Ryuji staggered, his breaths ragged. His entire body trembled, not from exhaustion—but from something else.
The energy inside him pulsed, twisting like a living thing. His veins burned, his muscles twitched. He looked at his hands—they were not his own. A faint, dark aura surrounded them, flickering like cursed flames.
A voice, low and insidious, slithered into his mind.
"You are finally listening…"
Ryuji's eyes widened. What was that?
He gritted his teeth, shaking his head. No. No. This power—it's mine.
But the voice chuckled. Mocking.
"Yours? No, Ryuji… I've always been here, waiting. Watching. And now, you are finally ready."
A sharp pain stabbed through his skull. He fell to his knees, clutching his head. Visions—flashes of something ancient, terrifying—filled his mind.
A battlefield drowned in blood.
A warrior standing atop countless corpses.
A demonic figure, its eyes glowing with untamed hunger.
And then—his own reflection.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
"What are you?" he whispered.
The voice's laughter rumbled inside him.
"I am you, Ryuji. The part of you that was sealed away. The part of you that was never meant to be tamed."
A surge of power rushed through his body. His vision blurred. His body moved on its own.
Kenshiro's voice cut through the haze.
"Enough."
A sudden force slammed into Ryuji, sending him crashing into the rubble. The world snapped back into focus. Kenshiro stood above him, eyes sharp.
"You almost lost yourself," Kenshiro said coldly. "Do you understand now? This power isn't a gift—it's a curse. And unless you learn to control it, it will control you."
Ryuji forced himself to stand, panting. His hands still trembled, but he clenched them into fists.
"…Teach me."
Kenshiro smirked. "Good. Then your real training begins."
Akari's Struggle
Meanwhile, Akari's blade clashed against the masked warrior's once more, sending sparks through the ruined temple. Her arms ached, but she refused to back down.
The warrior tilted his head. "Impressive. But you fight with emotion, not discipline."
Akari narrowed her eyes. "And you talk too much."
She lunged. A flurry of lightning-fast slashes forced the warrior back, her katana cutting through the misty air. For the first time, he took a step back.
Akari smirked. "Looks like you're not untouchable after all."
The warrior let out a small chuckle. "Perhaps. But tell me, Akari…" His tone shifted—darker. "What will you do if he's already beyond saving?"
Akari froze.
He leaned in slightly, his voice a whisper. "What if, by the time you reach him, he's no longer the Ryuji you know?"
Her grip on her katana tightened.
"Then…" Her voice was cold, steady. "I'll cut him down myself."
The warrior's eyes gleamed. "Interesting. Then let's see if you have the strength to back up those words."
He vanished.
Before she could react, a sharp pain bloomed in her side. Blood splattered against the temple floor.
Akari staggered, her vision blurring. The warrior appeared behind her, his blade dripping red.
"You're strong," he admitted. "But you're not ready."
Akari clenched her teeth, refusing to fall.
No.
She refused to be weak.
She refused to lose again.
A new surge of determination burned in her chest.
If Ryuji was falling into darkness—
She would become strong enough to bring him back.
No matter what it took.
The Chains Tighten
Back in the wasteland, Ryuji stood in the middle of a circle of blood. The demons he had fought were gone—reduced to nothing.
But something had changed.
Kenshiro watched him carefully. "You're different now."
Ryuji exhaled slowly. He felt it, too. The power inside him wasn't just growing—it was changing.
It was waiting.
And for the first time—he wasn't sure if it was something he could control.
But he would find out.
Because he had no other choice.
End of Chapter 13