Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

"I can hear it, this way!" Ren called out to Rin. They ran after the source of the monsters cries, hoping to find Sosuke. They stopped. Another roar. "Come on!" Ren sprinted as fast as he could toward the sounds.

"Wait up!" Rin called, frustration bubbling in her voice as she stumbled over a loose root. "I'm not as fast as you!" She barely managed to keep pace with Ren, who was moving with sharp focus through the thick underbrush.

Ren slowed down just enough to acknowledge her before his gaze flicked to the ominous cloud of fog ahead. It loomed over the forest like an unnatural barrier. "That's definitely not natural," Rin murmured, catching up to him.

"Yeah," Ren agreed tersely, his voice barely above a whisper. His steps became slower, more deliberate, as he peered into the haze. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, ready to draw at the first sign of danger. The dense fog made the forest eerily silent, amplifying their every step. "Stay close," he added, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Sosuke!" Rin called into the fog, her voice cutting through the muffled stillness. She cupped her hands to her mouth. "Sosuke, where are you?!"

"Shut up, Rin!" Ren hissed, waving her off sharply. "You'll bring something straight to us."

She glared at him but stopped calling, glancing around the murky forest with growing unease. The fog swirled lazily, thickening and thinning in unpredictable patterns. Every shadow seemed alive, and every sound made her heart race.

Ren suddenly froze mid-step, his shoulders stiffening. Rin noticed immediately and frowned. "What is it?" she asked, her voice low as she moved to stand behind him. She followed his gaze into the clearing ahead—and stopped dead in her tracks.

There, in the clearing, stood a man drenched in blood, his sword gripped tightly in one hand. His face was older, weary, and lined with pain, yet unmistakable in its familiarity. The fog shifted around him, as though reluctant to touch him.

"Sword Saint," Ren whispered, his voice barely audible. His expression was unreadable, but his knuckles whitened around the hilt of his weapon.

Rin's breath caught in her throat. Her wide eyes darted between Ren and the bloodied figure. "Wait, what—? That's him?" she stammered. "That's Sosuke's dad?"

The man's eyes snapped to them. His posture shifted immediately, guarded and sharp, as if preparing for a fight. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and cold. The question cut through the clearing like a blade.

Rin stepped back instinctively, her heart pounding. "We're—uh—friends of Sosuke," she said hesitantly. "We've been looking for him."

"Friends?" His tone was skeptical, almost dismissive. His gaze lingered on them, sizing them up with an intensity that made her uneasy.

Ren held his ground, though his brow furrowed in confusion. Something about this felt… wrong. The Sword Saint was supposed to be dead. Everyone knew that. His body had never been recovered, but the stories of his last stand had painted a grim picture of finality. And yet, here he stood—real and solid, yet out of place, like a misplaced piece in a puzzle.

"Sosuke!" Rin called again, her voice trembling. She took a tentative step forward, craning her neck to see if he was nearby.

The man's expression darkened. "He's not here," he said quickly, almost too quickly. "You two need to leave. Now."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "Why? What's going on?"

"This place isn't safe for you," Shuhei said, his voice firm but lacking urgency. "Go back the way you came." He took a small step forward, his bloodied hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

Rin shook her head. "Not without Sosuke. If you're really his father, you wouldn't ask us to leave him behind."

Shuhei's jaw clenched, and for a fleeting moment, something flickered across his face—an expression too quick to name. "I'm handling it," he said tightly. "He's safe. Just go."

The fog around them began to thin slightly, and for the first time, Rin noticed faint claw marks on Shuhei's arm. They weren't fresh, but they didn't look like they belonged to any of the creatures they'd encountered before. Something about them seemed…off.

Ren took a step closer, his hand still on his blade. "We're not leaving without Sosuke," he said firmly. His voice carried an edge now, his instincts screaming that something wasn't adding up.

Shuhei's grip on his sword shifted subtly, his stance growing more defensive. "You're making a mistake," he warned, his tone colder than before.

"Funny," Ren said dryly, "I was just about to say the same thing." Ren's gaze peered around Shuhei's side, his eyes growing wide. "S—Sosuke?" He lay against a wooden log, heavily wounded and bleeding profusely. His left arm missing. "What happened?!"

