As Ren disappeared into the shadows, Ken stood there in the eerie silence of the ruins, his mind swirling with questions and doubts. What was Ren hiding? What did he mean when he said this place was about to turn into a battlefield? The weight of uncertainty pressed down on him, and for the first time in a while, Ken felt uneasy.
His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves. He didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
Mina stepped out from behind the bushes, her eyes meeting Ken's. "I heard everything," she said softly.
Ken let out a deep sigh. "Mina… You followed me."
Mina shrugged, her eyes narrowing in slight amusement. "Obviously. Did you think I wouldn't notice you sneaking off alone?"
Ken folded his arms, his gaze hard. "Didn't you have any questions for him?"
Mina crossed her arms, leaning against a broken pillar, her expression more serious than usual. "Questions? Sure, but... I'll save them for later. Right now, I think we have bigger things to worry about."
Ken frowned, but before he could reply, a sudden shift in the atmosphere hit them like a tidal wave.
It started as a low hum, barely noticeable at first, but quickly grew into an overwhelming force. The air around them thickened with a suffocating presence, an aura so heavy it brought them to their knees. Ken's body stiffened as he recognized that feeling — a monstrous aura. It was unmistakable. And this time, it was even worse than what he felt at Okiris Island.
Suddenly, in the distance, they heard a collective thud. The citizens of Gular had collapsed, succumbing to the weight of the aura. Even Deaz, drained from the energy used to construct the barrier around the city, fell to the ground. The pillars, who had been underestimated by their enemies, struggled to stay upright as the force pressed down on them.
All except for Ken and Ren.
Mina, trembling under the pressure, managed to look up. Through the overwhelming weight, she saw something shocking: Ken was standing tall, his eyes glowing with a fierce, burning intensity. His bloodlust was pushing back the oppressive aura, countering it with his own terrifying power. The sight sent a shiver down her spine — Ken was no ordinary pacifier.
"This aura... it's just like that day," Mina muttered, memories of Okiris Island flooding her mind.
Ken didn't need her to say it aloud. He already knew. The same malevolent energy they had felt all those years ago was back — Rue, the special-class beast that haunted their memories. But this time, there was something different, something more. The intensity was off the charts. They weren't just dealing with Rue. No, there was another.
Ren, who had vanished earlier, reappeared nearby, his eyes narrowed, scanning the area. His instincts were sharp as ever. He sensed it too — not one, but two special-class beasts. And that wasn't the worst of it. Hoards of abnormal-class monsters were approaching, drawn to the aura like moths to a flame.
Ren's eyes flickered toward the distance, where one of the special-class beasts was heading straight for him. His heart skipped a beat, his body tensing. He had been ready for this moment for years, prepared to avenge their fallen master. But as the figure emerged from the shadows, Ren's breath hitched. This wasn't Rue.
A monstrous figure, towering and covered in thick wood and twisted plants, stepped forward. Its eyes glowed with a sinister emerald light. Lett. The fourth special-class beast ever discovered by humans — a beast of pure nature and rage, discovered back in 0077. And now, it stood before Ren.
Meanwhile, back in the main city, Rue had arrived, wreaking havoc as the pillars scrambled to defend the citizens.
Rose, Fel, and Cid were standing by when they felt Rue's overwhelming aura.
Cid was the first to react, his legs nearly giving out as he clung to Fel's shoulder. "I-I think I just felt my soul leave my body…"
Fel smirked, trying to mask his nervousness. "Guess we're meeting the famous Rue. Didn't think my day would end with a heart attack."
Rose, ever the stoic, couldn't resist a grin despite the situation. "Think of it this way, Cid. If we survive this, you can finally tell your future kids how you didn't faint during the apocalypse."
Cid groaned, "Oh sure, and maybe I can tell them how I died trying not to wet my pants."
Fel laughed, though it came out more like a wheeze. "Well, I don't know about dying, but we might want to reconsider those celebration plans after this."
As Rue's figure loomed over the city, the pillars got into position, their nerves on edge but their determination stronger than ever.
