Chapter 25: Crossing the Barrier – A Road of No Return
Silence hung over the destroyed city... the silence that comes after the storm, after the cries of souls and the fall of comrades.
The black fog began to dissipate, and the heavy smell of ash mingled with tears that had not yet dried.
Ren stood amid the rubble, one hand clutching the second flute... while the other trembled uncontrollably.
He didn't know what was shaking more:
the earth, whose earthquake had ended... or his heart, which had not calmed down.
Images of Lennon and the girl with the sword flashed through his mind as if they were being shown in broken mirrors.
Their laughter... their screams... standing beside him... then falling.
For the first time in a long time...
Ren felt human, not just a force.
He didn't try to hide his tears this time.
There was no one left to lie to.
---
Mr. X approached him slowly, breathing heavily, but standing... despite his bones looking as if they would fall out of place at any moment.
He said in a low but steady voice:
"Ren... if you stand here any longer... it will all be over."
Ren raised his head, and in his eyes there was a fire mixed with indescribable sadness.
"They died because of me... I was weak... If I had been faster, stronger—"
Mr. X cut him off with a gesture of his injured hand and said with a slight sarcasm despite the pain:
"Don't start blaming yourself... because that's a waste of time, and we don't have time."
He paused for a moment, almost collapsing to the ground, but continued with a weary smile:
"They chose to fight... They chose to save humanity... They chose to save you."
Ren lowered his gaze, his hand clutching the veil as if it were a lifeline.
Mr. X pointed to the half-closed gate behind them and said:
"And if you stay where you are... you'll let their sacrifices go to waste."
Ren's shoulders trembled, and a long, heavy sigh escaped him.
"Then... we'll go through."
Mr. X smiled a small smile, the kind of smile that hides a thousand misfortunes:
"That's the Ren I know... Ren who stands his ground even if the whole world is against him."
---
Ren opened the second seal.
The moment the cover split open, a dark red light burst forth... Not light, but living energy, writhing like wings of flame.
The symbols on the seal began to spin, spinning so fast that they distorted the air around them.
The ground... the debris... the air... everything shook.
Then—
Boom!
A silent but powerful explosion caused the gate to open again, but this time... it was not a dark gate.
It was a crack in the sky itself.
A wall of red mist, behind which lay a world that did not seem to belong to this universe.
Ren said in a low voice:
"This is... the world of demons."
Mr. X replied in a light tone despite the tension:
"Well... I hope they're not aggressive."
Ren looked at him with a "Are you serious?" look.
Mr. X shrugged:
"What? I had to say something to lighten the mood."
For the first time since the beginning of the night...
Ren let out a short laugh, hurt but genuine.
---
They approached the barrier.
With every step Ren took, his heart grew heavier.
Memories screamed behind him... but he was no longer one to look back.
When he touched the barrier with his hand... he felt a strange coldness, as if time had stopped for a moment.
He turned toward the broken city one last time.
He muttered:
"I promise you... I won't let this happen again."
Then he entered.
---
When they crossed the barrier... all sound disappeared.
No destruction... no screams... no wind...
Only red darkness... then—
Swoooosh!
As if gravity had completely disappeared, Ren and Mr. X fell from an unimaginable height.
Mr. X shouted:
"Ren!! Why do all your gates start with a fall?!"
Ren replied, trying to control himself:
"Shut up and do something useful!!"
But neither of them could prevent the collision.
Boom!
They crashed into a strange black forest, its trees so tall, their leaves moving without air, as if watching them.
Ren got up, holding his head:
"...Oh... This is the worst welcome possible."
Mr. X stood up, wiping the dust off himself:
"At least... we're not dead."
A sound rang out behind them... the sound of slow, heavy footsteps...
Then a huge shadow appeared between the trees, approaching them.
Two yellow eyes opened... glowing with animalistic rage.
Mr. X said coldly, despite his fear:
"Ah... Excellent... The first demon to welcome us."
Ren looked at the shadow, then raised his fist and said:
"Okay... Let's begin."
And so begins the journey of the true shadows.
