Shunogai

Shukan reclined against a cracked pillar, tapping his fingers against his dagger's hilt. The sky above was too still. Too quiet. Like it was waiting for something.

"Chronos, when are we moving? Feels like we've been waiting forever."

"We're waiting for Yurei to return," Chronos replied flatly. No hesitation. No doubt.

Shukan exhaled sharply. Something felt off.

"Aetheron, how about you fly up and see where she is?"

Aetheron snapped his book shut, clearly annoyed. His pink armor-like skin glinted in the light—but it wasn't sunlight. It was something else.

"Shukan, you've been asking me to do this every ten minutes. Can't you just chill until she gets back?"

Before Shukan could retort, the ground trembled violently, and seconds later, an explosion erupted. It wasn't just any explosion—it was an ice explosion.

Chronos was already on his feet, his gaze sharp as he stared into the distance where the blast originated. "Ice. That's Yurei. Shukan, go see what's going on."

"Fine," Shukan growled as he stood up, brushing dust off his coat. He turned toward the forest, muttering under his breath, "I don't really want to get involved, but hey, I'm curious."

Moments later, he dashed into the forest, weaving effortlessly between trees and boulders as if they weren't there, his sights locked on Yurei's location.

"Shukan, what the hell are you doing here? Can't you see I'm fighting a Void Spawn?" Yurei yelled, her voice tinged with irritation. Her icy breath matched the gleam of her blue ice arm, which looked as though it had been forged by a master craftsman.

Ignoring her, Shukan's eyes focused on the monstrosity she was battling—a grotesque Void Spawn that towered over them, at least twice the height of two Eiffel Towers stacked together. "Wow. That's a big one. Did the Void get bored and decide to pop out this... whatever that is?"

Yurei muttered under her breath, "Is he seriously ignoring me?" She quickly refocused on the fight, though her ice arm began to hum and radiate a warning pulse. "Shukan! Move! It's going to attack!"

The Void Spawn let out an ear-splitting roar, its tendrils writhing as it unleashed a beam of translucent, destructive energy.

Shukan barely dodged using Timestep, his golden energy veins sparking as he vanished in a blur. "Huh. Clear energy? That's new. Usually, it's red or purple. Weird."

The beam struck the ground where Shukan had been standing a second earlier, carving a massive crater into the earth and sending shockwaves through the forest.

"SHUKAN!" Yurei screamed, her voice carrying an edge of fear. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine," Shukan called back, brushing dirt off his jacket as though nothing had happened. He tightened his grip on his black daggers, the golden veins along his arms pulsating with energy. "Let me handle this thing before you start worrying about me."

The Void Spawn responded with a pulse of destabilizing energy, warping the space around it. Reality itself seemed to crack and distort in its presence.

Unfazed, Shukan dashed toward the creature, his movements fluid as time warped around him. "Yurei, now!" he shouted.

Without hesitation, Yurei flicked her finger, summoning a massive ice pillar that shot upward and impaled the Void Spawn. "Shukan, finish it!"

In a desperate act, the Void Spawn began conjuring a swirling orb of translucent energy.

"Not happening." Shukan's voice was calm but carried an edge of menace. His veins surged with golden light as he dashed forward. "Temporal Cascade!"

With a swift motion, he slashed the Void Spawn, his daggers leaving rifts in reality itself. The attack obliterated the creature across past, present, and future, erasing it from existence.

Shukan landed gracefully, his expression as casual as ever, though his shaking hands betrayed his composure. "Well, that was fun," he said, a wry grin on his face.

Yurei, still catching her breath, stared at the spot where the Void Spawn had been moments before. "That... was strange. Did you notice how it acted? Like it actually felt pain."

Shukan's usual quick wit faltered. He stood in silence, his brows furrowed in thought. "You're not wrong. Usually, they don't even react to damage. This one was different... like it had a conscience or something."

Yurei nodded slowly but shook off the unease. "Let's not dwell on it. We need to get back to Chronos and Aetheron."

Back at the camp, Chronos stood as Shukan and Yurei returned. "Yurei, why were you gone so long? And you too, Shukan. It's been over an hour."

Yurei, exhausted and clearly in pain, waved him off. "Chronos, I'm too tired for this right now. Shukan can explain. I need rest—my energy veins are acting up."

