Eiji Takae crouched behind a crumbling wall, the acrid scent of smoke and ash filling the air like a heavy fog. The once-vibrant city lay in ruins, skeletal buildings jutting into the gray sky like broken teeth. Shattered glass crunched underfoot, glinting dully in the flickering light of a sun desperate to break through the oppressive clouds.
Distant explosions reverberated through the air, a grim reminder of the ongoing conflict that had consumed their world. Eiji's heart raced as he peered around the corner, his breath shallow and quick. The sharp retort of gunfire mingled with the anguished cries of the wounded echoing in the distance.
Amidst this chaos, a figure emerged from the dust and smoke, stumbling through the wreckage like a specter from a nightmare. The soldier, battered and bloodied, looked as if he had clawed his way out of hell itself. His uniform hung in tatters, and his face was smeared with dirt and grime, yet his eyes burned with a fierce intensity.
He paused, scanning the debris-strewn landscape, and his gaze fell upon Eiji, huddled against the wall. Small for his age, Eiji clutched a dented helmet that seemed far too large for his head. In that moment, he appeared almost fragile—a flicker of innocence amidst the surrounding devastation.
The soldier aimed his gun squarely at Eiji, trembling with fear and hatred. "You are the enemy! The seed of Takae! You will be purged!"
Eiji felt a cold dread wash over him. He stared back, wide-eyed and paralyzed, as the cacophony of chaos faded into a muffled echo, leaving only the pounding of his heart.
Before the soldier could pull the trigger, a voice broke the tension, cutting through like a knife. "Hold, soldier! What madness is this? Killing a child? What has the war done to your soul?"
A figure emerged from the shadows—a doctor, weary yet resolute. He stepped forward, hand raised in a plea for compassion. "Have you forgotten what we're fighting for? Humanity, not against it!"
But the soldier recoiled, rage twisting his features. "What would you know, doctor? You hide behind your oaths while we spill our blood! You preach morality while the world burns!"
With a brutal motion, he shoved the doctor aside. "There is no morality in war, only survival! And survival demands the eradication of the enemy!"
He fired. The doctor crumpled to the ground, a crimson stain blooming on his coat, his final words a choked whisper: "What... have we become?"
Eiji watched in horror as the soldier's act shattered the last remnants of his innocence. Darkness seeped into his heart. Memories of his family flashed through his mind—faces of those lost to the war, their laughter silenced forever. He felt their warmth extinguished, intertwining with his own fate.
Rising slowly, Eiji released the helmet, which clattered against the debris. The soldier, consumed by bloodlust, didn't notice the change in the boy's eyes—innocence giving way to cold, fierce determination.
"Time to end this, little monster," the soldier sneered, raising his weapon once more, a cruel smile twisting his lips.
But Eiji was no longer the frightened child. He had transformed into something else—an entity forged in rage, loss, and chilling clarity of purpose.
"Mercy?" Eiji's voice emerged, low and resonant. "You speak of mercy? There is no mercy, only will. And my will demands your annihilation."
The soldier felt a shiver of fear course through him for the first time. Eiji's gaze bore down on him, a suffocating weight of pure hatred.
"Beg," Eiji hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "You will suffer. In your final moments, you will know you created the very monster that will consume you."
Paralyzed, the soldier could only stare as Eiji's shadow loomed, engulfing him in darkness—a harbinger of the fate he had wrought.
With a surge of adrenaline, Eiji lunged forward, grabbing a jagged rock from the ground. The soldier barely had time to react as Eiji swung, the rock connecting with a sickening crunch. Eiji felt a rush of power surge through him, the taste of vengeance sweet on his tongue.
In the ensuing struggle, Eiji wrested the soldier's gun away, the weapon clattering to the ground. The soldier, momentarily dazed, tried to recover, but Eiji was relentless. He lunged for a knife at the soldier's side and, in a swift motion, sliced across the soldier's throat.
Blood gushed forth, a crimson arc against the backdrop of the dimly lit ruins. The soldier gasped, eyes wide with disbelief. Eiji felt a primal rush, a mix of fear and exhilaration.
With the soldier's strength fading, Eiji's fury erupted. He pressed down, stabbing again and again, counting each thrust as if to keep a record of his wrath.
"One!" he gasped, the blade sinking deep into flesh.
"Two!" Blood splattered onto his bare skin, the warmth igniting his rage further.
"Three!" The soldier's body convulsed beneath him, but Eiji was relentless.
"Four!" The world around him blurred, consumed by the act of vengeance.
