CHAPTER 36: ASHEN SCARS

The battlefield was still in chaos, but the tide was finally turning. With ZEAL’s reinforcements joining in, the endless swarm of Ashen Scars’ foot soldiers was beginning to thin out.

"Ren! Go for the core!" Minato shouted over the noise of clashing flames and steel. "It won’t stay down otherwise. I’ll make a way for you!"

Ren gave a firm nod and his eyes narrowed. Without a word, he burst forward, cutting through the battlefield like a streak of lightning.

One of the Ashes raised its burning arms, throwing molten rocks straight at him. The projectiles glowed red hot, whistling through the air as they closed in on Ren.

But before they could land, thorny branches erupted from the ground, twisting upward like a living wall. They caught the blazing rocks and crushed them to ash, leaving Ren’s path clear.

"Thanks, Minato." Ren muttered, not slowing down for even a second as he closed in on one of the Ashes.

The Ash’s molten body made it almost impossible for Ren to see where its core was. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to feel it just like when he sensed if someone was awakened or not.

But this time it was harder. The Ash gave off too much leaking energy, making it difficult to tell where the core really was.

As Ren got closer, weaving through the flying molten rocks, the attacks became even fiercer. Heavy wild punches and reckless kicks came at him one after another as Ren dodged each one with sharp, fluid movements.

This is tough. I’ll need to tear off its thick molten skin first. Ren thought as he circled around the Ash, looking for his chance.

Ren went from above, below, and sideways, his movements unpredictable while forming lightning platforms 3 meters from the Ash. He launched himself between them like a springboard, zigzagging with blinding speed.

It wasn’t like his fight with Drake. Back then, he could only summon 3 at a time. Now, five crackling platforms appeared in rapid succession, keeping his momentum relentless.

These Ashes, they’re no joke. At least high 5 star level each. If not for Minato holding the rest at bay with his branches, I wouldn’t have the focus to hunt this one’s core.

Each slash he dealt shaved away fragments of the Ash’s molten skin, sparks hissing as his blade met its magma covered skin. In one swift motion, he lashed out a bolt of lightning that coiled around its legs, pinning its feet to the ground with a crackling bind.

As Ren kept cutting away at the Ash’s tough skin, he finally felt it, a sharp, heavy pulse of energy. The core. It was hidden deep in the creature’s left shoulder.

Without a moment’s pause, he kicked off the air and came crashing down with black lightning crackling along the edge of his katana.

This wasn’t a wild strike. It wasn’t about destruction. His blade moved with precision, clean, swift, almost beautiful, as he dashed through the air like a comet.

"Thunder Glow."

Time seemed to slow down as Ren went for the strike. Then his katana pierced straight into the core. In an instant, the Ash’s massive body began to crumble, breaking down like burning lava turning into nothing but dust.

Ren’s voice was soft, as he muttered.

"I’m sorry. But you’re free now."

As Ren glanced to his side, he saw Minato winning just a few meters away. His thorned branches wrapped tightly around another Ash, pinning it in place, and rendering it unable to move. With a graceful weave of his hand, Minato drove a branch straight into its left part of the chest where its core was located.

The true challenge wasn’t the Ash’s strength but the unpredictable nature of its core. Their corrupted bodies caused the core to shift unpredictably, weaving through their form like a phantom, making them almost impossible to locate.

The creature let out a roar before burning into dust. Minato released a heavy breath as relief flashed across his face.

But suddenly, the sky split open with a blinding streak of crimson as a beam of molten fire came downward swiftly, aimed directly at his head.

As fast as he could, Ren dashed forward, raising his katana just in time to intercept the blazing strike. The clash erupted sending a huge gust of wind around the area as the sheer force blasted him off his feet and sent him flying several meters away from Minato.

"Ren!" Minato shouted.

He quickly looked up and froze. On the rooftop of a nearby building stood a massive figure cloaked in a dark hoodie and smoke coming out ominously from its shoulders. Before it could unleash another attack, a swirling yellow portal opened behind it, and the figure slipped away without a word.

"What in the world!? A portal!?" Minato muttered.

As he rushed toward Ren, Minato found him already standing on his feet, brushing off the dust from his clothes.

"You okay?" Minato asked.

Ren gave a smile, though his arm trembled slightly from the impact. "Yeah. I blocked it, but that strike was no joke."

"I don’t think that attack came from an Ash." Minato said with a serious face.

The battlefield, once filled with noise, had started to grow quieter. Compared to the chaos from just moments ago, it felt almost calm. Thanks to Valen’s deadly skill with his blade, Shin’s overwhelming strength, and the sheer numbers of their squad, most of the Ash had already been reduced to nothing but drifting dust.