She trudged past him and collapsed near Aetheron. "Aetheron, do you have something to ease this? It's killing me."

Aetheron sighed but handed her a small vial of radiant energy. "Here. But you need to stop overexerting yourself."

Meanwhile, Shukan approached Chronos with a serious expression. "Chronos, we fought a Void Spawn. But it was... different."

"Different how?" Chronos asked, his tone skeptical.

"It had intelligence," Shukan replied. "When Yurei impaled it with her ice, it reacted. Like it was... desperate."

Chronos's armored hand moved to his chin as he pondered the claim. "An intelligent Void Spawn? That doesn't make sense. We've fought thousands of them—none have ever shown signs of thought."

"I know it sounds crazy, but I'm telling you, this one was thinking. Like it was planning its next move," Shukan insisted.

Aetheron, who had been listening quietly, chimed in. "That's... unsettling. If they're evolving or gaining intelligence, this could mean trouble. Big trouble."

Chronos nodded slowly. "If what you're saying is true, then there's more at play here than we understand. We'll need to investigate further."

He turned to the group. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll figure out our next move. I'll take first watch tonight."

Chronos sat atop the remains of a crumbling tower, the night sky stretching endlessly above him. Stars glimmered like silent watchers, and distant planets hung still, as if waiting for some unspoken signal. "Two hours... It's already been two hours," he muttered to himself. Exhaustion tugged at his senses, but he shook it off. "I can't sleep. Not now." Rising, he stretched before descending the tower into the rocky plains below.

The silence was unnerving, the air heavy with tension. "It seems quiet… Maybe I should—" He stopped mid-sentence, a sharp sense of unease cutting through his thoughts. "No," he corrected himself, "I need to scout for threats while I can."

Chronos moved cautiously around the camp, the sharp edges of his pure black armor glinting faintly in the dim starlight. His feet, encased in jagged, obsidian plating, pressed into the oddly damp soil. The squelch beneath his steps made him pause. "Muddy soil?" he muttered. "It hasn't rained in hours." His voice trailed off as a sound tore through the stillness—a screeching roar, distant yet sharp enough to freeze his movements. His head snapped toward the direction of the noise, his golden eyes narrowing. "What the hell was that?"

Before he could fully process, a faint whistle cut through the air. Chronos instinctively spun, catching sight of a void-like tendril slicing through the darkness, heading directly for him. He ducked just in time, the tendril whipping past him with deadly precision. It speared through a nearby tree, ripping it from its roots before hurling it into the distance. The resounding crack of the shattered trunk echoed, even as the tree disappeared far beyond the horizon.

"Whoever—or whatever—did that... they saw me," Chronos murmured, straightening cautiously. "That wasn't random. Too accurate for a stray attack." His fists clenched as his mind raced. "Could Shukan have been right? Intelligent Void creatures...?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden movement up ahead. A wolf staggered into view, its gait unnatural and erratic. Chronos watched with growing unease as the creature's head twisted grotesquely, its neck snapping with a sickening pop. Yet the wolf didn't fall. Instead, it continued to move, dragging its broken body toward him.

"Did that wolf just... kill itself?" he muttered, his voice low. Something was wrong—very wrong. Chronos's gaze shifted beyond the wolf, into the darkness, where an ominous shape began to materialize. "What the hell is that behind it?" he whispered. Squinting, he tried to make out the figure looming in the shadows. "Is something controlling it?"

From the darkness, a grotesque creature emerged, its distorted grin stretched unnaturally wide. Its body twitched and twisted as it moved, as though its very existence defied logic. It exuded an aura of malice, an oppressive energy that made the air feel heavy.

Chronos's disgust was tempered by an odd sense of curiosity. What is this thing? The creature muttered incoherently, its voice a disturbing blend of raspy growls and fragmented whispers. The sounds were impossible to decipher, yet they clawed at his mind, leaving a trail of unease in their wake.

"What is it saying—" Chronos's question was abruptly cut off as the creature vanished from view, its form dissolving into the shadows like smoke.

A split second later, a crushing force struck Chronos from behind. He barely had time to react as he was sent hurtling through the air, his body slamming into a nearby mountain with an impact so devastating that the peak split apart. Dust and debris rained down as Chronos struggled to recover, his breaths ragged and his pure black armor smeared with dark, viscous blood. Black Shunogai blood dripped steadily from his sides as he forced himself to stand.

