The First Men Chronicles

######Chapter 16: The Forgotten God's Awakening

Sakamoto and Feng's team finally reached the mouth of an abandoned cave, its eerie presence almost tangible. The area reeked of death, with dead skulls scattered across the ground, some half-buried in the dirt. The old man leading them gestured at the cave.

"This," he began, his voice shaky but firm, "was the shrine of the Old God Imp, known as Jushin. It's been centuries since anyone dared speak its name or worship it. It was said to be powerful, but for all its strength, it was… worthless."

He turned to Sakamoto. "Its power served no purpose, so we abandoned it. The god withered in the cave, forgotten. It's nothing but a relic now."

Sakamoto's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp with anger. "A worthless god that takes my grandma and leaves me a damn letter?" His fists clenched as his frustration boiled over. "I don't care how 'forgotten' it is. I'm going in."

Without waiting for a response, he marched into the cave.

The group followed Sakamoto cautiously. The air inside the cave grew heavier with every step, and an unnatural silence pressed down on them. Feng, ever vigilant, felt a faint shock of energy ripple through the cave. It was subtle, like a whisper, but it made him uneasy.

"Did you feel that?" Feng asked Gong, the Sensory Hunter.

Gong shook his head, his brow furrowed. "No, nothing."

Feng's shoulders relaxed slightly, but his instincts told him to stay alert.

As they moved deeper, they reached a massive wall adorned with the carved image of an imp, its grotesque features frozen in a sinister grin. Below the carving lay a shrine of ancient materials: dried blood-encrusted cups, crumbling staffs, and human skulls.

Sakamoto stepped forward, his voice echoing in the hollow chamber. "Jushin! If you're the god who steals the souls of the old, then come out and face me!"

The silence lingered, broken only by the faint dripping of water from the cave's ceiling.

The old man sighed, his tone dismissive. "This place hasn't seen activity in centuries. I told you, there's nothing here."

Suddenly, a shockwave rippled through the cave. Feng's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he sensed something coming. "Everyone, get down!" he shouted.

The group ducked, but Sakamoto remained standing, unfazed. "Nothing's coming," he muttered. "This god's a—"

Before he could finish, the wall shattered. Bricks and debris flew in all directions as a colossal bird burst through the wall, its wings spread wide. The creature's piercing shriek echoed through the chamber, its claws sending razor-sharp cutting waves through the air.

Feng blurred forward, his Shen energy surging. "Shen Augmentation!" he roared. His energy solidified around his right arm, glowing a brilliant red as he positioned himself in front of Sakamoto.

The bird's attack collided with Feng's arm, creating a deafening BOOM as the energy split the air and exploded against the cave wall. Dust and rock rained down, but Feng held firm, repelling the attack.

The bird shrieked again, its massive form circling the chamber. It gathered dark energy in its mouth, the intensity of the power causing the air to vibrate.

Sakamoto muttered under his breath. "The Most Dark." His transformation overtook him, his mask forming as his axe materialized in his hand.

Feng glanced at Sakamoto, nodding. "We need to work together. I'll create an opening. You finish it off."

Sakamoto nodded silently, his eyes locked on the bird.

Feng leaped forward, landing gracefully as he activated his technique. "Chain Release: Chains of Liberation!"

From the ground, six glowing chains erupted, snaking through the air toward the bird. The bird dodged and weaved, avoiding the chains with incredible speed.

Feng smirked. "Avoidance is futile. As long as I can see you, these chains will follow."

The chains adjusted their trajectory, closing in on the bird. In response, the bird released its dark energy blast, the shockwave scattering the chains into pieces.

The impact shook the cave, a deafening explosion reverberating through the space.

Feng gritted his teeth, his chains regenerating almost instantly. This time, they moved faster, ensnaring the bird and slamming it to the ground.

Sakamoto didn't hesitate. He leaped high into the air, raising his axe. With a single, precise strike, he brought the weapon down on the bird's head, shattering it into pieces.

The colossal bird dissolved into a small, weak bird, its true form revealed.

Gong stepped forward, his voice thoughtful. "I get it now. The bird was possessed. When Sakamoto destroyed it, the spirit left its host. It's looking for another vessel."

Before anyone could react, the old man began to laugh. The once frail elder stood upright, his body rejuvenated. His skin glowed with unnatural energy, and his eyes burned with malice.

The ground beneath him cracked as he blurred forward, smashing Gong into the cave wall. Feng's chains lashed out instinctively, but the possessed old man dodged them with incredible speed.

Bones erupted from his hands, piercing into Cregan as he screams out loud in pain ,The possessed man rotated mid-air, delivering a powerful kick that broke Cregan's spine, sending him flying into wall of the cave.

Feng growled, his chains surging toward the man. But the spirit controlling him laughed mockingly. "Your chains won't catch me. This human body is weak, Cannot house me,but it's fast enough to escape you."

The spirit's eyes locked onto Sakamoto. "But you your taste… your body is fresh. It's perfect."

The air tore as the spirit blurred forward, aiming to grab Sakamoto's face.

For the first time, Sakamoto's transformation dispelled on its own, the dark energy fading as the spirit closed in. Just before it could grab him, Feng's chains coiled around Sakamoto's legs and yanked him out of harm's way.

The spirit snarled, landing heavily on the ground. It turned to Feng, a malicious grin spreading across its face. "This boy… I want him even more now."

Back in the city, Mori lay unconscious in the hospital as Medic Hunters worked to heal him.

"He's lucky," one medic said, running their hands over his injuries. "Nothing permanent. He'll recover fully."

Another medic sighed. "Tito really did a number on him, though. Those Shen spikes hit deep."

The door opened, and Thomas stepped inside. The medics immediately bowed in respect.

"How's he doing?" Thomas asked.

"He'll be fine," one medic replied. "The injuries aren't too severe, and the treatment is going smoothly. He's just unconscious for now."

Thomas nodded, placing a hand on Mori's shoulder. "Good. I'll be watching his progress closely."

The Arena

Back in the stadium, the crowd erupted as the commentator called out the next match.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next fighters are ready to go! The board has spoken—Vincent vs. Kong!"

The screen lit up with the names, and the crowd roared in anticipation as the two fighters stepped into the ring.