Azure Echoes.

Chapter 24: The Shattered Key

The dark hall was chaos, filled with the clash of weapons and the crackle of energy. Zeng was a whirlwind of rage, his Azure powers blazing around him as he fought his way through a relentless wave of Black Veil soldiers. His fists and kicks were swift and brutal, leaving fallen enemies in his wake, yet each strike seemed to pull him deeper into a fury he could barely control.

Meanwhile, the leader stood near his throne, calmly watching the battle unfold, his silver mask unmoved by the violence around him. In his hands, he held a small box—the one he had stolen from Zeng in an earlier encounter, its contents a mystery Zeng had desperately sought to protect. Slowly, the leader lifted the lid, revealing a delicate, translucent fragment within.

In the midst of his brutal combat, Zeng noticed the leader's action. His breath caught as he recognized the item—the shard that was part of a powerful ancient relic, one tied to the Azure clan's heritage and his own birthright.

"No..." Zeng gritted through clenched teeth, but his path was blocked by the masked figure who had led him to this hall.

"Fighting me alone won't save him," the masked man sneered, blocking Zeng's attacks with precise, almost mocking ease. "Your strength is impressive, but you'll need more than that to stop the Black Veil's plans."

Zeng's anger surged, and his Azure power crackled, but the masked man countered each move with an unexpected grace, his calculated strikes forcing Zeng to defend himself with dwindling stamina.

Meanwhile, Lian was held on his knees beside the leader, hands bound and his body bore fresh bruises and cuts from his earlier torture. When Lian saw the translucent piece in the leader's hands, his pulse quickened with recognition. He knew exactly what it was—one of the shards of the Azure Key, a relic that held ancient power.

The leader met Lian's gaze, a wicked grin twisting beneath his mask. He held the shard up for Lian to see, a gleaming taunt. "Such a fragile piece, don't you think?" he murmured, before setting it down on a table beside them.

He lifted another piece from the box, aligning it carefully with the first shard, and with a hum of power, the two fragments joined, glowing faintly as they merged. The leader's satisfaction was palpable, and he turned to Lian with an air of twisted delight. "One piece closer to completion," he whispered.

Lian's chest tightened as he watched. He could feel the energy resonating from the combined shards, and though bound, his instincts screamed to destroy them before they fell into the leader's hands. These shards could intensify Azure power—but in the wrong hands, they would warp it into a force of unimaginable destruction.

In the background, Zeng fought fiercely against the masked man, his Azure power flaring wildly, illuminating the hall in pulses of blue. Every strike from his opponent felt more personal, and every taunt landed like a wound to his pride. Yet, each time he felt himself falter, his mind snapped back to Lian, bound and vulnerable before the leader. Driven by this image, Zeng gritted his teeth and surged with renewed strength, forcing the masked man back a step.

Seeing Zeng's intensifying efforts, the leader laughed softly, lifting the joined shards so Lian could see them clearly. "I planned this moment well, Lian. Did you think you'd protect him by staying silent all these years? You know what's in his blood. You know he was always destined for the Black Veil."

Lian's hands clenched, his jaw tight. "You're wrong," he replied coldly, his voice barely more than a whisper, but brimming with defiance. "He's stronger than you could ever control."

"We shall see," the leader replied, setting the now-merged shards back down as he produced yet another from the box. As he carefully aligned the third piece with the others, the combined shards began to pulse with an ominous energy, casting a faint glow that spread across the room like an eerie, shimmering fog. The leader's eyes glittered with anticipation.

In a final burst of strength, Zeng dodged the masked man's last strike, breaking past him with a surge of Azure energy. His focus zeroed in on Lian and the leader with a fierce determination, his breathing ragged but unwavering.

The leader looked up, seemingly amused by Zeng's relentless spirit. "Well, you've made it just in time," he taunted, gesturing to the glowing shards. "But don't think for a moment you're leaving here with him, or with this." He lifted the shards, their light now casting long shadows in the dimly lit hall.

Zeng's eyes flashed. "I won't leave without him. And I'll make sure you regret every moment you ever laid a hand on him."