The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the window, Shin and Kento woke up early.
However, when they glanced over at Loona’s bed, they were instantly startled.
The thirteen-year-old girl emerged from beneath her blanket with prominent dark circles under her eyes, her exhausted countenance making her look like a little panda.
Shin frowned, approaching anxiously to feel his sister’s forehead.
— “Loona, what’s wrong?
Did you not sleep last night?
Or are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Loona flinched, her eyes darting away.
The vivid memory of the fiery crimson greatsword and Priest Malachi’s blood-soaked oath from the previous night flashed instantly in her mind.
But to spare her brothers from worrying, she forced a faint smile, nervously smoothing her clothes.
— “It’s…
nothing, Brother Shin.
I just woke up in the middle of the night, and since it’s a new place, I found it a bit hard to fall back asleep.”
Hearing this, the two brothers finally felt temporarily relieved.
A few minutes later, Sister Clara knocked and entered, warmly leading the three siblings and the other children of the convent to breakfast as usual.
Unveiling the Scripture
After breakfast, as the children dispersed to play freely, Shin, Kento, and Ling Mo gathered beneath the cool shade of an ancient tree in a corner of the courtyard.
With the space now belonging solely to the three of them, Shin scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was watching before slowly slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out an object.
It was a short, flat iron bar covered in a thick, textured layer of reddish-brown rust.
At a glance, it looked like nothing more than a piece of scrap metal salvaged from the Dark Zone junkyard.
— “Take a look at this.
Do either of you know how to use it or recognize what it is?” Shin placed the iron bar on his palm, questioning Kento and Ling Mo.
Kento leaned in close to examine it, then pursed his lips and shook his head.
— “It looks completely rusted out.
It’s just like the scrap iron littering the junkyard.
Is there anything special about it, Brother?”
Sitting beside them, Ling Mo’s dead-fish eyes remained devoid of emotion as he stared at the bar.
He said nothing, merely tilting his head slightly to observe the brothers.
Refusing to give up, Shin picked at it with his rough fingers.
He realized the outer layer of rust was actually quite brittle and could be peeled away.
Shin meticulously used his fingernails to strip off the dense accumulation.
SCRATCH…
SCRATCH…
As the rust flaked entirely onto the grass, the object beneath left the three children astonished.
Once peeled, the iron bar became sleeker and more elongated, its surface revealing a lustrous, silver-gray metallic material entirely uncorroded by time.
Most remarkably, its body was engraved with a sequence of bizarre runic characters, twisting in an incredibly complex fashion that left both Shin and Kento utterly unable to decipher.
— “It’s significantly smaller now that the rust is gone…” Shin rotated the metal bar beneath the sunlight.
“What on earth do these characters mean?
Kento, Ling Mo, do either of you understand what’s written here?”
Kento scratched his head in sheer frustration, his face contorting.
— “No clue!
It just looks like squiggly worms.
It’s definitely not a normal language.”
Shin turned to Ling Mo with expectant eyes.
The black-haired boy simply shrugged, raising both hands to signal that he, too, was completely clueless.
— “Then what exactly is it, and why did Grandfather present it to you so solemnly before we left?” Kento asked curiously.
Shin let out a soft sigh, gently running his finger over the ancient runes.
— “When he handed it to me, Grandfather only mentioned its name: The Ten-Sided Heavenly Scripture.
But he also admitted that even he, throughout all these years, had never discovered a way to activate or utilize it.”
Understanding the profound sentimental value of the heirloom left by their guardian, Shin carefully tucked the metal bar deep back into his pocket, patting his friends’ shoulders as he stood up.
— “Well, we can figure that out later.
Ling Mo, could you guide us to Sensei Ren’s dojo again today?
I want Kento to try learning some techniques there and make some new friends.”
Ling Mo gave a subtle nod.
Just like that, the trio of teenagers departed from the convent once more, heading toward Asuka Ren’s dojo in the center of town.
Kento’s Prodigious Talent
Upon arriving at the dojo, Shin immediately brought Kento forward and politely introduced his younger brother to Sensei Asuka Ren.
However, an unexpected turn of events occurred next, sending a shockwave through the entire establishment.
To evaluate the newcomer’s capabilities, Sensei Ren permitted Kento to engage in a series of casual sparring matches against the disciples.
No one anticipated that a fourteen-year-old boy whose physical frame hadn’t even fully developed could utilize his brutal Kyokushin Karate techniques to systematically dismantle and sweep every single student in the dojo with absolute ease.
Kento’s powerful straight punches and devastating low kicks were potent enough to entirely shatter his opponents’ guards.
Among all the disciples, the genius Ling Mo was the sole exception whom Kento could neither touch nor defeat.
Standing nearby to witness the display, Sensei Asuka Ren’s eyes ignited with profound astonishment and intense excitement.
— “Splendid!
Your Kyokushin Karate techniques possess truly formidable power and an exceptionally high level of practical combat efficiency!”
He stepped closer, stroking his chin with immense satisfaction as he looked at Kento.
— “How about it, young man?
Do you wish to study my other martial arts techniques to perfect your skillset?
