KUROGANE ENMA:CRIMSON SYNC

THE THRONE

The video was still playing in Enma’s head.

Bone throne.

Red eyes.

“Hello, Vessel. I’ve been waiting.”

*CRIMSON SYNC: 62%*

He couldn’t sleep.

Aoi was next to him on the roof. She hadn’t slept either.

“That wasn’t Kuroda,” she said. Quiet.

“No,” Enma said.

“Then who?”

Enma didn’t answer. He was looking at the Wall. 90 floors. Dark.

“Tomorrow,” Enma said. “We go back in.”

Aoi sat up. “What?”

“We go to Floor 90,” Enma said. “Now. Before it comes to us.”

Aoi stared. “Enma. You just fought an army. You’re at 60%. Jin is at 40%. The S-Class are—”

“Locked up,” Enma finished. “I know. That’s why we go now.”

Aoi sighed. “Fine. But we’re not doing this stupid. We bring everyone.”

---

*DAWN. 0600.*

The camp was moving.

Hana. Varn. 6 kids who could fight. Aoi.

Jin was awake. 41%. Weak but standing.

Kuroda was in chains in the back of a truck. Gagged.

No one trusted him.

The plan: Get to Floor 90. Find out what’s on the throne. Get out.

Simple.

It wasn’t going to be simple.

---

*THE WALL. SERVICE ENTRANCE.*

No drones. No guards.

Too quiet.

Enma stepped in first. 55%.

The elevator was waiting. Doors open.

Inside: blood. Old. And a note.

*“COME UP. -K”*

Aoi picked it up. “K? Kuroda?”

Enma shook his head. “No. The other one.”

They got in.

Floor 89. Empty.

Floor 88. Empty.

Floor 87. Empty.

Floor 50. The labs.

All the tables were clean. No straps. No machines.

Like someone packed up overnight.

Floor 44. Jin’s cell.

The bed was made. With flowers on it.

Jin stopped. “Who...”

“Keep moving,” Enma said. 60%.

Floor 40. The bullet holes were patched.

Floor 30. Clean.

Floor 20. Clean.

Floor 11.

The room where the syringe broke.

The table was gone.

On the floor: a circle. Drawn in black. And inside it: *ASH.*

Aoi knelt. “This is Sync ash. When someone hits 100% and burns out.”

Enma looked at it. “Who?”

No answer.

Floor 90.

The doors opened.

---

*FLOOR 90: THE THRONE ROOM*

It was different.

Before: white. Sterile. Pit in the center.

Now: Red. Candles. Thousands of them.

The pit was filled with water. Black water.

And in the center, on the bone throne: *A MAN.*

Old. 60s. Long white hair. Robes made of red cloth.

His eyes were closed.

Around him: chains. Empty.

Around the room: 100 bodies. Lined up. All D-Class. All dead. Eyes open.

Enma stepped in. 65%.

The man didn’t move.

Aoi whispered. “That’s... that’s not possible.”

“Who is it?” Jin asked.

“The First King,” Aoi said. “He died 200 years ago.”

The man opened his eyes.

Red.

“Hello, Vessel,” he said. Same voice from the video. “I’ve been waiting.”

*CRIMSON SYNC: 70%*

_“BOW,”_ the King whispered. _“THAT IS YOUR GOD.”_

Enma didn’t bow. “You’re dead.”

The First King smiled. “Am I?”

He stood. The bones of the throne creaked.

“I’m what’s left,” he said. “When Kuroda injected your brother, he woke me up.”

He looked at Jin. “Hello, little spark.”

Jin took a step back. “Don’t call me that.”

The First King laughed. “Feisty. Good. You’ll need it.”

He walked to the edge of the water. “Kuroda thought he could control the Sync. i***t. The Sync controls _you_.”

He looked at Enma. “But you. You’re different. 93% and you stopped. No one’s done that.”

Enma didn’t answer.

The First King snapped his fingers.

The 100 bodies sat up.

All at once.

All of them had red eyes. 10%. 20%.

“Zombies?” Hana asked.

“Vessels,” the First King said. “Failed ones. I’m keeping them warm.”

