The warehouse fell silent.
Dust drifted through the air where metal had been torn apart moments ago. Kai struggled to push himself up, his body aching from the impact.
"…Ren…"
Across the room, Ren stood frozen.
The faint glow of the necklace reflected in his eyes.
In front of him, Rei tilted his head slightly, amused.
"So it's true…"
His voice carried a strange curiosity now.
"It's already communicating with you."
Ren clenched his fist.
"I'm not giving it to you."
Rei chuckled softly.
"That wasn't a request."
A portal flickered open beside him—unstable, crackling.
But this time…
Ren noticed it.
That slight distortion.
That tiny delay.
His eyes sharpened.
"…Kai."
Kai coughed, barely standing.
"…Yeah?"
Ren didn't look back.
"Don't attack randomly."
Kai blinked.
"…What?"
Ren focused.
"It's not instant."
Another portal opened behind Ren—
But this time, Ren moved before it fully formed.
He stepped aside.
Rei appeared where Ren had been a second ago.
For the first time—
Rei paused.
"…Oh?"
Ren turned toward him.
"You're not teleporting."
Rei's smirk widened.
"You're learning."
Ren exhaled slowly.
"You create an opening… then move through it."
Kai stared.
"…You figured that out just now?!"
Rei clapped once, mockingly.
"Impressive."
Then his voice dropped.
"But not enough."
Dozens of portals began opening around the warehouse—walls, ceiling, even the air itself twisting.
Metal debris rose again.
But faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
Ren's eyes widened.
"…Kai."
Kai cracked his neck despite the pain.
"Yeah, I see it."
Rei extended his hand.
"Let's see how long you last."
Everything fired at once.
Ren grabbed Kai and pulled him aside as a storm of metal shot past them, tearing through the ground.
The warehouse began collapsing.
Kai shouted,
"This isn't a fight. we're getting shredded!"
Ren's mind raced.
The voice…
The crystal…
The reaction earlier—
"…The fragment…"
The necklace pulsed again.
Warm.
Then hot.
The same voice echoed faintly—
"Resonate…"
Ren's grip tightened.
"…Resonate?"
Another portal opened beneath them.
Kai jumped back just in time.
"Ren, idea. NOW would be great!"
Ren shut his eyes for a split second.
Then—
He focused on the feeling.
Not the power.
The connection.
The glow from the necklace spread slightly.
A faint wave rippled outward.
Rei's portals flickered.
Just for a moment.
Unstable.
Rei's expression changed slightly.
"…Interesting."
Ren opened his eyes.
"…Kai."
Kai looked at him.
"What?"
Ren spoke quietly.
"I can't beat him."
Kai stared.
"…Great timing."
Ren continued.
"But I can mess with his portals."
Kai's expression shifted.
"…So we don't fight him."
A small grin formed.
"We break his rhythm."
Rei stepped forward again.
"You're thinking too much."
A portal opened directly in front of Ren—
But this time—
Ren released another pulse.
The portal glitched.
Rei appeared slightly off-balance.
Kai didn't hesitate.
"Got you!"
He rushed forward and slammed into Rei, forcing him back.
Rei slid a few steps, surprised more than hurt.
Kai backed off quickly.
"…Okay that worked!"
Rei straightened.
His tone changed.
Less amused.
More focused.
"…You're interfering with spatial formation."
Ren said nothing.
Rei looked at the necklace again.
"…That shouldn't be possible with just one fragment."
A pause.
Then he smiled again.
"…You're more valuable than I thought."
The air around him began to distort more violently.
Larger portals.
Darker.
Unstable.
Kai stepped back.
"…Why do I feel like he's getting serious now?"
Ren felt it too.
The pressure.
Rei raised his hand—
Then suddenly stopped.
A faint vibration passed through the air.
Rei's eyes shifted slightly.
"…Hm."
Ren noticed.
"What?"
Rei looked past them, toward the distance.
"…Seems I've stayed longer than I should."
Kai frowned.
"…What?"
Rei stepped backward.
A portal opened behind him.
"Consider this a courtesy."
His gaze locked onto Ren.
"I'll be taking that fragment now."
Ren did it again.
A stronger pulse this time.
The space around them warped unnaturally.
Portals misaligned.
Debris fell mid-air.
Kai stared.
"…What did you just—"
Before he could finish—
Rei moved.
Faster.
More precise.
A portal snapped open right behind Ren—
And Rei struck.
Ren didn't even see it.
A sharp impact—
Everything went black.
"REN!"
Kai shouted as Ren collapsed instantly, unconscious.
The glow of the necklace dimmed.
Rei stood over him, calm again.
"…So that's the limit."
He looked down at Ren.
"…Still incomplete."
Kai stepped forward, shaking but determined.
"Get away from him!"
Rei didn't even look at him.
A portal opened beneath Kai
But before it could activate
Something changed.
The air went cold.
Rei stopped.
For the first time
He felt it.
A presence.
Behind him.
Silent.
Heavy.
Rei turned slightly.
A shadowy figure stood there.
No sound.
No warning.
Just… there.
Rei's eyes narrowed.
"…You're not part of the Foundation."
No response.
The figure moved.
Too fast to see.
A single slash.
Clean.
Rei's body froze.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then
He collapsed.
Silence filled the warehouse.
Kai stood there, frozen in shock.
"…What… just…"
The shadowy figure didn't answer.
It stepped past Rei's body and walked toward Ren.
Kai instinctively stepped in front of him.
"…Who are you?"
No answer.
The figure simply raised a hand.
Kai felt his body go weak.
Not pain.
Not force.
Just… overwhelming pressure.
His vision blurred.
"…Ren…"
Cooking soon
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