Crimson Rebellion

CHAPTER 11 — THE HIDDEN LEGACY

Darkness swallowed the abandoned station.

Ren stood beside Raiden, his fists clenched.

Kaito remained a few steps behind them.

The footsteps in the tunnel were getting closer.

Ren could hear his own heartbeat.

Then a voice echoed through the darkness.

“Raiden Kuro.”

Raiden immediately recognized the voice.

His expression hardened.

“Stay behind me, Ren.”

Ren looked at him.

“Who is that?”

Raiden didn't answer.

Instead, he raised his fists.

Kaito stepped beside him.

“They brought more people than I expected.”

Ren looked at Kaito.

“How many?”

Kaito listened carefully.

“At least twenty.”

Ren's eyes widened.

“Twenty?”

Kaito nodded.

“And they're not here to negotiate.”

A light suddenly appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Then another.

One by one, figures emerged from the darkness.

The Hollow.

They spread across the platform.

At the center stood a tall man wearing a black coat.

Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a mask.

His eyes immediately locked onto Ren.

“Ren.”

Ren stared at him.

“Who are you?”

The man smiled.

“My name is Akuma.”

Kaito's expression changed.

“Akuma…”

Raiden stepped forward.

“You shouldn't have come here.”

Akuma laughed.

“You still give orders as if this city belongs to you.”

Raiden's voice became colder.

“It doesn't belong to anyone.”

Akuma looked at Ren.

“Your father used to say the same thing.”

Ren's eyes narrowed.

“You knew my father?”

Akuma nodded.

“Better than Raiden did.”

Raiden immediately stepped between them.

“Don't listen to him.”

Ren looked at Raiden.

“Why?”

“Because he's trying to manipulate you.”

Akuma laughed.

“Manipulate him?”

He pointed toward Ren.

“I'm trying to give him what you stole from him.”

Ren's expression changed.

“What did he steal?”

Akuma looked at Raiden.

“Five years of his life.”

Ren turned toward Raiden.

Raiden remained silent.

Akuma continued.

“Your memories.”

Ren's heart dropped.

“You know how to restore them?”

Akuma smiled.

“I know where they were taken.”

Kaito stepped forward.

“That's enough.”

Akuma looked at him.

“Kaito.”

Kaito's fists tightened.

“You're not taking Ren.”

Akuma shook his head.

“No.”

He looked at Ren.

“Ren is going to choose.”

Ren frowned.

“Choose what?”

Akuma pointed toward Raiden.

“Him…”

Then toward himself.

“Or the truth.”

Ren looked between them.

Raiden spoke first.

“Don't make a decision here.”

Ren turned toward Raiden.

“Why?”

“Because you don't know what you're choosing.”

Ren's expression hardened.

“Then tell me.”

Raiden didn't answer.

Ren stepped closer.

“You keep telling me to trust you.”

Raiden looked at him.

“I do.”

“Then give me a reason.”

Raiden remained silent.

Ren shook his head.

“That's what I thought.”

Suddenly, Akuma raised his hand.

The Hollow members stepped forward.

Kaito immediately moved in front of Ren.

“Stay behind me.”

Ren shook his head.

“No.”

Kaito looked back.

“Ren—”

“I've spent too long being protected.”

Ren stepped forward.

“I can fight.”

Kaito studied him for a moment.

Then he smiled faintly.

“Your father used to say that.”

Ren looked at him.

“What did he say?”

Kaito's expression became serious.

“He said you were stubborn.”

Ren almost smiled.

“Sounds like me.”

Before Kaito could respond—

Akuma shouted:

“Take them.”

The Hollow attacked.

Kaito charged first.

He struck one attacker across the face.

Raiden moved in the opposite direction.

Two Hollow members attacked him simultaneously.

Raiden blocked one punch and countered with an elbow.

Ren found himself surrounded.

Three attackers moved toward him.

The first swung.

Ren dodged.

The second kicked.

Ren blocked.

The third grabbed him from behind.

Ren slammed his head backward.

The attacker released him.

