The moment Anna pushed open the massive doors of the castle, the world she knew shattered.
Chaos swallowed her whole.
The grand hall—once a place of elegance and power—had become a battlefield. Splintered wood littered the marble floors. Chairs lay overturned, some crushed beyond recognition. Torn curtains fluttered like wounded flags, stained with streaks of deep crimson.
Blood.
Everywhere.
It painted the walls in violent strokes, pooled beneath lifeless bodies, and clung to the air with a metallic heaviness that made breathing feel wrong.
Anna's steps faltered.
Behind her, Lord Kazan and Renji entered, their presence heavy, tense. But even they froze for a fraction of a second at the sight before them.
At the center of the hall—
A man struggled.
His body trembled violently, feet barely touching the ground as he was held by the throat.
By Shou Feng.
His robes were drenched in blood, no longer recognizable in color. His grip was merciless, fingers tightening slowly, deliberately—like he was savoring it.
The man clawed at his arm, gasping, choking—
Crack.
The sound echoed through the hall.
Sharp. Final.
The man's body went limp.
Shou Feng released him without a second glance.
The corpse hit the ground with a dull thud.
Silence followed.
Heavy. Suffocating.
Then—
Shou Feng turned.
His eyes met theirs.
Deep red.
Not anger. Not rage.
Something far worse.
Something empty.
Anna felt her heart stutter.
For a second, she didn't recognize him.
This… wasn't Arin.
This was something else entirely.
He took a step forward.
A low, guttural rumble filled the air.
The ground beneath them trembled.
All four of them turned instinctively toward the source—
And Anna's breath caught in her throat.
Behind them, emerging from the shadows of the broken hall, was a creature of nightmare.
A massive serpent-like dragon.
Its body coiled endlessly, scales glinting like obsidian soaked in darkness. Its eyes burned with an ancient, cold intelligence. Each breath it took echoed like thunder, its presence crushing, suffocating.
Anna stumbled back.
Panic surged through her veins.
She turned to Shou Feng.
"Stop this!" she shouted, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay strong.
He tilted his head slightly.
"And who," he said slowly, his voice low and unfamiliar, "are you to order me?"
Her chest tightened.
"I'm Anna!"
For a moment—just a moment—she hoped.
Hoped something in him would respond.
Recognize her.
Remember.
But Shou Feng only stared.
Blank.
Cold.
"I don't know any Anna," he said.
"And no one commands me."
Before she could react—
He vanished.
A flicker.
A blur.
And suddenly—
He was right in front of her.
So close she could feel his breath.
Anna's lungs froze. Her body refused to move.
This close—
She could see it clearly now.
There was nothing human left in his eyes.
Then—
A sharp pull.
Her body jerked backward.
Renji.
He had grabbed her just in time.
A split second later, Shou Feng's hand sliced through the space where her chest had been.
Had she stayed—
It would have gone straight through her.
"Stealing my prey again, Renji?" Shou Feng's voice carried a mocking edge.
Renji said nothing, his grip on Anna tightening.
Lord Kazan stepped forward.
"Shou Feng!" he commanded. "Stop this at once!"
For a brief second—
Everything stilled.
Then—
A blur of motion.
A wet, sickening sound.
Anna's eyes widened.
Shou Feng's hand—
Was inside Lord Kazan's chest.
Time stopped.
Kazan's expression froze in shock.
Blood spilled from his lips.
Then—
His body slackened.
But before it could fall—
Renji moved.
Fast.
Decisive.
He stepped behind Kazan, placing his hand firmly against the lord's head.
A golden light erupted.
Brilliant. Blinding.
It surged from Kazan's body like a dying star, flowing into Renji.
Absorbed.
Taken.
Anna gasped.
Renji's body trembled violently as the energy poured into him.
Then—
Both he and Shou Feng were thrown backward.
Kazan's lifeless body hit the ground.
This time—
There was no coming back.
Anna stared.
Her mind refused to process it.
"W-what… did you do…?" she whispered.
Renji slowly pushed himself up.
When he looked at her—
His eyes had changed.
Golden.
Deep. Ancient. Terrifying.
"I did," he said calmly, "what I should have done years ago."
Shou Feng let out a low laugh.
"You took his power…" he said, almost amused.
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But I wanted that."
Renji smirked faintly.
"I don't care."
"I was always better than you."
The air grew heavier.
More dangerous.
Shou Feng didn't respond.
Instead—
He turned his gaze back to Anna.
And began walking toward her.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Anna's heart pounded.
Each step he took felt like a countdown.
Then...
A sudden crack split the air.
Sharp. Violent.
Anna flinched, squeezing her eyes shut.
She braced herself.
For pain.
For impact.
For death.
But
Nothing came.
Seconds passed.
Slowly, trembling...
She opened her eyes.
And froze.
Standing before her...
Was a man.
Tall. Ethereal.
Dressed in flowing white hanfu that shimmered like moonlight.
Fox ears rested atop his head.
And behind him...
Tails.
Nine of them.
Moving like living shadows.
Anna's breath hitched.
"Kitsune…" she whispered.
The legendary nine-tailed fox.
Before she could react...
Shou Feng moved.
Faster than thought.
He grabbed the kitsune...
And in a horrifying instant...
Absorbed him.
Light burst outward.
Then vanished.
Just like that.
The kitsune's body collapsed to the floor.
Empty.
Lifeless.
Anna couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Her eyes drifted around the hall—
The blood.
The corpses.
The shattered throne.
The walls painted in violence.
This wasn't a battle.
This was destruction.
Her gaze slowly returned to Shou Feng.
He stood there—
Watching her.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"You have divine power, Anna Brown," he said softly.
"Something… different."
His eyes gleamed.
"Air… and something more."
"It might be interesting…"
"To take it."
Anna's body trembled.
But she forced herself to speak.
"Snap out of it… Arin."
The name hung in the air.
Something shifted.
Barely.
"Who," he asked quietly, "is Arin?"
Her chest tightened.
Tears burned in her eyes.
"You are."
"My Arin."
And suddenly....
Memories surged.
The ocean stretching endlessly beneath a golden sunset.
A cruise drifting gently across calm waters.
Arin's laughter, soft and rare.
Fireworks bursting across the night sky, colors reflecting in his eyes.
A quiet dinner under lantern light.
His hand reaching for hers.
His voice, low and certain—
"I'll protect you. Always."
The memory shattered.
Anna stood there, breath uneven.
"Come back…" she whispered.
But Shou Feng only stared.
Unmoved.
Unchanged.
Behind her...
A sudden shift in energy.
Renji.
Alongside him...
New presences.
Tomika.
Kiyoshi.
And another god.
Before Anna could react...
Renji grabbed her.
The world twisted.
And vanished.
They were gone.
Silence fell once more over the ruined hall.
Shou Feng stood alone.
His gaze lingered where Anna had disappeared.
Then...
He smiled.
Cold. Dangerous.
"Renji…" he murmured.
His voice echoed through the broken chamber.
"Tell the world."
His eyes glowed faintly red.
"We need two more executions."
To be continued…