Kuro leaned back against a crumbled wall, watching Fang prowl nearby, his newly tamed glitch-beast moving with a fluid, predatory grace. The blue static that occasionally flickered off Fang's dark fur matched the glitch energy that coursed through Kuro's veins, and he felt an undeniable connection with the creature. Taming Fang had given him a new sense of power, one he hadn't felt before. Controlling destruction was one thing, but controlling life, especially something as wild and dangerous as Fang, was another thrill entirely.
He glanced over at Sayuri, who remained composed, her sharp eyes observing everything. She wasn't rattled by what she had just seen, and Kuro admired that. Most people would have either run or panicked, but Sayuri was different. She wasn't scared of him, or at least, she didn't show it.
Kuro grinned to himself. That's what makes this interesting.
"Alright," he said, pushing himself off the wall. "So you're offering to keep the government off my back. But what's in it for you? You don't seem like the type to just offer help without expecting something in return."
Sayuri's expression remained cool, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm not doing this out of charity, Kuro. The government knows about the rift, but they don't fully understand it. They're trying to contain something that can't be controlled, at least, not with the methods they're using. I want to figure out how to deal with what's coming, and you… you're key to that."
Kuro raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How so?"
Sayuri took a step closer, her gaze never leaving his. "You have the power to manipulate the glitches, to control them. I've seen others with abilities, but none as strong as yours. If we can figure out why the rift chose you, or more accurately, why it gave you these powers, we might be able to stop it from getting worse."
Kuro laughed, shaking his head. "Stop it? Why would I want to stop this? I'm finally having fun."
Sayuri's eyes narrowed slightly. "You think this is just fun and games? The creatures coming through the rift are only going to get stronger. More powerful. If we don't find a way to manage them, they'll destroy everything. And you might find yourself on the wrong end of a beast you can't tame."
Kuro met her gaze, the tension between them crackling in the air. There was a part of him that understood what she was saying, logically, he knew she was right. The rift wasn't just spewing out random creatures; it was releasing something bigger, something dangerous. But another part of him, the part that reveled in chaos, thrived on the thought of facing even stronger opponents. He wasn't scared of what was coming. He was excited.
"Maybe," Kuro said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "But I'm not worried. The stronger they are, the more I want to take them down. Or better yet, control them." He gestured toward Fang, who was now sitting at his side, watching the conversation with glowing blue eyes. "Fang here is just the beginning."
Sayuri's gaze shifted to Fang, her expression thoughtful. "You really think you can control all of them? The bigger creatures, the ones that are far beyond anything you've seen yet?"
Kuro shrugged. "I'll figure it out. I always do."
Sayuri tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she studied Kuro. "You're confident, I'll give you that. But you haven't seen what's coming. The government has been monitoring the rift for longer than you think. There are reports, classified ones, of massive entities on the other side. Creatures that make your titan look like a puppy."
Kuro's interest piqued at that. "Massive entities, huh? You're saying there's something bigger waiting to come through?"
Sayuri nodded. "Exactly. And when they do, it won't just be a matter of blowing things up or taming a beast. It'll be war. That's why I'm offering you a deal. You help me figure out what's going on with the rift, why you and others like you have these abilities, and in return, I'll make sure the government doesn't get in your way. You can keep doing what you do best, but with intel. You'll know when and where the next threat is coming, and you'll have the advantage."
Kuro considered her words carefully. The idea of having someone on the inside, someone who could feed him information and give him a heads-up on the next big threat, was tempting. He didn't care about saving the world or stopping the rift from getting worse, but he did care about getting stronger. And the more powerful the enemies, the more he would have to push his own limits.
"You've got my attention," Kuro said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But let's be clear, I'm not playing the hero here. If I agree to this, I'm doing it for me. And if you double-cross me…"
Sayuri's lips curved into a small smile. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Before either of them could say more, Fang suddenly tensed, his ears perking up as a low growl rumbled deep in his throat. Kuro's senses sharpened instantly, his body on high alert. He glanced toward the distant rubble, where the faint crackle of glitch energy was growing louder.
"Looks like we've got company," Kuro muttered, his hand instinctively reaching for the glitch energy crackling at his fingertips.
Sayuri's expression darkened. "It's not just a small one this time. I've seen this pattern before. Something bigger is coming."
As if on cue, the ground trembled beneath their feet, a deep, reverberating sound echoing through the ruined streets. Kuro's pulse quickened, the familiar thrill of battle coursing through him. He was ready for whatever came next.
Sayuri moved beside him, her hand brushing the side of her weapon but not drawing it. She glanced at Kuro, her voice calm but firm. "This will be your first real test. Let's see how well you can control your new pet when something even bigger shows up."
Kuro grinned, feeling the adrenaline surge through his veins. "Bring it on. Fang and I can handle whatever comes through that rift."
Fang growled again, his glowing eyes fixed on the horizon where the glitch energy was growing stronger by the second. Kuro could feel the tension in the air, the static crackling with anticipation. Whatever was coming, it was big, and Kuro was ready for it.
The tremors beneath Kuro's feet grew stronger, vibrating through the cracked pavement as the glitch energy in the air thickened. Fang stood by his side, muscles tensed, his sharp teeth bared as he snarled into the distance. Kuro could feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins, his body alive with excitement. Something big was coming, and he was ready to unleash his power once again.
Beside him, Sayuri was calm, her eyes narrowed as she scanned the horizon. "This isn't just another glitch-beast," she muttered, her hand hovering over her weapon. "This one's bigger, and it's not going to go down easily."
