Ascension: The First Ending

"You're joking, right?" Syafina rubbed her temples, looking genuinely exhausted by Bayu's crazy ideas.

"Nope," Bayu replied casually, as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

Syafina glared at him. "You really have a death wish, don't you? Don't drag me into it."

Bayu just chuckled, but his eyes remained focused on the situation outside the gate.

"Hey, at least it's better than just sitting here, right?"

His grip on his sword tightened. That familiar lightness returned to his body—the same feeling he had when fighting that creature earlier.

He glanced at Syafina, who still looked hesitant. "Trust me, Syafina."

She let out a slow sigh. Still unsure, but in the end…

"Alright, let's try it."

Bayu grinned, satisfied with her decision. Sure, the plan sounded reckless, but that didn't mean it was a bad one.

Slowly, he began sliding the school gate open. The loud creaking sound immediately caught the attention of the creatures outside, making them turn and search for the source of the noise.

Instinctively, Bayu yanked Syafina back into hiding. Through a small gap, they peeked out—the creatures were now moving closer to the gate.

Bayu thought quickly. If his guess was right, there was a high chance these creatures were weak to fire.

"Hey, Syafina. Do you have a lighter?" he asked quietly.

Syafina turned to him with a confused expression. "No, why?"

"I have an idea."

Syafina fell silent for a moment before finally responding, "Well… there's a spot where students usually hang out. They probably have lighters since they smoke."

"Good thinking. Is it far?"

She pointed to a large tree not far from the gate. "The closest one is over there."

Bayu nodded, preparing himself. "Let's give it a shot."

Just as they were about to move, a question popped into Bayu's mind. "How do you even know about this?"

Syafina scoffed. "Teachers mention it all the time."

Bayu paused. They talked about it? If that was true… then why didn't the teachers ever stop them?

Bayu stared at the large tree Syafina had mentioned. From their hiding spot, it wasn't too far, but there was still a risk.

"Alright, we need to be quick and careful."

Syafina nodded. "Are you going to pull another crazy stunt, Bay?"

Bayu chuckled. "Just wait and see."

They began moving, crouching low, their steps trained to make as little noise as possible. They used every gap between the ruins and the abandoned vehicles near the gate as cover.

The creatures were still clustered around the entrance, looking alert. Some of them even seemed to be sniffing the air, as if trying to detect their presence.

Just as they were about to reach the tree, Bayu suddenly pulled Syafina down behind a low wall.

"Ssh. One of them is coming this way."

Syafina held her breath. Through a small gap, they could see one of the creatures dragging its body toward them. Its movements were slow but intimidating.

The red roots on its body pulsed, as if the creature was still "alive" in a grotesque way.

Bayu tightened his grip on his sword. He could attack the creature directly, but the risk was too high.

Then, an idea struck him.

"Syafina, can you create a distraction?" he whispered.

Syafina raised an eyebrow. "What kind of distraction?"

"Throw a rock or something. Make it look the other way."

She let out a quiet sigh. "Alright, I'll try."

Grabbing a small piece of broken brick nearby, she carefully calculated the throw before hurling it across the street.

Clang!

The rock struck an old, abandoned motorcycle, making a loud enough noise to grab the creature's attention.

It stopped, then slowly turned and began moving toward the source of the sound.

"Now!" Bayu signaled.

They quickly dashed toward the large tree.

Upon reaching it, they immediately searched for any signs of a lighter or anything useful.

And just as Syafina had said, she was right.

Near the tree roots, they found several empty cigarette packs scattered around… and a lighter.

"Got it." Syafina held up the lighter with a satisfied look.

Bayu smirked. "Good. Now, let's burn something."

Bayu glanced at a bottle filled with a suspicious-looking liquid. The moment he picked it up and took a sniff—

"Damn, gasoline."

The strong, pungent smell instantly hit his nose.

"Who the hell brings gasoline to school?"

Syafina took a quick look at the bottle before replying, "Well if their motorcycle runs out of gas, they don't have to go to a station."

"How do you know that?"

She shrugged. "Because I thought about it."

Bayu chuckled, then his eyes landed on something else he needed—a piece of old cloth, slightly dirty but still usable.

"Perfect," he muttered.