"All Ashes eliminated, it’s our victory!" Valen declared as the ZEAL members erupted in cheers, their voices echoing across the ruined battlefield.

On their walk home, Ren couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. He hadn’t gotten the chance to truly see Valen in action. He was too busy dealing with the Ashes, and by the time he looked around, Valen had already taken down seven of them.

"I mean, Shin did really, really well." Ren muttered. "But I wanted to see the Warden fight. He’s just too quick! By the time I looked around the area, he’d already dealt with seven of those things."

"Well." Minato said with a smile. "Even if you had watched, you wouldn’t have been able to follow his movements."

"Yeah, totally agree." Botan added.

Ren tilted his head. "What do you guys mean?"

Isamu glanced at him. "Warden Valen fights like an assassin. He’s a master of stealth and the blade. And once you factor in his Drive Core ability, it’s even more terrifying. He’ll just vanish and then...." Isamu snapped his fingers, "Poof! Reappear long enough to deliver a single, precise strike. By the time you realize what happened, his enemy’s already down."

"But don’t get him wrong." Botan added, lifting a finger as if to make sure Ren understood clearly. "Even without his Drive ability, his combat skill and tactical mind alone are enough to earn him the title of Warden. That’s how sharp he is. He just prefers the quickest, cleanest way possible, minimum strikes and maximum efficiency."

The group made their way back as the adrenaline of battle began to fade and became much quieter. They followed the path toward the training grounds, where they had been ordered to gather for a squad meeting immediately after the mission.

Soon, the squad assembled in front of the sparring platform. The air was filled with quiet chatter until Shin and Warden Valen stepped forward. In an instant, silence fell. The sight of their two leaders standing side by side got their full attention.

"The defense today was a success, at least in our ward." Valen announced. "But Squad 4 reported that the Ashen Scars caused heavy damage to one of our allied wards before they managed to push them back."

So they’ve been busy too, huh? Ren thought as soon as he heard his squad mentioned.

"The leader has given immediate orders." Valen continued. "In one week, Squads 3, and ours will march to the 10th Ward. We’re going to war with the Ashen Scars. Until then, stay sharp and be ready for anything. And Ren, report to my office after this."

The meeting wrapped up soon after. The squad was dismissed, their spirits high not only from their victory today, but also from the thought of the coming battle against the Ashen Scars.

Ren was on his way after hearing the call but Minato stopped him before he could head toward Valen’s office.

"Ren, I’m not too sure about this, but I think you need to be careful of the Warden." Minato whispered.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"When you blocked that attack earlier, I noticed something. On one of the rooftops, there was a huge guy wearing a hoodie. I think he was the one who tried to assassinate me. But....." Minato hesitated, lowering his voice. "That’s not even the most important part."

"I think that’s already important enough. Shouldn’t we tell the Warden?"

Minato shook his head. "Just before he escaped, a portal opened right behind him. He stepped into it and vanished."

Ren’s eyes widened in disbelief. "A portal?"

As far as he knew, Valen’s Drive ability was the only one capable of creating portals large enough for a person to pass through.

"Alright." Ren said quietly after a pause. "I’ll keep this between us until we know what’s really going on."

Minato nodded firmly.

Ren couldn’t shake Minato’s words from his mind as he made his way to Valen’s office.

If that really was his ability, what’s his purpose? Why help the enemy? If Valen intended to betray ZEAL, he wouldn’t have raised Shin into a monster capable of standing against the Shikkoku. He wouldn’t command a squad with such discipline and loyalty. None of it adds up.What’s your deal, Valen? What are you really after?

After a long pause in front of the office’s door, Ren took a deep breath and pushed it open.

Valen sat behind his desk with a book resting in his hand. The Warden’s eyes were too focused to be disturbed until he saw Ren.

"Good work out there." Valen said with his calm and unreadable tone. "You and Minato fought well together just as I expected. It seems you’ve grown sharper these past weeks."

"Yeah." Ren answered dryly as the thought of Valen being a traitor still lingered in him.

"Anyway, that’s not why I called you." Valen said. "We’ve got about a week. If you can’t unlock your core release by then, I won’t take you to the war."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Explaining it now won’t help you. But that’s my condition. We’ll start training right away."

Ren just nodded and followed Valen out the door. His head was full of questions. Why would he be left out of the war if he couldn’t master his core release? And more than that, could Valen really be trusted?

Deep down, Ren didn’t want Valen to be a traitor. After all, he wasn’t just a leader, he was someone Ren looked up to and even considered a friend. The thought of losing that weighed heavy on him.

With that, he summoned every bit of courage in his chest as he spoke.

"Valen, are you a traitor?"