RING BORN

Chapter 19 – Brother's Wrath

A cold breeze swept through the dark street surrounded by dense forests. Ren Ayashi walked cautiously, his fists clenched, eyes scanning every shadow. Haruna was missing, and he had spent hours searching for her. His heart pounded—who had taken her? Just then, a familiar voice echoed from the darkness.

"You finally found me, little brother."

Ren turned sharply, his eyes widening in shock. A figure stepped out of the shadows—his older brother, Ken Ayashi. The man he hadn't seen in years. The man who abandoned their family.

"You..." Ren's voice was low, almost trembling. "Why did you leave us?"

Ken scoffed. "You still don't get it, do you? Our so-called 'family' treated me like trash. You all looked down on me!"

"That's not true! We—"

"Shut up!" Ken's eyes flashed with fury. He raised his hand, and in an instant, a thousand clones of himself materialized around Ren, each one smirking with malicious intent.

"Do you think I care about 'family'? You mean nothing to me."

Before Ren could respond, the clones attacked. A barrage of fists rained down on him from all directions. Ren gritted his teeth, blocking some strikes while others landed hard against his body.

"Shit… too many of them!" he growled.

Ken laughed. "You're weak, just like the rest of them!"

But Ren refused to back down. He crouched low, his muscles tensing. His body suddenly morphed, his arms shifting as his Spider Ring activated. Long, sharp spider-like limbs sprouted from his back, gleaming under the moonlight.

"You talk too much, Ken."

With a powerful leap, Ren shot forward like a cannonball, spinning mid-air. His spider limbs extended, slicing through Ken's clones with ease. The air filled with the sound of crashing bodies as dozens of clones vanished into thin air.

Ken's smirk faded. "Tch. Not bad."

Ren landed gracefully, cracking his knuckles. "Your clone limit is one thousand, right? If I take them all out, you're done."

Ken narrowed his eyes. "Let's see you try."

More clones charged, surrounding Ren again. But this time, he didn't hold back. His fists became a blur as he threw rapid punches, each one shattering a clone instantly. Hook punches, knee strikes, and kicks—Ren was unstoppable. His movements were fluid, precise.

One hundred down.

Three hundred.

Seven hundred.

The battlefield turned into chaos, Ken's clones falling one by one. The real Ken watched in shock as Ren dismantled his entire army with sheer strength and speed.

"You little…!" Ken cursed, sweat forming on his forehead.

Before he could react, Ren vanished, appearing behind him in an instant.

"Got you."

A brutal uppercut sent Ken flying into the air. Ren jumped after him, spinning his body mid-air before delivering a crushing axe kick straight into Ken's back. The impact sent him crashing into the ground, creating a small crater.

Ken groaned, struggling to stand. Blood dripped from his mouth.

"Where is Haruna?" Ren demanded, his voice filled with rage.

Ken coughed, wiping his mouth. "I… I don't know…"

Ren's eyes darkened. "Liar!" He grabbed Ken by the collar, raising a fist.

"I swear!" Ken gasped. "I have nothing to do with this… The one who took Haruna wasn't me!"

Ren hesitated for a moment, scanning Ken's face. He was telling the truth.

With a frustrated sigh, Ren released him, letting Ken fall to the ground.

"If you really don't know, then stay out of my way," Ren muttered.

Ken struggled to his feet, clutching his ribs. He gritted his teeth, his pride shattered. "I'll defeat you one day, Ren. Be careful."

Ren didn't look back. "Then get stronger first."

With that, he walked away, disappearing into the night. The search for Haruna wasn't over yet. And now, a bigger mystery loomed—who had taken her?