"...KNOW...OF...US."

Just as those words left him, Tarek quivered violently, and purple veins bulged all over his body.

"W-What?!" Rion staggered back as dread coiled around him. He fell and watched Tarek's body twist inhumanely with a terror-stricken face.

Tarek's eyes turned red. His skin burned and tore apart and became similar to dark leather. The ends of his fingers became like dark jagged claws, and his hair elongated before bleaching into white.

Even though blood was pouring down the cracks and tears all over his body, he still had a smile. A wide smile. A terrifyingly cruel smile.

He or The Remnant looked down at Rion with eyes that seemed curious and asked in a sonorous voice, "What... art thou?"

The words left their lips like a melodious chime but Rion didn't answer. He couldn't answer.

The oppressive pressure that was flooding out from The Remnant was too much for him to handle, so much so that he wasn't even able to think. All thoughts came like distant wisps, and the greater part of them were filled with dread.

His body didn't tremble, nor did he scream. All he did was stare at the being before him with dark eyes that couldn't understand what was happening, a mind that couldn't comprehend thoughts and a body that couldn't listen... it was as if he had become nothing.

The Remnant tilted its head and walked towards him. They jabbed their finger at the centre of his chest and mumbled, "Why dost thou... possess the spark of—?!"

BOOM—!

The Remnant slid a few steps back as Rion threw an aura punch to their abdomen and mumbled while gasping loudly, "Wha...what the hell... is that?"

A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he stared at The Remnant with a frightened expression.

They looked back at him and mumbled in surprise, "How art thou… moving?"

Rion wasn't supposed to move as they had already locked all of his body's thoughts and movements, but... even though they used something that Rion didn't understand yet, they had still attacked his body, and because of that, he could adapt to it.

'What the hell is going on?' Rion thought and looked around, but by doing so, his confusion only worsened.

Everyone — squad leaders, squad members and even the kareths — was lying unconscious on the ground.

He shifted his gaze back at The Remnant and asked while gritting his teeth, "Did you do this?"

The Remnant neither attacked nor answered; they studied him with curiosity much deeper than their hunger or desire.

Under their gaze, Rion felt naked. He felt as if he were nothing but a unique toy, and he didn't like that in any way. However, he had no other option but to wait for others to come... he was not strong enough to beat the being before him, after all.

The Remnant seemingly frowned and asked, "Why dost thou not strike?"

He stayed silent, but that alone was enough of an answer.

The Remnant's lips cracked into a smile, and they mumbled, "Art thou biding thy time?"

A bad premonition shrouded him, and they added, "Be not afraid… this is but one of my bodies."

Rion's world shuddered, and before he knew it, his fists reached The Remnant.

THWACK!

It landed right at the centre of their chest but it wasn't even enough to push them back.

Their eyes regarded him with dissatisfaction, and they whispered flatly, "Put forth thy will."

Fwoosh!

'Don't tell me what to do!' He bit his lips, and golden flames blazed around his fist before he swung a heavy blow towards them.

They watched the fist widen in their vision, and they grabbed it before pulling it out.

Sprut!

Blood gushed out like a river, and a horrifying scream left him as his arm was torn off his shoulder.

"AHHHHHHH—!"

However, his scream was cut short as they threw a kick to his chest and sent him flying towards the trees.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Thud!

The trees exploded into splinters under his weight, and he crashed into a cliff.

"Ugh... khuk!?" he groaned and coughed blood as his vision began to dim under the unimaginable pain.

'No... I can't lose...' he forced himself out of the cliff's crater, and golden strings wiggled out from his shoulder stump and took the form of an arm.

His injuries healed within moments as he fell down the cliff and looked at The Remnant with Predator's Eyes.

'I have to use all of my aura,' he resolved, and enormous golden flames burst out of him.

Crack-Crack-Crack!

The ground cracked, and the trees were uprooted, just by the force of his aura, and he dashed towards The Remnant.

The Remnant grinned, and an equally immense purple miasma flooded out of them before they punched at him.

The ground shuddered, and the trees, boulders, and anything nearby exploded into bits as the two fists met each other.

Rion gritted his teeth and forced out every bit of his aura.

The Remnant's grin widened even further, and suddenly, the purple miasma around them disappeared.

Crack!

They frowned as their arm cracked, and Rion plunged his fist at their critical point.

BOOOOOM—!

A thunderous explosion rang throughout the forest.

Rion staggered back and stared at the wide hole in the cliffs from the wide hole that was within the Remnant's upper body.

The Remnant waved a hand around the hole just to stop suddenly as they asked, "What name dost thou bear?"

Rion looked at him and answered without thinking much of it, "Rion... Rion Del Haden."

Their eyes stirred in recognition, and they mumbled, "So thou art the son of war… I shall meet thee again, prince."

"What...?" Rion whispered with a puzzled expression, and his head began to spin, and his vision began to darken from the fatigue.

He dug his teeth into his lips and asked, "What do you mean you'll meet me again?"

The Remnant smiled widely and stated, "When next year comes, I shall return in my full strength."

Rion shuddered, but before he could say anything, a voice rang throughout the forest, "Get away from my son."

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