Blackthrone moved through the dimly lit hallway, his footsteps echoing with a slow, deliberate rhythm. Shadows flickered across the cracked walls, their chaotic shapes matching the turmoil inside his mind. He had easily disposed of a few Poachers, snuffing them out like insects, but even that hadn't relieved the tension clawing at his insides. The kills had been... meaningless, no thrill, no satisfaction. His thoughts twisted, sharpening his irritation into a knife's edge.
He clenched his jaw behind the mask, feeling the hard press of his teeth grinding together. He'd spent years in this wasteland of a world, clawing his way to power, ensuring every move he made led to a greater purpose. He'd crafted alliances, broken them, shattered lives and what not.
And yet, that wretched bitch, Tanuki, with her pathetic and misguided sense of purpose, had reached it first—Soul Resonance. That elusive threshold he'd never managed to cross, despite everything he'd done, everything he'd sacrificed.
His irritation was like a raw wound that pulsed with each step, fueled by a jealousy he hated to admit. Tanuki, of all people. She was meant to be a pawn in the grand scheme, a tool for him and the Manager to manipulate, to sacrifice when the time came.
The spikes would detonate, and her blood would be the final tribute in this grand spectacle to rid them of the Poachers, and yet… that same pawn had tapped into something beyond his reach. 'How could she, of all people, break into Soul Resonance?' The question lingered in his mind, taunting him with every step, gnawing at his composure.
His grip tightened around his weapon, knuckles white beneath his gloves, frustration burning hotter by the second.
Blackthrone moved swiftly through the winding corridors, his pace increasing as he neared the spike location, that hidden trap waiting like a silent sentinel. His most trusted subordinates followed at a close distance, eyes alert, feet soundless against the concrete floor.
They'd already slipped past the battlefield's blood-soaked chaos, every skirmish and scream fading behind them like the remnants of an old nightmare. Soon, this place would be an empty husk—a graveyard for the Poachers who dared step into this domain.
A thrill surged through him, a cold rush that sent a shiver down his spine. This was the plan he and the Manager had crafted in meticulous detail, a plan that would end the reign of the Poachers once and for all.
Once the spikes detonated, their forces would be obliterated, and Tanuki—along with her ragtag group—would be among the ashes. They'd be remembered as sacrifices for a new era, the fodder that paved the way for the true Ghouls to emerge in their full power.
Blackthrone's eyes gleamed behind his mask as he thought of it—a world where the Ghouls reigned without resistance, where the weak were consumed and only the strong would stand beside him. This was just the beginning. With the strongest Poachers gone and no one left to challenge him, he'd have full control over what was left of the underworld, molding it into a kingdom where only those who deserved it could survive.
The spike locations, they also doubled down as the escape routes. Only the most trusted and strong individuals were stationed there.
Once the spikes went off, he'd be gone, vanishing into the shadows, taking his best men with him. The era they were about to enter would be different, one where loyalty was irrelevant and power was all that mattered. He grinned, excitement tightening his chest. The time for a new beginning was near—one that he would control, built on the blood of those who dared to stand in his way.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of the group. Blackthrone froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing at the figure blocking their path.
The man stood there casually, dressed in the same guard uniform his own subordinates wore—a sight that would have passed for ordinary, but no one was supposed to be stationed here. Everyone was supposed to be fighting in the arena. What was this man doing here?
The rest of his team noticed too, tensing as their hands drifted to their weapons. The stranger's calm gaze, unwavering and cold, settled on Blackthrone, and his presence exuded an unsettling intensity that instantly raised every hackle in the room.
Then, the man's eyes began to glow, casting a pale, unnatural light. But it was the detail that made Blackthrone's blood run cold: his sclera remained white—this was a human, an Awakened one, standing alone against them with a deadly calmness.
***
Naito was running towards the entrance to the main arena. The sound of chaos was increasing the closer he got. He was excited. There were different thoughts spiraling in his mind but they were for some other time. Right now all he wanted was to escape and feel the outside world, and eat something other than fries.
Just then, a group of Ghouls appeared in front of him. In the center stood Blackthrone, he knew this because of his build and the nasty mask he wore.
'Shit' he cursed mentally as he got ready to fight once more.
Before the enemies could even react, Naito lunged forward, closing the distance between them in a flash, his movements sharp and precise.
Blackthrone sidestepped, drawing his weapon with a fluid motion, and delivered a strike to Naito.