The bodies stood. In unison. And walked toward Enma.

Enma moved.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 75%*

He didn’t kill them. He knocked them out. One by one.

When it was done, 100 bodies were on the ground. Breathing.

The First King clapped. “Beautiful. Restraint. I like that.”

He walked to Jin.

Aoi stepped in front. Sword out.

The First King didn’t even look at her. He just raised a hand.

Aoi flew back and hit the wall.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 80%*

Enma was in front of him in a second.

“Don’t touch him.”

The First King looked at Enma’s hand around his throat.

“Strong,” he said. “But not strong enough.”

He touched Enma’s forehead.

The world went white.

---

*INSIDE.*

Not the throne room.

A desert. Red sky. Two suns.

And on a throne: *THE FIRST KING.* Younger. 30s. Armor made of bone.

Next to him: *A BOY.* 10 years old. Chained.

Enma.

Young Enma.

The First King looked at him. “You remember this?”

Young Enma was crying. “Please. I don’t want to—”

“Shut up,” the First King said. “You’re going to be a King. Whether you like it or not.”

He held up a knife. “Rule 1: Kill, or be killed.”

He cut the boy’s palm.

Blood dripped into a bowl.

“Rule 2: The Sync is all that matters.”

He made young Enma drink it.

Young Enma screamed.

Present Enma was watching. 85%.

“That’s not me,” Enma said.

“Isn’t it?” the First King said. “That’s where you came from. F-Block. The experiments. The first dose.”

Enma’s head hurt. “No.”

“Yes,” the First King said. “Kuroda found you in the wastes. 5 years old. Already had traces. I put them there.”

He leaned in. “I’ve been waiting 200 years for a body that wouldn’t break. You’re it.”

*CRIMSON SYNC: 88%*

The desert cracked.

Enma grabbed the First King’s throat. “Get. Out. Of. My. Head.”

He was back in the throne room.

He was holding the First King by the throat. 90%.

The First King was smiling. “Good. Angry. Use it.”

Enma threw him.

The First King hit the water. Didn’t sink.

He walked on it.

“Impressive,” the First King said. “But you’re missing something.”

He pointed at Jin.

Jin was on his knees. 50%.

The red lines were moving fast.

“The black blood,” the First King said. “It’s mine. And it wants to come home.”

Jin screamed.

His back arched. The lines went to his eyes.

*CRIMSON SYNC: Jin 65%*

“JIN!” Enma ran to him.

The First King was there first.

He put a hand on Jin’s chest.

Jin’s eyes went wide. “Brother... it’s pulling...”

Enma hit the First King.

90% to 92%.

The First King flew back and hit the wall.

He got up laughing. “Yes! That’s it!”

He pointed at the water.

The water rose. Made a shape. A giant. Made of black.

“Meet my son,” the First King said. “The Wall’s true defense.”

The water giant roared.

---

*THE FIGHT.*

Enma didn’t think.

He grabbed Jin and threw him to Aoi.

“Get him out!”

Aoi caught Jin. “We can’t—”

“GO!”

Enma turned to the giant.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 93%*

The giant swung. Enma dodged.

Hit it in the chest. Water splashed.

It reformed.

_“IT DOESN’T DIE,”_ the King said. _“YOU HAVE TO KILL THE SOURCE.”_

Enma looked at the First King.

The First King was standing on the water, arms open.

“Come on, Vessel! Show me 100%!”

Enma ran.

The giant tried to grab him. He tore through it.

He was in front of the First King in 2 seconds.

Fist to face.

The First King caught it. “Too slow.”

He hit Enma in the stomach.

Enma coughed blood. 94%.

They traded blows. Fast.

The First King was good. 200 years of practice.

But Enma had something he didn’t.

People to lose.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 95%*

Enma grabbed the First King and drove him into the ground.

The floor cracked.

The First King spat blood. “You’re almost there. 5% more.”

Enma was shaking.

The King was screaming. _“KILL HIM. TAKE HIS POWER.”_

Enma looked at Jin. Jin was watching. 68%. Crying.

Enma let go.

95% to 90%.

“No,” Enma said. “I’m not you.”