I can instruct you in Judo and Aikido.”
Kento stood tall, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
After a brief moment of deliberation, the boy answered frankly:
— “Thank you, Sensei, but I only wish to learn Aikido.
I believe the force-redirecting and neutralizing techniques of Aikido will compensate for the vulnerabilities I leave when delivering heavy Karate strikes.
Judo doesn’t quite suit my style.”
Excellent!
A remarkably profound martial intellect!” Asuka Ren laughed heartily with immense delight.
And so, the three teenagers entered a joint training session.
Shin continued to perfect his Judo stances, Kento began familiarizing himself with the rotational force dynamics of Aikido under Ren’s guidance, while Ling Mo quietly acted as a striking dummy and technical model for the two brothers.
The Truth of the Gen-Primal Era
Cruising into a rest break, Sensei Ren thoughtfully brought out three plates of freshly sliced fruit for his students as they relaxed in the afternoon sun.
He sat cross-legged on the wooden floor beside Shin and Kento, his gaze turning deeply contemplative.
— “I truly did not expect…
that old fool Akaisin to provide such an exceptional martial foundation for you two.
You are both raw diamonds with astonishing physical skeletons.”
Shin took a bite of an apple and hesitantly voiced the greatest burning question in his heart since yesterday.
— “Sensei…
I have a question.
Why is it that every time we mention Grandfather Akaisin’s name, everyone from the Priest and the Mother Superior to you manifests such profound astonishment?
You were his long-time rival; could you tell us why?”
Hearing Shin’s question, Asuka Ren suddenly erupted into a long cascade of laughter.
His booming laughter echoed throughout the dojo, drawing the attention of the ten other disciples resting nearby.
He stood up, clasping his hands behind his back as his gaze drifted toward the distant sky outside the window.
— “Hahaha!
It’s not that we just happen to know him, kids.
The name Kuroko Akaisin…
is simply far too legendary in this world!”
Ren turned around, explaining in a solemn tone to the youth:
— “You must understand, back in my generation, a person possessing Sophion energy was already considered a standard warrior.
But Akaisin was entirely different.
He was one of the extremely rare geniuses who achieved absolute mastery over his own specific Divine Arts.
In his youth, Akaisin was a fanatic explorer who traversed the four corners of the world.
But his footsteps didn’t stop at just one planet or a few feudal worlds…
He actually journeyed across distant galaxies and star systems in the vast cosmos!”
Kento swallowed hard upon hearing this, hastily pressing further:
— “Then…
what about this ‘generation’ that everyone mentions with such absolute dread?
What exactly is it?”
Asuka Ren’s expression instantly darkened, his previous jovial demeanor vanishing, replaced by a bleak, heavy solemnity.
— “The current generation you are living in right now…
is designated as Gen-Primal.
It isn’t the name of an organization or a nation; it represents an entire epoch.
But currently, it is an Era of Chaos.
Out there in the wider world, countless maniacs are willing to slaughter one another by any ruthless means necessary simply to contend for and seize ultimate Sophion power.
Dark factions and syndicates are sprouting like mushrooms after rain.”
He paused, his voice dropping into a chilling register.
— “The scale of slaughter in this Gen-Primal era no longer stops at ordinary massacres…
It has escalated directly to the level of Genocide!
This chaotic, blood-drenched generation has been raging for exactly 16 years now, and still, no one knows when it will finally reach its conclusion.”
Shin flinched, mentally calculating the timeline.
— “Oh…
16 years?
Then the moment I was born was precisely when this Primal era officially commenced?”
— “Precisely,” Ren sighed.
“In the days of Akaisin and myself, there was no such concept as a divided ‘generation.’ It’s merely a label created by the people of today.
Before the dawn of Primal, the world was peaceful and stable—nothing like the maddened, chaotic epoch your generation inherits.”
Kento clenched his fists, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
— “If that era is so chaotic…
is there anyone standing at the absolute pinnacle?
Who is the strongest, Sensei?”
— “The strongest?” Asuka Ren narrowed his eyes, falling into deep thought for a long moment.
“The rumors out in the world are infinite.
But from what I know, there is only a single individual recognized by the entirety of this Gen-Primal era, someone even hailed as the King.
His name is…
Kusanagi Takeru.
However, intelligence regarding this ‘King’ and his whereabouts is exceptionally sparse and shrouded in mystery.
I only know this much.”
Concluding his speech, Ren clapped his hands loudly to shatter the heavy atmosphere.
— “Alright!
Enough storytelling for today!
All of you, get back to your positions and resume training.
If you get so distracted by stories that you forget your lessons, you’ll have to answer to me!”
The Dual Personas
While the brothers were occupied with the worlds of martial arts and books, over at the town’s central marketplace, Priest Malachi was leisurely strolling past the stalls.
He wore his pure, pristine white priestly vestments, a warm smile gracing his benevolent face.
He stopped by a large grocery stall, selecting a substantial quantity of fresh produce and daily necessities for the convent’s dinner.
— “Shopkeeper, please add a few packages of these sweet candies to my order as well.”
