Chapter 198: Aftermath
Nonetheless, he knew they couldn’t be far and turned around to keep chasing after them.
He wasn’t letting the people that put his friend’s life at risk escape.
While their fight was ongoing, the Oni were being overwhelmed in other parts of the island.
More operatives poured in, securing sections of the island.
Fox, bleeding from a deep gash on her arm, growled.
"We’re losing this fight. We need to fall back."
...
...
About thirty minutes later, the battle had ended and the island was secured.
The captured Oni members were rounded up and cuffed in reinforced suppression restraints to prevent their abilities from activating.
Some had already been transported away, but a few remained for immediate questioning.
Aleman stood at the edge of the clearing, watching as detectives and operatives combed through the wreckage, securing what was left of the Oni’s base.
Detective Wright approached while wiping sweat from his brow.
"Not bad work for a so-called lone wolf," he commented with a half-joking tone.
Aleman kept looking around for anything they might have missed.
Wright exhaled while following his gaze.
"This is exactly why I keep telling you we need a team of supers. Look at what we’re up against, Aleman. Oni is only one piece of a much bigger problem. And we got lucky this time."
Aleman didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, his gaze drifted across the battlefield, scanning the fallen, the wounded and the captives.
He had always operated alone.
But was that really sustainable?
Before he could reply, a commotion broke out near one of the holding cells that had been discovered on the island.
A young voice panicked.
"Get off me! I didn’t do anything!"
Aleman’s head snapped toward the disturbance.
Several officers were dragging a scrawny teenage boy out of a hidden containment cell.
The kid looked terrified as his thin frame trembled.
His clothes were ragged and his arms bruised.
However, when his fingers brushed against a metallic plate on the ground accidentally... another identical plate materialized beside it.
The officers froze.
Aleman’s eyes widened slightly.
"A replication ability."
The realization hit him immediately.
This kid was one of them.
An Enders Light player who had gained real-world supernatural abilities.
Just like him.
The officers tightened their grip on the kid, shaking him.
"What the hell was that?!" one of them barked.
The boy eyes darted in fear as he shrunk back.
"I-I don’t know! I just touched it! Please—"
A rough hand grabbed his collar.
"What have you done for the Oni?! Are you working with them?!"
"N-No! I swear, they just kept me here!"
The officers weren’t buying it.
"We saw what you just did. You’re one of them, aren’t you?!"
The kid flinched as one officer raised his baton, ready to strike.
And then—
A hand caught the baton mid-swing.
It was Aleman.
His grip was like steel.
"That’s enough," he voiced with a strong tone.
The officer gritted his teeth.
"Step aside, Aleman. This kid’s dangerous."
Aleman’s fingers tightened slightly, and for a moment, the officer flinched.
"He’s a scared kid, not a hardened criminal," Aleman stated.
Detective Wright stepped in, raising a hand.
"Stand down, all of you. Let Aleman handle this."
The officers reluctantly released the boy, though their glares remained.
Aleman knelt down and his helmet reflected the terrified boy’s face.
"What’s your name?"
The kid hesitated.
"R-Renji."
"How long have you been here, Renji?"
The boy swallowed hard.
"I-I don’t know. Weeks? A month? They—they took me after I logged out of Enders Light one night. The same night I consumed the fruit of Corruption. I—I thought it was a joke at first. But then they—"
He cut himself off, shaking his head violently.
"They made me do things."
Aleman remained patient.
"Like what?"
Renji’s breath shook.
"They made me replicate weapons. Armor. Rare items from the game. Stuff they said was worth millions."
Aleman’s stomach churned.
Of course.
The Oni had been using him as a factory.
"And did you ever fight for them?" Aleman asked.
Renji shook his head frantically.
"No! I swear, I—I never wanted to be here! They kept me locked up! Said I had no choice! Please, I’m not like them! I just want to go home!"
His voice cracked, and for the first time, Aleman saw genuine tears form in his eyes.
He was just a kid.
He wasn’t a soldier.
He was a prisoner.
And these damn officers were treating him like a criminal.
Aleman stood up, turning to Detective Wright.
"If you really want me to lead this team of supers, you’re going to make sure this kid is properly taken care of."
