Chapter 164 — The Ones Who Returned
Henry ran.
The sound of his own footsteps followed him through the ruined corridor.
Behind him—
Brook was unconscious.
Henry had managed to drag him away from the remains of the battle, but every step felt heavier than the last.
Brook's body should have been still.
It wasn't.
He groaned.
Low.
Painfully.
Henry looked back.
"Brook?"
No response.
Brook's eyes remained closed.
His body suddenly tightened.
Henry stopped.
A sound escaped Brook's throat.
A deeper groan.
Henry immediately dropped beside him.
"Brook. Hey."
Brook didn't wake.
Henry looked down.
Then froze.
A cut had appeared across Brook's arm.
Henry hadn't seen it before.
The wound was thin.
Fresh.
Blood slowly moved down his skin.
Henry stared.
"What?"
Another groan escaped Brook.
Then another cut appeared.
Across his shoulder.
Henry's face went pale.
"No."
The cut had not been caused by anything.
There was no attack.
Nothing near them.
But Brook's body continued to react.
Like something was happening inside him.
Henry grabbed his shoulder.
"Brook!"
Brook's face twisted.
His entire body shook.
A third cut slowly opened across his side.
Henry stared.
Then he moved.
He grabbed Brook and pulled him forward.
"We need the others."
Brook groaned again.
Henry began running.
"Shoyo!"
Henry's voice echoed through the underground ruins.
Nothing answered.
He kept moving.
Brook's weight slowed him down.
But Henry refused to leave him.
Not after everything.
"RICK!"
The ruins remained silent.
Henry turned another corner.
Then stopped.
Two figures stood ahead.
Rick immediately raised his weapon.
Shoyo stood beside him.
Henry almost collapsed.
"Henry?"
Rick's expression changed.
"Henry!"
Rick ran toward him.
Then saw Brook.
His face went pale.
"What happened?"
Henry lowered Brook carefully to the ground.
"I don't know."
Shoyo immediately dropped beside him.
Her expression changed.
Brook groaned.
Rick looked down.
"Is he conscious?"
"No."
Henry answered immediately.
"He hasn't woken up."
Brook's body tightened.
Another groan escaped him.
Then—
a fresh cut appeared across his chest.
Rick stumbled backward.
"What the hell?"
Henry looked toward Shoyo.
"Can you do something?"
Shoyo placed her hands above Brook.
Her eyes closed.
For several seconds—
nothing happened.
Then the air around her hands began to change.
A soft light formed.
The healing spell spread over Brook.
Henry watched.
"Come on."
Shoyo's expression tightened.
The light became stronger.
Brook's body reacted.
He groaned loudly.
Henry moved closer.
Shoyo kept her hands steady.
The wounds began closing.
Slowly.
Henry exhaled.
Then—
they opened again.
Henry froze.
The cuts returned.
The blood returned.
Shoyo's hands shook.
"No."
Rick looked at her.
"What?"
Shoyo pushed more energy into the spell.
The light spread across Brook's body.
The wounds closed.
For one second—
everything was still.
Then another cut appeared.
Shoyo pulled her hands away.
Her breathing was heavier.
Henry looked at her.
"What happened?"
Shoyo stared at Brook.
"My magic is healing the wounds."
Henry waited.
Shoyo's expression darkened.
"But something is creating them again."
Silence.
Brook groaned.
Henry looked down.
Another thin cut appeared near his neck.
Rick's face changed.
"We need Sera."
Shoyo immediately nodded.
Henry looked between them.
"Where is she?"
"We find her."
Rick answered.
Shoyo stood.
Henry moved to lift Brook.
Rick stopped him.
"Wait."
Henry looked at him.
"We'll carry him."
Henry shook his head.
"No."
Rick stared at him.
"Henry."
"No."
Henry looked down at Brook.
"He's not being left behind."
Shoyo placed a hand on Henry's shoulder.
"We're not asking you to leave him."
Henry looked at her.
"We're helping you carry him."
Henry's expression softened.
Then Brook groaned again.
The decision was made.
Rick moved to one side.
Henry stayed near Brook's upper body.
Shoyo moved beside them.
Together—
they lifted him.
And began moving.
The underground city felt different now.
Too quiet.
Henry watched Brook the entire time.
