The corridors of Baron Island were quiet as Josuke walked back to the nursing room. The faint murmur of contestants and spectators preparing for the tournament echoed in the distance. Despite the morning sun casting a golden hue across the island, Josuke's mind was a storm. The embarrassment from earlier was still fresh Hinata's furious shouts, the accidental kiss, and Lily snapping photos of it all. He could practically hear Kyle's mocking laughter in his head already. Perfect, he thought bitterly. If the King doesn't kill me, Kyle will.
Lost in thought, Josuke barely registered the faint chuckle that echoed in his mind. It started softly, then grew louder, more resonant, until it filled his head. He stopped dead in his tracks, a chill running down his spine.
"I almost didn't want to do it," said Chaos, his voice rich with amusement. "Almost. But, oh, the timing and the scene were far too perfect for me to resist."
Josuke clenched his fists and scowled. "It was you, wasn't it?" he growled under his breath. "You alway find ways to mess with me!"
"Obviously," Chaos replied, his tone dripping with smug satisfaction. "Do you think I could let an opportunity like that slip by? And really, you should be thanking me. I'm helping you get closer to that girl."
Josuke's scowl deepened. "What are you talking about? I don't need your help! I can pull girls just fine on my own, thank you very much."
Chaos erupted into laughter, the sound reverberating through Josuke's skull like thunder. "Oh, is that so? Do you honestly believe that? You forget, boy we share a body. If I weren't here, you'd have no chance at all. And let's not kid ourselves: if I wanted to, I could make her madly in love with you. Or, better yet, every cute girl in Elaris could fall for you. With a snap of my fingers."
"Yeah, right," Josuke shot back. "Like you're that powerful. You're stuck in me because you need a vessel. If you were as almighty as you claim, you wouldn't even need me."
The laughter stopped. The air grew heavy, oppressive. Josuke froze, sensing he might have gone too far.
"Just how foolish are you?" Chaos hissed, his voice colder than ice. "Let me make one thing clear: you need me. My presence in this vessel is the only thing keeping your entire reality intact. If I existed without a host, all of creation would unravel, collapsing into nothingness. So watch your tongue, boy."
Josuke scoffed. "Yeah, I'm calling cap on that. You're all bark and no bite."
Chaos went silent. For a moment, everything seemed normal. Then, the world began to tremble.
A low rumble echoed through the island, growing louder and louder until the ground itself began to shake violently. Josuke staggered, grabbing a nearby wall for support. The sound of shattering glass and panicked screams filled the air. Across Baron Island, chaos erupted.
The earth split open in some places, jagged fissures snaking across the ground. The skies darkened as massive storm clouds gathered overhead. Off the coast, hurricanes began to form, their winds howling like furious spirits. And it wasn't just Baron Island far beyond, the effects were felt. Elaris and surrounding regions experienced earthquakes, tsunamis, and violent winds. Even the heavens seemed to tremble as Chaos unleashed his wrath.
"What the ?!" Josuke gripped the wall tightly, his heart pounding as fear gripped him.
"Do you understand now?" Chaos's voice roared in his mind, deafening and filled with fury. "You dare accuse me of lying? Apologize, now, or I'll show you the full extent of my power!"
Josuke's knuckles turned white as he clung to the wall, his mind racing. He glanced out the nearest window, watching as the horizon seemed to collapse into chaos. Entire regions were on the brink of ruin, all because of him. "All right, all right! I'm sorry, okay? I won't ever call you a liar again! Just stop this!"
The instant the words left his mouth, the trembling stopped. The hurricanes dissipated, the skies cleared, and the earth stilled. It was as if nothing had happened at all. Across the island, people stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to make of the bizarre phenomena that had vanished as quickly as they'd appeared.
The announcer's voice crackled over the loudspeakers, shaky but composed. "Uh, ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to report that the day's events will proceed as scheduled. Please remain calm and head to your designated areas."
Josuke slumped against the wall, his knees weak from the ordeal. "You really threw a tantrum just because I called you a liar?" he muttered under his breath.
Chaos's laughter returned, smug and self-satisfied. "Hmm, consider it a lesson, boy. Don't you ever call me a liar again."
"You're literally a devil," Josuke retorted. "Isn't lying kind of your thing?"
Chaos chuckled darkly. "Oh, please. I only appear that way because it's a form your tiny human mind can comprehend. If you truly understood my nature, you'd be groveling at my feet. Now, stop wasting time. Go get dressed. You look like an idiot."
Shaking his head, Josuke pushed himself off the wall and trudged toward the dorms. "You're the worst, you know that?"
"Of course I do," Chaos replied smoothly. "Now, move along. The day isn't going to wait for you."
As Josuke entered his dorm room, his thoughts were racing. He couldn't shake the feeling that Chaos was hiding something—that perhaps his true nature was far more dangerous than he let on. But for now, Josuke had bigger problems to deal with, like salvaging his reputation after the morning's fiasco with Hinata and Lily.
He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and began changing, muttering to himself, "If this is what it's like sharing a body with Chaos, I'm never going to get a moment of peace."
From deep within, Chaos's laughter echoed once more, a dark and ominous sound that promised more trouble ahead.