NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23: Rebellion Against Heaven - Part 10
Chapter 10: The Storm's Rebirth
Ryuusei's words kept echoing in Aiko's mind as the fire of the torch crackled in the cave. "I'm going to kill them." His voice had shown no hatred or fury, only unwavering determination.
Aiko tried to move, but a stabbing pain ran through her body. Her wounds were still fresh, but something inside her was stirring. Then he felt it: an ascending heat, an inner fire that ran through his veins like a torrent of pure energy. Within minutes, the pain was gone. Wounds that should take weeks to heal closed in front of his very eyes.
"Amazing," he whispered, touching his untouched skin.
Ryuusei watched her with his arms folded, a faint smile on his face.
"Your regeneration has been fully activated. You're not the same anymore. Now it's time to forge yourself in the fire of combat.
With one last glance at his shelter, Ryuusei stood up and motioned for him to follow him. Night enveloped them as they emerged from the cave. The full moon lit up the forest, reflecting in Ryuusei's eyes with a menacing gleam.
"We're on our way to my mansion," he said calmly. That's where your real training will begin.
Along the way, Ryuusei talked about his plan. He would not act immediately. He was not an impulsive killer. Haru, Kenta, and Daichi would fall at the right time, when the storm was at its strongest.
"I'll make them afraid of the rain," he whispered. Every drop that falls from the sky will remind them that their end is near. I will give them false hope, I will make them believe that they can escape. But when the storm is upon them, there will be no salvation.
Aiko felt a chill. Ryuusei didn't just want revenge. He wanted them to feel the weight of their destiny before they died.
Training in the mansion
Days later, they arrived at Ryuusei's mansion. It was an imposing place, surrounded by stone walls and with an architecture that commanded respect. There, in its expansive gardens and combat halls, Aiko faced the most brutal training of her life.
"It's not enough to have power," Ryuusei told him, dodging his attacks with ease. You must control it. Use it coldly. There is no glory in strength without discipline.
Day by day, Aiko got better. His speed increased, his endurance multiplied, and his technique was refined under the watch of his mentor. In one of the sessions, Ryuusei threw her to the ground with a swift punch.
"You still have doubts," he said, staring at her. If you want to be by my side when the storm comes, you must learn to let go of your past.
Aiko stood up, her fists clenched.
"I will.
Weeks passed, and with each workout, Aiko felt like she was getting closer to Ryuusei's strength. She was no longer the same girl who had fallen in battle. Now he was someone stronger, more lethal.
(Waiting for the storm)
With the arrival of the next full moon, Ryuusei felt it was time. He watched the cloudy sky from the balcony of his mansion and closed his eyes.
"It's time.
Aiko stood next to him, the same determination burning in her eyes. The hunt would begin soon. And on the rainy night, the fate of Haru, Kenta, and Daichi would be sealed.