The First King’s smile faded. “Fool.”

He snapped his fingers.

The water giant grabbed Enma.

Squeezed.

Ribs cracked. 91%.

Enma couldn’t breathe.

The First King walked to him. “Last chance. Join me, or I take your brother.”

He pointed at Jin.

Jin was being dragged toward the water by two of the Vessel bodies.

“No!” Enma tried to move. Couldn’t.

The First King knelt. “You had potential.”

He raised a hand.

Above him: the ceiling cracked.

Light poured in.

And through the hole: *FIGURES.*

10 of them.

All wearing red. All with Sync at 80%+.

The S-Class from 200 years ago.

“The real S-Class,” the First King said. “My generals.”

They dropped down.

One of them grabbed Jin.

Jin screamed.

Enma roared.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 96%... 97%...*

The water giant exploded.

Enma was standing. Bleeding. Burning.

He looked at the 10 generals. At the First King. At Jin.

_“NOW,”_ the King said. _“NOW OR NEVER.”_

Enma closed his eyes.

He thought of F-Block.

He thought of the 100 people.

He thought of Jin’s face.

He opened his eyes.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 98%*

The room went silent.

Even the First King stopped smiling.

Enma took a step forward.

The floor melted under his feet.

“Let. My. Brother. Go.”

The general holding Jin hesitated.

The First King nodded. “Kill him.”

All 10 charged.

Enma moved.

---

*WHAT HAPPENED NEXT*

No one could describe it later.

There was red.

There was sound.

There was pain.

When it was over:

9 generals were down.

1 was running.

The First King was on his knees.

And Enma was standing over Jin.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 99%*

One percent from 100.

Enma was looking at his hands. They were translucent. Made of red light.

Jin was touching his face. “Brother? Brother, come back.”

Enma looked at him. “Jin?”

His voice was barely his.

The First King was laughing. Crying. “Yes! YES! 99%! DO IT! HIT 100%!”

Enma looked at him.

Then at Jin.

Then he did the impossible.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 99% to 50%*

The red vanished.

Enma collapsed.

---

*AFTER.*

Silence.

The First King was staring. “No. No no no. You were so close.”

Enma was on the ground. Breathing. Human.

Aoi was holding Jin. Both of them crying.

The remaining general ran.

The First King stood. “This isn’t over, Vessel. You’ll come back. And next time, you won’t stop.”

He snapped his fingers.

The water drained.

The candles blew out.

And he was gone.

Just gone.

Leaving the 100 bodies. Leaving Kuroda in chains. Leaving silence.

---

*1 HOUR LATER.*

They were back at camp.

Enma was in bed. 20%.

Jin was next to him. 35%. Sleeping.

Aoi was sitting on the floor. Staring at nothing.

Hana came in. “The S-Class are gone. They broke out when the fight started.”

Aoi nodded.

No one spoke.

Finally, Enma whispered. “Aoi.”

Aoi looked up. “Yeah?”

“The First King said... he made me.”

Aoi didn’t answer.

Enma closed his eyes. “Did you know?”

Aoi was quiet for a long time. “...Yes.”

Enma didn’t open his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wouldn’t have mattered,” Aoi said. “You’re still you.”

Enma nodded. Slowly.

Outside: sirens.

Scout ran in. “They’re back! The Wall! Full army!”

Aoi stood. “How many?”

“All of them,” the scout said. “And the mech. And the S-Class.”

Aoi looked at Enma.

Enma sat up. 25%.

“Let them come,” Enma said.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 30%*

Jin woke up. “What’s happening?”

Enma took his hand. “War.”

He stood.

“The First King is back,” Enma said. “And he wants me.”

He looked at everyone. 20 kids. Hana. Varn. Aoi.

“Are you with me?”

Everyone stood.

“Yes,” Aoi said.

“Yes,” Hana said.

“Yes,” Jin said.

Enma walked to the door.

Outside: the Wall’s army. 1000 soldiers. The mech. The S-Class.

And in the sky: a red light.

The First King’s doing.

Enma stepped out.

*CRIMSON SYNC: 40%*

“Let’s finish this,” Enma said.

*TO BE CONTINUED*