Just days after the revelation of Ryu's newfound strength, a dire threat emerged—one so sudden and coordinated that even the continent's most prepared militaries found themselves scrambling.
> 100 Hyper Incriders.
Estimated classification: 6th Stage Beasts.
Origin: Unknown.
Behavior: Coordinated. Intelligent.
Intent: Destruction.
These weren't normal monsters.
They moved in unison. They targeted cities.
They even avoided unnecessary losses—suggesting strategy.
---
The Council's Decision
When news broke, panic swept across the Eastern Continent.
The Council of Seven gathered for an emergency summit.
> "Sending seven-stage elites would leave too many holes in our defense."
"Even one mistake could cost us thousands of lives…"
"What about him?"
All eyes turned to Ryu Arc.
A man with no formal energy. No internal flow.
But who had defeated Reina.
And nearly stood equal to seven 7th Stage elites.
They didn't understand his strength—but they could no longer deny it.
The order was given:
> "Send Ryu Arc."
---
Ryu's Quiet Resolve
Ryu didn't speak much when he received the mission.
He simply kissed his daughter Caline's forehead, nodded to Reina, and said,
> "I'll be back before sundown."
No armor. No sword.
Just cloth, boots, and bare hands.
---
The Battle Begins
The battlefield was an open wasteland, now covered with the decaying ruins of a village the Incriders had destroyed.
The moment Ryu arrived, they charged.
Monstrous, hulking beasts with reinforced chitin skin, blade-like arms, and energy cores embedded in their chests.
Any one of them could have taken down a battalion.
But Ryu didn't flinch.
> BOOM.
The first Incrider lunged.
Ryu sidestepped and crushed its skull with a clean elbow.
No flash. No technique. Just weight and timing.
> CRACK.
The second came from above. Ryu grabbed it mid-air and threw it into three others. Bones snapped on impact.
And then…
He moved faster.
He grew more precise.
Every motion—flawless.
Every strike—lethal.
He was a symphony of violence and purpose.
---
10 Minutes In
32 Incriders dead.
Ryu's hands bled. Not from wounds—his skin tore from how violently he crushed their reinforced skulls.
> "They're adapting," he murmured.
Indeed, some began using formations.
They blocked. They surrounded.
Ryu grinned.
> "Good."
---
30 Minutes Later
Only five remained.
They stood still, trembling. One turned to flee.
Ryu vanished—and reappeared behind it, his fist glowing faintly—not with energy, but sheer kinetic compression.
> "This is what raw power looks like."
He ended it.
The other four died soon after.
---
Aftermath
The mission was a success.
100 Hyper Incriders, all defeated by one man.
> "...without energy."
"Without technique."
"Without breaking."
When Ryu returned, the land was silent. His eyes calm.
But behind him, a new legend had begun.
---
Caline's Question
That night, Caline asked:
> "Papa… will monsters keep coming forever?"
Ryu knelt, placing a hand on her head.
> "Probably."
> "...But I'll keep standing until they stop."
To be continued...