"Cough, cough... That thing..." he muttered, wiping his mouth. "It knows how to fight. Worse, it moves with intent. This isn't a regular Void spawn." He glanced up, his sharp gaze locking onto the creature as it prepared for another assault, its movements eerily calculated.

Chronos straightened his posture, his black armor glinting faintly as he braced for what was to come. "If this thing is intelligent... we're in more trouble than I thought."

The creature launched itself toward Chronos in a frenzied assault, its blows carrying devastating force. Each strike aimed to overwhelm him, but Chronos remained unfazed. His movements were fluid, almost effortless, as he weaved through the onslaught with a grace that defied the chaos around him.

In a flash, Chronos reappeared behind the creature, his hand already raised. With a swift, precise strike to its head, he sent the massive being crashing to the ground, shaking the earth beneath it. The creature struggled to rise, thrashing and flailing in desperation, but Chronos was already standing over it, his armored foot pinning it down effortlessly.

"…Law Rewrite: Rule One: Chaos submits to me," Chronos muttered, his voice calm and unyielding.

Golden glyphs of intricate design materialized around him, spinning rapidly as they cast an ethereal glow over the battlefield. The air grew heavy with power, and the surroundings shifted. Chronos had seized control, bending reality to his will. This was no longer a fight; it was his domain.

"Rule Two: The smallest force becomes infinite," he continued, his hand now resting lightly on the creature's writhing body.

The creature wailed and flailed its limbs, its desperation growing as it realized the futility of resistance. Chronos remained unmoved, his expression cold and calculating. Without a hint of exertion, he clenched his armored fist and delivered a gentle punch—so light it seemed almost dismissive.

The result was catastrophic. The creature disintegrated in an instant, obliterated by a force so immense it left no trace of its existence. The battlefield fell silent, the golden glyphs dissipating as Chronos straightened and dusted off his hands.

"This is the order I command," he murmured, his voice barely audible amidst the stillness.

Back at the camp, Aetheron woke up in a cold sweat, his head pounding from the lingering echoes of Chronos's battle. "What was that noise...?" he muttered, rubbing his temples as he sat up. Glancing toward the tower where Chronos was supposed to be stationed, he called out, "Chronos, are you there?"

Silence.

Aetheron stood, stretching as a slight frown crept across his armored face. "Where is he?" he murmured, scanning the area. "Did he leave to do something?" A shadow of worry crossed his features as his thoughts drifted to the possibility of something happening to Chronos.

Looking out into the distance, his gaze settled on a nearby mountain, now noticeably split. It looked… off. "Wait, wasn't that mountain whole before?" he said aloud, narrowing his eyes. Shaking his head, he brushed it aside for the moment, focusing instead on Chronos's absence.

"Radiance," Aetheron whispered, raising his hand. A small, controlled flame flared to life in his palm, illuminating the dark surroundings. "I'll look around. No need to wake the others—they need their rest."

Meanwhile, Chronos stepped away from the scorched ground where the creature had once stood. He glanced down at the faint remnants of the battle, his expression neutral yet tinged with disdain. "You were clever," he muttered in a mocking tone. "But not clever enough. That's why you're dead."

Letting out a sigh, he turned toward the camp in the distance, spotting the faint glow of Aetheron's flame. "Looks like he's awake. Probably my fault," Chronos remarked to himself with a dry chuckle. "Hope he's not mad that I wasn't at my post."

With a fluid leap, he descended the shattered mountain, landing softly on the forest floor below. As he moved through the woods, his thoughts lingered on his recent encounter. It was smart. Smarter than any Void spawn I've faced before. But was it even a spawn? It didn't look like one... too dark to tell, but still. Something about this feels… off.

Back at the camp, Aetheron wandered cautiously, his voice low as he called out, "Chronos? Where are you?" He kept his volume in check, careful not to wake Shukan and Yurei.

"I'm here," Chronos groaned from the shadows, stepping into the dim light. His posture was slouched, his tone weary but steady.

Startled, Aetheron spun around. "Chronos! Where the hell have you been? I was looking for you!" His voice softened as he gestured toward the sleeping forms of Shukan and Yurei. "I couldn't leave the two vulnerable, so I stayed close."

