The ground shook violently as dark figures erupted from the ruins, their glowing red eyes locking onto Ryuji and Akari. The nightmarish creatures had elongated limbs, sharp, jagged claws, and an unnatural, shifting presence—like shadows that had taken form.
Ryuji's grip on his blade tightened. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, but his mind was clear. No hesitation. No fear.
Akari stood beside him, katana raised, her breath steady despite the chaos.
Daigo, however, simply smirked. "Looks like they're in a hurry."
Ryuji's eyes flicked toward him. "Who are they?"
Daigo's golden eyes gleamed. "Hunters."
Akari's gaze snapped toward him. "You mean they're after—"
The creatures lunged.
The First Strike
Ryuji reacted instantly, his instincts sharper than ever. He sidestepped the first attacker, his sword cutting through its shadowed flesh. The creature howled, but no blood spilled.
It wasn't human.
It wasn't even alive.
Akari swung her katana in a deadly arc, slicing through another creature's neck. It staggered but didn't fall. Instead, its severed head twisted unnaturally before snapping back into place.
"They don't die like normal enemies!" she warned.
Daigo let out a low chuckle, still standing back, arms crossed. "Of course not. These things were made to kill people like you."
Ryuji gritted his teeth. Figures.
Two more darted toward him—fast, too fast. He barely had time to parry as their claws scraped against his blade, sending sparks flying.
Then—a sharp pain in his side.
One of the creatures had landed a hit, its talons raking across his ribs. Blood seeped through his shirt, but Ryuji ignored it. He wouldn't fall here.
He couldn't.
Akari was still fighting beside him, her breathing heavy, her sword flickering through the air in precise, practiced movements. She was holding her own—but for how long?
Ryuji exhaled sharply.
He needed more power.
The Awakening
The storm inside him roared, that same heat from before pulsing through his veins. His vision blurred for a second—then sharpened.
Time slowed.
He could see the creatures moving before they struck. He could feel the shift in the air, hear the scrape of their claws against stone.
It was like his body had stepped ahead of time itself.
Ryuji's fingers tightened around his blade. Now.
His sword moved faster than thought, a streak of silver slicing through the night. The creature before him didn't even have time to react before it was torn apart.
And this time—it didn't get back up.
Akari's breath caught. "Ryuji—"
He didn't answer. His body felt light. Powerful. Like he had finally stepped into what he was meant to be.
The remaining creatures hesitated. They could feel it too.
But then—
A voice echoed through the ruins.
"You're adapting quicker than I expected."
A new presence emerged.
A man in flowing black and crimson robes stepped forward, silver hair glinting under the broken moonlight. His eyes—**cold and calculating—**locked onto Ryuji with unsettling amusement.
"Impressive." He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "But it won't be enough."
Daigo's smirk vanished. "Tch. Of all the people who could've shown up..."
Akari's grip tightened. "Who is he?"
Daigo sighed. "Hate to break it to you, but we just found one of the Seven Elders."
Ryuji's breath hitched.
One of the people hunting him.
The man took another step forward, unhurried, his presence crushing against the air itself. "It's nothing personal, really."
Then, he raised his hand—
And the entire battlefield erupted into fire.
To Be Continued in Chapter 18!