The First Men Chronicles

Chapter 28 : The Guardian's Stand

The night sky stretched endlessly above the Hunter Association Research Headquarters, the once-quiet facility now teetering on the edge of destruction.

Huey turned to Draven, his golden pupils gleaming under the moonlight. "You should know by now, Draven… this is how The Ten do things when we're after something." His voice was calm, laced with amusement.

As he spoke, thick wooden roots burst from the ground, coiling around Draven's legs and lifting him high into the air. Huey himself rose effortlessly, stepping onto the wooden structure like it was a staircase leading to the heavens.

Down below, Quagmire tilted his head, his eyes following their movements. His posture remained slouched, lazy… but his gaze was razor-sharp.

Castle smirked. "You're looking at the wrong people, Guardian." He cracked his knuckles, his voice carrying a low chuckle. "I'm your opponent."

Quagmire exhaled, then shrugged. "Oh? That so?" His voice lacked any real interest, but his feet shifted slightly, sinking into the cracked pavement beneath him.

BOOM.

The ground beneath him exploded, sending spiderweb cracks tearing through the battlefield as an otherworldly surge of Shen erupted from his body.

At the same time, Castle unleashed his own Shen energy, and the two clashed in mid-air, sending a deep tremor through the entire facility.

Above them, Huey placed a hand on Draven's shoulder. The moment he did, Draven felt the crushing weight around them ease, as though a protective shield had wrapped around his body.

Huey grinned. "A neat trick, huh? Coating others with your Shen can prevent them from getting crushed under pressure." His voice dropped slightly. "It's a simple technique. But one you'll need to master soon, boy."

The intense pressure faded, but Quagmire and Castle remained locked in a silent stare-down.

Then, Quagmire raised his right hand.

"I'll end this quickly."

He muttered under his breath:

"Arrow Creation: Divine Piercer."

Immediately, four golden arrows materialized in the air, gleaming with radiant energy. With no delay, they shot forward, traveling faster than the eye could follow.

SHOOM!

The arrows streaked toward Castle and Roshi, cutting through the air with a piercing howl.

Castle didn't move.

The moment the arrows reached him, they phased straight through—as though passing through a ghost.

The arrows continued their trajectory, slamming into a distant section of the facility and—

KABOOM!

A massive explosion tore through the research building, fire and debris erupting into the sky.

Roshi, however, wasn't idle. As the remaining arrows veered toward him, he raised two fingers and whispered a single word.

"Panda Puppet."

A large, mechanical panda puppet materialized in front of him, its wooden frame coated in reinforced Shen.

BANG! BANG!

The arrows collided with the puppet, detonating on impact. A shockwave rippled through the battlefield, sending cracks tearing across the pavement.

Before the smoke could settle, Castle was gone.

Quagmire's sensory abilities immediately kicked in, feeling the shift in the air…

But there was nothing.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Huey chuckled. "Too bad, Guardian." He leaned closer to Draven, his voice dripping with amusement. "Castle's ability isn't something you can sense. Once he phases, even sensory Hunters can't track him. Not until he chooses to reappear."

Draven's fingers tightened. Another lesson. Another terrifying ability.

Just then—

BOOM!

Castle reappeared beneath Quagmire, phasing up through the ground, aiming a deadly strike at his midsection.

But Quagmire vanished.

Instead of dodging normally, his form flickered—an afterimage remaining in place for half a second before dispersing into thin air.

WHOOSH!

A sharp shift in the wind.

Castle's eyes darted sideways just in time to see Roshi move in, his hands hidden beneath his cloak.

From within the folds of his robe—

THREE tiny wooden dolls shot forward.

They zipped through the air with unnatural speed, rapidly closing in on Quagmire.

Roshi's fingers snapped.

"Explode."

KABOOOOOOOOOM!

The impact rattled the entire facility. A cloud of fire and dust engulfed the battlefield, swallowing everything in a violent storm of destruction.

For a moment, silence.

Then, as the smoke began to clear…

A silhouette stood at the center of the blast.

Unharmed.

Draven's eyes widened in disbelief. "He survived that?"

Huey simply grinned. "Surprised?"

Quagmire exhaled slowly, his entire body glowing with a faint golden aura.

He flexed his fingers. The Shen reinforcement coating his skin flickered, before settling back into place.

He looked at Roshi.

"Not bad," he admitted. "That explosion would've killed me if I hadn't reinforced myself."

His head tilted slightly.

"Guess I'll take this fight seriously now."