The Cyber Ascension — Arc 2
Volume 2 — Chapter 17: Nine Axes
The night over New York was unnaturally dark—no cars, no voices, only the wind brushing through the deserted streets.
The group walked together for a moment before Musukoni finally spoke.
Musukoni: "We should split up. Staying in one big group won't help us find anything."
Everyone nodded.
And so, they separated—one pair per direction.
Youchina, Emily, and Shinoki headed east.
Musukoni and Yuzurei moved west.
Jin Yuan walked alone down the central stretch.
Nashino, hands behind his head as always, strolled off on his own path.
---
Youchina, Emily, Shinoki
The three girls walked side-by-side, shadows stretching under the dim streetlights.
Emily glanced around nervously.
Emily: "This place is unusually quiet…"
Shinoki nodded, keeping close.
Shinoki: "Yeah… we should stay alert."
She looked toward Youchina.
Youchina didn't say anything—just walked calmly, her long black dress brushing against the pavement as if the silence didn't bother her at all.
But that calm shattered when they turned the next corner.
Nine creatures stood waiting—
Bat-like wings, dark red eyes, gorilla-like arms, crocodile tails, and disturbingly straight cheetah legs.
A grotesque fusion.
Youchina silently picked up a metal rod from the ground.
Emily drew her katana.
Shinoki slipped into her martial arts stance, fists ready.
The fight was inevitable.
---
Musukoni & Yuzurei
Yuzurei kicked a loose can down the street with a groan.
Yuzurei: "Ughhh… this is so boring."
Musukoni sighed calmly.
Musukoni: "We'll find something soon. Don't do anything reckless."
A few steps later—
Four towering wolf monsters emerged, each one with four snarling heads, standing nearly six feet tall.
Yuzurei's eyes lit up like fireworks.
Yuzurei: "YES! This is my type of enjoyment!"
Musukoni wordlessly drew his twin daggers.
The hunt began.
---
Jin Yuan
Jin Yuan walked alone, footsteps echoing in the silence.
Then—someone appeared in front of him.
A young man in his twenties, pink shoulder-length hair and dark pink eyes. White shirt, black pants.
His presence alone felt like a duel request.
Baukomo.
Jin Yuan slowly unsheathed his giant katana.
Baukomo: "Hm… don't disappoint me, okay?"
His voice was calm—almost bored.
Jin Yuan simply lifted his blade.
---
Nashino
Hands intertwined behind his head, Nashino walked with a careless grin.
Nashino: "Man, I hope Youchina isn't stuck with something boring…"
He laughed to himself.
But the street ahead flickered—
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
Long pink hair flowing to his waist, red eyes, shirt sleeves casually rolled up.
Black shirt, white pants.
Awazen.
He stared with half-lidded eyes.
Awazen: "Hm."
Nashino tilted his head.
Nashino: "So, you're my opponent?"
Awazen sighed, looking almost disappointed.
Awazen: "Yeah."
Nashino: "Don't look so disappointed. It's rude."
He dropped the suitcase from his back, opening it with a click.
Inside—his jet-black axe with red edges.
He extended it—
And with a smooth swing, eight additional blades unfolded, forming a massive nine-bladed weapon.
A monster of an axe.
Nashino grinned.
Nashino: "Alright then… let's get started."
---
Chapter End
---The Cyber Ascension | Arc 3 — The Battles in New York | Volume 3 Teaser
The streets of New York lay eerily silent under the full moon, its pale light spilling over the deserted city as if silently watching every shadow.
Then —
"RAGHHH!!!"
A deafening roar shattered the silence, sending shivers down every spine.
Youchina stood calm, wielding her iron long rod like a deadly extension of her own body. Nine monstrous creatures charged at her — shark-faced, eyeless, with long crocodile tails, cheetah-like legs, bat wings, and gorilla arms.
Emily's katana sliced through the air, cutting down on her opponents while Shinoki unleashed a flurry of martial arts strikes, punching and kicking to block every attack.
Emily: "Shinoki, careful!"
She shouted amidst the chaos.
Meanwhile, across the dark streets, Musukoni and Yuzurei faced off against four towering, six-foot wolf-like beasts.
Yuzurei: "This is my kind of FUN!"
He twirled his four katanas mid-air, switching them with perfect precision.
Musukoni's twin daggers flashed in rhythmic, deadly arcs, cutting through the advancing foes with calm efficiency.
Further down another alley, Jin Yuan faced Baukomo — a man in his twenties with shoulder-length pink hair and piercing dark pink eyes.
Baukomo: "You're quiet… too quiet. Give me some fun, can't you?"
He asked coolly, his gaze sharp.
Jin Yuan said nothing, only tightening his grip on his giant katana, his eyes locked on Baukomo with icy focus.
Elsewhere, Nashino faced Awazen, a tall figure with long pink hair, red eyes, and sleeves rolled loosely over a crisp white shirt. Hands casually in his pockets, Awazen's gaze was sharp.
Awazen: "Hm… such a playful one. I hope you're not pathetic."
Nashino: "Oi oi, bad mouthing, huh?"
He said playfully, spinning his nine-bladed axe in hand.
The city was alive with tension, shadows, and the promise of epic battles. Every strike, every clash, every movement would decide who dominated the dark streets of New York.
The Cyber Ascension Arc 3 — The Battles of New York | Volume 3
Release: Tomorrow Morning, 5:30 AM | Sun, Nov 16th