The ancient gate continued to tremble above Shanghai.
Its enormous stone frame stretched across the sky like the entrance to another world.
And standing upon that massive frame—
Renge Akihana.
He stared at the darkness beyond the gate.
Then—
FLASH!
A black aura appeared behind him.
Someone materialized.
Renge's eyes widened.
He slowly turned around.
A horned mask.
A dark coat.
And those two terrifying eyes.
The masked man smiled beneath his mask.
"How are you, my dear little brother?"
Renge froze.
"…You."
The masked man chuckled.
"Oh?"
His head tilted playfully.
"Did you get angry?"
Renge's expression hardened.
"You should know better than to show your face in front of me."
"Hmm…"
Renji looked around.
"You know, I don't think this is a good place for a family reunion."
He pointed toward the gigantic gate.
"We're both outcasts here."
He snapped his fingers.
FLASH!
Both brothers disappeared.
---
Above the Ancient Gate
They reappeared on the upper frame of the gigantic gate.
There was enough space for an entire battlefield.
Renge looked around.
"This is one of China's oldest historical sites."
Renji looked down.
"Pretty good place for a family argument."
Renge sighed.
"You haven't changed."
Renji laughed.
"And you have."
His smile disappeared.
"You became strong."
Renge's eyes narrowed.
Renji slowly raised his hand.
"Do you know why I hate you?"
"Because you think I'm responsible."
"You are."
The words echoed.
Renji's Eye of Laliguras activated.
"You were there."
Renge didn't answer.
"You were our youngest."
Renji's voice became colder.
"You should have awakened your power."
"You should have fought."
"You should have protected them."
Renge clenched his fists.
Renji continued.
"If you had shown even a little courage…"
"Our parents might still be alive."
Renge suddenly disappeared.
BOOM!
His fist stopped inches from Renji's face.
Renji had already moved.
"You're faster."
Renge turned.
"I'm not the same child anymore."
A beam of flower petals formed around Renge's arm.
WHOOOOOSH!
He fired it directly at Renji's chest.
Renji didn't dodge.
The attack struck.
BOOM!
Smoke covered the gate.
Renge stared.
Then—
A voice came from behind him.
"You still haven't learned."
Renge turned.
Renji stood completely unharmed.
He tapped his chest.
"My heart isn't always here."
Renge's expression changed.
"With these eyes, my body doesn't work like yours."
Renji's eyes rotated.
"Every thirty minutes, the position of my heart changes."
He smiled.
"And my eyes can read muscle tension, movement, blood flow…"
"Even the moment an attack is about to happen."
Renge looked at him.
"So that's what you've become."
Renji's expression became empty.
"And what have you become?"
---
The Brothers Clash
BOOOOOOM!
They collided.
Renge attacked with a barrage of flower blades.
Renji moved between them.
One.
Two.
Three.
Every attack missed by centimeters.
Renge suddenly changed direction.
A flower-shaped shockwave exploded behind Renji.
He jumped over it.
"Too predictable."
Renge appeared above him.
"Then try predicting this!"
A massive flower construct formed around his fist.
BAM!
Renji blocked with both arms.
The gate shook.
Stone fragments fell into the clouds below.
Renji smiled.
"That's more like it."
His Eye of Lotus opened.
Renge immediately stopped.
His surroundings changed.
For a moment—
everything became silent.
The gate disappeared.
The sky disappeared.
Renge found himself standing inside their old home.
Their parents were there.
Their childhood.
Their clan.
Renge looked around.
"…An illusion?"
Renji's voice echoed.
"No."
Renge's eyes sharpened.
"Manipulation."
He closed his eyes.
Then opened them again.
The illusion shattered.
Renji's expression changed.
"You can see through it now."
"I've had enough experience with your tricks."
Renji laughed.
"Good."
He rushed forward.
Renge met him head-on.
BOOM!
Their fists collided.
BOOM!
Another strike.
CRASH!
Another.
Their movements became faster and faster.
Flower petals filled the battlefield.
Black aura cut through them.
Two brothers.
Two different paths.
One past.
---
The Memory
For one brief moment, Renji saw something else.
A little Renge.
Running around the Akihana clan compound.
Renji carrying him on his back.
Their parents laughing.
Their clan's enormous residence.
The Akihana clan had once been feared throughout the martial arts world.
Not because they conquered others.
Because everyone knew what their bloodline could become.
Then came the attack.
The Alien Queen's invasion.
The world's powerful clans saw their opportunity.
And the Akihana clan was destroyed.
Renji remembered holding his little brother.
Running.
Running.
Trying to save him.
But everything disappeared.
Renji's eyes became cold again.
"I couldn't save them."
Renge stared at him.
"And you blamed me."
Renji didn't answer.
---
Meanwhile…
A loud voice echoed from above.
"HEY!"
Both brothers stopped.
Kaito Jin stood on another section of the enormous gate.
He looked at them.
"You two realize this is a summoning ritual, right?"
Neither brother answered.
Kaito pointed downward.
"There's a gigantic ancient gate underneath you."
Nothing.
"And something extremely dangerous is probably going to come out of it."
Silence.
Kaito sighed.
"Whatever."
He turned around.
"Continue."
He walked away.
"I don't even like talking to that guy."
Renge blinked.
Renji stared at Kaito's back.
"…Who was he talking about?"
Renge shrugged.
"No idea."
Kaito shouted from far away—
"I HEARD THAT!"
For the first time, both brothers almost laughed.
Then their eyes met again.
The humor vanished.
BOOM!
They charged each other.
---
Somewhere Below
The nine defeated Super Generals lay unconscious.
Then—
Footsteps.
The Alien Queen appeared.
She looked at them.
A smile slowly formed.
"So these were the legendary Ten Super Generals?"
She crouched beside one of them.
"Interesting."
She extracted a small genetic sample from each of the defeated warriors.
"One day, these abilities may be useful."
She stood.
"Thank you."
Her aura spread.
The unconscious warriors were lifted from the ground.
The Alien Queen looked toward the battlefield above.
"You served your world."
Her smile disappeared.
"But your world failed you."
A tremendous pressure descended.
The battlefield became silent.
When the aura disappeared—
the nine generals were gone.
No victory celebration.
No heroic ending.
Only silence.
Above them, the Alien Queen looked toward the enormous gate.
"Everything is proceeding exactly according to plan."
Her eyes glowed.
"And soon…"
She smiled.
"…the world will remember why this ritual was forbidden."
---
Above the gate—
Renge and Renji continued fighting.
Neither brother knew what had just happened below.
Neither knew how close the ancient gate was to opening.
And neither realized—
that something on the other side…
was already looking back at them.
TO BE CONTINUED.