"RREEEENJIIIIII!!
Where are you?!
Lady Yumi's looking for you!"
It was Himari's voice…
Pure. Childlike.
Brimming with a kind of innocence that had no place in this broken, shadow-drenched world.
Renji turned—so did Raizen.
And at that exact moment…
Raizen's body began to condense,
forming from shadows like smoke hugging the void.
Slowly, features took shape—
a face… limbs… an eerie presence solidifying from the abyss.
ـــ
He spoke, voice laced with dripping disgust:
"Ah... So your little sister is looking for you?
How pitiful."
Then he added—sharper, almost gagging:
"I feel sick."
Renji didn't respond.
Something in the air… froze him.
A presence.
ـــ
He felt it.
Something wrong.
Something non-human… was moving toward Himari.
A creature.
Something that had crawled out of the pages of that cursed book…
And it burned with a singular, vicious intent: to kill.
Renji's eyes darted left and right, scanning, searching—
madly trying to locate that monster.
His irises glowed green,
the whites of his eyes vanishing into obsidian darkness.
ـــ
The world shifted—
colors disappeared.
His vision morphed into heat and motion.
When he turned—
Raizen stood there.
No longer a shade.
Now fully formed.
A monstrous eight-foot figure,
his exoskeleton carved in pulsing, breathing muscle.
A skull-like helm masked his head, twisted horns jutting like carved obsidian.
ـــ
His body cracked with glowing orange fire that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Yet—
Renji didn't care.
Not about Raizen.
His focus was locked—
on that thing moving toward Himari.
He slammed his foot into the earth—
A shockwave surged out in all directions, scanning everything alive within three miles.
ـــ
His sight sharpened—
eyes twitching fast, leaping tree to tree—
—and then he froze.
Northeast.
Himari.
Two entities were moving toward her.
The first:
a disfigured monstrosity,
racing with terrifying speed,
thick drool pouring from jagged jaws,
fangs gleaming—
its eyes locked on her like prey.
ـــ
The second body…
Unknown.
Even faster.
So fast, Renji couldn't trace it.
It bounced effortlessly between trees, too agile for any clear visual.
Raizen grinned, sarcasm painted across his face, with a hint of genuine, grudging admiration:
"Well, well…
Looks like you're finally syncing with those new powers of yours.
Nice."
ـــ
Renji's gaze shifted slightly, focused on something deep in the woods.
He muttered, almost warning himself:
"Two targets… closing in on her."
Raizen exhaled dramatically on his fingers, mocking:
"Pfft. Let her die already.
It'll be a hell of a show."
Something flashed in Renji's eyes.
Then—
FWOOSH—!
He took off.
ـــ
The air split around him—
A cyclone trail formed behind as pressure waves exploded from his path.
Raizen was yanked forward without warning, tumbling through branches:
"You idiot!! A little heads-up next time!!"
Renji whispered low, as he surged forward:
"Quiet.
It's right behind her."
Eyes locked forward.
Body spearing through trees like a missile.
ـــ
There—
the creature.
A mutant beast—
hunched like a rusted bow,
with six arms, each ending in blades like reaper scythes.
It stood over seven feet tall,
its skin a sickly swamp green,
eyes cold and hungry like a starving crocodile.
ـــ
Every breath it took seemed to roar:
"I'm here… to exterminate."
Its legs…
like a dragon's—each step quaked the forest floor.
Far ahead, Himari sat beneath a tree.
She sighed, puffing her cheeks out in frustration:
"That idiot said he'd stay with me forever…
And here he is, vanishing again."
ـــ
She leaned her head back against the bark, closing her crimson eyes.
Silver strands of her hair danced in the breeze as if the wind tried to grant her a moment's peace in a world with none.
A deep inhale…
The scent of green forest filled her lungs.
Then—
THWUM—THWUM—THWUM!
The ground shook.
ـــ
Trees trembled.
A massive shape—charging.
Roaring.
Tearing through everything.
"KRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHRGGHH!!"
Birds scattered in terror—
panic spread like wildfire—
even the forest seemed to tremble.
Himari's body locked up.
She wanted to scream.
ـــ
To vanish.
To wake up from this nightmare.
Then—
"RENNNJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!"
She screamed with everything inside her as she ran—
in the opposite direction from the beast.
Renji—faster now.
Faster.
The skin on his face began to crack.
ـــ
Green threads pulsed from within, stretching his features into a terrifying smile—
as if his body refused to stay human.
Raizen laughed behind him, chasing, enjoying every second:
"Faster! Faaaaster!!
Your sweet little sister's gonna be shredded before she even says the word… 'Host'!"
The beast locked eyes on Himari—
and leapt.
ـــ
All six arms stretched forward—
its jaw split open like a collapsing tunnel—
eyes glowing a savage red, blazing with hunger for destruction.
