The air in the chamber grew heavy.
A dark pressure seeped from Yami's body, filling the space with an overwhelming sense of dread.
The shapeshifter—Kira, or whatever she was—grinned. "Oh? You're pissed, aren't you?"
Yami's grip on his scythe tightened.
His blue eyes, usually sharp and focused, were now hollow.Cold.Empty.
Rei, still gripping his arm, felt a terrible chill crawl down her spine.
She had seen Yami fight before. She had seen him brutally tear through monsters.
But this…
This was different.
"…Yami?" she whispered.
He didn't react.
Didn't blink.
Didn't breathe.
Then—
He moved.
Faster than anyone could see.
A blur of black and silver, his scythe sliced through the air, aimed straight for Kira's throat.
CLANG!
At the last second, Kira swapped herself with a pile of bones in the corner. The scythe shattered them instantly, sending dust flying.
She reappeared a few feet away, still smirking. "Ooooh, that was close. You almost got me."
Yami didn't respond.
He simply turned.
And kept walking toward her.
Step.
Kira flicked her wrist—her Swap ability activated again.
A boulder appeared where she stood.
Yami didn't stop.
He simply swung his scythe through the boulder, cutting it in half.
Step.
Rachel's hands trembled as she clutched her staff. "W-We need to stop him…"
Lina was frozen. "No. We… can't."
She wasn't sure what was more terrifying.
The fact that Yami was ignoring every attack.
Or the fact that his power was acting on its own.
The symbols on the dungeon walls flickered. The air crackled.
Something dark was waking inside him.
Kira chuckled. "Wow. You're really serious about this."
Yami's breathing slowed.
Rei saw it.
Saw the madness in his eyes.
He wasn't thinking.
He wasn't planning.
He was just going to kill her.
No matter what.
"YAMI! STOP!" Rei shouted.
He didn't.
A low voice—not Kira's—whispered through the chamber.
"Yes… let it consume you…"
"Give in to the rage…"
"Embrace it."
And for the first time—
Kira's smirk wavered.