A week had passed, and Ren was on the field, practicing his shots. The sun beat down on him as he lined up another kick, focusing intently on the ball in front of him. He took a deep breath, ran up, and struck the ball with all his might.
The ball soared through the air, traveling an incredible distance before finally landing far beyond the usual range of his kicks. Ren stared after it, his eyes wide with disbelief. "No way," he muttered to himself. "That had to be a fluke."
Trying to shake off the unease that gnawed at him, Ren quickly left the training session. His friend called after him, urging him to stay and finish practice, but Ren waved him off. "I've got something important to take care of," he said, his voice distant.
He headed straight to the dressing room, his heart pounding in his chest. Once inside, he sat down and slowly removed his socks, revealing his feet. His breath caught in his throat as he saw that his legs had grown even more reddish, the color deepening since the last time he checked.
Ren's mind raced, a sense of dread creeping over him. He knew something was really off, but he couldn't bring himself to face it. This wasn't normal, and deep down, he feared what it could mean for his future. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the rising panic, but the thought echoed in his mind: What if he was losing control?
The school bell rings, snapping Ren out of his thoughts. He quickly puts his shoes back on and heads towards his bicycle. Zara is waiting for him by the gate. He joins her, and together they start to leave the school.
Zara glances at him, her eyes curious. "Did you get the Movie tickets?"
Ren nods, forcing a smile. "I'll buy the tickets. Just... I need to get home quickly today." Without waiting for a response, he starts pedaling faster, leaving Zara trailing behind.
Zara watches him, a frown of concern on her face. She can't help but wonder what's going on with him lately. Sighing, she begins pedaling after him, her mind racing with questions as she heads home.
As Zara pedals along the road surrounded by dense trees, she feels a sudden chill in the air. The peaceful surroundings are interrupted by an unsettling presence that seems to linger just out of sight. Malvoria, hidden among the shadows, senses the immense soul energy emanating from Zara and her eyes gleam with malicious intent.
"If I devour her," Malvoria muses to herself, "I can gain enough power to exact my revenge on Rendrax."
Without warning, Malvoria unleashes a wave of dark energy toward Zara. The force of the attack slams into Zara and her bicycle, sending them both hurtling through the air. Zara lands roughly on the ground, her body battered and injured from the brutal assault.
As Zara struggles to move, Malvoria steps forward, ready to finish her off. Just as she is about to deliver the fatal blow, a young woman appears out of nowhere. With a swift and powerful attack with her wooden stick, she sends Malvoria staggering back, disrupting her attack.
"Are you alright?" the young woman asks Zara urgently, her voice filled with concern. Zara, in pain and barely conscious, can only manage a weak nod.
Malvoria, still recovering from the unexpected blow, watches with a sinister smile as she senses the new arrival's soul energy. Her excitement grows. "Another human with such potent soul energy," she thinks, her gaze shifting between Zara and the young woman. "This could be even more advantageous."
The young woman, eyes fierce and unwavering, steps forward. Malvoria can sense the raw determination in her opponent. The air around them crackles with tension.
Malvoria moved first, her form blurring as she dashed forward. With a sharp, fluid motion, she swung the Soul Reaver at the woman, the blade slicing through the air with an eerie wail. The young woman raised her wooden stick, the spirit energy surging through it as she blocked the attack. The impact sent a shockwave of energy rippling through both fighters, the woman's arms trembling slightly from the force, but she held her ground.
Malvoria sneered, her violet eyes narrowing as she drew back the Soul Reaver and struck again, this time with more ferocity. The young woman ducked, rolling to the side and countering with a sharp jab from her spirit-infused stick. The tip of the wooden staff crackled with energy as it connected with Malvoria's side, dispersing some of the shadowy mist.
The ghostly creature let out a low growl, her form flickering for a moment before she retaliated. Malvoria swung her dark blade in a sweeping arc, aiming to cleave the woman in two, but the woman, her instincts sharp, blocked the strike once more. The wooden stick flared brighter, infused with even more spirit energy as she pushed back, forcing Malvoria to retreat a step.
"You're no ordinary human," Malvoria hissed, her voice cold and mocking. "But it won't matter."
With a snarl, Malvoria thrust her hand forward, conjuring shadowy tendrils that shot toward the woman like serpents. The young woman reacted swiftly, twirling her wooden stick with precision. She spun, deflecting the tendrils with a series of sharp strikes, the spirit energy in her weapon dissipating the shadows before they could reach her.
Seeing her shadows thwarted, Malvoria snarled and launched herself forward again, her form becoming a blur of black mist and violet light. She unleashed a barrage of slashes with the Soul Reaver, each strike more vicious than the last. The young woman parried as best she could, her wooden stick glowing brighter with each successful block. The spirit energy protected her, but the relentless assault was beginning to wear her down.
Finally, Malvoria found an opening. With a wicked grin, she spun around the woman's guard and slashed upward with the Soul Reaver, catching the young woman across her torso. The dark energy from the blade surged through her, sapping her strength as the trapped souls within the blade screamed in unison.
The woman stumbled back, clutching her side, her spirit energy flickering. Malvoria, sensing victory, stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. She raised the Soul Reaver high, ready to deliver the final blow.
But the young woman wasn't finished.
Summoning the last of her strength, she infused her wooden stick with all her remaining spirit energy, the weapon glowing fiercely. As Malvoria brought the Soul Reaver down, the woman parried with a desperate upward strike. The impact sent a shockwave of energy through the battlefield, momentarily blinding both fighters.
In that split second, the woman struck. She lunged forward, driving the tip of her spirit-infused stick into Malvoria's chest. The spirit energy exploded outward, burning through Malvoria's misty form and sending her staggering back, her ethereal body flickering wildly as she shrieked in pain.
But the victory was short-lived. Though weakened, Malvoria regained her footing, her violet eyes blazing with fury. She gripped the Soul Reaver tightly, her voice a venomous hiss. "Foolish girl… you will pay for that."
As she prepared to strike again, a deafening roar split the air.
Rendrax.
His towering form appears behind Malvoria, the chainsaw in his hand revving with a furious roar. Without hesitation, he swings it downward. Malvoria barely has time to react.
With a powerful, decisive swing, Rendrax drives the chainsaw deeper into Malvoria's back, tearing through her dark form. Malvoria screeches in agony, her dark energy flickering and sputtering as she tries to fight back. But Rendrax's relentless assault is too much. The chainsaw's roar drowns out her cries, and she collapses, her dark energy dissipating into the forest air.
As Malvoria's form dissolves into shadows, Rendrax withdraws the chainsaw, the blade dripping with the remnants of her dark essence. He surveys the area with a satisfied, if somewhat grim, expression.
Zara, still struggling to stay conscious, sees Rendrax's silhouette against the fading light. Her thoughts are a haze of pain and fear, her mind barely able to process the chaos around her. The memory of her brother's words about a chainsaw-wielding creature echoes faintly in her mind.
Rendrax's gaze shifts to the young woman lying injured on the ground, then back to Zara. With a final, disdainful look at the defeated Malvoria, he turns and vanishes into the shadows of the forest, his chainsaw's roar fading into the distance.
As the battle quiets, Zara's vision dims further, the pain and shock overcoming her. The forest around her grows dim, the sounds of the struggle fading into silence as she loses consciousness completely.