Ethan Cole - The Unlimited System

Ethan stood still, surrounded by wreckage and ruin.

The warehouse was quiet now, save for the low crackle of energy and the faint sobbing behind him.

His breaths came fast and heavy, each inhale laced with fury he tried desperately to suppress.

Golden light flickered around him and his aura, it was intense and untamed. The aura formed a glowing contrast against the blood-streaked floor and broken walls.

In his hand, the Flame Dragon Sword pulsed with life. It radiated heat and power, drawing eyes whether he wanted it to or not.

Lucien narrowed his gaze. He took a step back without realizing it.

"That sword…" he muttered, eyes locked on the weapon. "No… don't tell me… it's one of the Artifacts?"

His voice trembled, not in fear, but in recognition.

Mike and Taison stiffened.

They exchanged a quick glance, and for once, both men looked uncertain.

"Wait… is he one of them?" Mike asked, his voice low.

Taison didn't answer. He couldn't. His throat felt dry, and his instincts screamed to retreat.

Ethan shifted his attention toward Lucien, eyes blazing with a golden hue. He raised the Flame Dragon Sword, its tip aimed directly at the man.

He didn't speak, but the message was clear.

He was ready to kill again.

But then, a sob broke the silence.

It wasn't loud, but it hit Ethan like a hammer.

He turned sharply, and there she was. Jessica was kneeling on the bloodstained ground, cradling Jordan's motionless body in her arms.

She wanted to go to his father's lifeless body but she couldn't move her body at all.

Her shoulders shook with each sob, her hands trembling as she held her brother close.

"Jessica… Jordan…" Ethan whispered.

His grip on the sword loosened slightly.

The rage in him faltered, giving way to something deeper. Something raw.

Steve, who had been guarding them, looked up as his eyes wide with disbelief.

He had seen the entire thing. He had watched Ethan take down three trained Ascendants like they were nothing.

And now he stood there, struggling to process what he had just witnessed.

"Ethan…" Steve spoke slowly. "How did you…?"

He didn't finish the sentence.

He didn't have to.

Just yesterday, Ethan had been a regular young man. Not even awakened.

And now?

Now he stood with the power to overwhelm three Four-Star Ascendants. Effortlessly.

It didn't make sense.

None of it did.

There was something else that caught Steve's attention, something he couldn't ignore.

Ethan's entire body glowed with a soft golden light.

It wasn't just a visual trick. It was power, raw and undeniable, radiating from him in waves. Steve had never seen anything like it.

A thought crossed his mind.

'Could this be... one of the legendary ranks?'

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Bronze. Silver. Gold.

These were names only whispered about in high-level Ascendant circles. Power levels that existed beyond normal comprehension. Most people never even saw a Bronze Ascendant in their lifetime. And yet here was Ethan, glowing with the unmistakable radiance of gold.

Steve shook his head slightly.

'No. That's impossible. Isn't it?'

Even someone like Mark, who had shaken the LaRues to their core, was only a High Four-Star Bronze Ascendant. That alone had made him a target, a threat worth hunting.

But if Ethan, if he was beyond that, then this wasn't just a shift in balance.

It was a total rewrite of the rules. He was going to rewrite everything if he was given just a little bit more of time.

Across the room, Mike and Taison were thinking the same thing. Their eyes were locked on Ethan, their expressions tense.

They didn't speak, but their body language said everything.

They knew that pushing forward now would only end in disaster, for everyone involved.

But Lucien… his lips curled into a smile.

It wasn't mockery.

It was anticipation.

He wanted to fight Ethan.

He wanted to see for himself what kind of power was hidden behind that golden glow, behind the so-called Artifact.

And from the look in his eyes, Lucien didn't plan on walking away until he had tasted it with his own hands.

His eagerness… it all came from the pill.

Not a normal one, but a highly advanced version. A pill created by the LaRues to boost an Ascendant's power beyond its natural limit. It was a product of years of experimentation, refined through forbidden methods and even infused with Mark's blood essence.

Lucien laughed, his voice filled with unhinged excitement.

"I never imagined you were an Ascendant," he said, eyes wild. "Not back then. Not that night."

