Realmshift: Triad Ascendancy.

Rune Wars V

[GREY]

Silver lay unconscious on the bed, his face calm despite the unsettling scene that had just unfolded. Moments ago, he'd collapsed on the floor, his runes vanishing from sight along with a strange glow that had flared on his forehead. Arkane, quick to act, had activated her Sharingan, scanning his mana core for any signs of distress. Surprisingly, everything seemed normal—except for the strange new writing etched in mana on his back. Runes, unfamiliar and cryptic, lay tangled across his skin, baffling even Arkane's discerning gaze.A sudden chime from the system broke the silence, announcing that Silver's Savant's Insight had reached the threshold for an upgrade. Arkane and I exchanged a worried glance; this development could be a problem. His match was tomorrow, and we had no idea how long he'd remain in this state. The weight of uncertainty pressed on us as we settled into the room, waiting. Arkane slumped onto the couch, her gaze fixed on Silver's still form, while I took the chair beside his bed, hoping for any sign he might wake up.The wind outside picked up, rattling the window and sending the curtains billowing inward, the cool air offering a brief moment of calm. It was Arkane who finally broke the silence. "Think we can convince them to let one of us fight if Silver doesn't wake up?" she asked, a hint of frustration in her voice.I shrugged, leaning back with a sigh. "Doubtful. The rules are pretty strict. But we'll just have to hope for the best." Silence settled over us again, and we waited.

The first light of dawn seeped into the bedroom, slipping through the window and pulling me from sleep. I stirred, groggy from a restless night spent slumped in the chair beside Silver's bed. Arkane had taken the couch, and curled up there in a way that seemed far from comfortable. But as the sun's rays pierced my eyes, I jolted awake—and froze. The bed was empty.My heart pounded as I shot up, nudging Arkane awake. She stirred, grumbling, until she noticed my panicked expression. We exchanged a quick, alarmed look before hurrying outside, our worry deepening with each step.We stopped dead in our tracks at the sight before us. Silver wasn't just standing; he was hovering inches above the ground, his feet barely grazing the earth. There was a strange lightness about him, an ethereal calm as if he were caught in a trance. Just as I opened my mouth to call out, he surged upward, rocketing into the sky with breathtaking speed, leaving us staring in disbelief."Did you just see that?" I whispered, glancing at Arkane.Without hesitation, we dashed after him, leaping onto the nearest rooftops in pursuit. Silver was fast—faster than I'd ever seen him move—but our practiced parkour, honed through countless hours of watching Naruto, kept us close. The world became a blur as we vaulted over ledges and bounded across tiles, our sights fixed on his faint, soaring figure.Arkane muttered, "If he's headed to some shady sorcerer like an Orochimaru of this world, I swear I'll kill him."Her fierce expression broke my tension, and I chuckled despite myself as we tore through the city.

He was heading straight for the forest. Arkane and I raced after him, calling his name, but he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed on some distant point ahead. After nearly twenty minutes of relentless pursuit, he finally stopped, hovering in place. We caught up, our breath sharp and eyes wide as we watched him.Silver raised his right hand, summoning a sphere of pulsing mana. With a fierce concentration, he hurled it toward the ground, creating an explosion that scattered soil and debris. Again and again, he launched mana blasts, each one digging deeper into the earth. Then, as suddenly as he'd started, he stopped firing and lowered himself to the ground, his gaze turning toward us."Oh, you're here," he said flatly, the warmth in his voice replaced with a strange detachment. "How long have you been following me?"A faint golden glow shimmered across his forehead, like fragments of a crown in the process of forming but still incomplete. I raised an eyebrow, trying to break the tension. "Since you started doing your best Superman cosplay."But he didn't crack a smile. "It seems I've unlocked an extension of Savant's Insight," he said, his tone serious. "It's called King's Gambit in my skill menu." He bent down, retrieving a small box from the freshly dug pit. "The ability takes a significant amount of mana to sustain, so I won't be able to use it indefinitely. But with it, I can fly, and... I can split my mind into multiple sections, like dividing a puzzle."He paused, considering. "I'm limited on how many sections I can split, but it's enough to let me focus on several things simultaneously. And it's given me a new kind of sensory perception." He held up the box, studying it with that same stoic expression. "I can now sense the presence of Sukuna's fingers within a hundred-mile radius."Arkane and I exchanged a look, uneasy yet intrigued.