Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

Sosuke dashed forward, his katana clashing with two of the creature's thick, muscular arms. Sparks flew as steel met flesh. "A Crusher," Sosuke muttered, recalling the lesson. "Somewhat intelligent." He drove his fist into the beast's stomach, sending a surge of purple lightning rippling through its body. "But you're nothing special." His smirk was sharp, almost daring.

Wrenching his katana free, Sosuke stepped back, shaking his hand. "Damn, your skin's tougher than I thought."

The Crusher snarled, rising from the rubble outside the warehouse, its glowing eyes fixed on him. The distance from Rin and Ren's battles left Sosuke alone with the hulking beast. Its guttural voice rumbled like thunder. "You humans should leave before you die. We want the power!"

The Crusher's roar shook the ground as it charged, its arms morphing into jagged spikes.

"Shit," Sosuke hissed, gripping his katana tightly. He swung, sending a sharp wave of lightning hurtling toward the beast. The Crusher barreled through it without flinching, closing the gap in seconds.

Sosuke leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the spikes that slammed into the wall behind him. "You really should've thought that through," he muttered, landing behind it. He drove his katana deep into the creature's back.

For a moment, the Crusher stilled. Then a deafening boom erupted as one of its arms exploded, flinging Sosuke backward into a crumbling support beam.

Coughing, Sosuke groaned, blinking through the haze. "They didn't teach that in class," he muttered, wiping blood from his lip. "You can shed an arm to create an explosion? Pretty clever… for a brute."

His katana remained embedded in the Crusher's back, glowing faintly as it continued to pulse with trapped lightning. Sosuke forced himself to his feet, the world spinning slightly.

The Crusher turned, its massive frame heaving with each breath. "You can't win, human. Your power is mine."

Sosuke clenched his fists, his purple eyes narrowing. "Yeah? Let's see you handle this." He raised his hand, and with a shout, the katana still lodged in the beast erupted in a burst of lightning, the energy coursing through its body.

The Crusher howled, staggering as arcs of electricity danced across its skin. Sosuke didn't wait for it to recover. He rushed forward, his hands crackling with raw energy. Sliding under the creature's guard, he drove his fist into its core, releasing a concentrated burst of lightning directly into its chest.

The Crusher collapsed with a deafening thud, its body twitching as the remaining energy fizzled out. Sosuke leaned on his knees, panting heavily. "You're tougher than I gave you credit for," he admitted, retrieving his katana.

Sosuke stood over the fallen Crusher, confidence brimming in his stance as he twirled his katana and sheathed it with a sharp click. "Well, that's one down. These things aren't as clever as they look," he said with a smirk.

Before he could turn back to check on the others, the Crusher he had just defeated twitched. Its body surged with a faint, eerie glow. Sosuke's eyes narrowed. "What the—"

The creature let out a guttural growl, its body convulsing as it began to reform. A black, viscous substance poured from its wounds, hardening into new armor-like plates. It stood, stronger and faster than before, and without warning, lunged at Sosuke.

Caught off guard, Sosuke raised his katana just in time to block its strike, but the impact sent a jolt through his arms, nearly making him drop the blade. "Regenerative abilities? Seriously?" He gritted his teeth, struggling to push the beast back.

The Crusher roared, its claws swiping with relentless precision. One blow knocked Sosuke's katana from his hands, sending it clattering to the ground. Before he could recover, the beast's massive fist slammed into his chest, launching him into a nearby wall. He hit the ground hard, gasping for air as pain radiated through his body.

"Sosuke!" Ren yelled, but he had no time to assist. The Crusher he faced roared, taking advantage of his distraction. It swiped Ren's dagger from his grip and pinned him to the ground.

Ren struggled, his arms trembling as he tried to push the beast off. "Damn it… this thing's too strong!"

Rin's heart pounded as she saw her teammates overwhelmed. She clenched her fists, summoning ethereal arms to aid her. "I'll handle this!" she shouted, launching a flurry of spells at the Crusher pinning Ren.

But her attacks barely slowed it down. The beast turned its attention to her, swiping with brutal force. Rin barely dodged, stumbling as the second Crusher closed in. She threw up a shield just in time, but the impact shattered it, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"I'm not done yet!" she growled, staggering to her feet. But the Crushers were relentless, their combined assault knocking her back down.