Shuhei grabbed Ren by the throat and lifted him into the air. Rin filled with shock, her body unable to react. No, not again. She landed a swift and powerful kick to Shuhei's side, staggering him enough to drop Ren. The duo moved back, putting space between them and Shuhei.

"You're not the Sword Saint. You're a creature of this forest, aren't you?" Shuhei—or the creature masquerading as him—did not answer Ren's accusation. Instead, his face twisted with a rage so primal it no longer resembled human emotion. The blood dripping from his blade fell in unnatural rivulets, sizzling against the ground. His form, however, remained intact—solid, imposing, and eerily perfect.

Rin glanced at Ren, her breaths shallow and rapid. "What the hell is this thing?" she whispered, gripping her weapon tightly.

Ren wiped the dirt from his face, his mind racing. His eyes flicked to Sosuke's limp form on the ground. The wounds, the blood, the missing arm—was this thing planning to finish him off once they were gone? "Sosuke's still breathing," Ren muttered to himself, then raised his voice. "Rin, we need to get him out of here. This thing won't let us leave without a fight."

The creature let out a low, menacing laugh, though its mouth barely moved. It began to step forward, slow and deliberate, dragging the tip of its sword against the ground. Sparks flew as the blade scraped against rocks and roots.

Ren's eyes sharpened as he noticed something—the sparks were a dull red, not blue. Lightning. It hit him like a bolt. The Sword Saint didn't use lightning. Ever. That was Sosuke's power. The image in front of them wasn't just wrong; it was fabricated, stitched together from Sosuke's mind. "Rin!" Ren snapped, "This thing isn't just imitating Shuhei. It's pulling from Sosuke's memories."

Rin's gaze darted between Ren and the creature. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice shaky but laced with urgency.

"I'm saying this thing is fake," Ren growled. "It's using Sosuke's thoughts, his memories—his grief—to mess with us."

The creature didn't speak, but its body tensed, as though Ren's words had struck a nerve. It tilted its head ever so slightly, the movement disturbingly human yet entirely wrong.

Without warning, it roared, its voice a distorted mix of Shuhei's and something alien, something monstrous. It lunged, closing the gap in the blink of an eye. Rin barely had time to react, throwing herself to the side as the beast's sword came crashing down where she'd stood. The ground split beneath the weight of its attack, sending debris flying.

"Damn it!" Rin spat, rolling to her feet. "This thing's faster than it looks!"

Ren stood firm, his blade drawn now, eyes locked on the creature. "Keep its attention," he ordered, his voice steady. "I'll get Sosuke."

"Easier said than done!" Rin shot back, narrowly avoiding another swing. The creature's strikes were relentless, each one tearing through the earth with terrifying force.

Ren used the distraction to move toward Sosuke, his steps calculated and deliberate. He knelt by his friend's side, wincing at the sight of the injuries. Sosuke's face was pale, his breathing shallow, but he was alive. "Hang on, Sosuke," Ren muttered, carefully lifting him onto his back.

The creature snapped its head toward Ren as if sensing his intent. It let out a deafening snarl and charged, abandoning Rin to focus on the boy carrying its prey.

"No you won't!" Rin shouted, slashing at its side. Her blade met resistance—it wasn't flesh she struck, but something far harder, almost metallic. The creature staggered slightly, more annoyed than hurt, but it gave Ren the time he needed to retreat with Sosuke.

Rin's shoulders heaved as she readied herself for another attack. "Ren, get him out of here!" she yelled.

Ren didn't respond, his focus entirely on carrying Sosuke to safety. As he disappeared into the thinning fog, Rin tightened her grip on her weapon and glared at the creature. "Alright, ugly," she muttered, her voice steady despite her fear. "It's just you and me now."

Ren planted his feet and took a steadying breath, the weight of Sosuke barely slowing him. He glanced over his shoulder at the relentless creature. "Rin, keep it busy a little longer!" he yelled, his voice carrying both urgency and determination.

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Rin snapped, dodging another monstrous swing from the fake Shuhei. Her blade deflected the next attack, but the force sent her skidding backward. "Ren, we can't keep this up forever!"

