Inertia: Beneath The Starlit Veil Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Read chapter 7 of Inertia: Beneath The Starlit Veil by Ken Kaizen on NovelPedia.

Chapter 7 Ezra POV "Surround him," the leader of the group commanded. The men dispersed from behind him, forming a circle around me and preparing for a fight. I needed to get out of this situation fast. Cyrus was most likely surrounded by multiple experienced Star Seekers. While he might hold his own against one or two, an entire squad was far more than he could handle. I formed a solar staff in my hand and swung it in a wide arc, creating a brilliant wave of light that crashed into the two opponents to my left. However, their gear absorbed the energy I sent their way. "You see, we've done our research. How do you think we wiped out your clan? Of course, we figured out how to bridge the gap," the pale man said, chuckling confidently. "Well, this just makes things a little easier for me," I retorted, vanishing from my spot. I reappeared behind the two men who had absorbed my energy. Channeling my cosmic energy into my arms, I delivered palm strikes to both of them, shattering their armor and breaking their ribs. "Ah, I guess they're still fragile, huh?" I mocked their leader. The remaining squad members activated their various Fate Constellations, releasing bursts of cosmic energy. One man's fists transformed into red ethereal claws, and he dashed toward me, slashing the air with energy waves. While I dodged the slashes, his comrades attacked my flanks—one launched an ice spear, and the other hurled a javelin made of wind. I conjured two solar shields mid-air to deflect the projectiles, redirecting them toward their senders before landing back on the ground. "Has the Emperor of the Sun lost a step since his war days?" the leader taunted as he threw off his cloak, revealing his armor and broadsword. "Oh no, I'm just not about to kill misguided fools like you. Besides, you're not even worth me going all out," I replied. "Big talk for someone who couldn't save his clan," the man sneered as he lunged at me, swinging his sword in a vertical strike. I easily blocked the blow by reinforcing my forearm, then struck his sternum with a powerful palm thrust, sending him flying back. I immediately pursued, catching him mid-air and delivering an uppercut that launched him even higher. Deciding to send a message, I flew up to meet him again, rotating my body to deliver a devastating kick to his abdomen. His limp body plummeted to the ground, creating a crater upon impact. "We're done here, and you better hope nothing has happened to my son," I warned the two remaining men, who still stood on guard. "If you truly did your research, you'd know I'm far out of your league. You should have sent an army instead." "That may be true for you, Ezra," one of them said, "but what about your son? He might not have been so lucky. We sent another squad into the mountains as well." Hearing this, I wasted no time. Ignoring his words, I dashed forward and knocked both of them unconscious with quick chops to their necks. Then I sprinted like a madman toward our campsite. The fact that Cyrus had been able to send a second alert was promising—it meant he had at least survived the first wave. As I ran, I didn't bother with my surroundings. Trees and brush stood no chance as I barreled through them. The closer I got, the heavier the air became, thick with a bloodlust that dropped the temperature. "Hold on, Cyrus. I'm almost there," I thought desperately. When I finally reached the campsite, it looked like a war zone. Dismembered bodies lay scattered across the ground. One corpse had a gaping hole in its chest, while others were missing limbs. Three attackers still stood, surrounding my son. Cyrus was breathing heavily, his clothes tattered and his body covered in lacerations. He was almost completely drained of cosmic energy, but the rage in his eyes remained. He didn't look like my teenage son anymore. The expression on his face, coupled with the volatile energy radiating from him, revealed something else entirely—a glimpse of his untamed potential. I saw the emb