SSS-Ranked Evolution: Worlds Unbound

As if to prove her right, a clone of Akai materialized from the darkness, darting toward Reina with deadly precision. Before she could react, Nagini, the massive snake Ren had tamed, struck with blinding speed, her fangs snapping at the clone and forcing it to dissolve into smoke.

Another clone charged at Ren from the side, its blade gleaming in the dim light, but Luna was there in an instant. The lightning wolf pounced, her electric fur crackling with power as she tore through the clone, reducing it to ash.

But then, the shadows shifted unnaturally. From every direction, clones began to emerge, their glowing red eyes locking onto the group like a predator to its prey.

"We're surrounded!" Ren growled, gripping his dagger tightly, waiting for them to attack.

"They're just shadows! Attack every one of him until you find the real one!" Reina snapped, her jade eyes burning with fury. Despite the blood trickling from her bandaged side, she crouched low, her body shimmering with raw speed. In a flash, she became a blur, darting between the clones faster than the eye could track. Each strike she delivered sent another clone exploding into smoke.

Ren's gaze followed her for a split second before he spotted a clone sneaking up behind her. Without hesitation, he threw himself forward, catching the clone off-guard and landing a solid punch to its face. For the first time, the clone didn't dissipate. Akai grunted, stepping back with a hand on his jaw.

"You actually landed a hit," Akai said, his tone laced with amusement. "Impressive, kid. But that's as far as I will let you get!

Before Ren could respond, a dark mist crept in, swallowing the battlefield. The air grew heavy and cold, and the faint sounds of Luna and Nagini being struck echoed through the shrouded gloom.

"Luna! Nagini!" Ren shouted, his voice tinged with panic as the thought of his new friends being hurt crossed his mind.

"We need to fight together!" Reina said, moving close until their backs were pressed together, "Incoming!"

More clones emerged from the mist, their silhouettes flickering like ghosts as they charged. Reina, despite her injury, struck with relentless speed, her claws moving faster than a storm. Ren matched her, his dagger slashing through the air as they fought back-to-back. The clones came in waves, each one more aggressive than the last, but they held their ground, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the mist began to clear. Akai's cruel laugh rang out from the shadows, taunting the desire to survive, "Not bad. But how well can you handle a downpour!"

Eight clones leapt from the treetops, converging on them at once. Time seemed to slow for Ren as an overwhelming surge of energy coursed through his veins. With a roar, he slammed his palm into the ground, unleashing a shockwave of golden light. The blast tore through the clones, scattering them like leaves and sending the real Akai flying back, crashing into a tree with a grunt of surprise.

Akai rose slowly, his crimson eyes wide with disbelief, "What… was that power?"

Ren's chest heaved as he stared at his glowing hands, the golden light fading. "No idea," he admitted, his voice low, "But there's more where that came from."

Without giving Akai a chance to recover, Ren charged, dagger flashing. Akai barely managed to block the strike with his sword, their blades sparking as they clashed. The two moved at blinding speed, each strike and parry a blur. Ren fought on instinct, his body moving with a fluidity he didn't know he had.

"You're not bad, I love kids who give me a challenge!" Akai admitted, his grin feral, "What's your name, kid?!" He was pressing his weight on him in an attempt to overpower him but Ren didn't plan to give into the oppression.

"Ren Kobayashi!" he spat, his voice sharp with disdain, "And you better remember it, because I'm the one who's sending you packing! Now get lost!"

Ren's free hand shot forward, his fist glowing faintly with power. It connected with Akai's abdomen in a brutal uppercut. The force of the blow sent Akai flying, crashing through several trees before finally crashing into the last one, instantly knocking him out.

Ren stood there, panting, his heart pounding in his ears. "Did… I just do that?" he looked at his hand, the golden aura slowly dissipating.

"Such…power…" Reina didn't believe what her eyes had just seen, "you knocked him out like he was a low ranking hunter…incredible…"

"I don't know, I did what I could to protect us." Ren admitted softly before his eye went to his beasts, Nagini had gotten up, but Luna was having problems standing, "oh no, I'm so sorry i couldn't protect you guys." his heart tinged with pain as he slowly picked Luna, she was a full-grown wolf and weighed more pounds than he imagined he fastened her with the last strips of his torn shirt to his back and was determined to carry her all the way until they reached her village, "we need to go, it will soon be dark." Ren moved forward, his expression now darker than he wanted it to be.

