The Echo Of The Sword—Chapter 4

The cold wind of the cave vibrated with the tension between the two silhouettes. Kaizen did not wait another second. One step, then another, and in the next fraction of a moment he vanished from where he stood, leaving behind only a sharp gust of air. His speed was so great that the human eye could barely follow his movement.

The demon flinched and, with unexpected agility, tore its body away from the strike. The heavy blade of Kaizen’s sword crashed into the ground, the echo of metal against stone filling the entire cave. A cloud of dust rose, and the ground beneath their feet trembled.

Kaizen braced his left leg and, with colossal strength, struck the ground.
— Bam!
The stones cracked, deep fissures spread like gray lightning across the cave floor, and the air vibrated under the impact. The demon staggered slightly—enough to be in danger.

At that moment, Renji noticed something he hadn’t seen before. Kaizen’s armor and sword were starting to give off steam, as if the metal heated up with every movement. The vapor rose in thin waves, giving the impression that the equipment pulsed with its own force. Renji bit his lip—"It was clear, this was no ordinary armor… and the sword wasn’t just a massive hunk of steel."

Kaizen lifted the blade in a swift arc, and the metal, cloaked in hot vapor, cut the air with a deep hiss. The strike carried immense pressure, as if the sword’s weight had been multiplied tenfold. The demon raised an arm to block, but the impact hurled it back several steps, slamming it into a stalagmite that shattered instantly.

The creature roared, attempting a counterattack. Its bony claw arced toward Kaizen’s throat, but he outpaced it with a sidestep and a swing of his sword that severed part of its forearm. The movement was so clean that the black blood only burst out a moment later.

Kaizen spun his blade alongside his body, the dense steam seeming to mix now with the cave’s cold air. Each of his steps left deep imprints in the ground, and each strike resonated through the bones of those watching.

The demon rose slowly, its gaze full of hatred, but it was clear, it could no longer keep up. Kaizen followed it with a cold, fixed stare, ready to end the fight.

— “I can’t even consider you good enough for training…”
The demon bled black from its wounds, yet its eyes still burned with fury. With a hoarse roar, it lunged at Kaizen, its claws slashing the air in rapid succession.

The blade passed mere inches from Kaizen’s face. Another strike, and another, then a series of spiraling leaps and slashes. Anyone else would have been torn apart in seconds. But Kaizen did nothing more than step sideways, lean, or twist his body slightly, dodging every attack with a nonchalance that bordered on disdain.

The demon’s breathing grew heavy, its movements increasingly clumsy.
Renji, his heart pounding in his chest, thought to himself: —“No… he’s not fighting it. Kaizen… is dancing between the strikes.”

Frustrated, the demon changed targets. With a sharp cry, it turned suddenly and rushed toward Renji and Kaede. Renji felt his breath catch, his legs refusing to move. Kaede took a step back, his eyes still fixed on the creature.

But Kaizen gave it no time. In a burst of speed, he appeared between the demon and the two, his sword already curving into a lateral slash. The hot metal cut through the flesh and bone of the creature’s left arm. The demon’s hand fell to the floor with a wet thud, twitching grotesquely before lying still.

The demon’s piercing scream echoed through the cave, its sound dragging like the screech of rusted metal.

Gravely wounded, the creature staggered back a few steps, hesitated for a moment, then turned and fled into the tunnel’s darkness.

Kaizen watched it for a few seconds, then, without a word, he drove his feet into the ground with a crushing force, the earth cracking beneath him and raised the massive sword with one hand. Renji barely had time to draw breath before the weapon was hurled.

The blade flew through the air with a sharp whistle, like a massive projectile, piercing the demon’s chest and pinning it against the tunnel wall. The impact was so violent that the surrounding rock exploded into fragments, and the echo of metal thundered through the cave.

The creature remained impaled for a few moments, writhing spasmodically, before its head fell limp and its body slackened into a grotesque position. Black blood dripped slowly onto the stone.

Renji froze and muttered,
— “That sword… it’s almost as big as his body. How… how can he throw it so easily?”
A cold shiver ran down his spine, not just from fear, but from a strange realization: —“Kaizen in battle is completely different from what I imagined.”

Kaizen calmly walked toward the place where his sword was buried deep in the demon’s body. He gripped the hilt, and when he pulled, the blade tore something from the creature’s chest.

A sharp, crystalline sound rang out, and from the open wound fell a glowing fragment, pale blue. It looked like an imperfect crystal, pulsing faintly as if life still lingered within it. But the moment it touched the ground, it cracked into countless fractures and crumbled into fine dust, scattering into the air.

Renji stared without blinking.
— “What… what the hell was that?”

Kaizen gave no comment. He cast one last glance at the demon’s corpse and said briefly, in a grave tone:
— “We’re leaving.”

He turned toward the cave’s exit, and the others followed without a word. Their heavy steps echoed, the only sound being the faint clink of Kaizen’s armor brushing against the sword’s metal.

After a few minutes of silent walking through the narrow corridor, Kaizen broke the silence:
— “Hikaru… did you notice anything different about Kaede and Renji?”

Hikaru glanced at him from the side, keeping pace.
— “Yes… Kaede. He wasn’t afraid at all. He didn’t seem surprised by what he saw; he acted as if it wasn’t his first time facing such a creature.”

Kaizen’s jaw tightened slightly. Hikaru went on:
— “Renji, on the other hand… was the complete opposite. You could read the shock on his face. Every gesture, every glance—it was clear he had never gone through anything like this. If I hadn’t held him back, he might have made a fatal mistake.”