A faint smirk crossed Chronos's face before fading into a grim frown. "I was fighting something," he explained. "A Void spawn... or something like it. It was weaker than me, but it was… smart."

Aetheron tilted his head, his confusion evident. "Smart? You're telling me you fought a 'smart' Void creature?"

Chronos sighed, the weight of his frustration showing. "No, not exactly. It was like a spawn, but it didn't act like one. It didn't look like one either, at least from what I could tell."

"So, let me get this straight," Aetheron said, crossing his arms. "You fought something that didn't look like a Void spawn, didn't act like a Void spawn, but you're still calling it a Void spawn?"

"Exactly," Chronos replied bluntly. "But that's the problem. There haven't been any disturbances in energy levels across the universe. The only strange thing is the Void... it's been swirling faster than usual."

Aetheron's face darkened as realization dawned on him. A sorrowful grin tugged at his lips. "Looks like our fight's about to get a whole lot harder." He turned toward the camp, his voice resolute. "We should wake the others. They need to hear this."

Chronos and Aetheron roused Shukan and Yurei, recounting the events of the battle.

Shukan, groggy but attentive, leaned against a tree, his brows furrowed in thought. A smart monster that's not a Void spawn? Great. Now I actually have to think. What a pain.

Yurei, on the other hand, seemed almost giddy. Her crimson eyes sparkled with the thrill of a new challenge. She smirked, barely concealing her excitement. "So… what's the plan? Are we gonna hunt this thing down, or what?"

Chronos shook his head. "We don't know yet. Aetheron and I were considering sending you two to investigate Fallen Nexus. Whatever's happening might have started there."

Yurei's excitement faltered. "The Fallen Nexus? You know you two can't go there. Shunogai aren't exactly welcome in that part of the universe."

"Exactly," Chronos said, his tone somber. "But we might not have a choice."

Shukan scratched his head, letting out an annoyed groan. "So not only is there some freak monster out there, but now we're supposed to go to the Nexus? The place where, might I remind you, they literally hate Shunogai? Sounds like an amazing idea." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he stretched, clearly not thrilled about the suggestion.

"Do you have a better idea?" Chronos shot back, arms crossed as he leaned against a nearby tree. "We don't have time to sit around waiting for another creature like that to show up unannounced."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Shukan muttered, waving him off. "Doesn't make it suck any less."

Meanwhile, Yurei's grin was back, her excitement practically radiating off her. "So, what, we sneak in and see what's going on? Honestly, sounds fun to me. Might get to fight something worth my time for once."

Aetheron sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course, you'd think this is fun. You do realize we could all die, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Yurei shot back with a smirk. "That's the whole point. What's the fun in playing it safe all the time?"

Chronos ignored her and turned back to Shukan. "We'll need to plan this carefully. If we're going to the Fallen Nexus, we can't afford to get caught. The last thing we need is to start a war."

"Great. So not only do we have to deal with Void freaks, but now we're playing diplomat too. Love that for us." Shukan rubbed his temples, looking more annoyed by the second. "Alright, fine. I guess we don't have a choice. Let's just get this over with."

"Finally, some enthusiasm," Chronos said dryly, pushing off the tree and brushing himself off.

Shukan snorted. "Don't push it."

Aetheron extinguished the flame in his hand and glanced at the horizon, where the first hints of light were starting to creep in. "If we're going to do this, we should move soon. We'll cover more ground before the Void's energy starts getting erratic again."

Yurei rolled her shoulders, looking a little too eager. "About time we had some action. I was getting bored just sitting around."

Shukan gave her a deadpan look. "Yeah, I'm sure this'll be super entertaining. You can handle all the talking, then. Let's see how long that enthusiasm lasts when the Nexus guards try to blow your head off."

Yurei laughed, clearly unbothered. "They can try."

Chronos ignored the banter and glanced at Aetheron. "You and I will stay back and monitor energy levels. If things go south, we'll find a way to get them out."

"Got it," Aetheron said with a nod. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that. We've got enough problems without adding a Nexus raid to the list."

Shukan sighed, grabbing his weapon and slinging it over his shoulder. "Alright, let's go before I change my mind."

As they started moving, the faint hum of Void energy in the distance seemed to grow louder, a subtle reminder of the dangers ahead. Shukan glanced back at the camp one last time, muttering under his breath. "This is such a bad idea…"