Ren's hand moved to the hilt of his sword, but instead of preparing to strike, he unclipped it from his belt and tossed it aside. The clang of the discarded weapon echoed through the forest. Rin's eyes widened.

"Are you insane?!" she shouted, barely ducking under another swing of the creature's sword.

Ren didn't answer. His hand rose to his chest, a faint blue glow forming around his fingers. Slowly, a dagger materialized in his palm—small, sleek, and radiating an icy chill. Rin's jaw dropped.

"That's not the same frail knife as before…" she muttered to herself. Her voice grew louder as she called out, "When did you get so good at this?"

"It's not perfect yet," Ren admitted, the blade reflecting the fog's dim light. He gripped it tightly, his expression serious. "But it's enough."

The creature's focus shifted entirely to Ren, sensing the sudden spike in mana. It roared and lunged, its monstrous strength cleaving through the ground in its path. Ren sidestepped at the last moment, the dagger slicing through the air. The creature flinched as a deep gash appeared on its arm, frost spreading from the wound.

"Not bad," Rin muttered, impressed despite herself. She raised her hand, magic circles forming beneath her feet. "Let's see if I can keep up. Light the storm, Thunderfall!"

A jagged bolts of electricity burst forth from the ground, crackling against the creature's chest. It snarled in irritation, the attack forcing it to slow down but not doing any real damage.

"It's too strong for simple magic," Rin muttered, frustration bubbling. She raised her hand again. "Paralyze!" A sharp bolt of lightning zipped forward, striking the creature squarely on its shoulder. For a brief second, it froze in place. Rin smirked. "Got you—"

The creature broke free almost instantly, shaking off the spell like it was nothing. Its head snapped toward Rin, eyes glowing with fury.

Ren saw the opening created by Rin's distraction. Without hesitation, he dragged the dagger across his palm, blood dripping onto the blade. The weapon shimmered, absorbing the mana-laden blood. The small dagger grew, expanding and reshaping itself into a pristine white longsword. The star-shaped guard gleamed, and a pale ribbon fluttered at the end of the hilt.

Rin froze for a moment as she saw the transformation. "You've been holding out on me," she muttered.

Ren didn't respond, instead focusing his mana into the blade. The air around him grew colder, frost forming on the grass and trees. He swung the sword once, and a crescent of icy energy flew forward, slamming into the creature and forcing it back.

"Stay down!" Ren growled, charging forward. The sword clashed against the creature's blade with a burst of frost and sparks. For a moment, the two forces were locked, Ren's mana and ice clashing against the creature's unnatural strength.

The ribbon on the sword fluttered as Ren pushed harder, ice forming along the creature's weapon. It snarled and broke free, swinging wildly. Ren ducked and rolled, the cold edge of his sword slicing into the creature's leg. Frost exploded from the wound, slowing its movements.

"Now's your chance!" Ren shouted to Rin.

Rin nodded, preparing another spell. Her voice rang out, filled with confidence. "Pierce the heavens, Lightningspear!" A massive spear of electricity shot from her hand, slamming into the creature and sending it stumbling backward.

But the fake Shuhei wasn't done yet. It roared, the sound shaking the trees, and with a sudden burst of speed, it lunged at Ren. Ren raised his icy sword to block, but the creature's strength was too much. The impact sent Ren crashing into a nearby tree, the blade slipping from his hands and embedding itself into the ground.

"Ren!" Rin shouted, running toward him.

Ren groaned, forcing himself to his feet. His mana reserves were nearly drained, the transformation of the sword taking more out of him than he'd expected. He reached for the blade, but before he could grab it, the creature was already on him, its massive sword raised high.

Rin raised her hand again, panic and desperation in her voice. "Guardian's Barrier!" A shimmering barrier appeared between Ren and the creature, just in time to deflect the killing blow. The barrier shattered on impact, but it gave Ren enough time to roll away and grab his sword.

"We need to finish this, Rin!" Ren yelled, his voice strained.

"Really?!" she snapped back sarcastically, sweat dripping down her face as she prepared her next spell.