The dim corridors of Blade's headquarters seemed endless, cold stone walls closing in like a cage. Kale's breath came heavy and ragged as he faced down the towering man before him — a Blade lieutenant radiating raw Pluse power. Every movement the man made screamed danger, his aura thick with menace and strength that few could match.
Kale's grip tightened around his sword's hilt. He had no choice — if he wanted to reach Kraven, the man controlling this city's darkness, he had to get past this behemoth. The battle was already draining every ounce of his stamina, but surrender wasn't an option.
Steel clashed against steel. Kale swung with precision, but the man blocked every strike with ease, countering with devastating force. A heavy kick sent Kale stumbling back; he coughed, tasting blood as it trickled from his mouth. This wasn't an ordinary fight — the Blade lieutenant's Pluse made him a near unstoppable force.
Then, suddenly, the narrow hallway echoed with footsteps — many footsteps. Kale's eyes darted to the side corridor just as a surge of 40 to 50 Blade members spilled into the hall, faces twisted in malicious grins, weapons gleaming in the flickering lights.
"Looks like you're surrounded, friend," one sneered.
Kale's heart sank. The odds were overwhelming. But his spirit flared brighter than ever. He raised his sword and gritted his teeth, ready to fight through the wave of enemies — to protect the mission, to avenge those lost.
The attackers moved like a tidal wave, closing in from every direction. Steel struck steel, sparks flew as Kale parried and slashed with all his might. Every swing was a desperate dance against overwhelming numbers, every block a narrow escape from death.
But it was clear — there were simply too many.
Blows rained down on Kale's body. Fatigue clung to his muscles, his vision blurred at the edges. Still, he refused to fall. Every time a blade grazed him, every time he was pushed back, he found strength to stand again.
Then, without warning, a shadow slipped behind him. A knife flashed in the dim light, plunging deep into Kale's back. The pain exploded through his body like wildfire.
Kale gasped, staggered, and blood blossomed across his shirt. He dropped to one knee, his sword slipping from his grasp. The crowd of Blade members surged forward, sensing victory.
"I'm not finished yet…" Kale whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
Before the attacker could strike again — aiming straight for Kale's chest — something unbelievable happened. Kale vanished.
The man's knife plunged into the cold stone floor where Kale had been seconds before. Shock rippled through the Blade members. "Where did he go?!" someone yelled.
Frantic searching ensued. The hallways echoed with shouts and footsteps, but Kale was gone.
Then, in the furthest corner of the headquarters, a figure emerged from the shadows.
Aryan.
The questions screamed in everyone's mind — how could Aryan be here? Wounded badly from his own brutal battle, yet moving fast and silent like a ghost?
Aryan's eyes burned with fierce determination as he stepped forward, the chill of his Ice Pluse crackling faintly in the air around him.
The chapter ended on that electrifying moment — two warriors reunited on the battlefield, ready to turn the tide.