The moment Ryo received immense power from Mr. Grim, a flood of supernatural knowledge surged into his mind—just like what had once happened to Colossal Mr. Grim when Malakar first bound him with dark control. But this time, it wasn't a curse. It was purpose.
Now, after leaping from the huge skeletal palm of Colossal Mr. Grim...
Ryo grinned mid-air, feeling the rush of wind slicing past him.
Ryo smirked to himself. "Damn… 'Crimson Gunslinger'? That title slaps. Mr. Grim really gave me a kickass name. I should use that for my gaming avatar when I get back home… if home still exists, that is."
His smirk softened slightly and sighed. "Been a while since I've logged into any RPGs…"
He looked down at his new outfit—a smooth crimson trench coat flowing behind him like a dark fiery cape. His upgraded gun now had a shiny skull symbol on the side, and a glowing sniper scope hovered near his right eye, softly humming with power.
Ryo, in awe, let out a low whistle. "I really just turned into a fantasy game character…"
But the admiration ended there, this wasn't the time to geek out.
Still soaring in mid-air above the Black Pyramid's chamber, Ryo's gaze shot downward—and his heart froze.
There it was.
Malakar, arms outstretched beside the half-open gate, his face twisted with wild excitement.
From the gate, a massive sinister hand—far too long and inhuman—was reaching out. Twisting with shadows, it clawed its way into the world, dripping black miasma.
At the chambers entrance, stood Amina and Aladdin.
They were frozen in fear.
On their knees, eyes closed… as if they had already accepted their fate, preparing to die by the claw approaching them.
Ryo's eyes widened in horror as he shouted. "SHIT!!"
He darted his eyes and head around in a panic, flailing slightly.
Ryo groaned, teeth clenched. "I REALLY jumped too high, didn't I!? What the hell was in that shard—did I get maximum kangaroo mode or something?!"
The ceiling of the Black Pyramid loomed above—black, jagged stone and absolutely not the kind of thing you want to headbutt at full speed.
His eyes widened. "Oh crap—CEILING INCOMING."
But just before impact, instinct kicked in.
Ryo twisted his body mid-air, knees coiled tightly. He landed feet-first against the rocky ceiling like it was the floor, bending low—
Then BOOM! launched himself off with explosive, supernatural force.
A red blur shot down like a missile.
CRACK!
He landed hard, trench coat whipping around him like a crimson flag of defiance, just in front of Amina and Aladdin. His shoes hit the stone with such weight it echoed through the chamber. He rose slowly, like a guardian summoned by fate itself.
Amina, who had kept her eyes shut in fear, heard a crack on the stone floor in front of her. Curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly opened her eyes. Blinking through the light and dust, she squinted at the silhouette standing before her.
The figure… that hair… the trench coat—crimson?
Her breath hitched. "Oh my gosh…"
Then Ryo, face calm but eyes sharp with purpose, slowly lifted his left hand. A swirl of red light formed above his palm—bullets made of glowing, pure energy dancing in a circle like orbiting moons.
Click—click—click.
Each bullet magnetized itself into his gun.
And then—he pointed the weapon straight at the monstrous hand emerging from the gate.
The front of the gun lit up—swirling, spiraling, glowing red.
BANG!!!
A devastating shot burst forth like a thunderclap, crashing into the colossal spirit's palm with unbelievable force.
"SSSCCREEEEEEEEE!!!"
The spirit screamed in otherworldly pain, its shadowy arm pulling back to the gate with a flinch, smoke and crimson sparks bursting where the bullet hit.
On the side of the gate, Malakar—who had been basking in his twisted joy—suddenly stiffened.
Malakar's eyes widened in alarm. "What!? What's happening!?" he shouted.
He turned his head sharply toward the chamber's entrance—and froze.
Amina and Aladdin were still there… but now, someone stood in front of them.
Someone he knew.
Malakar's eyes widened in disbelief. "N-No… It can't be…"
A voice echoed, familiar… super annoying… and very much alive.
