Chapter 80: Renzo is dead! (Super gift Chapter}
Chapter 80
"Crap! It really is getting faster!" Erin cursed aloud as she ducked, trying to avoid a claw strike aimed straight at her face.
Though she successfully ducked, the movement felt like she had barely escaped death. The sharp wind pressure grazed past her, nicking strands of her hair. In retaliation, she thrust her sword forward with quick, practiced agility.
But the Lycan simply smacked the sword away like it was nothing, its raw strength sending vibrations through her arms, and then aimed a vicious kick at her abdomen. Kael quickly intercepted, stepping into the path with his shield raised high.
His Earth Veil wrapped tightly around the shield, the sturdy brown aura humming with power as he braced himself for the strike. He waited for the impact that was supposed to come, but it never did.
Instead, the straight kick that was meant to crash into his shield suddenly shifted. The Lycan twisted its body with animalistic flexibility, turning the move into a brutal roundhouse kick that smashed into Kael’s neck with devastating force.
His body lifted off the ground and flung away like a ragdoll, blood gushing out of his mouth as he spun through the air.
"Shit, shit, shit... Ar... are we going to lose this fight?" Rina mumbled under her breath, her voice trembling as she watched the other Reavers, battered and bloodied, still throwing themselves at the beast.
Zarin leaped high into the air, determination flashing in his eyes as he aimed his sword for a thrust. This time, it surprisingly landed, piercing into the beast’s side. For a brief moment, hope filled him—until what came next shattered it.
The sword instantly broke into dozens of fragments, scattering into the air like glass. The Lycan didn’t even flinch. It just turned its head toward Zarin, a wicked grin spreading across its monstrous face.
"Bull Thrust!" Ryker’s voice thundered across the battlefield. His usual laziness and drowsy tone were gone, replaced by sharp ferocity as the air around him roared. A violent whoosh echoed as his invisible strike tore through the air toward the Lycan.
The beast spun with astonishing speed, swinging its leg with enough force to try and smash the invisible attack apart.
But before it could succeed, another sound split the chaos.
BANG!
A bleeding Vynn suddenly appeared behind the Lycan, his speed blistering as lightning sparks trailed his every step. With a fierce roar, he leapt high and swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc, the weapon coated in his crackling Veil.
TCWK!
The blade bit deep, carving a wide gash across the beast’s back. Black blood gushed out in torrents, spraying across the ground as the Lycan stumbled for the first time.
BAM!
Ryker’s attack followed right after, smashing into the beast’s second shoulder. The explosion of power created a gaping hole that forced the creature to stagger forward, its monstrous roar shaking the battlefield.
"Yes! Looks like we might actually win this. Let’s go!" one of the Reavers shouted, adrenaline fueling him as he charged forward. He swung his sword from the side, hoping to catch the Lycan off guard.
But the beast merely leaned its head aside, letting the strike whistle past harmlessly. Before it could counterattack, Erin appeared like a flash, her silver hair whipping through the air as she swung her sword upward.
The Lycan reacted instantly, raising its claws to guard its face. Yet to its surprise, the strike never landed. Erin had already withdrawn her sword mid-swing, pivoting with graceful precision. Her feet flared with icy-blue energy as frost spread across them.
She launched off the ground, spun once in midair, and delivered a double kick straight into the beast’s raised arms. The force of the impact rattled the creature, sending it skidding backward. Frost immediately spread across its hands, the icy coating creeping up its wrists.
Standing tall with narrowed eyes, the Lycan smashed its hands together, shattering the ice in an instant. Steam hissed from its limbs as it glared at every single Reaver before it, pure rage burning in its eyes.
"Shit! Just use your damned Veil already. Or do you not even have one?" Vynn taunted, his feet sparking wildly with lightning as he prepared for another charge.
"Earth Veil: Slice and Dice!" Kael roared. Despite his injuries, he hurled his shield into the air with all his strength. The weapon spun violently like a deadly frisbee, tearing through the wind as it cut toward the Lycan.
But the beast didn’t even blink. Without moving its body an inch, it extended a hand, catching the spinning shield effortlessly. Its glare remained cold and unshaken, causing Kael’s heart to sink.
Then, without hesitation, the Lycan hurled the shield back. The speed and force it carried now were double what Kael had released, the weapon howling through the air like a missile aimed directly at him.
’Shit! If that hits me, I’m dead instantly. Damn it! How do I avoid this?!’ Kael screamed inwardly, his battered body refusing to respond. He tried to force his legs to move, but the injuries weighed him down like chains.
