Chrono Genesis – Blood Layer 03: After the Fall
Dust still hung in the air from Red Viper's retreat.
Jin knelt at the edge of the shattered bridge, watching shards of glass fall into the red fog below.
"She was fast," he muttered.
Rei paced nearby, sharp-eyed and quiet. "She wasn't trying to kill you."
Jin looked up. "What?"
"She wanted to see your limit. She was gathering data."
Rei turned sharply, her blade out in an instant. "We need to move."
But before Jin could respond, a voice echoed from behind them.
"You've improved. Still reckless. Still predictable."
They both froze.
Jin turned slowly. A figure stepped from the mist, hood pulled back, calm and cold-eyed.
Ash.
He hadn't changed much. Same gaze, same posture. But there was something hollow in him now — a sharpness like glass behind his calm expression.
Jin's voice caught in his throat.
"…Ash?"
Ash gave a slight nod. "Hello, Jin."
---
FLASHBACK – 7 Years Ago
Novice League Finals – VR Arena: West Grid
Jin and Ash stood back-to-back, laughing, sweaty and triumphant.
"You cover the left," Jin said, eyes blazing.
Ash grinned. "You take the right. First to ten wins."
They were inseparable. Two orphans raised by digital tournaments and late-night practice runs.
Ash was the tactician. Jin, the brawler.
They made each other better.
Until one day… Ash disappeared. No goodbye. No message. Just gone.
---
Back to the Present
Jin stepped forward slowly. "I thought you were—"
"Dead?" Ash said simply. "Deleted? Left behind?"
He tilted his head. "I was offered something better."
Rei stepped between them. "He's one of them."
Ash didn't even look at her. His eyes never left Jin.
"I didn't come to fight you today," Ash said. "Not yet."
Jin's grip on his weapon tightened. "Then why are you here?"
Ash paused. Then he reached into his coat and tossed something toward Jin — a fractured memory shard.
Jin caught it instinctively.
"What is this?"
"A copy of your brother's last system echo."
Jin froze.
Ash continued. "I was there when he died, Jin."
Silence fell like a blade.
"I tried to stop him… but he locked me out and sealed the core behind him. That's how I got this."
Rei narrowed her eyes. "Why are you giving it to him?"
Ash turned to her, finally acknowledging her presence.
"Because I want him strong. When I kill him, I want it to be fair."
Then he looked back at Jin.
"You're not ready. Not yet. But soon."
He turned and walked into the mist without another word.
---
> System Message: Memory Shard Received – "Wei Liang Final Echo [Encrypted]"
Decryption: 12%... syncing with Blood Arsenal.
Jin stood frozen, fists clenched.
Rei stepped up beside him. "You knew him."
Jin didn't look at her. "He was my best friend."