THE CHAMBER SHOOK WITH KILLING INTENT.
RYUJIN STOOD, KATANA LOWERED BUT HIS AURA ERUPTING LIKE A STORM.
THE WARDEN RAISED HIS DARK BLADE—
A WEAPON CARVED FROM PURE VOID.
"COME, SHADOW ASCENDANT," THE WARDEN GROWLED.
"SHOW ME THE TRUE DEPTH OF YOUR BLOODLINE."
WHOOSH!
RYUJIN VANISHED.
BOOM!
THEIR BLADES COLLIDED, A SHOCKWAVE RIPPING THROUGH THE ENTIRE CHAMBER.
STONE PILLARS SHATTERED, RUNES FLICKERED.
THE WARDEN SLASHED IN A WIDE ARC, VOID ENERGY TEARING THE FLOOR APART.
RYUJIN FLIPPED BACK, LANDING SILENTLY.
HIS EYES WERE BLACK, HIS SMILE UNHINGED.
"FASTER," HE WHISPERED.
"OR YOU'LL DIE TOO QUICKLY."
RYUJIN STRUCK—
HIS KATANA A BLUR, DARK MOON FORM FULLY ACTIVATED.
EVERY MOVE WAS A KILLING BLOW.
CLANG! THE WARDEN PARRIED ONE STRIKE,
BUT RYUJIN USED THE IMPACT TO SPIN, KICKING HIS CHEST AND BREAKING ARMOR.
"IMPRESSIVE," THE WARDEN GROWLED.
"BUT YOU'RE STILL HOLDING BACK!"
VOID PULSE!
A BLAST OF PURE ABYSSAL ENERGY SENT RYUJIN CRASHING INTO A WALL.
ARIANA CRIED OUT,
"RYUJIN!"
BUT HE STOOD, LAUGHING.
"IS THAT ALL?!"
THE WARDEN CHARGED AGAIN,
BUT THIS TIME, SOMETHING INSIDE RYUJIN SNAPPED.
BLACK SMOKE ERUPTED FROM HIS BODY.
HIS AURA DOUBLED, TRIPLED.
THE GROUND CRACKED UNDER HIS FEET.
KILL HIM. TEAR HIM APART.
BECOME THE KING.
RYUJIN VANISHED AGAIN, FASTER THAN BEFORE.
SLASH!
THE WARDEN'S ARM FLEW OFF.
BEFORE HE COULD REACT, RYUJIN WAS BEHIND HIM, TEARING THROUGH HIS BACK WITH A PIERCING THRUST.
"THIS… ISN'T… POSSIBLE…" THE WARDEN COUGHED BLOOD.
"I'M DONE PLAYING."
RYUJIN DROVE HIS KATANA THROUGH THE WARDEN'S CHEST,
HIS AURA DEVOURING THE CREATURE FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
BOOM!
THE WARDEN'S BODY EXPLODED INTO BLACK ASH.
THE CHAMBER FELL SILENT.
RYUJIN STOOD IN THE MIDDLE, BLOODIED AND BREATHING HARD,
HIS EYES STILL COMPLETELY BLACK.
KAI AND ARIANA STEPPED FORWARD CAREFULLY.
"RYUJIN…" ARIANA SAID SOFTLY.
"IT'S OVER. COME BACK TO US."
"STAY BACK!" KAI Hissed.
"LOOK AT HIM! HE'S NOT HUMAN RIGHT NOW!"
RYUJIN TURNED HIS HEAD SLOWLY, HIS GAZE PREDATORY.
THE AIR AROUND HIM FELT LIKE A GRAVE.
"HUMANITY?" HE WHISPERED.
"I DON'T NEED IT…"
ARIANA STEPPED CLOSER, TEARS IN HER EYES.
"YES, YOU DO! YOU'RE NOT JUST A MONSTER!
THINK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, RYUJIN!
THE PEOPLE YOU LOVED!"
RYUJIN'S BODY TREMBLED.
FOR A MOMENT, THE BLACK AURA FLICKERED.
"Tch…"
HE GRIPPED HIS HEAD, GROWLING IN AGONY AS THE DARKNESS FOUGHT TO CONSUME HIM.
KAI RUSHED TO HELP, GRABBING HIS SHOULDER.
"DON'T YOU DARE GIVE IN, YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE STRONGER THAN THIS!"
RYUJIN FELL TO HIS KNEES, HIS HANDS DIGGING INTO THE STONE FLOOR.
HIS EYES WERE STILL BLACK—BUT TEARS BEGAN TO FORM.
"I… I CAN'T…"
ARIANA HUGGED HIM FROM BEHIND, WHISPERING,
"YOU'RE NOT ALONE. COME BACK TO US, RYUJIN… PLEASE."
THE BLACK AURA ERUPTED VIOLENTLY—
AND THEN, EVERYTHING WENT SILENT.