Chapter 9 — The Ruthless Shadow
The corridors of the Blue Realm stretched endlessly — cold, metallic, drenched in blue mist.
Neon lights flickered weakly along the walls, humming like dying insects.
Yuzurei strolled through them with his usual swagger, four katanas lazily spinning in his hands.
> Yuzurei: "I'm sooo bored…"
The eerie silence didn't bother him. If anything, it calmed him. The faint hum of machines and the echo of his own footsteps were the only sounds in the void.
Then — footsteps approached.
A figure emerged from the shadows: Musukoni, calm and expressionless as ever.
> Musukoni: "So you're here. We thought you were lost."
Yuzurei caught one of his spinning blades midair, shrugging.
> Yuzurei: "Eh? Ah, yeah, yeah... just wandering. Where are Jin Yuan and Yusikuna?"
Musukoni paused, his eyes lowering slightly.
> Musukoni: "Jin Yuan went ahead — searching for an exit."
(pause) "And… Yusikuna died. He saved me."
The air froze.
For a moment, Yuzurei's grin faltered. The image of Yusikuna — loud, annoying, always smiling — flickered through his mind.
> Yuzurei (quietly): "That bastard…"
He muttered under his breath, then resumed walking as his blades resumed their idle spin.
> Musukoni: "Did you find anything?"
Yuzurei: "Eh!? In this boring place? What the hell would I find!?"
His irritation echoed off the metal walls.
> Musukoni: "Jin Yuan and I fought one of them — Blue Knight No. 3."
Yuzurei stopped mid-step, his eyes widening with sudden excitement.
> Yuzurei: "Wait, wait, wait. Blue Knight Three? What the hell is that?"
> Musukoni: "He had a mark on his gauntlet. Probably the third-strongest here."
> Yuzurei: "You dummy!!! You fought one of the strongest without me!?"
He pouted, then grinned wide again — his grin sharp enough to slice through the silence.
> Musukoni: "If there's a third… there must be a second and a first."
Yuzurei's eyes gleamed with wild excitement.
> Yuzurei: "YES!!! I'll take them myself!"
Laughing, he sprinted deeper into the realm — the blue mist swirling behind him like smoke.
---
Meanwhile…
Jin Yuan walked alone through the opposite corridor — a dark maze pulsing with blue light.
The air grew heavier with each step, cold seeping through his coat.
Then — a voice echoed.
> ??? "My, my… seems this realm has a new guest."
A tall man stepped out of the fog — his presence sharp enough to slice through the haze.
A massive axe rested across his shoulder, lightning sparking faintly from its edges.
Golden eyes glowed beneath the blue glow.
> Tetsuya Makano: "Welcome, intruder. I'm Tetsuya Makano — Second Blue Knight.
I'll make sure you feel right at home."
---
The Clash
Jin Yuan said nothing.
He unsheathed his massive black katana in a single smooth motion — steel whispering like a ghost.
They faced each other in silence.
> Tetsuya: "What a katana… I'll answer it with my axe."
He smirked — and launched himself forward.
The air cracked with lightning. Sparks burned the mist white.
Their weapons collided with a metallic roar that shook the corridor.
> Tetsuya: "If you're here… does that mean Kaizen fell?"
Jin Yuan: "Yes."
No pride. No hesitation. Just truth.
Their duel was a storm — Jin Yuan's black blade carving arcs of darkness, Tetsuya's axe flashing like thunder.
Each clash scattered sparks across the walls.
Each movement carried death.
> Tetsuya: "Too slow!"
He swung wide, the axe grazing Jin Yuan's side. Blood spilled — bright against the blue light.
> Tetsuya: "Weak. Maybe I'll make it quick for you."
Jin Yuan's breath came slow and measured. His katana rose again, chipped but steady.
The next blow shattered it.
Fragments of the blade scattered through the air. Jin Yuan stumbled back, panting, blood dripping from his fingers.
(Jin Yuan, thinking): I can't win with strength alone… I need something else.
They clashed again — and as steel met steel, a pulse of red energy burst from their weapons.
It flooded Jin Yuan's veins — burning, yet warm. His wounds began to close.
Pain vanished, replaced by eerie calm.
> (Jin Yuan, thinking): "What is this…? My body—healing?"
Across from him, Tetsuya's wounds closed as well.
They both realized — they were sharing the same cursed energy.
> Tetsuya (smirking): "Heh. Seems I helped you, silent one."
Lightning surged as he lunged again — faster, wilder.
But this time, Jin Yuan saw it all.
Every motion. Every feint. Every twitch before the strike.
Time slowed; the rhythm of battle revealed itself in crimson clarity.
(Jin Yuan, thinking): "I can see the flow…"
He moved through Tetsuya's swing like a ghost.
One step.
One slash.
The broken katana drove into Tetsuya's back — straight through the chest.
Lightning burst from his wounds.
> Jin Yuan (calmly): "Maybe I should thank you… for giving me this."
Tetsuya froze, eyes wide — disbelief flashing before resignation.
> Tetsuya (weakly): "I… just wanted to keep hurting humans. I wanted… power…"
His body trembled.
The storm around him flickered out.
The Blue Realm dimmed.
He sank to his knees, exhaling one final breath.
> Tetsuya (fading): "…maybe… I'll find peace."
Silence returned.
Jin Yuan stood over him — expression unreadable.
Then he turned and walked away as the realm's hum faded into stillness.
Another knight had fallen.
Another piece of the system cracked.
The Ruthless Shadow moved onward.
---
End of Chapter 9 — Arc 1 : "The Ruthless Shadow"
> The storm passes, but the shadow remains.
In the world of cyber gods and broken souls, Jin Yuan walks deeper into the abyss — not as a hero, not as a villain,
but as the inevitable consequence of everything this world created.