Back in the ruins, Ren and Lett's battle had begun.
As Ren and Lett squared off, the air itself seemed to thicken with the weight of the impending battle. Lett's massive, hulking form was a grotesque fusion of ancient wood, vines, and pulsating green energy, its glowing eyes burning with a predatory hunger. Ren knew he was staring at a force of nature, something far beyond human comprehension. His muscles tensed, and his mind sharpened, recalling every lesson and every moment of training that had led him to this point.
The moment of silence between them shattered when Lett roared, a sound so deep it reverberated through the ruins, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Ren barely had time to react before the first attack came—massive roots tore through the earth, bursting upward with terrifying speed, aiming to impale him.
LOSTBELT: EMERALDITE SWORD
Ren summoned his weapon with a flash of emerald light. The air hummed with power as the sword materialized in his grip. But before he could even raise it, Lett was upon him. A massive fist, formed from thick wood and twisted vines, came crashing down, slamming Ren into the rubble with earth-shattering force. Dust and debris filled the air, but Ren emerged from the wreckage, unfazed. He wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, and locked eyes with the monstrous Lett, determination burning in his gaze. He knew this wouldn't be an easy fight. Going up against a special-class beast like Lett was practically suicidal, but Ren had trained for this moment, pushing himself to the limit in secret. Today, he would make sure Lett fell.
Lett roared, summoning his army of plant and tree monsters. Massive creatures sprouted from the ground, their twisted limbs reaching out like nature's own instruments of destruction. Ren's heart raced as he sized them up, knowing that any wrong move could be his last.
Lett growled in frustration, its body morphing as more twisted vines and tree limbs sprouted from its back. They lashed out like whips, slicing through the air with deadly intent. Ren ducked, rolled, and dodged with inhuman speed, narrowly evading each strike. The vines crashed into the ground where he had just been, leaving deep craters in their wake.
But he didn't falter.
FLAME BATTLE ARTS + HYDRA BATTLE ARTS
BATTLE TECHNIQUE: HYDRA SPEARS
Emerald flames exploded from his sword, forming multiple spear-like projections that shot forward in rapid succession. Each spear flew through the air with pinpoint accuracy, piercing through Lett's minions and even embedding themselves in the beast's massive frame. The spears burned with an unnatural heat, green flames flickering as they ate away at Lett's wooden body.
Lett wasn't just a mindless monster. It was a cunning, ancient being, one that had outlasted countless pacifiers. With a furious roar, Lett lashed out, sending razor-sharp vines in all directions. They moved like whips, slicing through the air with deadly speed. The vines reformed, thicker and stronger than before, as Ren continuously burnt the veins, and the flames seemed to have little lasting effect on its ancient bark.
"Regeneration… of course," Ren muttered. His mind raced as he calculated his next move. He needed to stop Lett from regenerating, but how? Time wasn't on his side—the longer this battle dragged on, the more it would wear him down.
Lett, sensing Ren's hesitation, slammed its massive fists together, and the ground erupted in response. Giant tree monsters emerged from the cracks, their bark-covered bodies towering over Ren. They charged toward him, their jagged limbs flailing wildly.
Ren gritted his teeth and leaped into action. He moved like a blur, his sword a flash of emerald light as he cut through the tree monsters one by one. Each strike was precise, and lethal, but with every enemy he felled, more seemed to rise from the earth. It was a seemingly endless wave of destruction, and Ren knew he had to act quickly or be overwhelmed.
Lett roared again, and this time, the roar carried with it an aura of death. Ren could feel the temperature drop as a suffocating darkness spread across the battlefield. Lett's very presence seemed to suck the life out of everything around it, turning the once vibrant plants and trees into withered husks.
Ren's breath caught in his throat. He could feel the life being drained from his body, his muscles weakening with each passing second. But he couldn't let it end like this—not without giving everything he had.
"Enough!"
Ren's voice cut through the air, and his body erupted in flames—emerald fire blazing around him as he gathered every ounce of his strength. The air crackled with raw energy, and the ground beneath his feet glowed with the intensity of his power.