Himari stumbled.
She fell.
Looked up—
And death was already above her.
She shut her eyes tight.
ـــ
All she wanted…
Was to wake up.
But—
THNK! — TCHK! — SKRRK!
Three thick knives slammed into the creature's skull.
It froze—just for a second.
Then—
WHUUUMP!!
Renji exploded into view.
ـــ
His shoulder collided with the beast like a meteor crashing into the earth.
The monster flew—
ripping through trees,
its body carving a trench into the forest floor like a derailed freight train.
KRAAAK—BOOOM!!
An explosion of dirt and bark erupted.
The beast's skull cracked.
ـــ
Its eyes turned a dead, cloudy white.
And finally… death had found it.
Renji stood before the fallen monster, breathing slow.
That twisted smile still pulled at his lips—
not by choice, but by the green threads that forced his face into a manic grin.
His eyes shone an unnatural, venomous green.
ـــ
The whites of his eyes drowned in black,
as though the light had been shut off forever.
He turned toward Himari—
slowly.
His face still warped… like a cursed doll torn from a nightmare.
Behind him, Raizen lay sprawled on the ground.
He exhaled with a grin, then scoffed:
"Well damn.
One of my brothers just got trashed like a rookie—wait."
ـــ
He leaned over the scorched corpse, examining it closer.
"Nope… not one of mine.
Just another one of their savage little toys."
Renji took slow, cautious steps toward Himari.
His gaze had softened.
The human form…
was returning.
"Himari," he said gently.
ـــ
"I'm here. You don't need to be afraid."
But Himari… couldn't move.
Her eyes flickered between the twisted face of her brother…
and the dead monster behind him.
Her mind screamed:
"Who… Who is that?! That can't be—!"
"R-Renji? Is… that you? What the hell is going on?!"
ـــ
She wanted to move closer—
but her feet refused.
Her entire body was shouting:
"Run! That's not Renji!"
And yet…
How could she deny what she just saw?
How could she deny how he fought for her?
His eyes—though terrifying—looked at her with a familiar softness.
ـــ
A warmth only he had ever shown her.
She whispered, voice trembling:
"R-Renji… is that… really you?"
Renji didn't stop smiling—
he couldn't.
Every time he tried to lower his expression,
those threads pulled tighter—
forcing the cursed grin wider.
ـــ
Still…
He answered.
"Yes.
It's me.
But… some things have changed.
My body isn't what it used to be."
He paused.
Then, softer:
ـــ
"But I'm still your big brother.
The one who loves you.
And I'll always protect you."
A short silence.
Then his voice—
a whisper:
"Wasn't that our promise?
To protect each other… no matter what?"
(Two Weeks Ago)
ـــ
Stars scattered across the sky like pearls on black silk.
Below them—
a half-collapsed house…
Lady Yumi's home.
She placed the food gently before them.
Everyone thanked her.
They began to eat.
ـــ
But Himari… stopped.
She stared at the ground, sadness washing over her.
Lady Yumi noticed.
She asked gently:
"What's wrong, Himari?
Don't you like the food?"
Himari shook her head,
ـــ
picking at her bread with her eyes still glued to the floor.
She remembered.
Her mother.
How she stood between Himari and death.
How she died—bleeding in her arms.
That man…
ـــ
The one with tattoos, and arms that laughed with every strike.
When he tried to kill her,
her mother jumped in the way.
Took the hit.
Exploded from within as his hand burst through her back—
and sliced Himari's shoulder.
ـــ
She fell.
Her mother collapsed on top of her, shielding her one last time.
Renji had noticed her silence that night.
He gently ruffled her hair, smiling softly:
"Don't worry…
What happened, happened."
"As long as I'm with you,
nothing will hurt you again."
ـــ
"We protect each other… right?"
Himari had smiled back—bright, brave, and full of love:
"Always.
Forever!"
(Now)
Himari's eyes filled with tears.
She gasped.
ـــ
Then ran toward Renji, sobbing uncontrollably.
Renji opened his arms, ready to hold her.
But Raizen, who had been fiddling with the corpse's head, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
He stared at the three knives embedded in the monster's skull.
And said—
ـــ
"Wait a sec…
We didn't throw those knives, did we?"
"I don't even have pockets!"
At the exact moment Himari was about to reach Renji—
A knife whistled through the air, slicing between them.
Himari froze in shock.
ـــ
A stranger leapt down between them.
He wore black and blue combat gear that covered every inch of his body.
A black mask obscured his face,
and his wild dark hair flared in the wind like a storm.
He caught Himari—gently but firmly—
and placed her behind him.
ـــ
Then, voice sharp and final, he said:
"Step back, girl.
That monster… has to die."
🔥
To be continued...