The oppressive darkness of the underground tunnel was Ryu's sole companion. The flickering light from the flint in his hand trembled, revealing beads of sweat on his pale face. The wounds on his side and thigh still protested with every movement, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the dread gripping his mind.
He was trying to concentrate on the map in his hand, attempting to find the correct turn in this complex path. Suddenly!
A chilling sensation, as if he'd been plunged into ice, shot up his spine! The hairs all over his body stood on end without warning! Ryu froze abruptly, his eyes wide with utter terror! The flint in his hand almost fell.
"What... what is this?!" he murmured, his voice trembling. His well-honed warrior instincts screamed a violent warning! It wasn't a sound, a shadow, or an unusual smell, but an invisible "sensation"... a sensation that was heavy, oppressive, and filled with the utmost brutality!
Killing intent!
It was a familiar killing intent... the killing intent of "Fenril"! But this time, it was different. It was stronger... more intense... and more terrifying than any he had ever felt before. It was as if the monstrous beast had unleashed its full, true power! Even deep within the underground tunnel, separated by thick layers of earth and rock, he could still clearly feel that immense wave of power, as if it could penetrate any obstacle to clutch at his heart!
"Raven!" The name of the woman who had helped him immediately sprang to mind. Could she be...? No! He tried to shake off the terrible thought, but anxiety continued to gnaw at him.
Cold sweat poured down. The fear that had somewhat subsided after his escape now erupted again, even more violently. He didn't know what was happening above, but he knew for sure that the situation was dire. "Have to get out of here... have to hurry..." He pushed his exhausted legs to move faster. The darkness of the tunnel seemed less terrifying than that invisible killing intent.
Back in the death alley, above the tunnel where Ryu was cowering...
The blackish-red, brutal aura continued to radiate from Fenril's body. The chilling, heavy killing intent pressed down on Raven, making it almost impossible for her to stand. The stone floor beneath Fenril's feet now showed clear cracks, indicating the immense power being unleashed.
Raven stood trembling, her entire body drenched in sweat. Her eyes were wide, staring at Fenril with a dread and despair she had never known before. The twin pistols in her hands felt as heavy as lead. Her instincts told her this was the end. No weapon she possessed could contend with the power before her.
"Do you see now... the difference between a 'hunter' and 'prey'?" Fenril smirked, his eyes gleaming with the malice of a demon from hell. "This is the final lesson I will impart to you... before you become nothing more than a piece of meat!"
He raised his pitch-black sword high, preparing to strike down and end Raven's life with utmost coldness!
Raven closed her eyes... The last thing she saw was the black blade hurtling down...
But then! In the split second before the blade could touch her!
CRACKLE! RUMBLE!
It wasn't the sound of Raven's guns, nor Fenril's sword, but a sound like a high-voltage electrical short circuit erupting suddenly! Simultaneously, Fenril's body convulsed violently as if electrocuted! The pitch-black sword in his hand fell, its tip embedding itself in the stone floor, mere inches from Raven's body!
"ARGHHHHHHH! What... what is this!" Fenril roared in extreme pain and confusion! The blackish-red aura around him instantly dissipated! He dropped to one knee, one hand clutching his chest, which felt as if a thousand needles were piercing it!
Raven opened her eyes in shock! She saw Fenril in a state of intense pain, as if attacked from within by some invisible force!
"You... what did you do to me!" Fenril snarled at Raven, his crimson eyes glaring at her with hatred, yet tinged with confusion.
"I... I didn't do anything," Raven replied, her voice trembling. She was just as shocked.
Suddenly, a deep, cold, and authoritative voice echoed in Fenril's mind. A voice he knew well and feared more than anything... the voice of the "Nebula King"!
"Fenril... enough... Your mission in Siren's Haven ends now... Report back to me immediately."
That powerful wave of thought was like an invisible electric current. It pierced directly into Fenril's mind, causing immense pain and pressure, like a small "punishment" for him "playing around" too much and potentially about to destroy "something" the King might be "interested" in.
"But... Master... I almost..." Fenril tried to argue in his mind, but an even stronger wave of thought retorted instantly.
"I command it! Or will you defy my orders, Fenril?"
The pain in Fenril's chest intensified! He gritted his teeth so hard his jaw trembled. "Y-yes... Master..." He coughed up a little blood.
He looked up at Raven, his eyes filled with resentment and an undiminished hatred. "This time... you got lucky... little girl..." he whispered hoarsely. "But remember... if we meet again... I'll show you what hell truly is!"
With those words, Fenril gathered all his remaining strength and struggled to his feet. He glanced in the direction Ryu had fled for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes, before turning and leaping away into the shadows of the alleys with surprising speed, leaving Raven standing there, stunned and confused by the recent events.
Raven slumped to the ground, utterly exhausted. Her heart was still pounding. She didn't understand what had just happened, but she knew for sure that she had just miraculously cheated death again. And it wasn't because of her skill, but because "something" invisible had intervened.
"Nebula King...?" she murmured to herself softly. The name sent a chill down her spine. "Or could that kid... be so important that the King himself had to interfere?"
Her thoughts returned to Ryu and the symbol on that piece of cloth. Curiosity and suspicion began to build rapidly in her mind.
She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, before pushing herself to her feet. "It seems... this isn't going to end easily," she smirked knowingly, before starting to move quickly and silently towards the underground tunnels she knew the little swordsman was likely using as an escape route... Perhaps... she needed to "talk" to him a little more.
Cutting back to Ryu in the underground tunnel. After sensing Fenril's intense killing intent, he had pushed himself to run for his life. Though he didn't know what was happening above, his instincts told him he had to get as far away as possible.
He navigated through an endless series of seemingly identical intersections. The light from his flint was growing dimmer. Fatigue and his injuries were starting to blur his senses.
Finally, he reached a dead end! A smooth stone wall blocked his path!
"Damn it! Did I misread the map!" Ryu cursed in despair. He collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The hope he had clung to began to fade.
But then, he noticed something unusual on the stone wall. There were small "carvings" that looked like some kind_of hidden mechanism! He tried pressing on one of the carvings!
Rumble!
The sound of grinding stone echoed! The stone wall that had been a dead end slowly slid open! Revealing a new passage leading into the darkness!
Ryu's eyes widened in surprise mixed with joy! This was... a secret passage!
Before he could decide what to do, the sound of multiple footsteps grew closer from the direction he had just come from! And these weren't ordinary footsteps! They were heavy and synchronized, like soldiers!
"This is bad! Have they followed me into the tunnels!" Ryu gritted his teeth. He knew he had no other choice now!
He quickly dove into the newly opened secret passage! As soon as his body was through, the stone wall slid shut behind him with a silent click! Leaving Ryu to face new darkness and uncertainty on a path not marked on Shadow Fox's map...
[End of Chapter 19]