The night was as dark as ink, cold moonlight casting its glow over desolate ruins. The wind howled, its shrill cries like the lament of lost souls. Shingin stood amidst the crumbled remains, his breath uneven, and the water blade in his hand quivering faintly, reflecting an icy glint. His gaze swept over the figures ahead—dozens of shadowy forms advancing, their heavy footsteps beating like war drums against his ears.
"We meet again, Shingin," a deep, icy voice echoed from the front. Emerging from the darkness was a towering man clad in black robes. His body, as imposing as a fortress, bore scars that spoke of countless battles. This was Watcher 21. His deep-set eyes brimmed with indifference, looking down on Shingin like a predator sizing up its prey.
"You watchers are as persistent as ghosts," Shingin sneered. Despite the overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, he maintained his composure, gripping his water blade tightly, his stance unyielding.
Before he could say more, a faint rustling sound came from behind. He spun around sharply to see the ground splitting apart as countless venomous snakes poured forth, their glowing green eyes gleaming with malice in the darkness.
"Watcher 25, you've joined the party too," Shingin muttered coldly, his gaze locking onto a serpentine-skinned man in the distance. The man's lips curled into a sinister smirk, raising his arm as the tide of snakes surged toward Shingin.
With a stomp of his foot, Shingin summoned a towering wall of water, halting the first wave of serpentine assault. Yet, the snakes were agile, slithering around the barrier to strike again. Shingin's water blade swept through the air, slicing clean arcs of light that obliterated the attacking serpents.
But before he could catch his breath, a gleam of steel streaked toward him from behind. Reacting instantly, Shingin sidestepped the attack, feeling the razor-sharp edge of a dagger whistle past his ear. He turned to see a lithe man leaping out of the shadows—Watcher 23, his dagger gleaming with deadly intent.
Farther away, Watcher 20 stood motionless, observing the skirmish with a cold detachment. He raised a hand slightly, and the environment darkened further. It was as though the very air had been consumed by shadow. Shingin felt his vision waver, the oppressive blackness encroaching on his senses, and his ears were assaulted by sinister whispers, like a chorus of hellish murmurs.
"Light will always be consumed, and you, Shingin, are but a flicker in the vast void," Watcher 20 mocked.
Clenching his teeth, Shingin summoned all the alien soul energy within him, attempting to dispel the encroaching darkness. He raised his water blade high, slashing downward in a powerful arc. Blinding streams of water burst forth, pushing the darkness back momentarily.
But as Shingin battled the shadows, Watcher 21 surged forward. Despite his massive size, his speed was astonishing, his fist descending like a thunderclap, radiating an overwhelming force. Shingin raised his blade in defense, but the impact drove him back several steps, his arm trembling from the shock.
"With that level of power, you dare to challenge the watchers?" Watcher 21 taunted, his voice dripping with disdain as he launched another devastating punch.
Shingin exhaled deeply, adjusting his stance. Using his sword as both a shield and a channel for his water energy, he deflected and dissipated the force of the strikes with calculated precision. Yet Watcher 21's onslaught was relentless, giving Shingin no chance to recover.
Poisonous snakes, assassins, and the overwhelming strength of a brute—the trifecta of attacks left Shingin on the edge of collapse. And from the distance, Watcher 20 and Watcher 26 watched with cold indifference, their presence like looming executioners waiting for the final blow.
"This can't go on…" Shingin gritted his teeth, his alien soul energy surging anew. The water around him roiled violently, forming a colossal water dragon that coiled protectively around him. With a roar, the dragon charged forward, scattering the serpents and shadows in its path. But the watchers held their ground, their menacing gazes unwavering.
Amidst the chaos, Shingin retreated swiftly, leaving a trail of water behind that was soon swallowed by the encroaching snakes. His eyes glimmered with resolve despite the sweat dripping from his brow. Watcher 21's fists were like rolling thunder, each strike reverberating through the air with terrifying force.
The blows came dangerously close, the gusts alone causing Shingin's skin to sting. He twisted his body, dodging by a hair's breadth, and planted his foot on a crumbling wall, propelling himself into the air. His water blade glinted as it arced downward, aiming for Watcher 21's eyes.
"Futile!" Watcher 21 roared, raising a hand enveloped in dark energy to easily deflect the attack.
As Shingin landed, the sound of rushing air alerted him once more. He ducked just in time to feel a dagger's icy edge brush past, severing a few strands of hair. Backpedaling three steps, he locked eyes with Watcher 23, the shadowy assassin closing in like a wraith.