Executioner's League-Chapter 77: The Capture of the Aetherborn!

Raizen stood by a

wide-screen interface, fingers dancing over the controls as lines of flux data

scrolled rapidly. A faint pulse blinked on the map—steady, rhythmic, deep in

the eastern ranges.

Kael stepped into the

room, his cloak swaying lightly behind him. "Sir Raizen," he said, his voice

calm but urgent, "have you found the source of the signal?"

Raizen nodded slowly, eyes

still fixed on the data. "It's proving to be a challenge, but I've narrowed it

down. The signal originates near Ashvein Cradle—right in the heart of the old

Flux War battlegrounds. More precisely... from a base once operated by Segrito itself."

Kael's brow furrowed.

"That deep in?"

"Yes," Raizen confirmed.

"Long ago, it was one of Segrito's main research outposts. The SRC—the Surge

Resonance Collective—raided it after we traced corrupted flux signatures. It

was a full-scale war. The assassins of SRC against Segrito's most loyal operatives."

He paused, his expression

darkening slightly.

"That mission... was led by

your father and me."

Kael looked away briefly,

a faint smile crossing his lips. "So... you've figured it out."

Raizen finally turned to

face him, a knowing look in his eyes. "I've known for a while. You fight like

him. You carry the same fire. And we trained together for seven years... I'd

recognize that spirit anywhere."

Kael nodded. "He sent me

here to protect what matters. To finish what he couldn't."

Raizen studied him for a

moment, then said with quiet certainty, "I know you won't tell me everything.

And I won't ask. Because I trust him—and I trust you."

Kael's gaze sharpened,

recalling words once spoken to him in the quiet hours of his training. "He told

me once: 'The world will always try to smother your flame... but you must ignite

your inner fire and burn through it.'"

Raizen's expression

softened into a proud smile. "That's all I needed to hear."

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Kairen stepped beside

Kael, who stood by the tall glass window, watching the city of Neonis shimmer

beneath a storm-laced sky.

"Still the same way, eh?"

Kairen asked with a smirk, nudging him slightly.

Kael didn't shift his

gaze. "Sometimes... darkness surrounds us," he said quietly, "but we don't always

see it. Not until it's too late."

Kairen frowned, his tone

shifting. "What do you mean by that?"

A voice echoed behind

them, calm but laced with understanding. "It means he senses something's

wrong."

They turned to see Syvian

stepping into the room, the light casting a silver sheen over the scars of

battle still fresh on his armor. His presence alone felt like the edge of a

blade—sharp, ready, unwavering.

Kael turned, a rare smile

tugging at his lips. "I'm happy to see all of us standing here... together

again."

Kairen nodded, his voice

firm. "Together, we'll end this darkness. No matter where it hides."

The three stood shoulders

to shoulder, looking out at the flickering horizon. The shadows might have been

crawling, whispering from the depths—but their presence radiated defiance.

Their expressions didn't just speak of resolve. They shouted it.

Unstoppable. Unbreakable.

A storm was coming—and

they would meet it head-on.

On the rooftop terrace of

the Neonis mansion, the city lights sparkled like scattered stars beneath them.

The night air was calm, humming softly with the quiet pulse of a city that

never truly slept.

Zyren leaned against the

railing, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the skyline. "You remember the first

time we came here?" he asked Kyrin, his voice calm and nostalgic. "Back when we

were just rookies, sent here to train?"

Kyrin chuckled, walking up

beside him. "How could I forget? This is where it all started—for you, me, and

Senjuro."

Zyren gave a small smirk,

then glanced sideways at him. "And I might remember a little secret about you

from those days."

Kyrin raised a brow. "A

secret, huh? What are you talking about?"

Zyren's grin widened.

"Back when we first arrived... the day you met Kyra. You were done for, man. The

moment she said your name; you couldn't even make eye contact."

Kyrin's cheeks flushed red

as he turned away slightly, groaning. "Wait—how do you know that?"

Zyren laughed. "You're

kidding, right? You, Senjuro, Rin, and Blaze were all talking about it during

training. You thought I wasn't around, but I was. I've always been good at

staying in the shadows."

Kyrin shook his head with

an embarrassed smile. "You're unbelievable. Always listening from the shadows,

huh?"

Zyren leaned back, a

relaxed smile on his face. "What can I say? It's in my nature."

The two stood in silence

for a moment, watching the clouds drift lazily across the moonlit sky. There

was something timeless about that rooftop—the echo of memories, of younger

days, and of battles that forged who they had become.

"Back then," Kyrin said

softly, "we didn't know what we'd be fighting for. We just wanted to prove

ourselves."

Zyren nodded. "And now we

fight for something bigger. For people, for peace... for the ones we couldn't

save."

They both gazed into the

sky, the distant hum of the city below grounding them in the present. But in

their hearts, they stood surrounded by the past—bonded by it, shaped by it, and

ready for what lay ahead.

Even in the calm, the fire

within them burned.

And together, they

smiled—not as warriors preparing for war, but as brothers remembering where it

all began.

All six of them gathered

in the lobby with Raizen, who spoke with a calm but firm voice. "It's late. I

suggest you all get some rest."

They nodded in agreement

and headed to the hotel across from the Health Centre. One by one, they

retreated to their rooms.

Kael lay awake, unable to

find rest. A heavy darkness weighed on his heart—an unshakable sense that

something was about to consume him from within.

Meanwhile, Senjuro felt an

unsettling presence gnawing at his thoughts. Restless, he made his way to

Kyrin's room. Finding him fast asleep, Senjuro chose not to disturb him.

Instead, he went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face, took a deep

breath, and quietly returned to his room. Eventually, sleep found him

again—though the unease lingered in the air.

It was 3 a.m. when Kael's

phone suddenly rang, slicing through the silence like a blade. He stirred,

groggy, and picked it up.

"Who is it?" he asked,

voice low and cautious.

A dark, distorted voice

replied coldly, "Kael Xavier... come to the Flux War Battlegrounds."

The line went dead.

Kael's instincts screamed

at him, but he knew he had no choice. He got dressed, grabbed his gear, and

began tracing the signal through the city. The streets of Neonis stretched out

before him—sleek, futuristic, aglow with flickering neon lights and holographic

displays that painted the buildings with synthetic color.

But that glow faded as he

approached the Ashvein Cradle. The air grew heavier. The landscape turned

jagged and cracked scars of forgotten battles. As he neared a shattered central

structure, his vehicle was suddenly rocked by a violent explosion. A missile

had struck.

The blast hurled Kael

straight into a reinforced steel door. His body slammed against it with a

sickening thud.

Disoriented and dazed, he

staggered to his feet—only to find himself surrounded.

Out of the shadows emerged

a squad of assassins, clad in dark silver armor, their movements sharp and

coordinated. They attacked from all sides, blades flashing, strikes relentless.

Kael dropped to one knee.

His limbs trembled. His core—he couldn't feel it. No resonance. No energy.

Something was wrong.

Then—

A single shot rang out.

The bullet pierced

straight into his core.

It wasn't just any

bullet—it was laced with a dark, malevolent energy, far more potent than

anything he'd faced. The moment it hit, corruption spread through him like a

virus. His body spasmed as the resonance within him twisted and shattered.

Kael collapsed. His

breaths were shallow, uneven. He could barely move. The neon glow around him

flickered... and all began to fade into black.