The office door burst open, slamming against the wall. A staff member rushed in, sweat running down his temple, voice sharp with urgency.
"Sir! We found them!"
Hachi's head jerked up. He'd spent hours buried in satellite feeds and scrambled reports, frustrated beyond words at how they'd lost track of a full squad on a single island. His hands gripped his temples, but at those words, his eyes widened.
"Really?! Where are they!?"
"They're still on Kaba Island, sir!"
Hachi shot to his feet, relief flooding his chest.
"Ok! Good!"
But the staffer hesitated, his expression darkening.
"But..."
Hachi's voice cut in, sharp.
"What is it?"
The staffer swallowed, his throat tight.
"The demon's aura is still there, sir. They're more than likely already facing it..."
The words sank into the room like lead.
Hachi's relief twisted instantly into dread. His hand slammed down onto the desk, fingers curling into the wood until it creaked. His jaw tightened, tongue clicking hard in frustration.
"Damn it... they're still in the fight."
~~~Kaba Island~~~
Ayro's body lay motionless on the shattered ground, his chest barely rising. The Class D Demon, mangled and bleeding from shadow-inflicted wounds, hunched low, its flesh crawling as it tried to regenerate.
Freed from Ayro's shadows, Ryujin stood a few paces away. Silent. Unmoving. His presence was calm—but electric, like a storm about to break.
"Oi. Ugly."
The demon's guttural laughter broke the air.
"Hahahaha... Your friend's fading here."
Its massive claws reached down, seizing Ayro by the neck. Effortlessly, it lifted the limp boy into the air and dangled him like prey before Ryujin.
"He's bleeding out. He'll die, you know. Aren't you going to save him?"
Ryujin didn't flinch. His single visible eye never left the demon.
Irritation twisted the demon's tone.
"Oi! Can't you hear me?! Your friend is—"
—Slice.
In a blink, Ryujin's spear flashed. The demon's arm fell, severed clean at the shoulder. Ayro's body dropped heavily to the ground.
The demon staggered back, clutching the gory stump.
"What the?! I couldn't even see him move! Where... where did all that speed come from?!"
From Ryujin erupted a thick, vibrant aura—violet energy surging upward like fire. His lone glowing eye locked onto the demon, cold and merciless.
"Oi."
The demon froze, breath caught under the crushing weight of that aura.
But the next voice wasn't his.
"Me?"
"Yes. Ashura— you."
A dark laugh echoed inside Ryujin's mind, cruel and amused.
"You dare use my power again, Ryujin?"
"Lend me more."
"Tsk. Bold of you to—"
Ashura stopped. His voice dipped, intrigued.
"...Wait. That energy... familiar.. Interesting."
He chuckled low, savoring the thought.
"How about this... Let me take over. I'll save your friend."
"Tsk. You're not the type to keep promises."
"Nah. This time I'll guarantee it. I want that demon."
"No."
"Come on now, Ryujin. I won't hurt him. Besides..."
His tone grew darker, teasing,
"I'm getting sick of being locked in your mind."
"Oi! Why are you talking to yourself?!"
The demon roared, lunging forward, its massive hand ripping through the air toward Ryujin.
The strike never landed. With a sharp thrust, Ryujin caught it on his spear. The impact sent dust and debris blasting outward in a violent shockwave, shaking the earth beneath them.
"Tsk! ASHURA!"
Ryujin snarled inwardly, arms trembling against the force.
"No, no, no. Let me out."
"Shit... it's too strong. I can't handle this alone. Ayro... Itoshi... everyone... we'll all die at this rate."
Ryujin thought to himself.
"That's why you should let me take over,"
Ashura whispered, his voice like a razor, closer than ever.
~~~The Room That Observes All~~~
"Ryujin used twelve percent of Ashura!"
Silhouette 4's voice was rough, a low grunt breaking the silence.
Silhouette 3 exhaled through his nose, arms crossed.
"Seems like the situation's getting desperate."
From the far end of the table, Silhouette 7 chuckled. His voice carried a strange amusement.
"Heh. It's been a while, huh..."
Silhouette 5 leaned forward, tone crisp.
"Have we identified who's still alive?"
Hachi's fingers tapped against his tablet, the glow of the display lighting up his weary face. He skimmed the fresh readings before answering.
"Yes, sir. Ryujin, Ayro, Itoshi, Kara, Kirashi, Aldrin—the pilot—one child... and the demon. That makes eight souls present on Kaba right now."
