THE BATTLEFIELD WAS A HELLSCAPE.
SHADOW CREATURES POURING OUT OF THE ABYSS GATE, HUNTERS FALLING ONE AFTER ANOTHER, SCREAMS ECHOING IN THE AIR.
RYUJIN STOOD STILL IN THE CENTER, HIS KATANA DRIPPING WITH BLACK BLOOD.
THE VOICE INSIDE HIS MIND GREW LOUDER.
"YOU CAN'T WIN LIKE THIS. EMBRACE ME… UNLEASH WHAT YOU TRULY ARE."
HIS FINGERS TREMBLED.
BLACK SMOKE SPIRALED AROUND HIM, MAKING THE CREATURES HESITATE FOR A MOMENT.
KAI SHOUTED FROM THE FRONT LINE.
"BRO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WE NEED YOU—"
BUT RYUJIN COULDN'T HEAR HIM ANYMORE.
THE UNLEASHING
WITH A DEEP BREATH, RYUJIN LET GO.
BOOM!
A SHOCKWAVE OF BLACK ENERGY ERUPTED FROM HIS BODY, THROWING CREATURES AND HUNTERS ALIKE BACKWARD.
HIS EYES TURNED PITCH BLACK, THE AIR AROUND HIM BURNING WITH DARK AURA.
"YESSS… NOW YOU ARE MINE."
RYUJIN VANISHED IN A BLUR, REAPPEARING BEHIND A SHADOW CREATURE.
HIS KATANA SLASHED—ONE HIT, TWO CREATURES DISSOLVED.
HIS SPEED WAS INHUMAN.
HIS POWER WAS… TERRIFYING.
BUT THE WAY HE MOVED
IT WASN'T RYUJIN ANYMORE.
THE HORROR
HUNTERS WATCHED IN SHOCK AS RYUJIN TORE THROUGH THE ENEMY LINES, LAUGHING SOFTLY—A DARK, EMPTY SOUND.
"HE'S… HE'S NOT STOPPING!" A HUNTER GASPED.
"IS HE EVEN ONE OF US ANYMORE?"
RYUJIN GRABBED A SHADOW CREATURE AND CRUSHED ITS HEAD WITH HIS BARE HANDS, BLACK BLOOD SPLATTERING EVERYWHERE.
KAI STUMBLED FORWARD.
"BRO! SNAP OUT OF IT! YOU'RE GONNA KILL YOURSELF!"
BUT RYUJIN DIDN'T REACT.
HE KEPT SLAUGHTERING, EACH MOVE MORE BRUTAL THAN THE LAST.
ARIANA INTERVENES
ARIANA RUSHED IN, LANDING IN FRONT OF RYUJIN JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO STRIKE AGAIN.
"RYUJIN! STOP!"
HE SWUNG HIS KATANA AT HER WITHOUT THINKING.
SHE BARELY BLOCKED IT WITH HER SPEAR, THE IMPACT SENDING HER FLYING BACK.
SHE COUGHED BLOOD BUT STOOD AGAIN.
"THIS ISN'T YOU! DON'T LET IT TAKE YOU!"
FOR A SPLIT SECOND, RYUJIN HESITATED.
THE BLACK SMOKE FLICKERED.
"KILL HER. SHE'S WEAK."
"NO!" ARIANA SCREAMED, THROWING HER SPEAR INTO THE GROUND.
"RYUJIN, YOU'RE STRONG ENOUGH ON YOUR OWN! YOU DON'T NEED THIS!"
THE CHOICE
RYUJIN'S HAND SHOOK, THE KATANA STILL RAISED.
MEMORIES FLASHED—HIS FAMILY'S DEATH, HIS VOW FOR REVENGE, AND NOW… KAI, ARIANA, THE GUILD.
HE CLOSED HIS EYES.
THE BLACK AURA VANISHED.
HIS KATANA DROPPED TO THE GROUND.
RYUJIN COLLAPSED TO HIS KNEES, BREATHING HEAVILY.
THE SHADOW CREATURES RETREATED BACK INTO THE ABYSS GATE, WHICH SEALED ITSELF SHUT WITH A PIERCING SHRIEK.
THE AFTERMATH
ARIANA RAN TO HIM AND HELD HIS SHOULDERS.
"ARE YOU… ARE YOU BACK?"
RYUJIN LOOKED AT HER WITH TIRED EYES.
"…I ALMOST LOST MYSELF."
ARIANA SQUEEZED HIS SHOULDER FIRMLY.
"YOU DIDN'T. THAT'S WHAT MATTERS."
BUT IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND, THE VOICE LAUGHED SOFTLY.
"NEXT TIME, RYUJIN… YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO RESIST ME."