Back on the battlefield, Ryuzin was thrown backward by a massive punch from the demon, the impact launching him through the air. He crashed into a crumbling building, shattering walls and sending chunks of debris flying in every direction.
Shion's heart sank as she saw him hit the ground, and tears spilled down her cheeks. "Ryuzin!" she screamed, her voice choked with fear.
Yoru stood beside her, arms crossed, unbothered. "Don't worry. He can't die from that," he said with a smirk. "Think of him as Son Goku."
Ryuzin staggered to his feet, his eyes burning with renewed focus. He clenched his fists, trying to channel his energy, feeling the raw flow building up within him. Determined, he lunged toward the demon, concentrating as hard as he could. But as his fist made contact, there was nothing—no force behind it. It was as if his punch had no weight, no impact.
Before he could react, the demon's clawed hand lashed out, grabbing Ryuzin by his leg and hurling him into the ground with bone-crushing force. Dust and dirt erupted from the impact, and Ryuzin lay there, momentarily stunned.
Shion's face twisted in panic. She turned to Yoru, her voice breaking. "Help him, Midori Yoru-San!" she pleaded, her words tumbling out in desperation.
But Yoru remained silent, his gaze fixed on the battle, seemingly unaffected by her distress.
Frustrated, Shion fumbled with her phone and called Ryuzin, knowing he couldn't hear her voice from this distance. In the chaos of dodging the demon's relentless punches, Ryuzin's phone vibrated. He glanced down, narrowly evading another strike, and saw Shion's name flashing on the screen. Quickly, he accepted the call.
"Hello? What happened?" he asked breathlessly, his voice laced with exhaustion.
There was a pause on the other end, and then Shion's voice came through, hesitant and soft. "I... um... I'll do anything you want tonight... if you defeat it."
Ryuzin froze for a split second, his heart pounding at her words. He smirked, though he felt a slight blush warming his face. "Get ready," he replied, a spark of confidence reigniting within him.
Shion quickly disconnected the call, her face burning with embarrassment as she processed what she had just promised.
Ryuzin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself. This time, he concentrated with a ferocity he hadn't felt before. He began to feel a heat building in his palms, like flames roaring to life within him. With a growl, he charged toward the demon, his eyes fierce and determined.
The demon screeched, raising its claws, but Ryuzin dodged, moving with precision. He placed his palm against the demon's chest, and in an instant, flames erupted, consuming the creature from within. The demon howled as the fire spread, its body convulsing as it burned from the inside out, the flames licking through its skin until nothing but ash remained.
"Wow, Fire nature—that's incredible," Yoru exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "I didn't think your offer would work," he laughed, a deep, hearty sound, while Shion stood there, blushing furiously, wanting nothing more than to disappear into the ground from the intensity of his gaze.
As Ryuzin walked back toward his friends, Shion dashed toward him and threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. "I was so scared," she cried, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"
Ryuzin smiled softly, returning her embrace. "I'm sorry," he whispered, then reminded her of her earlier promise. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she recalled her words, and she buried her face against his chest, unable to look at him.
Yoru chuckled heartily. "You did it, you little! You really pulled through. And, to my surprise, you have some real value," he said, his grin broad and approving.
Ryuzin nodded, grateful. He thanked Yoru for his guidance, and with a joyful leap, scooped Shion into his arms, twirling her around. She laughed, clinging to him as her fear began to dissolve into relief and happiness.
As they returned, they saw Yuki and Aki waiting for them outside the hotel. Yuki's face was a mix of relief and exasperation. He rushed to Shion, pulling her into a hug. "I was so worried," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "When the receptionist said you hadn't come back, I thought something terrible happened."
Shion hugged him back tightly, a gentle smile on her face. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Yuki. We... just got out of the barrier too late. But we're here now, and safe."
The group shared a collective sigh of relief, allowing the tension to slip away.
For the next three days, they enjoyed their time together, falling back into their usual routines. But during the days, there were rapid demon attacks.
"Something is wrong. There shouldn't be this many attacks," Yoru remarked, frowning. Ryuzin nodded, sharing his concern.
"There are even bigger ones. Too many Mother demons have shown up," Ryuzin added.
Before they could discuss further, the sirens blared, their haunting sound signaling a new threat. Yoru received confirmation: another Mother demon was attacking, meaning hordes of smaller demons were swarming the area. The body count was rising.
"Thanks for being here. It's a huge help," Yoru admitted.
With a nod of understanding, they fisted each other mid-air and rushed toward the battlefield.
The sight ahead was grim. A monstrous, humanoid demon loomed, its form resembling a grown woman sculpted from thick, oozing mud. Soldiers fired relentlessly, their bullets piercing through but having no effect. Around them, human-sized mud monsters tore into the defenses.
Ryuzin launched himself forward, flames roaring from his hands, reducing the mud creatures to ash.
"Nice!" Yoru shouted in encouragement.
"I'll hold them off. You go and take down that monster," Ryuzin ordered.
"Roger that!" Yoru yelled back, charging the Mother demon, Kai blazing around him. His strike connected, sending mud splattering in all directions. But the blow wasn't enough. The mud reformed, shifting and morphing into something even more menacing.
Small mud demons were a persistent menace for the soldiers. They approached with ferocity, ripping open chests and leaving chaos in their wake.
"I have an idea—let's use your flame," Yoru suggested.
They launched toward the demon, Ryuzin moving swiftly, his Kai control granting him a distinct advantage.
"I'll distract it while you incinerate it from above," Yoru instructed.
Ryuzin nodded, leaping to the rooftop of a nearby building. Yoru began his diversion, darting and weaving, using the walls as springboards. The demon growled, eyes locked on him as Yoru attempted to strike with bursts of Kai.
High above, Ryuzin gathered his energy, channeling Kai into the center of his palm. As he reached the peak of his jump, gravity took hold, sending him into a free fall. Inverted in the air, he unleashed a torrent of fire that surged from his palm like a flamethrower.
"Yoru, move!" Ryuzin shouted. Yoru dodged away as the flames engulfed the demon, which roared in agony. The blaze consumed it, reducing it to a pile of inert mud. With its destruction, the smaller demons froze and crumbled, transforming into ordinary clumps of dirt.
Ryuzin landed, heat still radiating from his arm. He faced the demoness, fire flickering in his
eyes.
As the demon's body burned to ash, an unsettling feeling crept into the air, something dark and sinister swirling around them.
Ryuzin's voice was tense. "What… was that?"
Shion's eyes narrowed as he scanned their surroundings. "It might be its mana… but this is too much. The mana in the air—it's become too dense."
Ryuzin could feel it too, an oppressive weight pressing down on him, thick and suffocating. But he couldn't tell what was happening.
Ryuzin quickly contacted Hibino Kajuki, but the response was troubling. There hadn't been any sightings of demons in the past few days in Shinjuku. It was as if something worse was brewing, lurking just out of sight.
END OF CHAPTER: 18 : FIRE NATURE