Every few minutes—
Brook groaned.
His body would tighten.
And another wound would appear.
Shoyo continued trying to heal him as they moved.
Small spells.
Anything to slow it down.
But each time—
the wounds returned.
Henry's face grew darker.
"Why isn't it working?"
Shoyo didn't answer.
Rick looked back.
"Maybe it's not a physical injury."
Henry looked at him.
"What else could it be?"
Rick didn't answer.
Brook groaned.
That was answer enough.
They moved faster.
Sera stopped.
Crowley nearly walked into her.
"What?"
Sera raised one hand.
Crowley went silent.
Footsteps.
Several.
Running toward them.
Crowley immediately raised his weapon.
Sera did the same.
The footsteps became louder.
Then—
"SERAAA!"
Sera's expression changed.
Henry.
She lowered her weapon.
Crowley looked around the corner.
Henry appeared first.
Rick was beside him.
Shoyo was behind them.
And between them—
Brook.
Sera froze.
"Brook."
Henry rushed toward her.
"Help him."
Sera didn't ask questions.
She immediately dropped to her knees beside Brook.
Crowley followed.
Sera looked over Brook's body.
The cuts.
The blood.
The way his face twisted even while unconscious.
"What happened?"
Henry shook his head.
"He fought."
Sera looked at him.
"What did he fight?"
Henry didn't answer.
Sera understood that something was wrong.
Something bigger.
But there wasn't time.
Brook groaned.
Another cut appeared.
Crowley stepped backward.
"What the hell?"
Sera placed her hands above Brook.
Her expression hardened.
"Shoyo tried."
Shoyo nodded.
"It wasn't enough."
Sera closed her eyes.
The air around her hands changed.
A healing spell began.
Different from Shoyo's.
Stronger.
The energy spread through Brook's body.
Everyone watched.
The cuts began closing.
The blood slowed.
Henry stepped closer.
"Is it working?"
Sera didn't answer.
Her focus remained on Brook.
The wounds continued closing.
One by one.
Henry finally allowed himself to breathe.
Then Brook groaned.
His entire body tightened.
A new cut appeared.
Sera's eyes opened.
The spell did not stop.
She pushed more power into it.
The cut closed.
Another appeared.
Then another.
Sera's expression changed.
Shoyo moved beside her.
"What is it?"
Sera shook her head.
"Something is wrong."
Henry looked at Brook.
"We know that."
Sera's eyes moved toward him.
"No."
Her voice was quiet.
"You don't understand."
Brook groaned.
The sound was worse this time.
Sera placed both hands firmly against his chest.
Her magic surged.
The cuts stopped appearing.
For one second.
Two.
Three.
Everyone remained silent.
Then Sera slowly pulled her hands away.
Henry looked down.
The wounds remained closed.
But Brook was still unconscious.
Henry whispered:
"Brook?"
Nothing.
Rick looked toward Sera.
"Did you heal him?"
Sera stared at Brook.
"No."
The word hit everyone.
Shoyo looked down.
"What do you mean?"
Sera's expression hardened.
"I stopped it."
Henry stared.
"Stopped what?"
Sera looked at Brook.
"I don't know."
Brook groaned.
Everyone froze.
But no new cut appeared.
Sera immediately placed her hands back over him.
Her healing magic remained around his body.
Holding something back.
Crowley looked toward the corridor.
"We can't stay here."
Sera nodded.
Henry looked down at Brook.
"What do we do?"
Sera looked at him.
"We move."
Henry shook his head.
"He can't walk."
"I know."
Sera's expression remained serious.
"But whatever is happening to him isn't finished."
Silence.
Rick looked around the underground ruins.
"We're all together now."
Crowley looked toward him.
"Are we?"
Rick looked at Brook.
Nobody answered.
Shoyo stepped forward.
"We need to get out."
Henry looked down at Brook.
His face twisted in pain.
Even unconscious—
he was suffering.
Henry reached down and took his hand.
"We're getting you out."
Brook didn't respond.
The group began moving.
Together.
For the first time since they had been separated.
Henry stayed beside Brook.
Shoyo and Sera continued their healing magic.
Rick and Crowley watched the corridors.
And beneath the silence of the underground city—
something inside Brook continued to move.
But for now—
he remained unconscious.
End of Chapter 164