But Lett was relentless. The monster lunged at Ren with terrifying speed, its giant wooden claws slashing toward him. Ren barely had time to block the attack, and the force of it sent him skidding backward, his feet digging deep trenches into the earth. He grits his teeth, pain shooting up his arms as he struggles to hold his ground.
Lett roared again, the sound reverberating through the air like thunder. It summoned a wave of enormous vines, their jagged thorns glistening in the pale moonlight. They shot toward Ren like serpents, weaving through the air with deadly intent.
Ren's heart raced as he slashed through the oncoming vines, but for every vine he cut, more seemed to take their place. Lett was relentless, its massive form towering over Ren like a nightmare made flesh. But Ren wasn't about to give up. He tightened his grip on his sword, his emerald flames burning brighter than ever.
Flames erupted from his sword as he moved with blinding speed, his blade carving a path through the thick vines and wooden limbs that Lett hurled at him. The air crackled with the intensity of his power, and each strike sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
But Lett wasn't finished. With a monstrous and destructive roar, it slammed its fists into the ground, causing the earth to tremble. Massive trees shot up from the ground, their branches twisting and writhing like living creatures. They lashed out at Ren, trying to ensnare him, but he dodged and weaved through their grasp, his emerald flames leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
Lett's fury intensified. It summoned a massive wave of plant monsters that swarmed the battlefield, their twisted limbs reaching out to tear Ren apart. But Ren was ready.
With a roar of his own, Ren unleashed a torrent of emerald flames, engulfing the battlefield in a sea of fire. The plant monsters disintegrated in the heat, their bodies reduced to ash as Ren advanced toward Lett. His sword blazed with power, and he knew the time had come to end this once and for all.
With one final surge of power, Ren gathered all of his strength. This was his last resort, a technique he had perfected in secret, modeled after his master Beni's own deadly move.
BATTLE TECHNIQUE: EMERALD ECLIPSE
The world seemed to stand still as Ren's sword glowed with an otherworldly light. He raised it high above his head, and the emerald flames surrounding him intensified, swirling around his body like a raging storm. With a deafening roar, Ren brought his sword down in one powerful strike.
A blinding flash of emerald light erupted from the battlefield, engulfing everything in its path. The force of the attack was so immense that it shook the very foundations of the ruins. Lett let out one final, agonized scream as the flames consumed its body, reducing the once-terrifying beast to nothing but ash.
Ren stood in the aftermath, panting heavily, his body trembling from exhaustion. He had done it. For the first time in history, a special-class beast had been defeated.
But as the ash settled, Ren's victory felt hollow. This wasn't the end. It was only the beginning. Rue was still out there, and whatever was coming next would be even worse.
Ken arrived shortly after, his eyes scanning the battlefield. He saw Ren standing alone amidst the wreckage, his sword still glowing faintly with emerald flames.
"Ren..." Ken's voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the awe in his tone. "You did it."
Ren didn't reply immediately. He sheathed his sword, his face set in grim determination. "It's not over yet," he said, his voice low. "Rue is still out there. And I have a feeling that whatever's coming… we're not ready for it."
Ken nodded, understanding the weight of Ren's words. Together, they walked toward the city, knowing that the true battle was just beginning.
Meanwhile, back in the city, Rose, Fel, and Cid were doing their best to hold off Rue, who had begun his assault on the citizens. Amidst the chaos, Cid looked over at Fel, who was panting heavily after using up most of his energy.
"Next time… we decide to defend a city from a special-class beast…" Cid gasped, "Let's… pick one… that's not trying to kill us."
Fel, despite the chaos around them, managed a breathless laugh. "Noted… for next time."
Rose, standing tall amidst the destruction, shook her head with a small smirk. "You two can joke all you want, but if we don't get our act together, there won't be a next time."
Cid groaned. "Why is it that the worst battles always come with the worst jokes?"
And as the three of them braced themselves for Rue's next attack, they couldn't help but feel the weight of what was coming. The battle had only just begun, and the future of Gular — and perhaps the world — was at stake.