THE S-CLASS
1875 Words
The ground shook.
Not from footsteps. From *WEIGHT.*
The mech Kuroda was in took another step. 10 meters tall. Black armor. Plasma cannon for an arm. The Wall’s crest burned red on its chest.
Behind it: 200 soldiers. Real Wall soldiers. Not D-Class. Not guards.
S-Class.
And in front of them: *5 FIGURES.*
No uniforms. No masks. Just weapons.
The S-Class.
Aoi saw them and went pale. “Oh no.”
Enma was at 65%. “Who are they?”
“The Wall’s executioners,” Aoi said. “Kuroda’s personal dogs. Each one can solo a floor.”
Jin was next to Enma. 46%. Shaking. “We can’t fight that.”
“We’re not running,” Enma said.
Kuroda’s voice boomed from the mech:
“KUROGANE ENMA! LAST CHANCE! GIVE ME THE BOY!”
Enma stepped forward. Alone.
“Come take him.”
*CRIMSON SYNC: 68%*
The 5 S-Class moved.
---
*THE FIVE*
1. *Raijin* - Tall. Scar across face. Two swords. Lightning crackled off the blades.
2. *Hoshiko* - Woman. Short. Fans. Each fan had blades inside. Smiling.
3. *Goro* - Huge. 3 meters. Fists like boulders. No shirt. Chains around neck.
4. *Yume* - Kid. Maybe 16. Eyes closed. Floating 1 foot off the ground. Whispering.
5. *The Blank* - No face. Just a smooth mask. No voice. Carried a spear.
Raijin spoke first. “The Null. You’re smaller than I thought.”
Enma didn’t answer. He was counting. 200 soldiers. 5 S-Class. 1 mech.
20 kids. 1 healer. 1 of him.
Bad odds.
_“Good odds,”_ the King said. _“More to break.”_
*CRIMSON SYNC: 70%*
Hoshiko giggled. “He’s glowing. Cute.”
She flicked her fan. A blade shot out. Fast.
Enma caught it. 72%.
“Begin,” Kuroda said.
The war started.
---
*60 SECONDS IN*
Raijin was on Enma first. Sword to sword.
Lightning met red.
“Fast,” Raijin said. “But not fast enough.”
He moved. A blur. Cut Enma’s shoulder.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 75%*
Enma hit back. Broke Raijin’s guard. Sent him flying.
Goro roared and charged the camp gate.
Aoi intercepted him. Sword vs fist.
The ground cracked.
Hoshiko was dancing through the kids. Fans cutting.
Hana shot her. Hoshiko dodged and laughed. “Missed!”
Yume hadn’t moved. She was just whispering.
And the air around her was warping.
Two kids dropped, clutching their heads. Screaming.
“Psionic,” Aoi yelled. “Take her out!”
The Blank was walking toward Jin.
Slow. Spear dragging.
Jin was backing up. 50%.
“It’s... it’s not looking at me,” Jin said.
“Because it doesn’t need to,” Aoi said. “It sees Sync.”
The Blank raised its spear.
Enma saw it.
He left Raijin mid-fight and moved.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 78%*
He caught the spear 1cm from Jin’s chest.
The Blank tilted its head. No sound.
Enma ripped the spear from its hands and snapped it.
The Blank didn’t react. It just pulled out a second spear.
Raijin was back. “Don’t ignore me.”
Lightning sword to Enma’s back.
Enma twisted. Took it in the ribs instead of his spine.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 80%*
Pain. Real pain.
The world got sharp.
_“YES,”_ the King hissed. _“THIS IS IT.”_
Enma turned and punched Raijin in the face.
Raijin went through a wall.
“One down,” Enma said.
Then Yume screamed.
Not from pain. From concentration.
The air around Jin compressed.
Jin dropped to his knees, holding his head. “It’s in my head!”
*CRIMSON SYNC: Jin 58%*
“JIN!” Enma ran to him.
Yume opened her eyes. They were completely white.
“You have the King’s blood,” she whispered. “It’s calling to me.”
She raised a hand.
Jin started floating.
“No!” Enma grabbed Jin’s ankle.
Yume looked at him. “Two Kings. Greedy.”
She pushed.
Enma and Jin were thrown 30 meters. Into the camp.
Hana caught them. “Enma! Enma are you—”
Enma was bleeding from 4 places. 82%.
“I’m fine,” he lied. “Where’s—”
A shadow fell over them.
Goro.
He picked up the whole building they were in and ripped it in half.
“Found you,” Goro said.
---
*2 MINUTES IN*
The camp was falling apart.
Aoi was fighting Goro and Hoshiko at once.
She was losing.
Hana was dragging kids into the school basement.
Varn was fighting 3 soldiers with a fire axe.
Jin was on the ground. Convulsing.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 60%*
The black blood was reacting to the fight.
Enma knelt next to him. “Breathe. Like we practiced.”
Jin couldn’t. “It’s... too loud...”
Yume landed in front of them. Floating.
“Give him to me,” she said. “I can quiet him.”
Enma stood. 83%.
“Touch him and I break you.”
Yume smiled. Sad. “You already are broken.”
She snapped her fingers.
Every sound stopped.
No gunfire. No screaming. Just silence.
And in the silence: the King’s voice. In Enma’s head. And Jin’s.
_“KILL HER. KILL THEM ALL.”_
Enma’s vision went red.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 85%*
He moved.
He was on Yume in 0.2 seconds.
His fist stopped 1cm from her face.
Yume didn’t flinch. “Do it. Become him.”
Enma was shaking.
The King was screaming.
Jin was screaming.
Enma punched the ground instead.
The shockwave knocked Yume back. Broke the silence.
Sound came back. Screaming. Gunfire.