He quickly grabbed the cloth and tied it tightly along the length of his sword. Then, he poured the gasoline over it, making sure the fabric absorbed as much fuel as possible.

"Alright, now for this."

Bayu took the lighter and flicked it on. A small flame flickered at its tip, trembling slightly in the wind. He brought it closer to the gasoline-soaked cloth.

The moment the fire touched the fabric, it immediately spread, racing along the cloth until it reached the tip of the blade. Within seconds, his sword was fully engulfed in flames, casting an orange glow that danced in the air.

"Holy shit."

Bayu swung his sword slightly, testing its balance. There was a slight increase in weight, but nothing too disruptive. Each time he moved it, the flames flared, leaving behind a trail of light before fading into the air.

"Alright, this is gonna be fun."

Bayu raised his sword a little higher, letting the flames illuminate his face. The orange glow flickered in his eyes, reflecting the fire that now felt like an extension of himself.

Syafina, who had been watching the whole time, let out a quiet sigh. "So, what's your plan now?"

Bayu turned to her, a small smirk on his face. "We're getting out of here, obviously."

He walked toward the school gate, stepping forward with steady confidence. The sound of metal creaking echoed as he slowly pushed it open just enough to see what was happening outside.

The creatures were still roaming around. Some crawled across the ground, while others stood with their twisted, unnatural bodies. All of them had those pulsating red roots across their forms, like veins pumping something far from normal.

But now, Bayu had a new weapon.

"Listen, Syafina," he said, eyes still fixed on the movements outside. "The moment I start attacking, run as fast as you can. Don't stop."

"You really think you can take them all on by yourself?"

Bayu chuckled. "No. But we don't have a choice."

Syafina hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright."

Bayu took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his sword. The flames were still burning fiercely along the blade.

"Three…"

He lowered his stance slightly, like a sprinter ready to launch forward.

"Two…"

He could feel his blood rushing, his heartbeat pounding in his chest, adrenaline surging through his veins.

"One—"

With a powerful push, Bayu shoved the gate open and dashed out. The fire on his sword sliced through the air, leaving a trail of light as he swung it toward the first creature that locked eyes with him.

The battle had begun.

Bayu slashed through the first creature that lunged at him, his blade cutting effortlessly through its grotesque body. The flames licked at the red roots entangled in its flesh, igniting them instantly.

A piercing screech tore through the air.

Bayu didn't stop. He kept moving, swinging his sword at another creature that dared to get close. Each strike sent embers flying, and every ember that landed on their bodies spread like wildfire.

Black blood spilled onto the ground, mixing with the already putrid stench that stung his nose.

"Syafina, RUN!" Bayu shouted without looking back.

Syafina darted forward, slipping through the gaps between the creatures. Some turned their attention to her, but Bayu was faster—his sword found their red roots before they could even reach her, bringing them down in an instant.

But there were too many of them.

Bayu could feel the weight creeping up on his body. His muscles tensed, his breathing grew heavier. The fire on his sword still burned bright, but he knew he couldn't hold out much longer.

"Syafina! How far?!"

"Almost out the gate!" she yelled from a distance.

Good. That was enough.

Bayu swung his sword one last time, carving an opening before turning and sprinting with all the strength he had left.

The creatures scrambled after him, but he only needed to reach Syafina—once they were together, they could escape.

But before he could make it past the school grounds, something massive blocked his path.

A towering creature loomed before them.

Its body was muscular, more human-like than the others, yet its face was anything but human. Red roots protruded from its skin, pulsing like veins filled with something unnatural.

And worse—

It spoke.

"A—s—cen—dant…"

Its voice was deep, raspy, and dripping with hatred.

Bayu froze. His heart pounded violently in his chest.

"Shit."

Bayu stood frozen.

Behind him, the red-rooted creatures snarled, ready to pounce.

In front of him, the massive monster loomed, its breaths heavy with hatred.

Way out? None.

Shit.

Just when Bayu felt like this might be the end, a familiar blue screen flashed before his eyes.

[The second reward has arrived.]

[Ability 'Wind Manipulation' acquired.]

"Hah?"

His body suddenly felt lighter. The strain in his muscles vanished, as if something new surged within him—something he had never felt before.