The shopkeeper packaged the items swiftly, chuckling respectfully:
— “Oh, Priest Malachi!
Do you harbor such a strong sweet tooth as well, Father?”
Malachi waved his hand with a genial smile.
— “Ah, no.
I am old, so eating sweets isn’t good for my health.
I am merely purchasing them as gifts for the orphans at the convent; the little ones absolutely adore sweets.”
Once the transaction was complete, the Priest carried the bundle of supplies back toward the convent.
The moment his silhouette materialized at the courtyard gates, a flock of children from the convent swarmed out, gathering around him like a brood of young birds.
— “Ah!
Father is back from the market, everyone!”
— “Father!
You bought candies for us!
These look so delicious, could I please have one more piece?”
— “Me too!
I want some too, Father!”
Witnessing the innocent children cheering, Priest Malachi knelt on one knee, warmly placing individual candies into their tiny palms, his voice overflowing with benevolence and compassion:
— “Here, here, there is plenty for all of you, no one will be left out.
Take them and share evenly with the others, you are all very good children.”
Right at that moment, Sister Clara stepped out from the kitchen.
Seeing the Priest besieged by the children, she smiled and approached to help him carry the heavy grocery bags inside to prepare for dinner.
— “Let me take some of those bags, Father.
You bought so many items today; the children are bound to have an exceptional feast tonight.”
Malachi stood up, brushing the dust from his vestments.
As he watched the children happily eating their sweets, a profound, inscrutable glint flickered deep within his eyes.
A Chilling Enquiry
After delivering the supplies to Sister Clara and distributing the candy, Priest Malachi paced along the gray stone corridor, heading toward the quiet convent library.
In the rare moments of leisure throughout his day, he routinely sought out ancient volumes to read manuscripts—both to relax his mind and to maintain his cover as an erudite cleric.
CLICK…
The thick wooden door was gently pushed open.
The scent of aged parchment and familiar pine wood immediately flooded his senses.
Amidst the towering bookshelves bathed in the fading rays of the evening sun, Malachi scanned the room and instantly noticed the small form of young Loona tucked away in a corner.
Beside her were three or four thick stacks of books regarding advanced biological structure and chemistry.
She still appeared intensely focused, but the stark dark circles beneath her eyes could not conceal her profound exhaustion.
Displaying his habitual benevolent smile, Malachi slowly approached, his warm, deep voice breaking the silence:
— “You are here again?
It seems you possess quite a passion for reading and researching all fields of knowledge, young lady.”
The sudden sound made Loona jump violently.
Her entire body instinctively jolted, nearly dropping the book clutched in her hands.
Taking a deep breath to stabilize her pounding chest, Loona lifted her slightly haggard face, forcing herself to conjure the most natural smile possible to face the man she had witnessed the previous night donning a black trench coat and bearing a lethal runic greatsword.
— “Yes…
this has been my greatest passion since childhood, Father,” Loona whispered, her fingers tightly gripping the edge of the page.
Malachi narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the specialized, advanced textbooks arranged before the thirteen-year-old girl, internally marveled by the genius of Akaisin’s descendant.
Outwardly, however, he maintained his gentle demeanor:
— “Why don’t you head out to the courtyard to play and kick the ball around with the other children and your brothers to unwind?
It is far better for children to get some exercise beneath the sunlight.”
Loona shook her head subtly, shifting her gaze down to the text on the page to avoid meeting the Priest’s eyes directly.
— “Thank you, Father, but I prefer staying in here to read.
It’s peaceful, and it teaches me so many things.”
Observing the child’s obedient yet slightly timid behavior, Malachi harbored no suspicion whatsoever.
He stepped forward, resting his large, warm hand gently upon Loona’s soft hair, chuckling softly:
— “Truly a good child.
You are exceptionally diligent in your studies; you will undoubtedly achieve great things in the future.”
With that, Malachi reached into his pocket and pulled out a few sweet candies wrapped in glittering, colorful cellophane—the very sweets he had just purchased at the market.
He placed them gently atop the towering stack of books beside her.
— “Have some of these candies.
They are quite delicious and might help keep your mind sharp while you tackle such advanced reading.”
— “Yes…
thank you.
Thank you very much, Father.” Loona accepted the candies with both hands, but in her heart, those sweet treats suddenly felt as heavy as lead.
Malachi nodded slightly, turning to pull a volume from a shelf as if preparing to leave.
However, after taking a mere two steps, the Priest abruptly froze.
He stood silhouetted against the setting sun, his long shadow casting an absolute shroud over Loona’s small frame.
Malachi slowly turned his face halfway back, his sharp eyes narrowing into a long, profoundly calculated line as he posed a question in an exceptionally gentle tone—yet one that caused every drop of blood in Loona’s body to instantly run cold:
— “By the way…
did you sleep well last night, Loona?”
THUMP!!!
Loona’s heart leaped in absolute terror.
A question that seemed like a casual, passing inquiry of care from an elder sounded to her ears like a chilling warning, a spine-tingling interrogation emerging from the shadows.
The library space instantly plunged into a suffocating, breathless gridlock.
END OF CHAPTER 14