Ryo grinned, his gun still raised. "Yo, fossil boy…"
Malakar's jaw dropped. He stuttered. "A…A…A…"
Ryo smirked with venom. "Did I killed your dignity again?" he taunted.
Malakar's face twisted into panic, teeth clenched and fists tightening into claws.
Malakar shouted, his voice trembling with rage. "H-How!? How are you alive!?"
This was impossible. Malakar had thrown him into the abyss. He was supposed to be dead—gone, erased—just another skeleton in the pit.
Yet here he was—standing tall, with a crimson trench coat, upgraded gun, and a glare that screamed vengeance.
Ryo slowly turned around, gun lowered, to face Amina and Aladdin.
Aladdin, who had kept his eyes shut for so long, opened them slowly, his breath caught.
Amina gasped, eyes wide as her trembling hands covered her mouth.
They knew that silhouette. That messy hair. That cocky grin.
It couldn't be.
Ryo smirking. "Hey Aladdin….Watson" he nodded toward Amina with a teasing grin.
Tears instantly welled up in both their eyes.
Amina's voice trembled as she choked up. "R-R-Ryo… is that… you?"
Aladdin's voice shook. "S-Sir!?"
Ryo grinning. "Yeah… just uh… a little upgraded."
Without another second wasted, both Amina and Aladdin lunged forward and threw their arms around him, hugging him tightly.
Ryo stumbled back slightly. "H-Hey!"
But he didn't push them away.
Amina sobbed loudly into his chest. "WAAAAAAAH!! RYOOOOOO!!! I THOUGHT WE LOST YOU!!!"
Aladdin broke down, his tears soaking into Ryo's trench coat. "SIIIIIR!!! THANK GOD—THANK GOD YOU'RE BACK!!"
For a moment, the madness around them faded.
For just a moment…they had him back.
Amina, still hugging him, sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"Ryo… how on earth did you get back up here? And—your injuries… they're completely gone!"
Aladdin, eyes narrowing with a mix of awe and confusion, stepped back a bit.
"That's right, sir. You fell into the pit. How did you survive that?"
Amina stepped back, finally taking a full look at him—his crimson trench coat, wild hair swept by the wind, and the sniper scope glowing over his right eye.
She tilted her head, squinting suspiciously. "Why do you look like you just had an anime power-up moment? You even blasted that giant spirit hand like it was your ultimate move!"
Ryo, completely deadpan, slowly turned his head and looked up toward the dark ceiling like he was pondering the meaning of life. "…Uhhhh… well… gotta thank Mr. Grim for that."
Silence.
Just the faint hum of the gate and the distant screeches of Vrakuls still trying to claw their way through.
"….."
Amina and Aladdin, both blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.
And then—
Amina and Aladdin said in perfect, confused unison "Mr. Grim? …Who's that?"
Right. Of course.
Because technically speaking… no one ever told them who that was.
Not 'The Ancient Jinn.'
Not the cloaked skeleton with a voice like a royal ghost.
And definitely not someone named Mr. Grim.
Ryo shrugged casually. "Anyway, I'll explain more about Mr. Grim later."
But across the chamber, Malakar twitched. His teeth clenched, veins darkening beneath his skin, his eyes glowing with murderous rage.
Malakar snarled through gritted teeth.
"You dare ignore me? You insolent, meddling pest of a detective... I threw you into the abyss once—I'LL DO IT AGAIN! THIS TIME, I'LL ERASE YOUR VERY EXISTENCE, YOU WRETCHED MORTAL!"
With a thunderous flap of his devil wings, Malakar launched into the air, flying straight toward Ryo's back like a demon ready to cleave him in half.
Amina's eyes widened in panic. "Ryo! Watch out!" she shouted.
Aladdin, already unsheathing his sword with a grunt, stepped forward instinctively.
But—he didn't need to.
Because Ryo?
He didn't even flinch.
Just as Malakar's claws were inches from tearing through him…
Ryo spun around with terrifying calm and, in one smooth motion, caught Malakar's wrist mid-air with his left hand—then pushed it upward while keeping a firm grip, stopping the charge cold.
No earth-shaking explosion.
No flashy special effect.