— “Hm…” Kaizen muttered. — “And you think Kaede knew more than he showed?”

— “Hard to say. But one thing is certain—he didn’t react like a simple human. That much is clear.”

Kaizen stopped for a moment, staring into Hikaru’s eyes.
— “That complicates things… especially since Renji seems completely out of this world, while Kaede may be more deeply involved than we think.”

— “What do we do?” Hikaru asked.

Kaizen shifted his gaze forward, toward the faint light marking the cave’s exit.
— “I need to have a private conversation with Renji. For now, we can leave. That man in the cave had only been a demon for a few days… his transformation wasn’t even complete.”

The road toward the city unfolded in silence. The wind gently shook the treetops, the rustle of dry leaves underfoot filling the quiet. When they reached the forest’s edge, near the city’s first lit streets, Kaizen glanced at Hikaru and gave a slight nod.

— “Take the others into the city. I’ll stay back for a while.”

Hikaru looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded and urged Kaede and the others to continue ahead. Renji had slowed unconsciously, remaining beside Kaizen, who walked silently among the dark trunks.

When the noise of the city faded in the distance, Kaizen stopped abruptly.
— “Renji… how long have you known Kaede?”

Renji blinked, slightly surprised.
— “Since… since we were kids. We grew up together. We’ve always been close friends.”

— “Have you fought together before?”

— “Yes… but only in our training. We dueled with swords almost every day.”

Kaizen lowered his voice slightly.
— “And… how was he then, compared to now?”

Renji clenched his hands.
— “Completely different. Before… he always lost against me. He had no speed, no strength, he was easy to read. But… in the last few months…”

— “What changed?”

— “Everything. His power, his speed, the way he uses his sword. It’s as if… all of a sudden he knows exactly what I’m about to do before I strike. I can’t even touch him anymore.”

Kaizen fixed him with a piercing gaze.
— “And his behavior?”

Renji sighed.
— “He’s not the friend I once knew. He’s become reckless, making decisions without thinking, but… he has this strange confidence, as if he knows he can’t lose. No fear, no hesitation… nothing.”

— “Do you know if he’s been in any dangerous situation without you?”

— “I’m not sure… but in the last few months he’s been absent for several days at a time, without telling me where he went. When he came back, he was… different. Colder… but also stronger.”

— “And you never tried asking him?”

— “I did. He changed the subject every time. Either joked about it or avoided answering.”

Kaizen crossed his arms, thoughtful.
— “Hm… sudden changes never come without a price. The question is… what price is Kaede paying? And if he’s paying it alone…”

Renji looked at him, puzzled.
— “What do you mean?”

— “Forget it. What matters is, you’re not the only one who noticed the change. But for now… keep your eyes open.”

Kaizen rested his sword back on his shoulder and spoke in a final tone:
— “Let’s catch up with the others.”

The two stepped out of the forest, expecting to see the others somewhere along the road to the city. But the streets were empty, and neither Hikaru, nor Kaede, nor the rest of Kaizen’s team were anywhere to be seen. Renji looked around, uneasy.
— “Strange… I didn’t think they’d scatter so quickly.”

Kaizen narrowed his eyes, scanning the area.
— “It seems everyone decided to do as they pleased.”

Renji turned toward him.
— “If you don’t mind… I’d like to stop by a friend. She has a small shop on the west side of the city. I want to talk to her.”

Kaizen studied him for a few seconds, as if weighing something in his mind. Then he gave a slight nod.
— “Go. But…” he stepped closer, his gaze heavy, —“don’t forget our conversation.”

Renji raised an eyebrow.
— “About Kaede?”

Kaizen ignored the question and leaned in, his piercing eyes fixed on him.
— “Go to your friend… By the way, tomorrow we’ll train together. Consider this a chance—a rare one—to learn something you couldn’t obtain otherwise. The Imperials won’t remain in the city for long, and our time is limited. Make the most of it. Don’t be afraid to surpass what you think you know. In this training, you won’t just receive moves or techniques… you’ll understand something only a sword and armor like mine can show you.”

Renji nodded, feeling the weight and rarity of that opportunity, mixed with the anticipation of a lesson that might change his entire perspective on battle.

Kaizen then turned toward the city center, while Renji headed in the opposite direction, vanishing into the narrow streets. In his mind, Kaizen’s words still echoed, filling him with a blend of curiosity, respect, and unease.

Renji arrived at the shop where Airi worked—a simple place that resembled a pharmacy of modern days, his body weary from the long road. The windows were covered with bottles and vials labeled with strange symbols. Airi was cleaning in front of the shop, weaving between bottles and sweeping the dust from the gravel.

When she spotted Renji, her face lit up instantly. Her smile widened and her eyes shone with joy.
— “Renji! Hey, what a surprise to see you!” she said, setting the broom aside and rushing over.

— “Hi, Airi… thought I’d stop by to see how are you,” he answered with a tired smile.

Airi chuckled softly.
— “I’ve got some things from other kingdoms in the shop, hehe, want to see? Maybe I’ll find something useful for you.”

But before Airi could say anything more, a sudden wave of dizziness swept over Renji. His legs gave out, and a strange chill climbed his spine. His eyes closed without warning, and he collapsed onto the gravel, unconscious.

Airi panicked instantly.
— “Renji! Hey! Wake up!” she cried, rushing to him. Carefully, she dragged him closer to the shop and tried to lift him.
—"Renji! Damn it—what’s wrong with you? You’re burning up… I need to get you inside, quick!”