The wind howled through the black trees. The strange glow in Ryo's palm faded, leaving only a cold shiver running through his body.
A sharp sound broke the silence.
Crack.
A branch had snapped.
Ryo spun around, his breath quickening. His instincts—sharpened in the bloody alleys of his past life—were screaming.
"… I don't like this."
The tall grass parted. A creature burst forth from the shadows. Its body was monstrous: dark green scales, glistening fangs, and yellow eyes burning with hunger.
A goblin.
Ryo stepped back, his jaw tightening.
"No… I don't want this… not again…" he muttered, clenching his fists.
The beast snarled and lunged at him with brutal speed.
Every fiber of his being screamed to run. But another voice echoed within.
The voice.
Gabriel: "You hesitate? Before death, there is only one choice. Survive… or vanish."
The goblin leapt, wielding a rusty dagger.
Ryo's hand shot up on instinct.
Light burst forth.
The same glow as before—but brighter, fiercer—surged from his palm. Time itself seemed to slow.
His body moved on its own. A wave of invisible force erupted, slamming the goblin into a tree with crushing impact.
Silence. Then the monster collapsed, lifeless.
Ryo stood frozen, breathing hard.
His hands were trembling.
"… I swore I'd never fight again." His voice cracked.
"But if I do nothing… I'll die."
Gabriel's reply was cold, unyielding:
Gabriel: "You did not choose this world. This world chose you. And here… only the strong dictate peace."
Ryo shut his eyes, fists clenched tighter.
A storm of rage, fear, and clarity swirled inside him.
He drew a long, steady breath.
"… Fine," he whispered at last, voice low but resolute.
"I'll only kill if I have no choice. But I will never be crushed again."
The wind rose, carrying his words into the darkness.
Ryo stepped forward, leaving the goblin's corpse behind.
The survivor had made his first choice.