Ascension: Shadow Protocol

Chapter 24: The Hunt Begins

"In the ruins of survival, predators always rise first."

Smoke still clung to the sky like a lingering omen. Sector 12, once a bustling urban grid, was now a wasteland of scorched steel and blackened ash. The Red Horizon had wiped it clean. But from its smoldering remains… something had survived.

Ryo Kazen.

Bandaged and battered, he lay under a collapsed street bridge, breathing shallowly. His vision blurred in and out, the Shadow Protocol's interface flickering like a broken monitor across his eyes.

[Vital Status: 28%][Shadow Core Integrity: Restabilizing...][Skill Cooldowns: Extended due to Overload.]

He winced, shifting slightly. The pain was constant—sharp and deep—but it meant he was still alive.

"Aya…"

He remembered her whisper before he passed out. That chilling promise: "Choose me over the Protocol."

Why did her words feel more dangerous than the explosion?

Before he could think further, a shadow moved.

Not his.

Instinct kicked in.

He rolled—just as a gleaming spear pierced the concrete where his head had been.

A figure landed silently a few meters ahead. Long cloak. Polished black armor. Face masked with a mirror-like plate. A Hunter—but not just any kind.

"Target located. Shadow Protocol host confirmed."

Another landed behind him. Then another.

Three total.

Executor Units.

[Warning: S-Class threat proximity. Disengage immediately.]

"I don't suppose we could talk this out?" Ryo muttered, dragging himself upright.

They didn't respond.

The lead Executor stepped forward, unsheathing a sword that pulsed white with energy.

"By order of the Council of Twelve, you are to be captured or terminated."

"Yeah. That's what I figured."

Ryo reached for his shadow. It barely responded—thin, sluggish, weak.

Still, he forced it into shape.

[Skill: Shadow Bind - Incomplete Cast]

Tendrils snaked upward, grasping at the nearest Executor's feet.

They sliced through them like paper.

"Come on," Ryo whispered, "just a little more…"

He blinked.

The second Executor was already behind him.

Too fast.

But then—

CLANG.

A blur intercepted the blade. Sparks flew.

A familiar voice followed.

"Told you to keep your head down, didn't I?"

Ryo's eyes widened. Kael Ardent—a former mercenary turned rogue Hunter—stood with a massive, jagged greatsword slung over his shoulder and an unlit cigar in his mouth.

"You're late," Ryo groaned.

Kael smirked. "You're welcome."

Then everything exploded into motion.

Kael clashed with two of the Executors at once, steel clashing in deafening bursts. The ground quaked with every strike. Ryo, weakened, could only watch as his unlikely ally held off the unstoppable agents of the Council.

But the third Executor—the leader—wasn't watching Kael.

He locked eyes on Ryo.

And charged.

Elsewhere — Council Chamber, Genesis Tower

"They've located the target," a woman in silver robes said, watching a projection of the fight.

"Good," replied another. "Let them test his limits. If he survives… he might be worth more alive."

Another councilor scoffed. "You mean to control him?"

"No," said the first, her eyes narrowing. "To use him. The Protocol was never meant for balance—it was meant for ascension."

Back at the battle

Ryo could feel it—his Protocol syncing, slowly, painfully.

[Shadow Core Sync: 47%]

Not enough.

The Executor leapt high into the air, blade arcing like a divine judgment.

[Skill Activation: Abyss Pulse Lv. 1]

Ryo's palm glowed darkly. The moment the blade descended, he thrust his hand forward.

A shockwave burst out—raw pressure—sending the Executor flying mid-air.

Ryo collapsed to his knees, coughing blood.

"Okay… definitely not doing that twice…"

Kael grunted as he sent one Executor flying with a backswing. "Kid, we gotta move. Now!"

Together, they fled through the remains of the collapsed district. Every step brought new pain, but Ryo pushed forward, driven by something deeper than survival.

Revenge. Purpose. Truth.

Later — Safehouse, Outskirts of Zone 9

The door slammed shut behind them. Kael bolted it.

"You're lucky I like you," he said. "Or that would've been a one-way trip."

Ryo collapsed into a chair, shadows curling faintly around him.

[Skill Cooldowns Receding. Shadow Vein Recovery: 19%]

"Why'd you help me?" he asked.

Kael looked out the window.

"Because someone has to. And I knew your father."

Ryo stiffened.

"You knew Daiki Kazen?"

Kael nodded, his voice turning grim. "And if you're anything like him, Ryo… you're gonna change everything."

End of Chapter 24