Ren turned and punched him.

The man fell.

Ren looked at his hands.

He was getting faster.

Stronger.

But before he could react—

A Hollow member pulled a knife.

The blade rushed toward Ren.

Kaito intercepted it.

The knife cut across Kaito's arm.

“Kaito!”

Ren caught him before he fell.

Kaito looked at the wound.

“I'm fine.”

Blood ran down his arm.

Ren looked at the attacker.

His expression changed.

He charged.

Ren slammed his fist into the man's face.

The attacker crashed into the wall.

Ren stood over him.

“Don't touch him.”

Kaito stared at Ren.

For a moment, he saw someone else.

Ren's father.

Then the memory disappeared.

Across the station, Raiden was fighting Akuma.

The two exchanged blows.

Akuma blocked Raiden's punch.

“You've gotten slower.”

Raiden countered with a kick.

“You've gotten weaker.”

Akuma smiled.

“Still pretending you're the hero?”

Raiden's expression darkened.

“I never said I was.”

Akuma grabbed Raiden's collar.

“Then tell Ren the truth.”

Raiden broke free.

“You're wasting your time.”

Akuma stepped backward.

“No.”

He looked toward Ren.

“I'm giving him a chance.”

Akuma reached into his coat.

He pulled out a small metal case.

Ren noticed it immediately.

“What is that?”

Akuma held it up.

“This belonged to your father.”

Ren's eyes widened.

“My father?”

Akuma nodded.

“He left it behind before he disappeared.”

Raiden suddenly shouted:

“Ren, don't touch that!”

Ren looked at him.

“Why?”

Raiden's expression was tense.

“Because you don't know what's inside.”

Akuma smiled.

“Exactly.”

He tossed the case toward Ren.

Ren caught it.

The moment his fingers touched the metal—

A sharp pain exploded through his head.

Ren dropped to his knees.

Images flashed before his eyes.

A burning building.

His father.

Raiden.

Kaito.

A young Ren crying.

Then—

A locked room.

Someone standing behind his father.

Ren couldn't see the person's face.

But he heard a voice.

“You promised.”

His father answered:

“I changed my mind.”

The unknown person replied:

“Then your son dies with you.”

Ren's eyes snapped open.

He gasped.

Kaito rushed toward him.

“Ren!”

Ren looked up.

His breathing was heavy.

“I remembered something.”

Raiden immediately approached.

“What did you see?”

Ren stared at him.

“Someone threatened my father.”

Raiden froze.

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

Ren looked down at the metal case.

“But I heard them talking about me.”

Kaito looked at Raiden.

“This is bad.”

Raiden nodded.

Akuma smiled.

“Now you understand.”

Ren stood.

“Understand what?”

Akuma pointed toward the case.

“Your father didn't disappear because of the Hollow.”

He paused.

“He disappeared because he was trying to protect you from someone inside them.”

Ren's eyes widened.

“Someone inside the Hollow?”

Akuma nodded.

“And that person is still alive.”

Raiden's expression changed.

For the first time, Ren saw fear in his eyes.

Akuma looked at Raiden.

“You know exactly who I'm talking about.”

Raiden said nothing.

Akuma smiled.

“Don't worry.”

He turned toward the tunnel.

“Ren will find out soon enough.”

The Hollow members began retreating.

Kaito tried to follow.

Raiden grabbed his shoulder.

“Don't.”

Kaito looked at him.

“They're leaving.”

“I know.”

“Why aren't we stopping them?”

Raiden looked at Ren.

“Because we have something more important now.”

Ren held the metal case tightly.

“What?”

Raiden stared at the case.

“The truth.”

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:

Ren has recovered his first real memory from the night his father disappeared.

But the memory raises a terrifying question:

Who threatened Ren's father?

As Raiden examines the metal case, he discovers something hidden inside.

A photograph.

A name.

And a symbol that hasn't been seen in five years.

Then Ren asks Raiden the question he's been avoiding:

“Were you the one who betrayed my father?”

END OF CHAPTER 11

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