Solflare: The Painter's Secret

The angry, waving sea crashed against the dry land and sent droplets splashing on Leon’s back.

Leaves drifted through the air and landed softly on the tips of the blue gown the lady kneeling before Leon wore.

Tears streaked her face as she lifted her head and locked eyes with the darkness in Leon’s eyes. "Master... it’s me... Min-seo."

Leon’s dual heart throbbed hard against his ribs. Memories surged, pulling him back to the days Min-seo helped his mother and sister while Min-ji only chased his favor. The blade of the Hi-no-Kami trembled in his grip until he silenced the Destroyer in his inner world.

A concussive mixture of gold, red, blue, grey, and black erupted through the trees behind Min-seo, shredding them into countless pieces when Leon lowered his sword.

The pillars holding the highway over the ocean trembled. Leon turned, his focus sharpening on the cunning laughter that carried the weight of Vera’s tone. He glared at the black cloud slowly driving the grey clouds off the blue sky.

’Jade!’ He screamed the name in his mind and lunged toward the bridge.

He flew past the two speedboats that had stopped nearby, and the two ladies on them blasted apart. Fish swarmed toward the raining human flesh and blood that dripped into the ocean like rain, while trails of red coated the speedboats.

Crows cried over the blood-coated wreckage as they swirled around the boats like bees.

Some of the Thule citizens turned their gazes to the blue-gowned lady still kneeling in the dirt, crying while pressing her palms hard against her shoulder. Their souls left their bodies at the sight.

"What the f*ck happened to those two ladies who were just on the speedboats?"

"The world is at its end." A brown-haired lady with a faint mark on her cheeks screamed and scrambled back into her BMW. "I have to go back to my family and make sure they forgive me for everything I have done to them before this rising death reaches them."

Smoke choked the highway as she drove through the jammed road, hitting other vehicles and making her way out.

As she descended the highway, the new CNN crew arrived in their news broadcaster’s vehicle.

A lady with blue hair and a black jacket stepped down, adjusting her outfit. She took a microphone, signaling her crew to roll the camera.

"Lovely citizens of Thule." She flashed a practiced smile at the camera. "We are now live at the Bastion City Highway."

The cameraman panned across the dark clouds, the blood-coated speedboat now a refuge for crows, and the torn body parts bobbing in the waving ocean.

The news reporter walked toward the pedestrian walkway and gestured for the cameramen to follow as she spotted the blue-gowned lady.

...

The skies above the Baek Estate trembled with colorful and devilish lightning when Leon appeared like a fighter jet.

Leaves and tiny tree branches turned to ash where he touched the ground.

The black cloth wrapped around his neck flared like flames when he fixed his eyes on the Baek entrance, where countless soldiers stood in formation.

Some wore black military outfits, while others were lords from all sects of the Seol-Mujin.

Gyeong looked at the microphone on his collar and smiled. "He’s here."

"Let them discipline him before he comes."

"Okay, Master." Gyeong looked up from the microphone and nodded at the soldiers. "Give him what he deserves."

Screams tore through the air as the military-clothed soldiers charged forward. Gravel and loose stone uprooted from the ground, bouncing as fifty men slammed their boots hard on the floor.

Gyeong stayed back, moving to stand behind the thirty Skywarden Lords.

...

’All of you are not why I came here.’ Leon closed his eyes as the warm air around him spiked. ’But I cannot let you touch me.’

He cracked his eyes open and every flying insect stopped. The translucent panel of his biological system resurfaced.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Wither Activated.

Time fracture Activated.

Collapse time: 3 seconds.

Sparks flew around the Hi-no-Kami blade as Leon drew it from his back. Grey lightning waved around the blades of the drift shield as it turned into its war disc state.

Clean cut lines lingered at every soldier the Hi-no-Kami flew past. They stood frozen, eyes rolling in their sockets as time began to depreciate.

He stopped by the last soldier, a boy with the face of a fifteen-year-old, and the panel reappeared.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Time Fracture Deactivated.

The bodies of the soldiers behind Leon stood frozen for a moment while chilled air rattled through their bones.

Ryn, the young soldier, collapsed and crawled backward, staring at the black glow burning in Leon’s eyes.

Blood-vein lines crawled up in Gyeong’s eyes when he saw Leon walking closer to the entrance while the other forty-nine remained standing like statues. "What are you all doing? Move and kill him!"

He gulped when two soldiers turned and locked eyes with him. ’What did he do to them?’

Boots clicked rhythmically as Gyeong retreated, his legs moving against his will.

Tears dripped from the eyes of the two soldiers as clean-cut lines began to appear on their bodies. The tears turned to blood when the first soldier to turn had parts of him sliding down in batches like an arranged puzzle.

"I’m sorry, Ryn." Reo, Ryn’s older brother, spoke in a dying voice, then closed his eyes. He and the other forty-eight soldiers fell to the ground one after another.

Two Skywardens dashed forward to face Leon but were instantly devoured by the spinning war disc and its sparks of grey lightning.

A wave of dark-blue glow plummeted as Gyeong stumbled on Lord Hayes’ foot.

"Where are you going?" Hayes’ eyes burned with anger, but a wide smile stretched on his face. He pushed Gyeong aside and moved toward the front with his hands placed inside the pockets of his blue robe.

The front section of the Skywardens stood frozen with fear as Hayes looked from Leon to them. ’Weaklings called to become guards. What a pity.’

Hayes spat on the ground and relaxed his shoulders when Leon dismantled the three Skywardens he had pushed forward to fight.