Just a clean, casual catch.
Malakar's eyes shot open in shock.
A moment of silence, the silence of someone realizing they messed up.
Malakar in disbelief. "…W-What…?!"
He tried to pull back—but couldn't.
Ryo stood there, unmoved, holding back the immortal tyrant like he was gripping a leaky garden hose.
Amina and Aladdin gasped. Their jaws dropped.
Aladdin stuttering. "T-That strength…!"
Amina spoke softly, stunned. "He… stopped him with one hand…"
Ryo smirked and tilted his head. "What's the matter, fossil boy? That all you got?"
And then—
With a blur of motion, Ryo brought up his right hand and WHAM!... smashed the bottom of his gun into Malakar's cheek—with monstrous force.
The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber as Malakar was blasted to the left like a meteor, crashing into the black stone wall with an earsplitting crack. A massive crater formed, and stone and debris rained down like a collapsing storm.
Dust filled the air.
Amina and Aladdin gasped loudly.
From the impact zone, Malakar's body slowly peeled off the wall and crashed onto the ground.
His face was twisted, bloody, and partially caved in from the brutal strike. He wheezed, already regenerating.
And even as his face healed, the terror didn't.
Malakar panted, clutching his face and trembling. "T-This strength…! It's not… human…!"
Ryo, casually spinning his gun, the sniper scope above his right eye glowing faintly in crimson.
He grinned, voice sharp. "Guess I can kick your ass now, huh?"
Still half-sunken in the cratered wall, Malakar suddenly let out a twisted, maniacal laugh, black lightning crackling from his fingertips, smoke rising from his shoulders.
He grinned with madness. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So what if you're strong now?! I'll just regenerate over and over again! I can't be killed, detective!"
Ryo whistled a cheeky tune.
"Wow, look at you—so dramatic. What's next? A five-minute speech about your tragic backstory and how you're destined to rule the underworld? Real original…
Rested his gun on his shoulder.
"Enough with the evil speech, drama king. If you're done flexing your immortality complex, how about we throw hands already? I've got better things to do than entertain your final boss fantasies."
Malakar offended. "YOU WORM!!"
He threw both arms forward, unleashing a storm of black electric orbs—each one crackling with wild energy, screaming through the air like chaotic comets, all racing straight for Ryo.
But Ryo didn't move.
His right eye glowed red from the sniper scope hovering just inches above it, locking onto each black electric orb with sharp precision.
Ryo's gaze sharpened, the red glow from his scope intensifying. With a calm, deadly tone, he whispered. "Target acquired."
He raised his gun— Click. Click. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One by one, each crimson-glowing bullet struck its target mid-air, bursting the black orbs in flashes of red light—each shot precise, like he was swatting flies out of the sky with sniper accuracy.
Malakar's jaw dropped.
in utter disbelief, he shouted. "WHAT!?"
Amina and Aladdin stared in awe.
It looked like Ryo didn't even need backup…
But then—he leaned back slightly and whispered behind him without looking.
Ryo said softly. "Pssst. So, uh… turns out we can shut that gate if we throw both the compass and that idiot Malakar into it."
Aladdin whispered, stunned. "Wait—seriously?!"
Ryo, still focused. "Yeah. According to Mr. Grim… which is a long story."
There was no time to question him about this so-called Mr. Grim.
No time to doubt.
At that moment, a swirling, monstrous face made of miasma suddenly appeared in the half-open gate. Its voice howled with rage.
It's about to come out again, and it's even angrier.
Ryo, still whispering. "Alright, here's the plan…"
He quickly laid it out.
Amina and Aladdin nodded without hesitation.
Amina whispered. "Alright, Sherlock. We trust you."
But across the chamber, Malakar roared at the malevolent spirit, raising his clawed hands to the gate.
He yelled dramatically. "OH MALEVOLENT SPIRITS, TEAR THAT WRETCHED DETECTIVE APA—"
Before the word 'apart' even left his lips—
Ryo was already there…. WHAM!
