malereader x hells paradise

Chapter 30: The Core Of Shinsenkyo

The air was thick with tension as we moved forward, each step heavier than the last. Our battle with Ju Ren had taken its toll, and every inch of my body felt worn, bruised, and weary. But despite the exhaustion, a sense of purpose drove us onward. This was the end—the true core of Shinsenkyo lay just beyond the twisted, unnatural forest ahead.

Sagiri walked beside me, her breaths slow but controlled, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. Behind her, Nurugai and Yuzuriha followed closely, their faces a mixture of determination and wariness. The ground beneath our feet shifted, almost as if the island itself sensed our approach and wanted to drive us back.

We came to a stop at the edge of an open clearing, a place that radiated an unnatural stillness. At its center, an ancient stone shrine stood, carved with symbols that seemed to pulse faintly with Tao energy. Surrounding it was a ring of tall, blackened trees, their branches stretching toward us like skeletal hands.

“This is it,” Yuzuriha whispered, her voice barely audible. “The heart of Shinsenkyo.”

The very air felt charged with power, an overwhelming force that made my skin prickle. Despite the silence, I could feel the weight of countless lives, the memories of those who had come to this island and never returned. For the first time, the gravity of our journey settled over me like a shroud.

Sagiri stepped forward, her hand resting on her sword. “Whatever awaits us here, we face it together.”

I nodded, gripping my weapon tightly as we advanced, the shrine looming larger with each step. Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the shadows around us shifted, coalescing into a single form—a figure cloaked in darkness, with eyes that gleamed like molten gold.

This figure felt different from the Lord Tensen. Its presence was ancient, powerful, and unsettling. It seemed to radiate a malevolent intelligence, as if it were the true heart of the island itself.

“So, you have defeated my children,” the figure spoke, its voice echoing in tones that seemed to resonate through the very earth.

“Who... or what are you?” I asked, keeping my voice steady, though my heart raced.

The figure tilted its head, the faintest trace of a smile on its shadowed face. “I am what you call Rien, the soul of Shinsenkyo. I am both the beginning and the end, the one who binds the Tao to this island.”

Rien extended a hand, and the Tao energy surrounding us pulsed in response. It surged from the ground, twisting around us like tendrils of smoke, pressing down with a force that made it hard to breathe.

“I have watched you struggle, defy, and destroy,” Rien continued, voice filled with a strange, dark pride. “But your journey ends here. You will become part of this island, like all the others.”

With a wave of Rien’s hand, the tendrils of Tao tightened, forcing us to our knees. I struggled against the crushing pressure, my vision blurring as I fought to keep consciousness. The Tao was relentless, draining us with every passing second.

But just when it felt like we would be crushed entirely, I heard Sagiri’s voice, steady and unyielding. “We’re not just here to survive, Rien. We’re here to end this.”

Summoning her last reserves of strength, Sagiri pushed back against the Tao, her sword glowing faintly as she channeled her own energy into it. I felt a surge of determination, spurred on by her resolve. Slowly, I forced myself to my feet, raising my own weapon and drawing on the remnants of my Tao.

Rien’s eyes narrowed, and the ground quaked as they unleashed a wave of dark energy toward us. Sagiri and I stood firm, our combined Tao forming a barrier that absorbed the impact. Yuzuriha and Nurugai joined us, their own energies mingling with ours, and for a moment, we felt like one united force.

We surged forward, each of us attacking in unison, our strikes coordinated with a precision that even surprised me. Rien countered, moving with a fluidity that was almost inhuman, their form shifting and twisting to evade our blows.

Despite their immense power, I could sense a faint hesitation in Rien’s movements. Each strike, each evasion, felt more erratic as our attacks began to land, chipping away at the dark aura that surrounded them.

“Is this… all you have?” Rien snarled, but there was a flicker of doubt in their eyes.

“This island has taken enough lives!” I shouted, driving my blade toward their core, the force of our Tao behind it. “We’re ending this cycle.”

Rien staggered, their form flickering as our combined Tao pierced through them. For a moment, they let out a scream—a sound that resonated with centuries of sorrow, anger, and despair. The darkness around them pulsed, then began to fade, breaking apart like mist in the morning sun.

As Rien’s form disintegrated, the ground beneath us trembled, the island seeming to shudder as its lifeblood was severed. We stepped back, watching as the shrine crumbled, the dark energy dissipating into the sky.

Silence fell over the clearing, broken only by the soft rustling of the trees as the island seemed to exhale, as if freed from the chains that had bound it for so long.

“It’s… over,” Yuzuriha whispered, her voice filled with awe and relief.

We stood there, catching our breaths, letting the reality of our victory sink in. The island, once a place of death and suffering, felt different—lighter, as if it had been reborn.

Sagiri sheathed her sword, glancing at me with a small, tired smile. “We did it. Together.”

I nodded, a wave of exhaustion washing over me as the adrenaline faded. “Yeah… we did.”

As we turned to leave the clearing, a faint glow caught our attention. In the center of the shrine’s remains, a small, pure light pulsed—a final remnant of Rien’s power, transformed. It felt peaceful, a fragment of Tao no longer twisted by darkness.

For a moment, we watched it in silence, honoring those who had fallen here, whose lives had been claimed by this island. And then, together, we left Shinsenkyo’s core behind, stepping toward the freedom we had fought so hard to claim.