Sosuke's vision blurred as he regained consciousness, his body screaming in pain. He turned his head, his purple eyes widening as he saw Rin struck down again. Blood trickled down her forehead, her movements sluggish as she tried to stand.

Something inside him snapped.

His purple eyes flared with an uncontrollable glow, and lightning began to crackle wildly around his body. The air grew thick with electricity, the pressure suffocating.

"Get away from them!" Sosuke roared, slamming his fists into the ground.

A deafening explosion of lightning erupted from his body, spreading out in violent, unpredictable arcs. The Crushers howled in agony as the destructive energy consumed them, their forms disintegrating under the overwhelming assault.

But the storm didn't stop there. The warehouse shook as the lightning tore through its structure, collapsing walls and sending debris flying. Ren cried out as the surge struck him, his body writhing in pain. Rin was thrown back, her screams fading as she hit the ground, convulsing from the residual shock.

When the chaos finally subsided, the battlefield was unrecognizable. Smoke and debris filled the air, and the faint crackle of electricity lingered. Sosuke stood at the center of the devastation, his body trembling as the last sparks of lightning flickered around him.

He collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. His gaze swept over the destruction, landing on his teammates. Ren lay unconscious, his breathing shallow. Rin was barely moving, her body limp among the rubble.

Sosuke's clothes hung in charred tatters, his skin scorched from the surge of his own power. But before he could even gather his thoughts, movement in the haze snapped him back to reality. Shapes emerged from the smoke—more creatures, drawn by the chaos and the raw, untamed mana that radiated from him like a beacon.

The horde of monsters clawed and screeched as they advanced, their eyes gleaming with ravenous intent. Sosuke forced himself to his feet, his legs shaky but his resolve hardening. His body crackled with unstable energy as arcs of lightning surged around him.

The first wave of creatures lunged, but Sosuke raised a hand, unleashing a wave of thunder that shattered the ground and tore them apart. As the dust settled, a massive beast barreled through the destruction, its gaping maw wide open. Sosuke turned, his fist surging with power, and slammed it into the side of the creature's head. The resulting blast blew the monster into pieces, scattering its remains across the rubble.

From her position against the wall, Rin watched in silent horror. Was Sosuke even aware of what he was doing anymore? His movements were too fluid, too precise, as if instinct alone was guiding him. She clutched at her wounds, her breath hitching as she stared at the blood pooling in her palm.

Why couldn't I do anything? The thought clawed at her as she turned to Ren's unconscious form. Her fingers curled into fists. Why can't I use my core technique like them? Why am I so useless?

Sosuke tore through the horde, his body a blur of raw power. Limbs were severed, creatures obliterated in flashes of light. Each step he took left scorched ground in his wake, the sheer force of his mana radiating outward in waves. Rin's chest tightened as she watched him, her mind racing. How is his body even handling this much mana?

Then it hit her—Arthur's words from years ago: "The Estrella family… their durability isn't normal. They're built to endure, to survive where others would crumble."

She glanced at Sosuke again, his figure glowing faintly with an aura of violent purple energy. It was more than just strength; it was pure defiance. Even now, he fought on instinct, pushing his body far beyond its limits. But how long could he keep this up before it tore him apart?

"Rin!" Ren's weak voice snapped her out of her thoughts. He had regained consciousness, his eyes clouded with pain but sharp with urgency. "We… we have to stop him."

"Stop him?" Rin's voice trembled as she looked back at Sosuke, who was now surrounded by the final wave of creatures. "How? I can't even—"

"He needs us, Rin."

Rin's gaze flickered between Ren and Sosuke, her heart pounding. I have to do something. She clutched the pendant hanging from her neck.

Drawing every ounce of willpower she had, Rin pushed herself to her feet. Her body screamed in protest, her vision wavering, but she held steady. "I'll get his attention," she said, her voice quiet but determined.

"Be careful," Ren urged, attempting to rise but falling back with a grimace.

Rin staggered forward, her hand outstretched as she began weaving a spell. "Sosuke!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "That's enough! You're going to destroy everything—including us!"

But Sosuke didn't hear her. Or if he did, he didn't care. His lightning surged again, bright enough to blind, as he turned to face the remaining monsters. The battlefield seemed to tremble under his wrath.

Rin gritted her teeth. I'll save you, even if it means pushing past my limits. Summoning every bit of her remaining strength, she prepared a defensive barrier, ready to shield Ren—and herself—from the storm that was about to come.