The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the dense forest as Ren, Itsuki, and Aria ran through the trees, panting heavily, dirt and leaves flying behind them.
Ren glanced at Aria, his voice low.
"Aren't you… afraid of me?"
Aria looked over and smiled, calm despite everything.
"Why would I be afraid of my friend?"
Ren's cheeks flushed slightly. He smiled back, thankful.
"Thanks… But where do we even go from here?"
Aria narrowed her eyes, scanning the area.
"I don't know. But if we can find a vehicle, we can get out of here."
Ren looked over at Itsuki, concern in his voice.
"You holding up okay, Itsuki?"
Itsuki stumbled, his breath ragged.
"I… I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I took your blood, Ren… I experimented with it… and injected it into myself."
He fell to his knees, gripping his sides.
"I can't feel myself anymore… It's like my body is… eating itself."
Ren's eyes widened.
"You… did what?"
Before he could finish, the forest shook violently. A monstrous roar tore through the trees as a beast emerged, its massive form crashing into the path ahead.
An explosion erupted, separating the three.
Ren hit the ground hard, his ears ringing, dust clouding his vision. As he stood up, anger burned in his veins. He reached for his blade the one he had been given and gripped it tight.
His blood fused into the weapon, consuming the magical energy inside. His eyes glowed, and the Demon Eye bled further, power radiating from his body.
"GOD'S SLICE!!"
A blinding arc of energy shot forward, slicing every monster in the path in half. A second later, they exploded.
Ren sprinted forward, searching.
He found Itsuki his form twisted and monstrous cradling Aria in his arms.
His once-black hair now flowed long and white. Both eyes had transformed into Demon Eyes. Blood-veins ran like lightning cracks across his hands and neck.
Ren stepped back.
"Itsuki… are you… still you?"
Itsuki looked up with narrowed, terrifying eyes.
"Who do you think I am?"
Without warning, he lunged at Ren, kicking fast. Ren blocked just in time, but a follow-up kick from above knocked him into the dirt.
Suddenly, a massive hand formed from pure blood erupted from the ground, grabbing Itsuki and slamming him into the forest floor. Trees exploded into splinters from the impact.
Ren shouted.
"You idiot! SNAP OUT OF IT!"
But Itsuki roared, screaming to the skies. From his cursed book, mini demons began to form no magic spells, just raw, corrupted life.
Ren's eyes widened. He reforged his sword.
The demons charged.
He prepared to slice, but before he could
"SLICE IT, DAMN IT!" Itsuki shouted with a twisted grin.
Ren slashed one down. It exploded in his face, the blast making his vision spin.
"What the hell?!"
Itsuki kicked him again, fists flying, yelling between punches.
"This is how a demon feels!"
"This is GREAT!"
"This is my blood, right?!"
"SHUT UP LET ME PUNCH YOU!"
Ren caught one of his fists right where the demon blood fragments had settled.
He squeezed.
Itsuki froze, his face contorting in pain.
"What… are you doing…?"
Ren glared, power rising in his voice.
"I can control you… because IT'S MY BLOOD."
With a snap of his fingers, Itsuki collapsed, knocked out cold.
Ren ran to Aria.
"You alright?"
She nodded weakly.
"Is he okay?"
"He's… off for now. C'mon, we have to move."
Elsewhere…
Kaigenshiro lay in ruins. Homes were ash. Corpses lined the streets. The Holy Knights battled demons in the distance.
In the heart of the chaos, two figures clashed Lorths and Kesshō.
"I'm not letting you anywhere near that boy, Lorths!" Kesshō shouted, blades drawn.
"Then stop wasting my time," Lorths replied coldly.
His eyes shimmered like a god's.
He punched the ground an instant earthquake. The land tore apart, the sky cracked, everything shook.
Souta and Arisa fought through waves of demons.
"Ayame!" Souta shouted, spotting her in the distance.
She waved them over.
"This way!"
They followed her deep into the forest.
Souta asked, panting, "What's going on?"
Ayame's face turned grim.
"The demons are taking over. This is war."
Arisa looked around.
"Where's Ren? And the others?"
Ayame fell silent.
"...Don't worry. I know where they are."
---
Back with Ren and Aria…
They moved cautiously through the forest. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Ren looked up.
"That sound… is that Lorths' power?"
Before Aria could answer, Ayame emerged from the woods.
"Ren!" she cried, tears on her cheeks.
"Ayame where are the rest?"
Her expression twisted into a grin. She began to laugh a crazy, broken laugh.
"Why are you crying, Devil boy?"
Ren stepped back, confused.
"Ayame… what are you saying…?"
She snapped her fingers her body shimmering into a new form.
"You think I was just some ordinary girl? That I'd sit around looking pretty? Even when I tried to get your attention, you ignored me."
Ren blinked and suddenly she was kissing him. He shoved her back, slashing with his sword. She flipped, laughing.
"Wow… now I see why she liked kissing you so much, darling."
Ren's eyes widened.
"No… don't tell me…"
Two figures stepped from the trees Zehn and Malik.
"What… what are you doing here?" Ren demanded.
Zehn grinned.
"We just came to greet our little weapon."
Malik stepped forward and dropped someone.
Souta.
Beaten. Bleeding.
Ren fell to his knees.
"Souta! Answer me! Souta!!"
He looked up. Ayame held Arisa by the throat, blood dripping.
She licked it.
"Tasty… I like it…"
Ren screamed.
"LEAVE HER ALONE! STOP IT!"
Ayame sneered.
"I never liked how close you two were. Always together. So now… I'll cut her into pieces."
"LIKE HER"
In a flash, Ren dashed forward but Zehn blocked him, a bone-crushing kick slamming into his ribs.
"You think that speed will do anything, Ren Akagawa?!" Zehn roared.
"YOU WANT TO SAVE THESE PATHETIC HUMANS?! I'LL KILL HER MYSELF!"
His arm shifted into a blade. He stabbed Arisa Ayame holding her in place.
Ren's world shattered.
Blood. Her blood.
He froze.
Malik grinned.
"Hey, Ren."
He stabbed Souta.
But
Souta moved first.
He shielded Ren.
Taking the blade to the chest.
Blood poured from his body.
Ren caught him, trembling.
"No… no no no no no… Souta…"
Souta coughed blood, smiling faintly.
"Just run, man… you got this…"
Ren's vision blurred with tears.
He screamed
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Everyone stopped.
Ren rose.
The air shifted.
Whispers. Echoes. Screams from within.
Everyone stared Souta, Arisa, Aria… Ayame, Zehn, Malik…
Ren stood.
His face shadowed. Voice low.
"Souta… don't move from here."
Malik chuckled.
"Oh? He still wants to fight?"
Zehn took a step forward.
"Wait. Something's wrong."
Suddenly, shards of black crystal stabbed into Ren's eyes.
His body shook violently.
Blood exploded from his skin.
His sword mutated morphing into a massive demonic arm.
His clothes darkened blood-red armor forming from the fragments of his rage.
His hair whipped upward, his aura engulfing the trees in flame-like shadows.
Ren Akagawa was gone.
In his place stood something else
Crimson Wrath.