The world outside Ryuusuke's shattered apartment was unnaturally still. No sirens, no police, no neighbors coming to investigate the destruction. It was as if the universe had momentarily frozen, holding its breath in the wake of the power he had unleashed.
Ryuusuke, with Kaito leaning heavily against his shoulder, stumbled out into the night. The cool air bit at his skin, a stark contrast to the searing heat of his earlier clash. His mind was still reeling from the encounter with the obsidian figure and the cryptic warning it had delivered.
"You can't stay here," Kaito groaned, his voice weak but urgent. "They know where you are now. They'll keep coming until..."
"Until what?" Ryuusuke snapped, his frustration boiling over. "Until they kill me? Or use me? What the hell am I even supposed to do, Kaito? I don't even understand what's happening!"
Kaito coughed, his body shaking with the effort. His injuries from the earlier blast were severe, and blood stained his clothes, but his eyes burned with determination. "You have to leave this world, Ryuusuke. You're not safe here. And neither is anyone else."
"Leave... this world?" Ryuusuke repeated, incredulous. "What does that even mean? Where am I supposed to go?"
Before Kaito could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble. A low, ominous rumble echoed through the streets, and Ryuusuke felt a chill crawl up his spine. The air grew heavy, oppressive, as though some unseen force was pressing down on them.
"They've sent another one," Kaito muttered, his voice laced with fear.
Ryuusuke turned, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. The shadows seemed to twist and writhe, unnatural shapes forming and dissolving in the dim light of the flickering streetlamps. And then, from the darkness, it emerged.
The creature was unlike anything Ryuusuke had ever seen. It stood on two legs, towering over him, its body a grotesque amalgamation of flesh and metal. Its face was a hollow mask, with glowing red eyes that burned with malice. Its arms ended in jagged, blade-like appendages, and its chest pulsed with an eerie, otherworldly light.
"Target acquired," the creature intoned in a mechanical, guttural voice. Its gaze locked onto Ryuusuke, and the air around it seemed to shimmer with raw energy.
Ryuusuke felt his heart race, his instincts screaming at him to run. But something inside him stirred—a deep, primal force that refused to back down.
"Kaito, get behind me," he said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.
"You don't understand what you're up against!" Kaito protested.
"Neither do they," Ryuusuke replied, a flicker of defiance lighting his eyes.
The creature lunged, moving with terrifying speed for something so massive. Its blades slashed through the air, aiming to cleave Ryuusuke in two. But before the attack could land, Ryuusuke's body moved on instinct.
There was a blinding flash of light as Ryuusuke raised his hand, and a barrier of crackling energy erupted around him. The creature's blade struck the barrier, sending sparks flying, but the force of the attack was absorbed.
Ryuusuke's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't even thought about creating the barrier—it had simply appeared, as though responding to his will.
The creature snarled, its red eyes narrowing. It stepped back, reassessing its target, and then unleashed a torrent of energy from the pulsating core in its chest. The beam of light surged toward Ryuusuke, but this time, he was ready.
With a roar, Ryuusuke thrust his hands forward, and a wave of raw energy erupted from his palms, colliding with the creature's attack. The force of the clash shook the ground, and the surrounding buildings shuddered under the strain.
The creature's attack faltered, and Ryuusuke seized the opportunity. Summoning every ounce of strength within him, he focused his energy into a single point. A sphere of blinding light formed in his hands, growing larger and brighter with each passing second.
"Get out of my way!" Ryuusuke shouted, hurling the sphere at the creature with all his might.
The impact was catastrophic. The sphere struck the creature dead center, detonating in a brilliant explosion of light and heat. The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the streets, and when the light finally faded, the creature was gone.
Ryuusuke fell to his knees, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The ground around him was scorched, the air thick with the smell of ozone and burnt metal.
"You… did it," Kaito said weakly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Ryuusuke looked at his hands, which were still trembling from the sheer power he had unleashed. He felt a strange mix of exhilaration and dread. If this was the kind of power he was capable of, what did that make him?
"We need to go," Kaito said, his voice breaking Ryuusuke's thoughts. "There's a portal… a way to leave this world. I'll explain everything, but we have to move now."
Ryuusuke helped Kaito to his feet, his mind racing. A portal? Another world? It sounded impossible, but after everything he had just experienced, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore.
As they disappeared into the night, Ryuusuke couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The power within him was growing, and with it came the promise of even greater dangers.
But one thing was certain: his old life was over. And whatever lay ahead, he would face it head-on.