The city was alive with tension. The rooftops trembled slightly under the sudden weight of multiple Awakened Circle members converging on Rayon. Each moved differently—some silent and precise, others aggressive and wild—but all carried the faint pulse of awakening energy.
Rayon adjusted his coat casually, hands in his pockets. Vorthalaxis shifted slightly, curling tighter around his arm, black markings glowing faintly. Erethon's voice whispered in his mind, sardonic and amused.
"Well… here's your fan club. You do enjoy chaos, don't you?"
Rayon smirked. "Of course. And they brought snacks."
The closest attacker lunged, a blur of movement that could have easily decapitated a normal man. Rayon barely moved, letting the Hollow Strings ripple subtly from his fingertips. The string wrapped around the attacker's leg mid-lunge, sending him tumbling backward, crashing into the rooftop edge.
"Cute," Rayon murmured, stepping forward. "Try harder."
Another figure leaped from a nearby building, glowing faintly with an aura of awakened energy. Rayon's smirk widened. He flicked a finger, sending multiple strings shooting upward. They latched onto the attacker's wrists and ankles simultaneously, binding him like a puppet in midair. Rayon tugged gently, spinning the figure around before letting go—the man crashed violently into a chimney.
Erethon: Ah… the sheer joy of watching them flail. Old you is terrifying.
Rayon ignored him, letting his smirk linger.
The remaining attackers hesitated, realizing their conventional strategies were useless. Rayon didn't wait. He moved like a shadow, steps silent, coat fluttering behind him. Hollow Strings lashed out with deadly precision—wrapping, snapping, constricting.
A trio of attackers tried to flank him. Rayon pivoted casually, letting the first two collide midair with each other before flicking his wrist. Strings shot upward, wrapping around their necks and suspending them from the rafters like grotesque ornaments.
The third leaped toward Rayon's chest. He tilted his head lazily and let the string curl around his hand, binding the attacker's arms mid-strike. With a subtle twist, Rayon yanked the man off the rooftop, dropping him silently into the alley below.
Vorthalaxis hissed faintly, sensing the exhilaration. "Master… their power is significant. They're strong enough to—"
Rayon's smirk cut him off. "I know. But not strong enough yet."
From within Rayon's mind, Erethon's voice was sharp, teasing, and strategic.
"The one with the scar—on the left rooftop. He's fast, unpredictable. Hollow Strings alone won't be enough."
Rayon tilted his head, smirk unwavering. "Then we'll have to improvise."
He moved, blending with the shadows. The scarred man leapt at him, blade drawn, aura glowing. Rayon sidestepped effortlessly, sending a string to wrap around the man's wrist, yanking him into a violent collision with a chimney stack. The impact reverberated across the rooftops.
Erethon: Good. Keep them guessing. Chaos suits you.
Rayon's smile widened. "Oh… I am just getting started."
The fight escalated. Hollow Strings twisted around chimneys, lamp posts, and rooftops, creating a deadly web of black threads. The attackers tried to coordinate, but Rayon moved with inhuman anticipation. Every movement was precise, every strike calculated, yet effortless—like watching death choreographed.
One attacker, larger than the rest, attempted a surprise assault from behind. Rayon, calm as ever, flicked a string that wrapped around the man's leg mid-step. The momentum flipped him onto the rooftop edge, and Rayon casually leaned down, flicking the string to pull him over the side. A dull thud echoed as the man disappeared into the shadows below.
Vorthalaxis coiled tighter, black scales glowing faintly. "Master… this is exhilarating."
Rayon grinned faintly. "Exhilarating, yes. But boring if they don't struggle."
One figure, the smallest of the group, froze mid-step. Rayon noticed, tilting his head. His smirk deepened.
"You're thinking too much," he whispered. Hollow Strings subtly wrapped around the figure's arms and legs, tugging gently but insistently. "Relax. Let me do the thinking for you."
The man struggled, aura flaring, but Rayon's strings constricted with invisible precision, guiding him effortlessly into submission. A faint snap echoed—a bone, perhaps, or just a precise shift in pressure—and the figure slumped unconscious.
Erethon: You're terrifying when you decide to have fun.
Rayon's smile didn't fade. "Fun is subjective."
The remaining attackers hesitated, fear flickering across their faces. They knew they were facing something beyond ordinary Awakened Circle members. Rayon's aura, calm and emotionless, radiated lethal precision. Every step he took carried a promise: resist, and you die.
With a subtle flick of his wrist, Hollow Strings shot outward, wrapping the last few attackers in one simultaneous, crushing web. The threads tightened, pulling them together, and Rayon's violet eyes glimmered with dark amusement.
"You know…" he said softly, "I usually kill people for fun. But tonight… I'm in a good mood. So… you get to live."
The attackers froze, eyes wide. Rayon released the strings, letting them collapse onto the rooftop, battered and terrified.
Erethon: What…? You let them live?
Rayon tilted his head lazily, smirk still faint. "Let them tell their friends. I like a bit of chaos."
Vorthalaxis hissed softly, seemingly amused. "Master… you're insane."
Rayon's grin widened. "And perfectly aware."
Above the city, another presence stirred—someone far stronger than the group Rayon just dismantled. Eyes glimmering with awareness, power rippling faintly, the new figure whispered to themselves:
"So… the Forest Ghost is awake. Interesting. Let's see how far he'll go before I meet him."
Rayon's smirk remained, hands in pockets, walking calmly through the streets below. Vorthalaxis coiled lazily, Erethon's presence hovering like a shadow.
"Good," Rayon said softly, violet eyes glinting. "They were taking forever ."
The city had no idea what was coming. And Rayon? He was just warming up.