"Ryuosho, full speed ahead!" Shingin's voice was laced with urgency.
Ryuosho dashed across the plains, carrying Shingin and Shizuha. Energy surged beneath his feet like thunder, and the scenery on either side stretched and blurred into streaks of indistinct colors as they sped past.
This extraordinary velocity was awe-inspiring but came at a steep cost. Shingin glanced at Ryuosho, noticing the beads of sweat covering his forehead. His powerful strides, though swift, began to grow heavy and labored.
"Ryuosho, just a little longer!" Shingin urged, trying to mask his growing unease. "We're almost there!"
Ryuosho gritted his teeth and nodded, pushing his limits despite the toll on his body. But both of them knew this pace couldn't last much longer.
Shingin turned to look at Shizuha. She bit her lip, silent but unable to hide the worry in her eyes.
At that moment, Shingin's chest tightened. A faint yet unmistakable murderous intent seeped into the air, chilling him to the bone. It surrounded them like an invisible net, slowly closing in.
"Damn it…" Shingin cursed under his breath, instantly on high alert. He glanced at Ryuosho's determined figure ahead of him and made a difficult decision.
"Ryuosho, stop!" Shingin's voice was calm but resolute. Ryuosho skidded to a halt, confusion flashing across his face as he turned toward Shingin.
Shingin pulled Shizuha closer and handed her over to Ryuosho. "Take her and keep going—head straight to my home! My mother is waiting for you there. Protect her, no matter what!"
"But you—" Ryuosho began, only to be cut off.
"No time to argue!" Shingin barked, his gaze sharp as a blade. "I'll stay here and hold them off. You must get Shizuha to safety!"
Ryuosho clenched his fists, knowing Shingin's stubbornness was unshakable once he had made up his mind. He nodded fiercely, his voice strained. "Fine. Just don't die."
Without another word, Ryuosho hoisted Shizuha and exploded into motion again. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he shot forward, a streak of lightning carrying them away into the horizon.
Shingin watched them disappear before taking a deep breath and turning to face what lay ahead. He knew he was walking into the lion's den.
With Ryuosho and Shizuha gone, the tension thickened. The air grew suffocating as the murderous intent around him intensified, forming an inescapable veil of darkness. Emerging from the shadows, two dozen Watchers surrounded Shingin, their piercing gazes like cold steel aimed at his heart.
"The Eighth Successor—Shingin." Watcher 20 stepped forward, his voice dripping with icy mockery. "Staying behind alone—are you surrendering, or do you plan to make a futile last stand?"
"I stayed behind to deal with pests like you." Shingin's reply was sharp and unyielding. With a swift motion, water surged from his hands, forming a coiling ring around him. The cutting edge of the watery blades carved into the dirt, a sharp hiss accompanying their presence.
Watcher 20 remained unimpressed, his lips curling into a sneer. "Bold words. But let me save you some trouble—your efforts will change nothing."
At his signal, the surrounding Watchers unleashed a torrent of attacks. Elemental powers and energy blades surged toward Shingin in a relentless tide.
"Release: Spirit of Water!" Shingin roared. Water expanded around him in a powerful torrent, coalescing into a towering shield that deflected the initial wave of assaults. Yet, the attacks kept coming, each one more ferocious than the last.
Though Shingin's control over the water spirit was formidable, the combined might of two dozen Watchers was overwhelming. His defense wavered under the onslaught, cracks forming in his shield as his energy began to falter.
"Is this all you've got?" Watcher 20 taunted. He stepped forward, raising a hand enveloped in writhing shadows that exuded suffocating power. "Let me show you what real strength looks like."
From his hand, a blade of darkness shot forward, splitting the air with devastating force. Shingin hastily formed a water shield to block the strike, but the sheer power of the attack shattered it, sending him flying into the rubble of a nearby ruin.
Pain coursed through Shingin's body like fire. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet, his vision swimming but his resolve unbroken.
"There's no way out for you," Watcher 20 said coldly, his shadowy figure looming closer. "Did you really think you could defy fate with just one person's strength?"
Shingin's trembling hand clenched around a jagged stone as he struggled to rise. Memories of his mother's voice and Shizuha's worried gaze echoed in his mind, reigniting his determination.
"Fate, Watchers… none of that matters to me," Shingin growled through clenched teeth. His voice, though weak, carried unyielding defiance. "If you want my life, you'll have to take it by force."
For a moment, Watcher 20's expression shifted, caught off guard by Shingin's fierce resolve. But the hesitation quickly faded, replaced by a grim sneer. He raised his hand once more, shadows swirling ominously.
"This ends now," Watcher 20 declared. The darkness surged forth like a tidal wave, its suffocating malice descending upon Shingin with overwhelming finality.
Shingin stood his ground, his back straight as a spear against the encroaching abyss. Even as the crushing darkness closed in, his unwavering spirit blazed defiantly against the night.