He hesitated, his eyes narrowing.
"Well... nine, if we count Ashura."
The room fell still. Only the hum of machines and the flickering light from the monitors filled the space. Their sharp, faceless silhouettes remained unmoved, but the weight in the air thickened.
One of them thought to himself, cold and measured.
"Ashura, huh... I wonder if that beast has finally been tamed."
~~~Kaba Island~~~
Night descended in inky layers, swallowing the horizon whole. Waves rose like restless giants, crashing against the jagged shore. The wind howled through the darkness—a wild omen of the storm's relentless approach.
The battle was reaching its end. The demon was battered and bleeding, its regeneration sluggish. But amid the chaos... something far worse stirred.
Ashura.
The demon Ryujin had been born with. A power he never truly controlled. Not an ally. Barely even a prisoner.
"...Fuck it."
With that, Ryujin released Ashura—for just a second.
In an instant, the demon's left arm wasn't cut or torn. It was simply gone. Deleted from existence.
The demon flinched, recoiling like a beast feeling death for the first time.
"Such speed! What kind of fucking demon is this kid?! I could match his speed earlier, but that kid—"
Its gaze flicked to Ayro.
"—he's drained me too much already."
Its twisted smile widened.
"What the hell was that!? A second?!"
Ashura's voice barked in Ryujin's mind.
"Can't let you go all out."
Ryujin's reply was cold.
"He's too fast... with that speed, he could finish it in one blow. But it's too risky—Ayro's right there."
Then Ryujin noticed the demon's hungry, sinister grin fixed on Ayro.
"Shit!"
He let Ashura loose again—only for two seconds.
And in those two seconds, chaos erupted:
The demon lunged for Ayro, claws poised to pierce his throat and drain what strength he had left.
Ryujin sensed the shift in the demon's breath—a silent signal only fighters recognize.
Ashura surged forth.
With inhuman speed, Ryujin's right arm swatted away the demon's strike, intercepting it perfectly.
His left hand drove the spear into the demon's side. The beast twisted away, but not fast enough. The strike landed deep.
Ashura yanked Ayro's limp body behind him, shielding his fallen comrade.
The demon staggered back, trembling for the first time in centuries.
It clutched its bleeding side, gasping.
"It's too fucking fast... I need another way."
Above them, Ryujin's aura burned violet. It climbed skyward, casting a monstrous shadow over the demon under the cold moonlight.
But the cost was steep.
Ryujin's legs buckled slightly, his breath coming ragged.
"Damn it, Ashura... you're pushing too hard."
"You've gotten weaker, Ryujin."
Ashura's whisper was both cruel and amused.
"Shut up! Just get me outta here!"
"That's not how you ask for help, Ryujin-kun. No need to be harsh."
Ryujin gritted his teeth.
"Tsk..."
"The demon's going after Ayro's blood... He's gonna use that energy to go toe-to-toe with Ashura. Can't let that happen."
Ashura flickered out for another short burst. Ryujin dashed at the demon—but the beast dove into the ruins of the abandoned village, slipping from his strike.
"Damn it! He got away... There's no fucking time."
Ryujin gasped.
"Don't hold me back, Ryujin."
"Shut up!"
"I didn't attack Ayro. I was focused on the demon, you see."
"...You're right. But you mocked me back there."
"Oh come on, Ryujin! I was just messin' with you, you know?"
"No way!"
"Ryujin... haven't you realized it yet?"
"Realized what?!"
"No need to shout, Ryujin-kun."
Ryujin went silent.
"We've been together since you were little. Ever wonder why I've never left your body?" Ashura's voice curled deeper, closer.
"I did..."
"Right?! Without a body, I wouldn't survive. I'm just a soul—caged in your flesh. And you—"
"I'm not weak!"
"No. You're a person with massive potential. I'm the one who can help you reach it. You and I, we're complementary. I won't survive without you... and you won't survive without me."
"You've messed with me my whole life. How can I just start trusting you now?!"
"Because times are different now... Ryujin-kun."
"What the hell could've changed this bastard's mind?"
Ryujin's face twisted with frustration. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
Then Ashura's voice cut through everything.
"He did."
Ryujin's body went still. The storm, the demon, the pain—all faded for a heartbeat.
And for the first time in years...
He let himself breathe.
~~~To be Continued~~~