Kuro's grin widened. "Good. I was starting to get bored."
Suddenly, a massive crash echoed through the air, followed by the sound of debris shifting and collapsing. From behind a partially destroyed skyscraper, a gigantic creature emerged, its form flickering with unstable glitch energy. It was twice the size of Fang, its jagged, insect-like legs gouging deep into the ground as it moved. Its body was segmented, covered in a hard, metallic exoskeleton that shimmered with blue static, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Kuro and Sayuri with murderous intent.
The creature let out an ear-splitting roar, its distorted cry vibrating through the air as it charged forward, moving faster than something its size should have been able to.
Kuro's eyes gleamed with anticipation. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, the first real challenge since defeating the titan.
"Alright, Fang," Kuro said, his voice steady despite the chaos, "let's show this thing who's in charge."
As the massive glitch-beast charged toward them, Kuro wasted no time. He tapped into his glitch energy, his hands crackling with blue static as he sent a blast of power directly at the creature. The attack hit its mark, causing the creature to stumble for a moment, but it quickly recovered, its exoskeleton absorbing part of the energy.
Kuro's grin only widened. "This one's tough," he muttered to himself. "Perfect."
He turned to Fang, his command sharp and clear. "Go!"
Fang leaped into action, his powerful legs propelling him forward as he lunged at the larger creature. The two beasts collided with a deafening crash, their bodies locked in a violent struggle as they clawed and bit at each other. Blue sparks flew as Fang's teeth sunk into the glitch-beast's exoskeleton, his growls echoing through the ruins.
Kuro watched with a mixture of pride and excitement, his body humming with energy as he prepared his next move. Fang was holding his own, but the larger beast was relentless, its sheer size giving it an advantage in raw power. Kuro knew he couldn't rely on Fang alone to bring this thing down, he had to jump into the fight.
With a roar of his own, Kuro charged forward, glitch energy surging through his body as he leaped into the air. His fists crackled with power as he slammed them into the creature's side, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through its massive frame. The beast let out a shriek of pain, stumbling backward as blue static arced across its segmented body.
The creature retaliated quickly, swinging one of its jagged legs toward Kuro. He barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the ground where he had stood moments before was ripped apart. Debris flew into the air, but Kuro was already back on his feet, his grin never fading.
Kuro quickly assessed the situation, his mind racing as he formulated a plan. He and Fang were going to have to work together if they wanted to take this beast down. The larger creature was too strong to be brought down by brute force alone, they needed to outmaneuver it.
"Fang, hit it from the side!" Kuro shouted, his voice carrying over the noise of the battle.
Fang snarled in response, darting to the side of the massive creature with blinding speed. The glitch-beast tried to follow his movements, but Fang was too quick, his sharp claws ripping into the creature's leg, causing it to stagger.
While the creature was distracted by Fang's attack, Kuro saw his opening. He summoned another wave of glitch energy, his body crackling with power as he unleashed it in a concentrated blast aimed directly at the creature's head. The energy struck the beast with a deafening impact, and this time, the creature let out a high-pitched wail as its red eyes flickered, its exoskeleton cracking under the pressure.
The massive glitch-beast swayed on its legs, clearly weakened, but it wasn't finished yet. With one final, desperate roar, it lunged at Kuro, its jaws snapping wildly as it tried to crush him.
Kuro barely managed to leap out of the way, rolling across the ground as the beast's jaws slammed into the rubble where he had been standing. He could feel the ground shaking beneath him as the creature's final attack left deep gouges in the earth.
"Now, Fang!" Kuro shouted.
Fang lunged, sinking his teeth into the creature's exposed neck. The glitch-beast's body convulsed, the last of its strength fading as Fang's powerful jaws tightened. With one final, pitiful cry, the beast collapsed to the ground, its body flickering and glitching as it dissolved into blue static, leaving only a smoking crater where it had fallen.
Kuro stood up slowly, his body aching from the battle but his adrenaline still surging. He looked over at Fang, who was panting heavily but otherwise unharmed. The beast padded over to Kuro's side, his glowing eyes reflecting the static still in the air, and Kuro gave him a proud pat on the head.
"Good boy," Kuro muttered, grinning despite the exhaustion creeping into his bones.
Sayuri stepped forward, her expression unreadable as she surveyed the aftermath. The battle had been brutal, but Kuro and Fang had come out on top. She studied Kuro for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as if calculating something in her mind.
"You did well," she said finally, her voice even. "But that was just a taste of what's to come. The rift isn't going to stop spewing out these things. They're only going to get stronger."
Kuro wiped the sweat from his brow, his grin still plastered on his face. "Let them come. I've got Fang, and I've got power. There's nothing I can't handle."
Sayuri raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue. Instead, she stepped closer to him, her voice lowering. "You're strong, Kuro. But strength alone isn't enough. If you want to survive what's coming, you're going to need more than just brute force. You're going to need allies. Information."
Kuro smirked. "And that's where you come in, huh?"
She nodded. "Exactly. You've proven you can handle yourself in a fight, but there are things you don't know. Things the government has been hiding. If we work together, I can give you access to that information. You'll know what's coming before it happens, and you'll have the upper hand."
Kuro considered her offer for a moment, his mind racing with the possibilities. He didn't trust her completely, yet, but he couldn't deny that having someone with inside knowledge could be useful. Very useful.
"Alright, Sayuri," Kuro said finally, his voice firm. "You've got yourself a deal. But don't think for a second that I'm doing this for anyone but myself."
Sayuri gave him a knowing smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less."