CRASH!

A glass bottle sailed through the air, shattering against the monster's back.

Bayu's eyes widened.

Then a voice followed.

"Come at me, you bastard!"

It was Syafina.

The monster roared in fury and turned, its focus now entirely on her. Moving with terrifying speed for a creature its size, it charged at the girl.

A chance.

Bayu slammed his foot down.

And in that instant—he shot forward.

His movements were far faster than before—unnatural. Wind swirled around him, propelling him like an invisible force.

When he leaped, his body felt weightless. More agile. More… powerful.

His sword gleamed under the dim light.

SLASH!

A deep wound tore open across the monster's back.

It roared in pain, but instead of falling, it only became more ferocious.

Before Bayu could react, a massive hand clamped around his ankle.

"Shit!"

He struggled, but the grip was like iron. He could feel the pressure threatening to crush his bones.

And with a single, brutal motion—

BANG!

His body slammed into the ground.

The impact knocked the air from his lungs. Pain exploded across every nerve in his body, as if his insides had been shaken loose.

His sword slipped from his grasp, skidding far out of reach.

"Bastard…" he muttered, barely a whisper.

Blood trickled from the corner of his lips. His vision blurred.

Was this it?

Then—

WHOOSH!

A gleaming arrow sliced through the air, striking the monster's shoulder.

The creature howled.

Bayu turned his head, forcing himself to ignore the pain wrecking his body.

And there, bow in hand, stood Syafina.

Her face was calm. Her fingers pulled the string back again, preparing another shot.

But this time, the arrow was different. It was nearly invisible—just a shimmer in the air—until she released it.

SWISH!

A golden arrow materialized midair, streaking toward the monster and piercing it once more.

The creature shrieked in rage, now fully focused on Syafina.

It started moving, hunting her down.

Bayu let out a strained groan, forcing his broken body to move.

His muscles screamed in protest. Pain stabbed him from all sides.

But he didn't care.

With great effort, he reached for his sword.

His eyes locked onto the monster chasing Syafina.

His gaze was cold.

Sharp.

Filled with hatred.

"You ugly fuck."

Bayu raised his sword, feeling the heat from the flames still licking the cloth wrapped around its blade.

He gathered strength in his legs—then shot forward.

The wind swirled around him, pushing him even faster.

Syafina kept firing her arrows, trying to hold the monster's attention. But its movements were getting quicker—too quick.

It only needed a few more steps to reach Syafina.

No.

Bayu couldn't let that happen.

Just as the monster swung its arm, ready to tear Syafina apart—

ZWOOSH!

A shadow flashed behind it.

In an instant, Bayu was already on the monster's back.

His burning sword slashed through the air.

SLASH!

Flames erupted along the wound he inflicted.

The monster roared, louder than ever before. Fire spread across its body, consuming the red roots that covered its skin.

But it still didn't fall.

Instead, it spun wildly, trying to strike Bayu.

He barely had time to react—

"Get down!" Syafina shouted.

Bayu immediately dropped to the ground.

At that exact moment, another golden arrow streaked through the air, piercing the monster's chest.

It staggered.

The flames spread further, devouring the red roots crawling over its skin.

Its furious roars turned into agonized screams.

And finally—

THUD!

The monster collapsed, its body burning away until only ashes remained.

Silence hung in the air.

Bayu was still gasping for breath, pain stabbing through every inch of his body.

Syafina approached, staring at the monster's ashes with an unreadable expression.

"…Did we win?" she asked softly.

Bayu let out a weak chuckle, trying to stand despite his battered body.

"I don't know if this counts as winning," he said, glancing around. "But at least we're still alive."

Syafina sighed, lowering her bow. "Yeah… that's more than enough for now."

But before they could fully catch their breath—

DUM!

The ground beneath them trembled.

Bayu and Syafina immediately tensed.

From the distance, a deep rumbling sound grew louder.

Bayu squinted, trying to make out what was coming.

And then, he saw it.

A massive shadow moving among the ruins.

A towering figure, far larger than the monster before.

Two pairs of glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness.

The air suddenly felt heavier.

Bayu swallowed hard.

"…Syafina, let's just run, yeah?"