"Five! Six! Seven!" Each number rang out like a mantra, drowning out the chaos.
"Eight! Nine! Ten!" Eiji lost himself in the rhythm, each stab a release of pent-up anger and sorrow.
"Eleven! Twelve! Thirteen!" His breaths came in ragged gasps, the knife feeling like an extension of his will.
"Fourteen! Fifteen! Sixteen!" Time seemed to stretch and warp, the world fading into nothingness.
"Seventeen! Eighteen! Nineteen!" The soldier's struggles weakened, and Eiji felt an intoxicating sense of power.
"Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty-two!"
The numbers continued, a chilling echo in the still air.
"Twenty-three! Twenty-four! Twenty-five!" Eiji's voice, once filled with uncertainty, now rang with newfound ferocity.
"Twenty-six! Twenty-seven! Twenty-eight!" The soldier's life ebbed away, and with each count, Eiji felt himself transforming.
"Twenty-nine! Thirty! Thirty-one!"
The counting continued, each stab a release of fury and grief.
"Thirty-two! Thirty-three! Thirty-four! Thirty-five! Thirty-six! Thirty-seven! Thirty-eight! Thirty-nine! Forty! Forty-one! Forty-two! Forty-three! Forty-four! Forty-five! Forty-six! Forty-seven! Forty-eight! Forty-nine! Fifty!"
Eiji's breath quickened, the rhythm of his counting becoming frantic.
"Fifty-one! Fifty-two! Fifty-three! Fifty-four! Fifty-five! Fifty-six! Fifty-seven! Fifty-eight! Fifty-nine! Sixty! Sixty-one! Sixty-two! Sixty-three! Sixty-four! Sixty-five!"
The counting became a mantra, drowning out everything else.
"Sixty-six! Sixty-seven! Sixty-eight! Sixty-nine! Seventy! Seventy-one! Seventy-two! Seventy-three! Seventy-four! Seventy-five!"
The stabs flowed, each one a release of pent-up rage.
"Seventy-six! Seventy-seven! Seventy-eight! Seventy-nine! Eighty! Eighty-one! Eighty-two! Eighty-three! Eighty-four! Eighty-five!"
"Eight hundred ten! Eight hundred eleven! Eight hundred twelve! Eight hundred thirteen! Eight hundred fourteen!"
The numbers continued, drowning out everything but his own voice.
"Eight hundred fifteen! Eight hundred sixteen! Eight hundred seventeen! Eight hundred eighteen! Eight hundred nineteen!"
"Eight hundred twenty! Eight hundred twenty-one! Eight hundred twenty-two! Eight hundred twenty-three! Eight hundred twenty-four!"
"Eight hundred twenty-five! Eight hundred twenty-six! Eight hundred twenty-seven! Eight hundred twenty-eight! Eight hundred twenty-nine!"
"Eight hundred thirty! Eight hundred thirty-one! Eight hundred thirty-two! Eight hundred thirty-three! Eight hundred thirty-four!"
"Eight hundred thirty-five! Eight hundred thirty-six! Eight hundred thirty-seven! Eight hundred thirty-eight! Eight hundred thirty-nine!"
"Nine hundred! Nine hundred one! Nine hundred two! Nine hundred three! Nine hundred four! Nine hundred five!"
With each stab, he transformed.
"Nine hundred six! Nine hundred seven! Nine hundred eight! Nine hundred nine! Nine hundred ten!"
"Nine hundred eleven! Nine hundred twelve! Nine hundred thirteen! Nine hundred fourteen! Nine hundred fifteen!"
"Nine hundred sixteen! Nine hundred seventeen! Nine hundred eighteen! Nine hundred nineteen! Nine hundred twenty!"
"Nine hundred twenty-one! Nine hundred twenty-two! Nine hundred twenty-three! Nine hundred twenty-four! Nine hundred twenty-five!"
"Nine hundred twenty-six! Nine hundred twenty-seven! Nine hundred twenty-eight! Nine hundred twenty-nine!"
"Nine hundred thirty! Nine hundred thirty-one! Nine hundred thirty-two! Nine hundred thirty-three! Nine hundred thirty-four!"
"Nine hundred thirty-five! Nine hundred thirty-six! Nine hundred thirty-seven! Nine hundred thirty-eight!"
"Nine hundred thirty-nine! One thousand!"
Eiji collapsed beside the lifeless body, panting, bloodied, and irrevocably changed. Each stab had carved a new path for him, one that led deeper into darkness.