Location: Base of Broken Bell Canyon – Nightfall
Rain fell silently on black stone.
Ankit crouched beside a cracked ridge, wiping blood from his blade. His breath fogged the air—tired, uneven. Not from wounds, but from something deeper.
He stared into the mist curling from the canyon below. Something wasn't right.
The first ambush had been brutal. But clean.
This wasn't clean.
The air shimmered. The mist wasn't dispersing. The humidity shifted in unnatural waves. Sounds echoed wrong—distant footsteps looping, raindrops falling upward.
System Alert: Spiritual Disruption Detected
External Influence: Soulfield Tampering
Combat State: Inhibited Perception
Warning: Class-S Bounty Weapon Detected – Codename: Whispershade
Ankit's heart slowed.
His eyes narrowed.
"They're using illusion-based suppression now..."
He reached for his blade—
And froze.
Scene – The First Memory Twist
Before his eyes, the blade changed.
It wasn't his anymore.
It was rusted. Chipped. Bloodstained with his crew's names etched into the hilt—Makino, Benn, Shanks—each name slashed through.
"No."
He blinked—and it was gone.
But the panic it triggered? Real.
Mental Integrity Test Initiated – Soul Stability: 79%
"Get a grip," he muttered.
Then—laughter.
Soft. Feminine. Too close.
He turned.
And saw her.
The Whisperer Appears
Standing on the canyon edge, barefoot, hair like ink mist—the bounty psyker known only as Syrha.
Eyes covered with silver fabric. Mouth painted crimson. No visible weapons.
"Hello, fire child," she purred.
Ankit drew his blades. "You're with the Hollow Reeds."
"Only contracted. I don't share their hunger. I feed on... fear."
He lunged.
She vanished.
Then appeared behind him. No sound. No wind.
Only a whisper: "Do you fear what you could become?"
System Analysis – Psyker Threat Identified
Class-S Psyker "Syrha" – Specialty: Soul Thread Manipulation
Ability: Inserts false emotional feedback and constructs illusions drawn from core regrets
Effective Range: 30 meters
Weakness: Cannot lie—must base illusions on truths
Caution: Extended exposure may alter skill memory
The Flame Fractures
Slash!
Ankit struck her form—only for it to melt into fog.
A thousand whispers followed.
"I saw what you became in the mirror."
"You enjoyed the Stormwalker fight. You wanted to win alone."
"Makino fears you."
"Shanks doesn't trust your silence."
Each voice stabbed deeper than a blade.
Soul Stability Dropping – 68%... 60%...
Suddenly—
He saw Shanks, blade drawn, eyes burning.
"You're not one of us."
Then Makino, crying in a ruined town, whispering, "You brought the flame… but never stayed to warm us."
Then—
His own reflection.
Smiling.
Cruel.
Flashback – The Promise of No Power Without Struggle
Before joining Shanks, before the system—Ankit had been alone.
He remembered staring at the stars after transmigrating. A boy out of place, gifted a cheat he didn't ask for.
And he chose—
To never become strong too fast.
To earn it. Scar by scar. Swing by swing.
Now—
He felt that vow cracking under the weight of fear.
But then—
A single voice cut through the fog.
Makino's Real Voice – Over the Trans-Call
"Ankit," her voice buzzed over his earpiece.
Real.
Warm.
"Breathe. Anchor yourself. We're right here."
Soul Check Paused – Anchor Recognized
He exhaled slowly.
Then raised his blades.
And whispered, "You can fake my mind… but not my rhythm."
Final Clash – Real vs. Illusion
Syrha formed again behind him—her arms like smoke tendrils, aiming for his spine.
Ankit closed his eyes.
Felt the rhythm of the Broken Bell Bridge.
The wind.
The heartbeat.
The silence before the whispers.
Then—
Strike.
A low, sweeping twin slash carved her form apart.
The air screamed.
Mist shattered.
And for the first time, Syrha bled—black blood, evaporating as it hit the stone.
She staggered back.
"You... resisted Whispershade?"
Ankit walked toward her.
"You used my fear."
He raised his swords.
"But I've been afraid since the day I woke up in this world. And I walked anyway."
Whispershade Destroyed
His next strike wasn't wide.
Wasn't flashy.
Just perfect.
Precise.
A clean stab into the center of her mist-core.
Syrha gasped, clutching her chest.
"You're not a storm…"
"You're a—"
Fwoosh.
She vanished.
A burst of ash in the night.
System Panel – Victory Achieved
Elite Threat Eliminated: Class-S Psyker "Syrha"
Soul Stability Restored: 91%
New Trait Gained: Unbroken Mind (Passive)
Illusion Resistance +60%
Memory Interference Immune
New Passive: Willblade Manifestation – Emotion-based Precision Bonus Activated
Aftermath – The Fire Rises Again
Makino's voice returned.
"We're closing in. You okay?"
Ankit smirked. "Better than okay."
Benn chimed in. "Looks like the Hollow Reeds have blown two squads on you."
Shanks finally spoke.
"Then they'll send their best next."
Ankit looked down at his trembling hand—and then at his swords.
"I'm ready."
Scene – Cipher Pol Makes Its Move
Back in the Cipher Pol Vault, Director R.O.N. was briefed.
"Syrha failed. Interference collapsed at 23:48."
He frowned. "I see."
"And the boy's bounty rating… increased again."
The director sighed.
"Begin Phase C."
Final Scene – A Letter from the World Government
On Mariejois, a single sealed envelope was handed to the Five Elders.
Inside: An image of Ankit. Two swords raised. Mist shattered.
The note read:
"He will not break."
"He must be erased."