Ryuji's body screamed in pain, his breath ragged as he pushed himself up from the rubble. His sword lay shattered beside him. Blood dripped down his face, mixing with the dirt on the ground.
Across from him, Kenshiro stood untouched, his silver eyes locked onto Ryuji with an almost bored expression.
"You feel it, don't you?" Kenshiro said, his voice steady. "The power inside you… waking up."*
Ryuji's heartbeat thundered in his ears. A searing heat pulsed through his veins—something ancient, something uncontrollable. It felt like a storm raging inside him, threatening to consume him whole.
"What… is happening to me?" His voice was hoarse, his hands trembling.
Kenshiro took a slow step forward. "You were never meant to be ordinary, Ryuji. You were never meant to live as a weakling, clinging to fragile ideals. The blood in your veins belongs to a higher existence."
Ryuji clenched his fists. "Shut up."*
"Denying it won't change the truth.**" Kenshiro's gaze darkened. "You are different. And that difference will either make you a king… or a corpse."
Behind him, Akari struggled to stand, her katana barely steady in her grip. "Stay… away from him…!"*
Kenshiro didn't even spare her a glance.
"She's weak." He turned back to Ryuji. "And if you continue to fight this truth, you will be too."*
Ryuji's pulse pounded. His mind was spiraling. The power inside him—it was too much. Every instinct screamed at him to release it.
But something deeper whispered that if he did… he would never be the same again.
The Choice
Kenshiro stopped a few steps away. His aura was suffocating. "You have two options, Ryuji."
"You can stay here, weak and ignorant, and watch everything you love be destroyed."*
"Or…" He extended a hand. "Come with me. Learn the truth. Master your power. And become something greater."*
The world seemed to freeze.
Ryuji's breathing was shallow. His hands trembled. His thoughts raced.
He turned toward Akari. Her eyes begged him not to go.
But what could he do? He had tried fighting Kenshiro and lost. He had tried denying the power within him, and it was killing him.
If he stayed… he would never learn the truth. Never be strong enough.
But if he left—was he betraying everything he stood for?
"Ryuji!" Akari's voice broke. "Don't do this!"*
He swallowed hard. Then…
He took a step forward.
Akari's eyes widened in horror. "No…!"*
Ryuji didn't look at her.
"I'll come."* His voice was barely above a whisper, but it cut through the silence like a blade.
Akari lurched forward, reaching for him. "Ryuji, don't—!"*
But in an instant, Kenshiro placed a hand on Ryuji's shoulder—
And they vanished.
Akari's Rage
A sharp gust of wind rushed through the empty battlefield.
Akari stood frozen. The space where Ryuji had been was empty.
Her hands clenched into fists, her entire body trembling. The warmth of her blood mixed with the coldness of loss.
He left.
He left her.
"Damn it…" she whispered. Then, louder. "DAMN IT!"*
She lifted her katana and slammed it into the ground, her entire body shaking with fury.
She wouldn't accept this.
If Ryuji wouldn't come back—
She would drag him back.
No matter the cost.