elric's legs.

The nearest spiders were blown into the walls, web-lines severed mid-flight.

Shevchenko's whips froze, tension cut clean through.

Ken Ko's shadow beasts flattened like ink.

Lisa's whip-arm stopped inches from his neck, redirected sideways into Dagun's shin.

Jeremiah — arms folded against the wall, breathing slow:

"He hasn't shifted his footing once."

Kendra's eyes narrowed. She clapped her hands, and the swarm changed. Small spiders became living mines, detonating in bursts of silk shrapnel. Larger ones spun nets mid-leap, hurling them down from above.

Mona's left eye bent the battlefield — silk bombs appearing where Elric's feet were a heartbeat earlier. Dagun lunged again, seismic shock tuned to Elric's ribcage, while Star Dragon spun his arm into a comet-strike that could split a frigate's hull.

Blood Maiden's tendrils came low, Ken Ko's shadow beasts came high, Lisa launched her skull forward like a cannonball — seven attacks at once.

The smoke that followed felt like the aftermath of a building collapse.

When it cleared, Elric stood exactly where he had been. Cane resting across his shoulders.

Elric (almost apologetic):

"You're going to need more than clever tricks. At least make me use both hands."

Lisa snarled. Ken Ko's shadows deepened. Star Dragon's aura flared brighter.

Jeremiah didn't look away.

Jeremiah: "…They don't get it. He's not defending — he's herding them."

The prisoners regrouped, breathing harder. Kendra's swarm hissed in unison — a living carpet that covered every inch of wall and ceiling. The air felt thick, strands of silk swaying like blades in the wind.

Jeremiah leaned back against the wall, sweat on his temple but eyes sharp.

Jeremiah: "Here we go… they're done playing."

Deadliest Forms Unleashed

Star Dragon, His tattoos ignited, becoming constellation gates. From them, burning meteor shards rained into the hallway, each strike igniting shockwave pillars.

Dagun the Merciless, Veins bulged, skin glowing red with Bonequake Mode, where each stomp could liquefy bone marrow within 5 meters. His aura pulsed in sync with his heartbeat, each pulse threatening to rupture capillaries.

Kendra the Spider Queen, Summoned her Brood Mothers, four monstrous spiders the size of armored vehicles. Each one carried hundreds of hatchlings in its abdomen, explosive silk sacs ready to burst on command. The swarm density choked the air.

Shevchenko the Blood Maiden, Formed a blood storm, droplets suspended around her as psychic needles. Any touch could pierce arteries and inject paralyzing toxins.

Mona "The Girl Who Stole Gods Eyes" Vesta, Activated both eyes together, bending space in bursts while perfectly copying Dagun's seismic pulses, now coming from angles no one could predict.

Ken Ko — Shadows elongated into Soul Reapers, twelve-foot constructs wielding blades made of harvested aura. Every swing tore at the environment's Muti itself.

Lisa Deathless — Broke her own spine to increase her torso's rotation speed, turning her whole body into a centrifugal weapon, limbs snapping like bladed whips with enough force to cleave steel beams.

They struck in concert.

Star Dragon's meteor storm fell, space-bent by Mona so that burning stones blinked into existence right above Elric's head. Dagun stomped, seismic waves rolling from three different angles at once. Kendra's Brood Mothers closed in, launching silk bombs from their abdomen cannons.

Blood Maiden's psychic needles rained down, Ken Ko's Soul Reapers slashed from the shadows, and Lisa spiraled through the chaos — a whirlwind of bone and tendon, limbs cracking the air.

The hallway's reinforced walls buckled. The ground sank an inch from Dagun's pulses. The entire scene looked like a coordinated execution.

Tap.

Elric's foot shifted once.

Kata 16: Jorōgumo's Fatal Step — His cane tip traced a half-circle, and every spider web in its arc instantly unraveled into harmless dust. Kendra's Brood Mothers staggered as their abdomen cannons misfired silk straight into each other.

Kata 41: Raijin's Breath — A palm thrust so subtle it looked like a cough. The meteor storm's shockwaves reversed midair, scattering debris harmlessly toward the ceiling.

Kata 53: Yasha's Backhand — A lazy swing of his cane across Dagun's chest, but the seismic energy folded in on itself, snapping back into Dagun's own legs, dropping him to a knee.

Lisa's whip-limbs came next — Elric ducked under the first, stepped between the next two, then let her skull-launch skim past his cheek before pinning it midair with his cane.