Enma grabbed Jin. “We’re leaving.”
“Where?” Hana asked.
“Up,” Enma said. “We go up.”
---
*THE ROOF.*
Enma, Jin, Hana, 6 kids.
Below: chaos.
Above: Kuroda’s mech. Watching.
Kuroda leaned out. “Having fun?”
Enma set Jin down. “You want me? Come get me.”
Kuroda laughed. “I don’t need to. The S-Class will.”
He pressed a button.
The mech’s chest opened.
Inside: *10 MORE SYRINGES.* Black.
“For your friends,” Kuroda said. “If you don’t give me Jin, I’ll make 10 more of you.”
Enma’s blood went cold. 86%.
“You wouldn’t,” Aoi said from below. She’d jumped up.
“I would,” Kuroda said. “Watch.”
He loaded one into a drone.
The drone flew toward the basement.
Hana saw it. “NO!”
Enma moved.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 88%*
He jumped off the roof. Caught the drone mid-air. Crushed it.
The syringe inside cracked. Black liquid on his hands.
It burned.
Enma landed hard. 89%.
Kuroda clapped. “90%. Almost there. One more push and you’ll be mine forever.”
Raijin landed next to him. Face bruised. Grinning.
“Boss is right. You’re almost there.”
Hoshiko landed on the other side.
Goro behind.
Yume floating.
The Blank in front.
All 5. Around him.
“Last chance, Null,” Raijin said. “Surrender, or we take you apart piece by piece.”
Enma looked at them. Then at Jin. Then at the camp.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 90%*
The red covered him completely. He looked like he was made of it.
“Third option,” Enma said.
And he attacked.
---
*THE FIGHT: 90%*
Time slowed.
Raijin’s sword came in. Enma caught the blade. Cut his hand. Didn’t care.
He broke the sword over his knee and drove the hilt into Raijin’s throat.
Hoshiko’s fans came from both sides. Enma moved between them. Grabbed her wrists.
Broke both of them.
Goro swung. Enma ducked under and hit his knee.
The joint exploded. Goro screamed.
The Blank thrust. Enma caught the spear and shoved it back.
Through the Blank’s shoulder.
Yume tried her psionic scream.
Enma screamed louder.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 92%*
The S-Class were down. Breathing. But down.
Enma stood in the middle of them. Shaking.
_“FINISH THEM,”_ the King said. _“THEN HIM.”_
Enma looked at Kuroda.
Kuroda was smiling. “Yes. Yes! This is perfect!”
He raised the mech’s cannon. Aimed at the camp.
“If I can’t have you,” Kuroda said, “no one can.”
He fired.
Enma moved.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 93%*
He was between the blast and the camp in an instant.
The plasma hit him.
It should have vaporized him.
Instead, the red flared and _ate_ it.
Enma was standing in the smoke. Burning. But standing.
Kuroda’s smile vanished. “Impossible.”
Enma looked at his hands. They were smoking.
93% to 90%.
He looked at Kuroda. “You’re done.”
He started walking toward the mech.
Kuroda panicked. “SOLDIERS! FIRE!”
200 guns fired.
Enma didn’t dodge. He walked through it.
Bullets bounced off the red.
He reached the mech. Grabbed its leg.
And pulled.
10 tons of metal screamed and toppled.
Kuroda was thrown from the cockpit.
He hit the ground and rolled.
Enma was on him in 1 second.
Hand around his throat.
93%.
“Kill me,” Kuroda choked. “Do it. Become the King.”
Enma’s hand tightened.
_“DO IT,”_ the King roared.
Enma looked at Jin. Jin was watching. Eyes red. Crying.
Enma let go.
90% to 80%.
“No,” Enma said. “I’m not you.”
He knocked Kuroda out.
---
*AFTER.*
Silence.
The S-Class were down.
The soldiers were retreating.
Kuroda was unconscious.
Enma was on his knees. 70%.
Aoi ran to him. “Enma. Enma talk to me.”
Enma looked at her. “Did... did we win?”
Aoi hugged him. “Yeah. We won.”
Jin crawled to him. “Brother. Your hands.”
Enma’s hands were burned from the black liquid. From the plasma.
“They’ll heal,” Enma said.
Yume was watching from the ground. She’d crawled to a sitting position.
“You didn’t kill us,” she whispered. “Why?”
Enma looked at her. “Because someone should.”
Yume closed her eyes. “The King won’t like that.”
Enma closed his eyes too.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 55%*
“Then the King can go to hell.”
---
*NIGHT.*
Camp was being rebuilt.
The S-Class were locked up. Except Yume. She was in medical. Comatose.
Kuroda was in chains. Awake. Watching.
Jin was sleeping. 40%. Stable.
Enma was on the roof. Alone.
Aoi climbed up. Sat next to him.
“You hit 93%,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“And you stopped.”
“Yeah.”
Aoi was quiet. “Kuroda was right about one thing. You’re not human anymore.”
Enma looked at her.
“You’re something else,” Aoi said. “Something better.”
Enma didn’t answer.
His wrist buzzed.
*UNKNOWN SIGNAL.*
He opened it.
Video.
Floor 90. Empty. Except one thing.
The bone throne.
And on it: *A SHADOW.* Sitting.
It turned its head. Looked at the camera.
Red eyes.
A voice, not Kuroda’s. Older. Deeper.
“Hello, Vessel. I’ve been waiting.”
The video cut.
Enma’s blood went cold.
*CRIMSON SYNC: 60%*
Aoi saw it too. “What was that?”
Enma stood. “I don’t know. But it’s not Kuroda.”
He looked at the Wall. 90 floors up.
“Chapter 14,” Enma said.
---
*TO BE CONTINUED*
- Writer