A blur of crimson—Ryo launched forward, leg outstretched, and drove a brutal flying kick straight into Malakar's face. His foot slammed down, pressing the sorcerer back into the crater with crushing force, the impact doubling its size.
Ryo deadpanned. "I was right. You are a pretty trash fighter. No wonder Zayd beat your ass centuries ago."
That name — Zayd.
The moment Malakar heard it, his expression twisted into pure hatred, his whole body trembled with rage.
Malakar howling. "RRRAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
His black aura burst outward like a wave of hellfire, horns sharpening, claws glowing, his voice shaking the air itself.
He smacked Ryo back with a clawed backhand. Ryo backflipped midair and landed calmly on the narrow stone bridge, completely unbothered.
Malakar roared as dark power surged around him. "I'LL UNLEASH MY TRUE FORM—AND SHRED YOUR SOUL INTO NOTHINGNESS!"
Ryo sighed, tilting his head. "Ahh... nope. Not waiting for you to finish powering up. I've got better things to do than watch your 'big reveal'."
He pulled the trigger—BANG.
Malakar's left leg exploded at the knee, vaporized by a crimson blast. Laughing wildly, he yelled, "HAAHAHAHAHA! KEEP SHOOTING! I'LL JUST—"
Then he paused.
He looked down.
His leg… wasn't growing back, or rather—it was, but it was slow. Painfully slow…
…Just like the day he first lost his humanity.
His eyes widened, hands trembling.
Malakar horrified. "N-No… No, this can't—!"
Amina gasped. "No way… his regeneration—it's slowing down!"
Ryo's sharp gaze narrowed, and his smirk returned. "So that's what Mr. Grim meant by 'weakening him'."
It became clear now—Mr. Grim's power coursing through Ryo's bullets was slowing down Malakar's regeneration.
Malakar's grin faltered.
His eyes widened in realization.
Ryo raised his gun again. The weapon swirled with crimson energy as he fired another shot.
Malakar barely dodged, then rolled mid-air to avoid the next—but one shot struck him clean through the side of his abdomen.
BOOM!
A massive, curved hole burst open in Malakar's side.
Malakar screamed in agony, vomiting blood. "AARRRGGGHHHHH!!"
The gaping wound was trying to regenerate… but it was too slow.
Desperate and wounded, Malakar flew back toward the gate, forced to land from the intense pain. He noticed something within the gate—and decided to take advantage of it to buy himself time to rest and regenerate.
The gate rumbled, a heavy, rotten groan echoed from within.
Something was coming… A Vrakul.
Its monstrous, demonic hand pushed the gate wider—cracking stone— Then its massive horned head emerged, glowing eyes burning with hate.
Aladdin's voice broke through the tension. "Oh no! The gate's wide open now!"
Amina gasped. "It's coming out—!"
But Ryo didn't flinch.
Instead, he cracked the stone bridge under his feet as he launched himself forward like a rocket.
In a flash of crimson and wind, Ryo spun mid-air and "CRACK—FWOOOM!" smashed his foot right into the Vrakul's jaw.
The spirit shrieked, shaking the whole chamber, and pulled back into the gate. It grabbed at the air desperately before vanishing into the gate.
Amina, wide-eyed in shock. "DID HE JUST KICK THAT GIANT SPIRIT IN THE FACE?!"
Seems like being an overpowered Crimson Gunslinger makes kicking a spirit in the face a real possibility.
But it wasn't over.
Smaller spirits began to escape, flying out from the gate like angry shadows, each one shrieking, desperate to flee into the mortal world.
Ryo's eyes sharpened. "Not today."
He raised his gun, and—BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Each shot hit with sniper-like precision.
Each spirit struck by the bullets erupted into black smoke, vanishing before it could even escape the chamber.
Aladdin and Amina could only watch in awe.
The detective—their detective—wasn't just back.
He was a force of reckoning, empowered by the power of death itself.
But while Ryo focused on gunning down the smaller spirits one by one—
He didn't notice Malakar.
Behind him, just on the side of the gate.
Malakar's clawed hand trembled as he whispered a forbidden incantation—a dark ritual even he had long sworn never to use, a spell that would cost him everything—his life, his soul, his very essence, leaving only his body behind, a hollow shell—all out of desperation to defeat the obnoxious detective.
