The Cyber Ascension – Arc 2
Chapter 11 — The Recovery After the Storm
The blue moon hung quietly above the ruins, its reflection trembling across the shallow water and the shattered towers around them.
Yuzurei knelt among the debris, blood dripping from his lips, each breath scraping through broken ribs—
yet the grin on his face refused to die.
Eisuke stood a few meters away, posture perfect, silver hair drifting under the pale glow. His four chained blades still crackled with residual energy.
---
The Clash Continues
Eisuke leapt.
One downward strike—
and an entire skyscraper split cleanly in two.
The building groaned, then collapsed, raining steel and broken katanas across the battlefield like falling stars.
> Eisuke (smirking): "Well done, Yuzurei."
He turned away, certain the fight was over.
But—
A single katana cut through the smoke, spinning toward him with a faint red glow.
CLANG!
The chain of his sword snapped clean in half.
Eisuke froze, eyes widening.
Through the choking dust, Yuzurei dragged himself upright—blood-soaked, trembling, but unbroken.
---
The Storm of Blades
Without hesitation, Yuzurei grabbed a crate overflowing with katanas and hurled it skyward.
Dozens of blades burst out, spinning under the moonlight like a blooming flower of steel.
> Eisuke: "You're not serious…"
> Yuzurei (laughing madly): "OH, I'M VERY SERIOUS!"
He shot into the air—catching, switching, discarding, and reclaiming blades faster than human eyes could follow.
Nine katanas glimmered around him, orbiting like burning comets.
> Eisuke: "Don't tell me you can actually—!"
> Yuzurei: "UNDERSTIMATE MY DURABILITY AGAIN, AND I'LL BITE YOU!"
Every swing screamed through the air.
Every impact spat sparks that lit the ruins crimson.
His ribs were crushed.
His flesh torn.
Blood streamed freely—
yet he moved as if his body were weightless.
Pure madness.
Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
---
Fire and Fury
Eisuke clenched his teeth.
> Eisuke: "Then I'll kill you properly."
All four of his chained blades whipped out, forming a lethal web of blue lightning.
Yuzurei didn't retreat.
Nine flaming katanas whirled around him, igniting with red fire that clashed violently against Eisuke's blue aura.
The sky turned into a battlefield of flames and moonlight.
Eisuke lunged low—
one blade pierced through Yuzurei's lower jaw, throwing shockwaves across the ruins.
Yuzurei's head jerked back violently—
but the glow of madness in his remaining eye only sharpened.
Eisuke struck again—
a clean slash across Yuzurei's face.
Blood sprayed.
Yuzurei's left eye burst.
He didn't blink.
He didn't falter.
If anything—
his aura surged.
Nine blazing swords spun even faster, forming fiery wings behind him.
> Eisuke (horrified): "Are you… truly human?"
> Yuzurei (grinning through blood): "You decide."
---
The Final Strike
Both warriors dashed forward—
red fire and blue lightning exploding as they clashed.
The water beneath them vaporized.
The moon above cracked in the reflection.
One decisive flash—
and Yuzurei's katana drove straight into Eisuke's heart.
Eisuke froze.
A soft exhale escaped him.
> Yuzurei (low, almost gentle): "This… was the fight I wanted."
Eisuke's lips curled faintly.
Then he fell, collapsing into the shallow water.
The battle of the Blue Realm's strongest…
had ended.
---
Eisuke's Final Memories
Crimson spread beneath him as the world dimmed.
A trembling five-year-old boy flashed in his mind.
His father's slap.
His mother's cold eyes.
> Father: "You're useless! A waste!"
> Mother: "We'll sell you. At least then you'll have a purpose."
Sold like trash.
Thrown into a cage.
Beaten for sport.
Until he came.
Shinjukuna.
A monster wrapped in calmness.
He killed everyone in that room effortlessly, then crushed the cage open with one hand.
> Shinjukuna: "Poor child… I'll make you happy."
> Young Eisuke: "C-Can I… eat?"
> Shinjukuna (smiling): "You can have anything you want."
The boy followed him—
and grew into a weapon.
A villain born from grace twisted into chains.
---
Present — Aftermath
The wind whispered through the ruins.
Eisuke opened his eyes one last time.
> Eisuke: "Heh… Thank you… for breaking this cage of life…"
His gaze faded into the blue sky.
Yuzurei exhaled quietly, then sheathed his katanas.
He didn't celebrate.
He simply walked away under the trembling moonlight.
---
The Survivors Reunite
Blue mist drifted through the empty realm.
Jin Yuan walked down the glass-strewn street, his blade resting on his shoulder, faintly glowing from his fight with Tetsuya.
From the opposite end, Yuzurei approached—hoodie torn apart, bandages soaked red, one eye closed forever.
Musukoni's expression tightened.
> Musukoni: "What happened to you?"
> Yuzurei (grinning): "Fought Eisuke Ichiro. Blue Knight One! It was AWESOME."
Musukoni pinched the bridge of his nose.
> Musukoni: "You're proud of almost dying? You psychopath."
Jin Yuan approached, calm but clearly stunned.
> Jin Yuan: "You… defeated Blue Knight One?"
Musukoni nodded grimly.
> Musukoni: "He did. Somehow."
Jin Yuan lowered his gaze.
> He defeated Eisuke… while I struggled against Knight Two…
> Jin Yuan: "We need rest. We won't survive the next fight like this."
> Yuzurei: "Rest where? A hotel? Starbucks? Hospital?!"
> Musukoni: "Actually… hospital."
He pointed to a flickering structure in the distance.
A giant high-tech hospital, cracked and abandoned.
---
Recovery
They treated their own wounds inside the silent hospital.
Yuzurei's ribs were wrapped tight.
One eye lost forever.
Blood still dripping onto the floor.
Musukoni had cuts across his face and hands.
Jin Yuan's arm and head were wrapped in bandages.
> Musukoni: "We should find a way back home."
> Yuzurei: "Feels like we've been here forever."
Jin Yuan hesitated.
> Jin Yuan: "Sensei… and Emily… must be worried."
Musukoni looked thoughtful.
> Musukoni: "I don't think time exists here."
The other two stared.
> Yuzurei: "HUH?! Explain, Einstein!"
> Musukoni: "Eleven days passed… yet no nail growth, no hair growth, no worsening wounds.
Time here isn't flowing normally.
When we return… it'll be the same day we left."
> Yuzurei: "Oh! So I'll still be young there too! Maybe I'll get a girlfriend!"
Jin Yuan flicked the back of his head.
> Jin Yuan: "Girls run from serial-killer smiles, idiot."
Musukoni snickered.
> Yuzurei: "JEALOUS!"
> Jin Yuan: "We need to find an exit."
> Musukoni: "Let's search for something… different."
They left the hospital.
The blue mist followed silently.
Until—
they saw it.
A pulsing black-hole-like portal on the ground.
> Yuzurei: "YO—what's that!?"
> Musukoni: "Let's check."
He threw a rock.
It slipped through harmlessly.
> Jin Yuan: "Looks safe enough."
The three exchanged a glance.
Then stepped toward the portal.