Jeremiah's voice was low but firm:

"That's mid-tier. And he's using them like warm-ups."

One of Ken Ko's Soul Reapers lunged — Elric sidestepped, twisting his cane so the blade passed inches from his robe. The move wasn't to dodge — it was to angle the Reaper's slash right into Blood Maiden's psychic storm, scattering the needles back toward her.

Kendra hissed. The swarm condensed into a living spear, hundreds of venomous bodies forming a single drill aimed at Elric's spine.

Elric didn't turn — he let his cane drop into his other hand, swung backward once.

Kata 71: Yamato Collapse — The spear dissolved mid-flight, every spider twitching once before dropping limp, the swarm's aura threads severed entirely.

The hallway was chaos — dust in the air, the heat of Star Dragon's aura warping vision, Dagun's tremors still echoing, shadows writhing.

Elric stood in the center.

Breathing slow.

Looking almost… bored.

Jeremiah pushed off the wall, walking closer.

Jeremiah: "They're throwing everything at you. You're not even moving your stance."

Elric smirked without looking at him.

Elric: "If I move now, I might actually end it."

The prisoners roared again, charging for Phase Three — but Jeremiah knew the truth.

The old man hadn't even used a quarter of his strength.

The battle had been pure chaos — seven high-level prisoners pressing in from every side.

Celestial fire, abyssal shadow, psychic storms, crushing martial blows, and Kendra's crawling swarm turned the hallway into a kaleidoscope of death.

Master Elric hadn't moved his back foot.

Dagun slammed his heel into the floor, sending a shockwave that spider-webbed the ground.

Mona's stolen eyes burned, folding space to collapse around Elric like a shrinking box.

Ken Ko's Soul Reapers tore up from the shadows, scythe-blades aimed for the throat.

Lisa twisted mid-air, her limbs cutting like blades, aiming to take the old man's head.

The moment before impact

Elric's breathing slowed.

His pupils thinned.

A soundless wave hit.

The ceiling groaned.

The floor bent.

Light itself seemed to lean toward him.

Then they appeared

Four titanic orbs.

One a roaring inferno.

One thrumming with martial force.

One blazing in spectral light.

One so still it felt like eternity itself.

The Four Worlds.

Not full power — just a glimpse.

Cutaways To Prison-Wide

Control Room: A veteran guard dropped his coffee, watching the monitors shake. "What the hell is that reading?!" Another whispered, "That's… that's him, isn't it?"

Lower Yard: Two brawling prisoners froze mid-punch, their instincts screaming. "…No way. He's here?"

Isolation Block: Shackled inmates began praying not for mercy, but for the fight to end before it reached them.

Outer Perimeter: Guards on the walls looked toward the main building as the air rippled like heat haze.

Back in the hallway, the Seven froze.

Star Dragon's celestial tattoos dimmed, flames shrinking to embers.

Dagun's legs buckled, a knee slamming into the floor involuntarily.

Kendra's swarm panicked, Brood Mothers scattering without her command.

Shevchenko's blood storm collapsed into harmless red mist.

Mona's space-fold shattered like broken glass.

Ken Ko's shadows dissolved, Soul Reapers turning to vapor.

Lisa halted mid-spin, every muscle screaming not to move.

Jeremiah's voice was low, only for himself:

Jeremiah: "…They're finished. They just don't know it yet."

Elric's gaze swept over them — slow, tired, almost bored.

Elric: "Mm… too much."

The Four Worlds dimmed, folding back into him.

The weight vanished.

The cracks in the walls stopped spreading.

The dust fell quietly to the ground.

Every prisoner staggered backward as if waking from a nightmare.

Even the strongest among them looked shaken, not just from the power, but from the casualness.

Elric tugged on his robe sleeve.

Elric: "Don't mind me. I'm only warming up."

The words landed like a threat and a joke at the same time.

Cutaway To Outer Yard:

A Gold-ranked Seeker leaned on the railing, whispering to another,

"You've never seen it, have you?"

"What?"

"The Four Worlds. If he let it loose here, Guan Diego wouldn't even be rubble."

The seven exchanged glances , pride forcing them forward again, but now every step was slower.

Elric leaned lightly on his cane, smiling as if none of this mattered.

Jeremiah, watching from the side, muttered just loud enough for him to hear:

Jeremiah: "Still holding back, huh?"

Elric: "If I wasn't… you'd all be in the afterlife already."

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