Then— FWOOM!!!
A violent surge of energy exploded around him, and green and black fire engulfed Malakar's body.
Ryo spun to witness the flames erupting as the smaller spirits stopped emerging.
"What the hell—?"
He hadn't noticed.
He gave him the power-up moment.
Ryo, groaning. "Oh great, I can't believe I let myself get distracted by the background mobs. Rookie mistake!"
Malakar's screams echoed across the chamber—but this wasn't pain from the burn.
This was the sound of something transforming.
Something breaking, and something… being born.
And when the smoke cleared… Malakar was no longer the same.
His skin was gone.
In its place, bone-white flesh and veins of burning darkness.
His face now a skull, with demonic green light glowing from within the sockets.
His horns had grown twisted and jagged, curling like ancient roots clawing out from his skull.
And though his claws were now thinner—shorter—they were razor-sharp, like obsidian blades on both his hands and feet.
He looked less monstrous than before—less beastly...
But the aura he emitted… was suffocating.
Even the air around him rippled and bent from the pressure.
The stone beneath his feet began to crack… just by standing there.
Ryo's fingers twitched. "So that's your final form, huh."
Amina's voice barely above a whisper. "This is not good…"
And Ryo agreed.
Because whatever Malakar had become…
Was no longer a devil trying to win.
It was a dying god with nothing left to lose.
Malakar lunged at top speed toward Ryo, who stood in the middle of the stone bridge—
A blur of black and green light.
He slammed into Ryo's torso, claws wrapping around him and sinking in, before launching upward with a thunderous blast from his feet, leaving a crater in the stone floor.
BOOM!
They shot through the air like a cannonball—
CRACK!!
—shattering through the black pyramid's ceiling, stone and debris raining down behind them.
Aladdin's voice tore through the chaos. "SIR!!"
But then — CLINK!
Something gleamed and spun in mid-air.
The Celestial Compass — Ryo had swiped it from Malakar's scorched robe at the very last second, and hurled it down with sniper precision just as he was ripped into the sky.
It clattered across the stone bridge.
Amina darted forward, snatching it up, she glanced back at Aladdin.
They didn't need words.
This was the moment Ryo had planned for, he had warned them.
"If that bastard powers up, I'll keep him busy. You two—toss it into the gate."
Now was their chance.
But at the gate, the Vrakul's massive claw burst through, forcing the gate wide open—followed by its monstrous head appearing within. Its glowing eyes burned with rage as its mouth unhinged, letting out a ghostly shriek.
Aladdin, gripping his sword. "The gate's wide open—!"
Amina, eyes wide. "It's coming out!"
Meanwhile—above the pyramid
Ryo and Malakar were still locked in aerial combat, high above the black stone structure.
Ryo, teeth clenched, pounded Malakar's face with brutal strength— SMASH. SMASH. SMASH.
But Malakar didn't even flinch.
No growl. No words.
Only silence and hate.
Then, like a predator, Malakar twisted his body, grabbed Ryo's wrist, and with inhuman strength—
THREW HIM DOWN.
Ryo crashed into the desert sand KRAKOOM!... exploding outward like a bomb.
A sand-blasted crater formed where he landed.
A stream of blood trickled down Ryo's forehead.
He groaned, rubbing his head. "Oww…"
He barely had time to blink— Malakar was already descending, charging beams of green energy in his hands.
He unleashed them in rapid-fire, each blast scorching the sand like a meteor strike.
Ryo backflipped just in time, air blasting beneath his feet as he dodged beam after beam.
His voice cut through the chaos, sharp and cocky. "You sure became one big pain in the ass, fossil boy!"
Malakar landed hard, kicking up a thick wave of sandy dust.
But something was different now.
He didn't speak, he couldn't.
This wasn't Malakar the evil sorcerer anymore.
This was something else.
His body twitched, his skull-like face cracked into a snarl.
And then—
He Roared.
"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!"
The sound shattered the wind, sending tremors across the desert.