Closing his eyes, he prepared for the inevitable, accepting the cruel fate awaiting him. But then...
A powerful gust of wind struck his face, and a chilling, ear-piercing shout tore through his ears.
"NOOO! RENZO!"
"Huh?" Kael muttered in disbelief, snapping his eyes open.
Standing in front of him was the bulky C-ranked Reaver, Renzo. His broad back blocked the incoming shield as blood filled his mouth, yet he still wore a fearless smile.
Glancing down, Kael could see Renzo’s abdomen torn wide open, blood pouring endlessly, and when he tilted his gaze, his heart nearly stopped.
The shield that had been hurled at him was now buried deep in his comrade’s back, piercing straight through his flesh and lunging so far forward that its jagged edge was poking out of his abdomen.
"No... no, no, no! Why the hell did you do this?! No!" Kael mumbled, his voice breaking as his eyes grew moist. His hands trembled violently, but even with death looming, the smile on Renzo’s face didn’t fade away.
"We are all family... and clan mates. Kuk..." Renzo coughed up blood, his lips staining crimson as he staggered forward. His heavy arm landed on Kael’s shoulder, gripping with what little strength remained. "I can’t just stand by and let one of you die under my watch. It’s all good. Don’t blame yourself... and please, help take care of Rina for me."
With that, his strength gave way, and he slid down to his knees with a dull, lifeless thud.
"NOOO!" Rina’s anguished roar cut across the battlefield as she dashed forward, ignoring the snarling Lycan that stood only a few paces away, watching the scene unfold with sinister amusement.
In an instant, she was beside her love. She dropped to her knees, tears streaming in thick, uncontrollable waves down her cheeks as her trembling hands clutched at him.
"Yo... you can’t leave me now, Renzo! We promised to stay together forever! You promised not to die, you bastard! So why?! Why?!" she screamed, her voice cracking. Her hands glowed a bright white, her healing magic pouring desperately into him, as if sheer willpower alone could undo death itself.
"I... I know... I promised..." Renzo rasped, his words broken, his breath shallow and ragged. "But... but I’m sorry, Ri... Rina. Please... take care of yourself, and... don’t put your life on hold for me. I’m sorry... and... I love you."
His eyes flickered one last time, and then, as though the world itself froze, his hand slipped limply from hers. His eyes slowly closed, his chest stilled, and his breathing ceased forever.
"NOOOOO!" Rina screamed, the raw agony in her voice shattering every heart present. She clung to his body, tears flooding her face as if she could hold him back from the abyss.
"Re... Re... Renzo is dead?" Jace muttered under his breath, his hands beginning to tremble uncontrollably, fury rising with each passing heartbeat.
Everyone stood frozen, stunned into silence. Their eyes locked on the fallen Reaver, their minds refusing to believe what they had just witnessed.
"Ho... how is this even possible?" Vynn whispered in horror, the lightning dancing around his body flickering weakly before dimming. His bravado collapsed, replaced by the suffocating weight of reality.
Kael blinked rapidly, staring at Rina’s tears and Renzo’s lifeless body. His mind spun in confusion, unable to process the truth staring him in the face.
"He... he... he died trying to save me? He... I got saved?" Kael mumbled repeatedly, his words shaky, his thoughts unraveling. For a moment he clung to denial, until another blood-curdling scream tore from Rina’s throat, snapping him out of his daze.
Slowly, he walked over to where his bloodied shield lay. Bending down, he picked it up, staring at the crimson stains dripping from its edge. His chest tightened, his head spun, and grief twisted into rage.
"Re... Renzo is dead? I... I promised no one would die under my watch, and he di... died?!" Jace muttered, his voice cracking with unbridled fury.
His hands shook violently, his calm façade shattered into pieces. His teeth ground together, his eyes, once a calm blue, now burned with crimson tints of rage.
"Tr... truly what he said earlier was right," Vynn muttered, sheathing his sword as a single tear slid down his cheek. He spread his legs into a stance, lightning beginning to spark wildly across his body once more. "This isn’t a game. Anybody can really die... which is why..."
Jace stood still, eyes burning with hatred, locked onto the grinning beast.
"He died saving me," Kael said softly, strapping the bloody shield to his arm. His eyes, bloodshot and wet, glared with a new ferocity at the Lycan.
"I will avenge him!" Kael, Jace, and Vynn roared in unison.
Like a thunderclap, Vynn bolted forward, lightning streaking violently around his body.
Water swirled furiously around Jace, launching him forward with a speed that matched his fury. The battlefield trembled as the three Reavers, fueled by grief and rage, charged to unleash hell upon the grinning monster.