The day after the reunion of Cain and Ryuta…
As they stood there, two merchants casually strolled by, immersed in conversation.
Ryuta caught snippets of their dialogue, one merchant saying, "I heard that two guys were taken by a deity."
"Really? That sounds either promising or perilous. Do you know their names?" the second merchant inquired.
"I believe they're called Roy and Yami," the first merchant responded.
The moment the names were uttered, a flash of recognition struck Ryuta. Confusion washed over him,why were these names playing on repeat in his mind? Roy and Yami, strangers who had been seized by a deity, lingered in his thoughts. An instinct drove him: he felt an urgent need to take action.
Caught in this spiral of overthinking, Cain turned to Ryuta, who stood frozen and silent. "Hey Ryuta, are you alright? You seem frozen in place."
"I've got to save them," Ryuta declared.
"Who are you talking about?" Cain pressed.
"Roy and Yami," Ryuta replied with determination.
"Roy and Yami? I don't recall them at all," Cain remarked.
Ryuta's mind raced. If he was the only one who remembered them, then he'd have to go alone.
"Head home, Cain. I'll handle this," Ryuta murmured quietly.
"Alright, but make sure you return. I'll come looking for you if you don't," Cain responded, concern lacing his words.
With that, the two parted ways, Ryuta heading north while Cain ventured south.
...
On his long journey, Ryuta sought an encounter with Death, the Death who wouldn't seek to battle him.
He traveled far from his homeland, covering miles until he reached the desolate expanse of Asterion Country.
This land was cloaked in dust, a monochrome gray blanketing the landscape and veiling it in fog.
Within this forsaken country stood crooked houses, their structural integrity compromised and ready to collapse at any moment,wooden remnants weakened by years of abandonment.
Asterion Country, a place deserted long ago, abandoned since 1999.
The inhabitants here had all but vanished, eliminated in the chaos of perpetual war that raged in that fateful year.
As he wandered through the eerie silence of the abandoned country, a house caught his eye,remarkably different from the tumbledown wreckage surrounding it.
Situated in solitude at the center, the house was shrouded in dust, cobwebs, and decay but stood defiantly against the others.
As he pushed the door open...
CREAK!
The sound echoed as the aged wooden floor protested under his weight.
As he crossed the threshold, he spotted him,a flicker of light from a candle illuminating the figure at the chimney.
"Death, I need your help," Ryuta whispered urgently.
"Did you forget? I warned you not to show your face again. I won't hesitate to end you," Death replied fiercely.
In a heartbeat, Death lunged at Ryuta, scythe raised to strike. But just in time, Ryuta activated RTLs, his body enveloped in a glowing white aura, hair and skin shifting to a radiant hue. As Death aimed to cleave him in two, Ryuta blocked with his sword.
Reeling back, Ryuta declared, "Light Slash!" unleashing a sweeping arc of energy, but Death deftly evaded and retaliated with a move known as Execution. A mighty scythe came crashing down towards Ryuta. Responding quickly, Ryuta countered with "Soul Slash," a lethal attack designed to rend souls from their vessels. Death sidestepped once more, yet Ryuta charged, determined.
When he was closed, "Divine Connect!" Ryuta shouted, and in a flash, his hand fused with Death's. In that instant, Ryuta severed one of Death's hands.
Death howled in agony.
"I won't ask again; I truly need your help," Ryuta implored, his resolve unwavering.