He studied Ethan carefully, as if trying to solve a puzzle no one had ever cracked.

"How did you manage this? Some last-minute awakening? A sudden miracle?" He paused, then smiled in a way that chilled the room. "No matter. You'll be a perfect test subject for what we're building."

Ethan's fists tightened at his sides. His voice came out steady but cold.

"Your experiments, your twisted research... it ends today."

Lucien's face lit up with a kind of madness. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another silver pill. Its surface gleamed under the dim light of the warehouse.

Jessica's cries echoed around them, but Ethan didn't look away. He could feel it. Lucien's energy was changing. Something dark and dangerous pulsed beneath the man's skin.

Lucien held the pill near his mouth, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"I didn't expect today to unfold like this," he said with a low laugh. "But since you've revealed your strength, Ethan Cole, it's only fair I show you mine."

Then a voice snapped through the tension.

"Don't do it!" Mike's tone was sharp, cutting through the chaos like a blade.

He stepped forward, his face tight with alarm.

"Young Master, stop. That pill wasn't made to be taken back to back. Your body won't survive."

Lucien spun toward him, rage flickering in his eyes.

"Stay out of this! This is my fight, not yours!"

Taison stepped up beside Mike, his expression just as grim.

"Young Master, listen to us. We're already outmatched. This won't end well for anyone."

Lucien's aura flared violently. His voice rose with fury.

"Enough! If you won't help me, then stay out of my way!"

He raised the pill again.

But before it could reach his lips, Mike moved.

One clean step. One sharp strike.

He appeared behind Lucien in a blink and drove the edge of his hand into the back of Lucien's neck. Lucien froze, his eyes rolling up, then crumpled to the ground.

Mike stood over him, breathing slowly, his voice flat.

"This has gone far enough."

He stared down at the unconscious figure, then spoke again.

"We follow orders, yes. But not blindly. This is not loyalty."

Taison glanced at Ethan. His voice was calm, but the weight behind his words was real.

"Let's stop here. If we keep going, none of us are getting out alive."

Ethan's eyes stayed locked on them, his golden aura still flickering. He had lowered his sword slightly, but he wasn't fully at ease. He could feel Jessica's sobs behind him. He could still see Jordan lying motionless on the floor.

Taison's tone softened.

"Your friend needs help. Right now. Fighting won't change that."

Ethan turned, his gaze falling on Jordan's bloodied body. A mix of fury and helplessness surged through him.

"Fine," he said, the word quiet but firm.

His aura dimmed. The heat around him faded. He turned and rushed toward Jordan's side.

He dropped to his knees and pressed his hand against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Jordan, stay with me," he whispered.

As the air settled, Jessica pulled herself away. Slowly, she walked to where her father's body lay.

She knelt beside him and touched his face, still warm. Her fingers trembled.

"Dad…" Her voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. "Please, no. Not like this."

She leaned over him, her tears falling onto his clothes. Her sobs echoed softly in the now silent warehouse.

Ethan stood and walked over to her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, the last traces of golden light still clinging to his skin.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

Jessica looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.

"Why, Ethan?" she asked, her voice raw. "Why did it have to happen like this?"

Ethan didn't have an answer. He lowered his head. No words could fix this. No strength could undo what had already been done.

Behind them, Steve finally lowered his axe. His arms were heavy, his legs unsteady. He looked at Mike and Taison with tired eyes.

"You made the right call," Steve said quietly. "But if I see either of you again, I won't give you a second warning."

Mike didn't say anything. He gave a nod, then motioned to Taison. They lifted Lucien's limp body and began to leave, their footsteps fading into the warehouse's silence.

Ethan watched them disappear. His jaw tightened.

The battle was over, but the war wasn't.

He turned back to Steve.

"We need to move. Jordan needs help now."

Steve nodded.

"Let's get him to a hospital. Fast."

Ethan returned to Jessica and gently helped her to her feet.

"I'll take care of your father," he said softly.

Jessica didn't say anything. She leaned into Ethan for support, her heart broken, her steps weak.

They left the battlefield behind, carrying with them the weight of death, pain, and the fading light of one more day survived.