Wright raised a brow.
"He’s valuable, Aleman. And we can’t just let him loose without knowing the full extent of what he can do."
Aleman narrowed his eyes.
"I don’t care. If I’m doing this, we do it my way. That means no torture, no experiments, no treating him like some goddamn test subject."
The two men stared each other down.
Finally, Wright sighed.
"Fine. He’ll be placed in a safe facility. No harm will come to him. You have my word."
Aleman turned back to Renji.
"You’ll be okay now."
The kid’s eyes shimmered with hope for the first time.
"Thank you..." he whispered.
Aleman nodded once, then took a step back.
"Nobody hurts him on my watch. I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he isn’t used by the wrong ones anymore. Take him home," he commanded.
Renji was led away by gentler officers this time, ones that weren’t ready to beat him at the first sign of resistance.
Aleman watched him go.
Another victim of this insane world.
Another reason to fight.
Detective Wright smirked slightly beside him.
"You know, you might actually make a decent leader."
Aleman exhaled.
"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves."
But deep down, he knew—
He had already made his decision.
The war against Oni wasn’t over.
And this time, he wouldn’t fight alone.
...
...
The city lights blurred past as August’s Lamborghini raced down the streets with his engine roaring as he pushed the car to its absolute limits.
He was late.
The tournament had already begun.
If he didn’t log into Enders Light before the registration window closed, he’d lose his chance to compete.
Derrick was safe. That part was done.
But now?
Now, he needed to be in that tournament.
The tournament was only held once every few years in Enders Light. If he missed this, it would be a lost opportunity like no other.
His tires screeched as he swerved onto his street and barely parked before leaping out of the car.
No time.
He bolted up the stairs, flung his apartment door open, and dove into his gaming pod.
The moment he lay back, the system activated.
[ Logging into Enders Light... ]
His vision flickered to black.
---
At the Tournament Venue – The Azure Dominion
Far from Tagharium, in the prestigious Azure Dominion, the Grand Colosseum was a majestic, floating structure that towered over the kingdom.
The air buzzed with anticipation as banners flapped in the wind while thousands of players and NPCs gathered to witness the battles to come.
Inside, near the registration hall, Lilo, Boris, Ezran, and Gregarious stood together.
Their party of five was waiting for the sixth and final member—Aleman.
Next to them, Reiner, a heavily armored warrior with a cocky smirk, folded his arms.
"He’s not gonna make it," Reiner scoffed. "I say we find someone else before it’s too late."
Lilo shot him a sharp glare.
"Shut up, Reiner. He’ll make it."
Reiner rolled his eyes.
"Face reality, sweetheart. We’ve got less than two minutes before registration closes. He’s not here. Do you really wanna risk our slot for a guy who can’t even show up on time?"
Boris cracked his knuckles.
"Careful how you talk about Aleman."
Reiner smirked. "Or what? You’ll punch me? Big deal. It won’t change the fact that your golden boy is a no-show."
Ezran checked the holographic countdown timer above the entrance.
[ Tournament Registration Closing in 1 Minute 30 Seconds ]
His expression tightened.
"I hate to say it, but we need to decide now. If Aleman doesn’t make it in time, we’ll be disqualified."
Gregarious threw his hands in the air.
"I refuse to believe he won’t make it! He is Lord Aleman! He thrives in dramatic last-second entrances! Have faith, my friends!"
Reiner let out a mocking laugh.
"Faith? In what? A guy who ghosts his own team?"
Lilo’s fists clenched.
Boris was about five seconds away from decking him.
Ezran exhaled, preparing for the worst.
Then—
A golden pulse erupted in the air above them.
The crowd gasped.
A figure materialized from thin air, cloaked in a gust of wind and crackling with electric energy.
He landed in a crouch, causing a small shockwave from the impact.
When the dust settled, there stood Aleman.
His dark assassin cloak billowed behind him as his helmet reflected the stunned expressions around him.
"Told you he’d make it."
Lilo exhaled as Aleman walked towards them. "You dramatic asshole. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
Boris grinned while slapping Aleman’s back.
"Cutting it close there, man."
