Kage no Densetsu: The Shadowborn's Quest

The battlefield was silent. The Nature Stone pulsed faintly in Ren's hand, its energy still restoring the wounded land. The victory had been hard-fought, and the group barely stood after the battle.

Ren exhaled, his vision blurring from exhaustion. His body was at its limit.

But then—

A deep, twisted chuckle echoed through the ruined field.

Sakayanagi's breath hitched. "No way…"

Kaelen took a step back. "This—this shouldn't be possible."

The ground shook violently as a powerful green aura erupted from Oranos' body, sending out a shockwave that knocked Ren and his allies back.

Oranos slowly rose to his feet, his body undergoing a grotesque transformation. His wounds closed instantly, his muscles bulging unnaturally, and his eyes—once golden-green—now glowed an eerie emerald flame.

"Did you think that was enough to kill me?" Oranos' voice was now deeper, filled with malice. His presence was no longer just powerful—it was overwhelming.

Ren's hands clenched into fists, but when he tried to summon his shadows—nothing.

His body had nothing left to give.

Oranos had evolved beyond his limits.

Oranos moved in a flash, appearing before Ren. His vine-clad fist slammed into Ren's stomach, sending him crashing through multiple trees.

"Gah—!" Ren coughed out black blood, his vision darkening.

Shigan gritted his teeth. "Ren!" He and Sakayanagi charged at Oranos.

Shigan raised his hands, his Ki flaring, channeling Force Breaker!

Sakayanagi's blue flames erupted, and she launched Hellflame Spiral!

The attacks collided with Oranos—

But they did nothing.

Oranos snarled, backhanding Shigan into the dirt before grabbing Sakayanagi by the throat.

"Pathetic." With a flick of his wrist, he hurled her across the battlefield.

Kaelen tried to react, swinging his twin daggers, but Oranos' speed was overwhelming.

A root spear shot out, impaling Kaelen's shoulder and pinning him to a tree.

Ren struggled to stand, but his body wouldn't move.

This was bad.

Oranos stretched out his palm, energy crackling within it.

"Nature's End."

A sphere of devastating power formed in his hands—pure destruction, an attack that could end one of them instantly.

Ren's vision blurred. His mind screamed for his body to move, but he was spent.

Oranos raised his hand, ready to fire.

And then—

A single bolt of lightning tore through the battlefield.

The Thunder Swordsman Appears

In a blink of an eye, a mysterious figure appeared before them.

His long coat billowed in the wind. His samurai hat cast a shadow over his face, concealing his features. Strapped to his back was a single katana, crackling with electricity.

But what stood out the most—his speed.

Oranos didn't even react before the figure caught his attack… with one hand.

The destructive sphere fizzled out.

Oranos' eyes widened. "What?!"

The figure finally spoke, his voice calm yet commanding.

"You're noisy."

Without hesitation, he raised his free hand to the sky.

Lightning gathered into his palm, condensing into a pure thunderbolt—except he held it like a weapon.

The air vibrated, static crackling around them.

Ren, barely conscious, could only watch in awe as the figure whispered the name of his attack.

"Heaven's Judgment: Thunder Guillotine."

In a single fluid motion, he swung the thunderbolt down.

A colossal arc of lightning cleaved through the air, striking Oranos directly.

The battlefield was engulfed in blinding light as an earth-shaking explosion followed.

To Be Continued...