Chapter 26: The Shadow of the Cursed Forest – The Final Epic Version
Scene 1: Falling into the World of Demons
Ren and Mr. X fell from a tremendous height, the air whistling around them, the glowing red earth rapidly approaching.
Ren felt the impact moments before, his body shaking violently, but his mind remained alert, observing every movement around him.
The ground cracked, debris flew, and red mist filled everything.
Mr. X slowly got up, reaching out his hand to Ren:
"At least... we're alive... but every step from now on will be calculated."
Ren raised his head, his eyes taking in every detail of the dark forest: tall, airless trees, leaves moving as if watching, thick fog enveloping everything.
He smiled briefly, despite his exhaustion:
"A strange journey... but it has begun."
---
Scene Two: The Giant Shadow
The sound of heavy footsteps approached, the ground shaking.
A huge shadow appeared among the trees, its yellow eyes glowing fiercely, its body a mixture of animal and demonic creature, moving with frightening fluidity.
The shadow's voice is calm but threatening:
"Welcome, strangers... I didn't expect anyone to dare to cross."
Ren focuses, his fist clenched around the second knife, his eyes scanning every corner:
Mr. X whispers to him:
"Don't underestimate him... this is no ordinary opponent."
The shadow suddenly disappears among the trees, leaving Ren trying to track it down in vain.
Ren watches every movement, studying the shadow, every feeling that passes through him freezing for a moment, reading the surrounding energy and planning his response.
---
Scene 3: First exchange of attacks
Ren begins by using his ability to steal power from any part of the shadow he touches during the fight, to begin to understand its movement pattern.
The shadow responds with natural traps: trees move, the ground ignites, waves of red energy fly, every movement calculated with precision.
Mr. X smiles wearily:
"Be careful... this isn't just power... it's intelligence."
Ren moves between the trees, every step calculated, every strike focused, energy from the Vife flowing around him, mimicking the shadow, turning it into an opportunity for a counterattack.
The shadow attacks him with a sudden movement, trying to subdue him with a fierce red wave, but Ren uses the Vifa to dismantle the attack, turning it into counter energy.
---
Scene 4: Team Memories and Forest Terrain
Between fighting and moving, Ren remembers all the sacrifices:
Lennon and his last scream before falling,
the girl with the sword, her heroic sacrifice,
all his comrades who sacrificed themselves for the greater goal.
His feelings deepen, but he doesn't need to scream. Every feeling is reflected in his concentration, in the direction of his power, in how he uses his concentrated energy to respond and attack.
---
Scene 5: The concentrated counterattack
Ren begins to coordinate an energy network with the surrounding trees, directing the Fife in such a way that every attack from the shadow becomes an opportunity to respond.
The shadow tries to resist him, moving the trees, releasing red waves, but Ren uses every sense, every movement, every interaction of energy, to put him in a constant defensive position.
Mr. X watches from behind:
"The Fife is working... This power... Use every bit of it."
Ren moves the energy inside and outside his body, every feeling, every pain, every memory, embodied in a concentrated wave of power around him, causing the shadow to tremble, move cautiously, and gradually reveal its weaknesses.
---
Scene 6: The shadow tests Ren
The shadow shows its true intelligence, trying to attack Ren from multiple directions at once, moving the ground, creating moving trees, sending out waves of intertwined red energy.
Ren moves lightly, balancing defense and offense, the energy around him glowing, controlling the fife, every movement calculated, every strike calculated, without the need to shout, without losing focus.
---
Scene 7: The End and Cliffhanger
After a long exchange of attacks, the shadow retreats partially, his eyes glowing with anger and respect:
"This is not goodbye... it is only the beginning."
Ren and Mr. X breathe a sigh of relief, but the forest is still filled with mystery and strange energy.
Ren points to a small gate glowing with a dark energy unlike anything they have ever seen:
"This... is the key to the upper realm of the demon world."
Mr. X:
"Ren... if we want to survive, we must find out what's inside."
Ren raises his eyes to the forest, watching the moving shadows, and places his hand on his sword:
"We won't stop... This is the beginning of the truth."