Reina could only nod and lead the way. The team, now wounded, finally made it to the village and Ren's expectations of seeing more beasts like Reina was cut short when the whole place turned out to be deserted.

"Where…is everyone?" he looked around, night had fallen and torches were lit but no one roamed the roads, almost like everyone had locked themselves inside. He noticed small mud houses, he guessed that was where they lived and was fortunate to catch sight of a little pup peeping through the window before she squirmed in fear when Ren's eyes met with hers.

"The village is down with sickness, many have been infected already. The ones doing really bad have been pushed into a state of coma. Many have died." Reina moved forward, with Ren following behind her. The tone of her voice was heavy with sadness, but she was trying to be brave for her people. She led him to her palace which was a lot bigger than the rest of the houses but not much different from the rest of the houses.

"My queen, you—" another beast that resembled Reina came to welcome her until she froze, seeing Ren shirtless with a wolf strapped to his back was not what she was expecting, "a human?!" immediately she pointed her spear at him until Reina raised her hand, signifying her not to attack.

"He is my friend. Prepare medicine for him and the wolf. I am going to my quarters." The main difference with Reina's palace was that it had a courtyard, and it spanned a great distance. He moved into the palace while Ren followed her, the eyes of so many beast guards were on him, and he wondered if he would be able to get used to it.

Hours passed, and he was treated for his injuries, and so were the others. They had placed him in a spacious room with a bed and basic amenities. They had also been kind enough to give him food. But he couldn't shake the eyes they gave him, he was alien to them. A human and a beast together was never a good thing.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on his door, "come in." he shifted to an upright position as he was previously laying on his bed when Reina came in. She was in softer fabrics, an orange silk dress that cascaded down her body and underneath it was the wound that had been properly dressed by her healers.

"I apologize for troubling you at this hour." her hair had been tied into a majestic bun, and she wore jewellery that reflected the light in her eyes, "it is of utmost importance that I speak to you." She closed the door behind her and locked it. Ren was amused for a bit but remained calm, "you are the first human to be welcomed into our humble abode. My people are anxious, due to your presence and to the overbearing fact that I returned without a cure." her eyes met her feet, her fingers intertwined with each other as she explained the reason for her coming, "you said you will give assistance… it is okay if—"

"Yes, I will. What do you need me to do?" he didn't plan on going back on his word, that would be against everything his mother taught him.

"The antidote, I fear if we delay any further, the graves will pile up faster." She crossed the distance between them and sat on his bed, although, quite far away from him, "the sickness came from a poison that was ingested and spread amongst my people. The antidote lies in a dangerous part of the forest…covered by a strange mist. A gentle breed of flowers that grows in the heart of the mist. It is dangerous, but it is our only hope." The only form of illumination was the moonlight that shone through his window.

He could see the raw desperation in her eyes, and something prompted him to move closer to her, they were so close that it would only take a push for their noses to meet.

"I will set out by dawn to get the flower. Your people will not die any more than they have now, Reina." it made her happy that he was not going back on his word. She could actually trust him.

Dawn came and Ren set out to find the antidote to the strange sickness in the land of the beast tigers. Reina had given him a map to help with navigation and when Luna saw he was leaving, she wanted to follow him but was too weak.

"I'll be back soon okay?" He rubbed her gently before springing to his feet again, Nagini was the one accompanying him, but he had one last look at Reina, hoping it wouldn't be the last time he saw her lovely green eyes.

"I will be waiting for you to return safe and sound, great warrior." a warm smile laced her features as she watched him leave her village.

Ren and his beast snake walked the forest for hours, from dawn till the bright afternoon sun, they approached a segment of the thick vegetation that was slowly getting covered with a thick fog that threatened his lungs.

"We must be close." he turned to his companion and with a low hiss, she slithered forward, the fog got thicker and when it was completely overhead, Ren realized he had entered the danger zone Reina warned him about.

No turning back now, even though it was the wisest thing to do.