Naito ducked under the strike effortlessly, his expression as calm as ever, and retaliated with a swift kick aimed at Blackthrone's ribs. Blackthrone blocked it with his Aura armor, the force rippling down his spine, but Naito was already on the move again, dodging every counterattack Blackthrone threw at him. His subordinates tried to intervene, but each time they lunged, Naito evaded them with precision, his attacks hitting the vital points on each of them.
Blackthrone's fury deepened with each dodge, his Aura intensifying as he lashed out with renewed aggression. But Naito met every strike, every lunge, with a movement that was as much an answer as it was an insult—a reminder that the poise and stillness of his eyes meant he hadn't even started trying.
***
Blackthrone's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted through the dim, twisting corridors, the walls seeming to close in on him with every step. He barely glanced at the bodies of his own subordinates, crumpled in grotesque angles across the floor. The sheer brutality of it clawed at him, something between fear and anger flooding his veins.
'How could that pathetic excuse for a man take them all down like that?' The words rattled through his mind like a fevered chant, fueling his fury.
He felt his pride suffocating, crushed by the raw precision of the bastard's attacks, each one more brutal and efficient than the last. More than that, his Awakened Ability, it was something which belonged to the devils, not humans.
The throbbing pain in his chest dragged him back to the present, every breath a reminder of the punishing blows he'd barely survived. Blackthrone clenched his jaw, teeth grinding as he forced himself to focus on the one glimmer of hope left—Emi. She could fend off that monster. She could save him.
He had talked to the Manager and confirmed that Emi would be ready to fight him off.
"Blackthrone, where are you?" The Manager's voice crackled through his earpiece, taut with a mixture of alarm and frustration.
"I'm— I'm heading toward Emi's position," he managed, his voice a rough, ragged whisper as he fought for air.
"Get to Emi. Don't let anything else distract you." the Manager replied, a hint of cold finality in his tone.
***
Kazuki's gaze flicked to the Spike in the center of the room, its ominous hum a low reminder of the chaos just beyond their small shelter. But his focus was pulled back as Rika's words cut through his thoughts.
"Your friend, Grace?" Rika asked, her tone curious but laced with a hint of skepticism. "Is he…a psycho or something?"
Kazuki blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
Rika shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. "He kept calling your phone over and over until it died. Doesn't exactly scream 'normal friend,' y'know?"
A soft chuckle slipped out of Kazuki, though the unsettled feeling still churned in his chest. "Yeah…he can be like that sometimes." He took a deep breath, glancing away, memories drifting back like shadows. "Grace is…well, he's an orphan. And I'm probably the only person he's been friends with since he was a kid. We're like brothers." His voice grew quieter, the hum of the Spike filling the silence as he searched for the right words.
Rika raised an eyebrow.
Kazuki smiled, faintly. "I still remember when we first met. It was Christmas. He was just this lonely kid, sitting alone in a park, looking at everyone else's families." He paused, the memory vivid and raw in his mind. "I gave him some chocolate. And he just…stared at it for the longest time, like he couldn't believe someone would actually give him something."
Rika's face softened, but she didn't say anything.
Kazuki nodded, swallowing. " He just looked up at me, said thanks, and sat there eating that chocolate as slowly as he could, like he was savoring every bite."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"To him, I'm family." Kazuki murmured, looking down.
Then both of them went silent.
Once again the silence hung thick between them, broken only by Kazuki's quiet voice. "What's a Rift?"
Rika shrugged, glancing over at him with a faint frown. "I have no clue. I think…some kind of portal?" Her voice was uncertain, but Kazuki nodded slowly, trying to piece it together.
That Ghoul had mentioned a Rift would open just before the Spikes went off—that it would be their only way out. The whole idea gnawed at him, unsettling thoughts spiraling through his mind.
Suddenly, the door burst open, shattering the uneasy calm. A tall, ragged man stumbled in, his figure hulking but battered, clothes soaked with blood. He staggered forward, his face twisted in desperation, struggling to draw each breath. "Where is Emi?" he choked out, his voice a hoarse demand before his knees buckled and he collapsed onto the floor.
Kazuki and Rika exchanged a brief, wide-eyed glance, tension crackling in the air.
Just then, the shadows shifted, and another figure entered the room. This time, Kazuki's heart stilled for a beat. He recognized the figure, his build and stance unmistakable.
It was Naito.