From the way Geto moved, Liam could tell he wasn't expecting trouble. His guard was down, his focus entirely on the girl.
Good. This will make things easier.
Riko, however, was visibly on edge. Her shoulders were stiff, her fingers curled nervously at her sides, and her gaze darted around the room like a trapped animal searching for an escape.
She's scared. Of course, she is. A child being forced into a fate she can't possibly comprehend.
Liam's lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn't here to judge.
He was here to act!
He flexed his fingers, cursed energy humming faintly beneath his skin. The Kamui dimension stirred, ready to open in an instant. The plan was simple: breach their space, make physical contact, and eliminate Geto before he could react. Riko would be whisked away, spared from the cruelty of her fate.
Liam's eyes briefly softened as they lingered on Riko.
She's just a kid. Younger than Sakura…
A pang of emotion threatened to surface, but Liam shoved it aside. Hesitation had no place here.
Liam steadied his breathing, letting the natural rhythm of the room dictate his timing.
Geto had his back partially turned, gesturing lightly as he spoke to Riko. The girl seemed to relax slightly, her arms dropping to her sides.
Now!
In a blur, Liam shot forward, his form phasing in and out of visibility as he used Kamui to slip through the intervening space. The air rippled faintly around him, but not enough to alert either of his targets—yet.
As Liam closed the distance, his first objective was clear: establish contact. His hand reached out, and in an instant, he tapped Riko on the shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt his presence, but before she could react, Liam shifted his focus to Geto.
Without hesitation, Liam pulled his arm back and launched a lightning-fast strike toward Geto's side, aiming to catch him off guard.
The blow landed with a sickening thud.
Tti-ring!
Tti-ring!
Two familiar mechanical voices echoed in Liam's head and a smile crossed his face.
Geto, on the other hand, staggered, his calm demeanor shattered as pain surged through his ribs. His eyes snapped wide open, his cursed energy flaring instinctively in response. He spun around, catching sight of Liam for the first time.
"Who—?" Geto began, his voice laced with shock and anger, but Liam had already moved, retreating a few paces to create distance.
Riko stumbled backward, her breathing ragged as she tried to process what had just happened.
"Wh-what's going on?!" She cried, her voice trembling.
Liam stepped back, his Sharingan spinning ominously as he assessed the situation.
"You could say I'm a problem solver," Liam said coolly. "And right now, you're the problem."
Geto's gaze locked onto Liam, his expression hardening.
"You…" He muttered, his tone now deadly serious. "An assassin? You're bold to come after me. Foolish, even."
"Bold, foolish—call it what you want," Liam replied with a faint smirk. "But let's not pretend you're some innocent guardian. You're just another pawn playing a rigged game."
Geto straightened, his usual composure slipping back into place despite the lingering pain in his ribs. "You don't understand what you're interfering with."
"Understand?" Liam scoffed. "Oh, I understand perfectly. You're delivering her to the elders like a lamb to slaughter. And for what? A world where she loses herself entirely?"
Riko flinched, her wide eyes darting between the two men.
Geto's expression hardened. "It's for the greater good. Tengen's stability ensures the safety of—"
"The greater good? Spare me the sermon," Liam interrupted, his tone laced with mockery. "You can wrap it in all the noble rhetoric you want, but at the end of the day, it's still a sacrifice. One life traded for the illusion of peace."
"Illusion?" Geto's voice dropped, low and dangerous. "You speak like a man who knows nothing of the weight of this world. Of the countless lives that will be saved by her sacrifice."
Liam's smirk widened, though his eyes remained cold. "Oh, I know the weight of the world, Geto. I just don't believe in crushing children under it to balance the scales."
"Enough!" Geto's voice snapped through the room, his cursed energy swirling visibly around him. "You won't take her. Not from me."
Riko let out a small gasp, instinctively stepping closer to Geto.
"Stay behind me, Riko," Geto said, his voice gentler now, though his eyes never left Liam.
Liam tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "Touching, really. A cursed spirit manipulator playing the role of the protective big brother. Too bad it's all for show."
"You talk too much," Geto retorted, his patience clearly wearing thin. "If you're so determined to stop me, then come and try."
"Oh, I will," Liam said lightly. "But first…"
He raised his hand, his fingers tracing an invisible pattern in the air. The space around Riko shimmered, distorting as Kamui's power took hold.
Riko's eyes widened in panic. "W-wait, what are you doing?!"
"Something you'll thank me for later," Liam replied smoothly.
Geto's cursed energy spiked as he realized what was happening.
"Stop!" He roared, lunging forward.
But he was too late. With a final ripple of distortion, Riko vanished into the Kamui dimension, her scream fading into silence.
"Riko!" Geto's voice cracked with fury, his composure finally shattering.
Liam stepped back, his stance relaxed despite the palpable rage radiating from Geto.
"Relax," Liam said, his tone almost teasing. "She's safer now than she ever was with you."
Geto's hands trembled as he clenched them into fists. "Where did you take her?"
"Somewhere far away from the grasp of you and your self-righteous masters," Liam said coolly.
Geto's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "You don't understand what you've done."
"Oh, I understand perfectly," Liam replied. "I've bought her a chance at a life. Something none of you seemed interested in giving her."
"You've interfered in matters far beyond your comprehension," Geto growled, his cursed energy surging once more.
"And you've let your arrogance blind you to the simplest truth," Liam shot back. "She's a person, not a tool. Maybe it's time someone reminded you of that."
The tension in the room reached its breaking point as Geto raised his hand, summoning a cluster of grotesque cursed spirits. They materialized in a swirling mass around him, their forms twisting and writhing with malevolence.
"You've sealed your fate," Geto said, his voice like ice.
Liam's Sharingan spun faster, his smirk faint but confident. "I've heard that one before."
Geto's cursed spirits lunged forward, their grotesque forms surging toward Liam like a tidal wave.
"Let's dance," Liam said softly, his voice tinged with excitement as he braced for the fight to begin.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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