The Cyber Ascension
Chapter 4: Inferno in the Forest
Shinoikin folded his arms, surveying the training yard with the calm of a man who had seen too many battles to be surprised by anything.
> "Yuzurei," he said, his voice low and steady, "you and Yusikuna are going to Japan. A gang has been robbing money and harassing women at night."
Jin Yuan's hair shifted in the evening breeze. He tilted his head slightly.
> Jin Yuan: "Hm."
Yuzurei's jaw clenched.
> "I'll go alone. I don't want backup."
Yusikuna bounced on his heels, almost vibrating with excitement.
> "Hey! I'll come too!"
Shinoikin shrugged.
> "Fine. Let him go alone."
Yuzurei gave a curt nod and stepped into the night. Jin Yuan's eyes followed him — calm, calculating, unreadable.
> Jin Yuan (softly): "He's strong. No need to worry."
---
Later, Jin Yuan returned to the small wooden house. Training had been grueling, his body aching in quiet, unspoken places. The door opened, and Emily looked up from the couch, gentle smile warming her features.
> Emily: "Welcome back, Yuan."
He nodded, settling beside her.
> Emily: "Do you want to rest?"
Jin Yuan: "Yeah… a bit."
She guided his head onto her shoulder. For a fragile moment, the cold mask around Jin Yuan's face softened. A ghost of a smile appeared before fading into the usual hollow calm.
---
Far away, under the neon glow of a distant city, Yuzurei stalked the streets. Dual katanas at his hips, yellow eyes flashing with a predator's joy.
He turned a corner, and there it was: a group of men cornering a terrified woman, laughing cruelly.
Yuzurei's lips curved into a grim smile.
> "Time for blood."
Steel sang through the night. Movements were precise, brutal, and elegant. Limbs shattered, screams cut short. When it ended, the street lay quiet.
He wiped rain and blood from his blade.
> "Oi. Don't stay out too long," he said.
The woman hurried away, cheeks flushed with fear and gratitude.
---
Back at the wooden house, Emily kept still as Jin Yuan rested against her. Outside, the forest breathed. Inside, stillness settled — the quiet that follows small mercies and violence alike.
Jin Yuan closed his eyes. For a heartbeat, the boy who once believed in kindness surfaced — and vanished again.
Yuzurei returned that night, face unreadable.
> "Quite boring," he muttered, brushing blood from his blades before walking past Shinoikin.
The old man merely nodded, retreating quietly into his own room.
---
Morning filtered through the windows. Emily slept beside Jin Yuan, arms wrapped around him, breathing calm and warm. For a fleeting second, his cold expression softened.
He slipped out quietly, emerging dressed in black, blade resting across his back. He glanced once at Emily before stepping outside.
Yusikuna waited, bouncing on his heels.
> "Yo! Mission time! Sensei says something in Westails is dragging humans away every night. When they're found… they're already dead."
Jin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
> "Oh? Sounds interesting."
> Yusikuna: "It's not just one — three of them! Huge, inhuman bodies."
> Jin Yuan: "Explaining is a waste. Let's go."
---
Night fell as they reached Westails — a quiet town ringed by dense forest. Fireworks lit the sky above the festival, streets alive with laughter and the smell of food.
> "Looks like a festival," Jin Yuan said flatly.
> "Fireworks! Woohoo!" Yusikuna shouted, spinning with glee.
Amid the crowd, Jin Yuan's sharp gaze caught movement against the flow. A stiff, unnatural motion — a man snatched a young boy and sprinted toward the forest.
> "Got him," Jin Yuan muttered.
They leapt in pursuit. A shadow blurred past — the child safe, cradled in Musukoni's arms.
> Jin Yuan: "You're here too?"
Musukoni: "Same mission," he replied coolly, vanishing into the crowd, returning with twin daggers glinting in the moonlight.
"Boy's safe. I returned him to his mother."
Yusikuna cracked his knuckles, grinning.
> "Then let's find those three freaks!"
---
Deeper into the forest, the festival's laughter faded. Leaves whispered, distant growls echoed. Then they saw them: three towering, grotesque figures, muscles rippling unnaturally, eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
Jin Yuan's hand went to his katana. The air grew heavy, almost oppressive.
Musukoni spun his twin daggers, chains rattling softly. Yusikuna nocked flaming arrows, their tips black as oil.
Jin Yuan's voice cut through the tension.
> "Why are you taking humans?"
Silence. Then the tallest creature stepped forward, skin shimmering blue.
> "We are from the Blue Realm," it rumbled, voice mechanical.
"A civilization beneath your world. We cannot remain below forever. Our bodies crave the upper air. Humans… sustain us."
Cold and sharp, the words sliced the air.
> Yusikuna: "Then die."
Three arrows fired simultaneously. Flames erupted, consuming the forest in orange and gold.
Musukoni spun into action, daggers slashing silver arcs through the smoke.
Jin Yuan met the largest of the three, blades colliding — sparks flew, each swing shaking the ground. Firelight painted faces, human and inhuman alike.
The festival beyond the trees descended into chaos. Civilians screamed as the night sky burned crimson.
Musukoni's attack faltered — a blue flash pierced his ribs.
> "Tch—!"
He fell to his knees, blood soaking his shirt, daggers clattering to the ground.
> "Musukoni!!"
Yusikuna unleashed another volley, covering Jin Yuan as he surged forward. Dark eyes aflame with fury, Jin Yuan moved like shadow incarnate.
Flames, metal, and blood mingled in the forest. The inferno roared. And over it all, Jin Yuan's voice cut cold and unyielding:
> "You said you needed air…? Then breathe fire."
The giant katana descended, reflecting moonlight on the burning battlefield.
---
End of Chapter 4: Inferno in the Forest