"You're starting to be a pain" - Enra
He struck first—no hesitation, no restraint. His shadows erupted outward like a collapsing storm, twisting into blades, claws, and shadows that shot from every direction. The air itself turned hostile, hissing with each strike.
Ryu barely slipped through the first barrage, electricity flaring in bursts as he zigzagged between attacks, searching for an opening. But Enra didn't give him one—every dodge only led to another onslaught, shadows cutting through the terrain with surgical precision.
Still, Ryu read the rhythm. Between each sweep of darkness, he saw the gaps—the faint blind spots where Enra's control faltered for a blink. Each time, he darted in, landing sharp, precise strikes that sent ripples of lightning through Enra's form.
But the difference was brutal. Where Ryu bled, Enra reformed. Each blow only made the yokai's grin widen, the wounds sealing into smoke before Ryu's eyes. He couldn't afford a single mistake; Enra could make a thousand and still stand.
It was a game of survival now—speed against power. And Ryu knew one thing for sure: if he stopped moving, even for a second, he'd vanish into that darkness forever.
"His guard's hella up, and I'm starting to get a headache from all this movement." - Ryu
"...I might have an idea" - Ryu
Ryu slipped through the darkness again, lightning flashing off his skin as he blurred behind Enra. He saw his opening—finally—and swung to strike.
But Enra was already turning.
The yokai's eyes flared as his arm twisted mid-spin, lancing straight for Ryu's chest. Ryu lunged back just in time, his hand missed by inches, slicing the air with a hiss of static.
He almost exhaled—almost—until he felt it.
That same shadowed arm snapped open, clawed fingers whipping forward and clamping around his leg.
"Oh shit!" - Ryu
THNK!
Ryu's eyes widened, panic hit before pain. Enra's grip tightened like steel, shadows snaking up his leg, and before he could spark a counter...
CRASH!
He was ripped from his footing, slammed into the dirt, and dragged across the ground like a ragdoll. Trees splintered as his body tore through them, bark and dust bursting into the air with each violent pull.
THUD! CRACK! SMASH!
Every impact rattled his bones, lightning sputtering out in broken bursts. Ryu twisted, trying to channel a surge through his leg, but Enra's grip only clamped harder—each movement crushing muscle, cutting off his focus.
The yokai didn't stop. He swung Ryu upward and hurled him into a cliffside, the impact shaking the whole forest. The ground trembled under the force.
He finally pinned him against a wall, Ryu gasped for breath, blood dripping down his chin, sparks still twitching under his skin—but Enra's arm only pulled tighter, dragging him up again.
"You're pleasingly annoying Ryu. Any last words?" - Enra
"Huff...huff" - Ryu breathing heavily
"And you're annoyingly pleasing..." - Ryu
Ryu grabs Enra's arm
"...Charge" - Ryu
The shadows immediately disperse into thin air and Enra gets tased back, "What the-" he says—he can't move, and in that moment, Ryu saw something, Enra's eyes fading back into Jin's—his idea worked.
"So that's it, huh" - Ryu