"The Moment of Fall... and the Beginning of Awakening"
After Ryoma stabbed the Ashin with the dagger, he stood confidently and spoke in a calm yet sharp voice:
"You overestimated yourself."
The students and supervisors were shocked by his words, while Saito watched from above, his gaze cold and unreadable as always. One of the supervisors whispered in concern:
"What did that boy just pull out?"
The students couldn't believe what they saw. They struggled just to survive against the lower-level Ashin, yet Ryoma... he seemed to defy natural limits.
Ryoma and the Mysterious Dagger
Ryoma glanced at the dagger in his hand and muttered to himself:
"This dagger... it's..."
A brief moment of silence. He recalled where he had found it, the strange energy he had felt when he first touched it. But he shook his head and refocused on the battle.
"No matter... as long as it gives me a bit of energy... at least it will make up for my weakness at night."
Ryoma rushed forward, attacking again with incredible speed. But just as he was about to drive the dagger into the Ashin, the creature dodged at the last second and countered with a powerful airborne kick. Ryoma barely had time to react before the Ashin struck him hard in the face, sending him flying.
He gritted his teeth as he stood back up.
"How did he get stronger so suddenly?!"
Ryoma activated his Raikono energy, but it was weak due to its effectiveness being reduced at night. Even so, he told himself:
"Even if it's weak... it'll give me extra speed, and that's enough."
A faint blue-white aura flickered around him, invisible to the students and supervisors. It was a power that could not be seen easily due to its unstable state.
With a burst of speed, he slashed at the Ashin's face, leaving a shallow cut. But what happened next was shocking...
Ryoma saw the Ashin's energy slowly fading, as if the dagger was absorbing it! At the same time, he felt his own strength returning, even some of his wounds beginning to heal.
His eyes widened as he stared at the dagger.
"What... is this?!"
The Ashin roared in fury, its energy surging wildly. The ground trembled, and the air grew heavy.
One of the supervisors shouted:
"This is bad... its power is increasing rapidly! We need to intervene!"
But another supervisor held him back.
"No. We only step in if it becomes absolutely necessary."
The Students' Struggle
Elsewhere, Aizen was locked in combat with the lower-tier Ashin, his sharp eyes glancing toward Ryoma. He sensed the danger.
"If I don't act now... he'll be killed."
His energy flared, his strikes growing more powerful, but the sheer number of Ashin was overwhelming.
Akari, meanwhile, was watching anxiously. She glanced between Ryoma and the battle around her, biting her lip.
"What should I do...? If I don't step in, he might die..."
But Aizen made a decision. He called out to her:
"Akari, I'm counting on you to handle the rest of these Ashin."
She smirked, raising a hand in a playful salute.
"Got it. Just go."
Ryoma Faces Death
Back at the battlefield, the Ashin stood before Ryoma, walking forward with a sinister grin, its dark red eyes glowing.
Then, suddenly, it disappeared—only to reappear right in front of Ryoma, unleashing a flurry of rapid attacks!
Slash! A strike to the stomach.
Crack! A blow to the head.
One hit after another.
Ryoma barely had time to react. Even the dagger's energy was fading, as if its power was being drained.
His vision blurred as he coughed up blood.
"Hina... Mom... I'm sorry..."
His body collapsed.
The Ashin loomed over him, its grin widening. Slowly, it raised its hand, preparing the final strike.
One of the supervisors shouted:
"What are you all waiting for?! Move!"
But then, a chilling voice cut through the air.
"No one moves."
A mysterious figure stood in the distance, his eyes radiating death. The moment one of the supervisors attempted to step forward—his head was suddenly severed, his body collapsing to the ground in stunned silence.
Inside Ryoma's Mind
In absolute darkness, Ryoma found himself unable to see anything.
Then... a familiar face appeared.
"Mom...?!"
His mother approached, embracing him gently. He felt a warmth he hadn't felt in years.
"You've grown so much, my son."
Tears streamed down his face.
"Mom... I missed you so much..."
She lifted his chin and gazed into his eyes.
"Do you remember what I told you that night?"
Memories surged back. The promise he made to protect his sister. The reason he was fighting...
He took a deep breath. His mother smiled softly and whispered:
"Protect your sister... never give up."
And then... the vision shattered.
The Massive Explosion
Ryoma's eyes snapped open. Two overlapping auras surrounded him—one black, one a brilliant white.
Everyone froze, even the Ashin, who had been about to land the final blow.
Ryoma slowly raised his head. Then, he roared with everything inside him:
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
An overwhelming surge of energy erupted from him, shaking the battlefield.
But the Ashin didn't stop. It unleashed its most powerful technique—a barrage of dark, flaming arrows, hurtling toward Ryoma at impossible speed.
At the last second, Aizen suddenly appeared in front of Ryoma, taking the full force of the attack.
Before collapsing, he glared at the Ashin with deadly calm and muttered:
"I will kill you... without fail."
Elsewhere...
In the midst of thick fog, a towering figure emerged—an ominous being standing amidst the darkness. Its body was wrapped in a black aura that twisted and coiled like living creatures. Its glowing white eyes were like gateways to another world.
Massive, curved horns jutted from its head, resembling those of mythical beasts. Its long, spiked hair flowed behind it like dark tendrils. Its razor-sharp claws extended slowly, as if preparing to tear apart anything in its path.
The air around it was suffocating. The fog swirled around it like a living entity, as if nature itself feared its presence. Every step it took shook the ground beneath it. Every breath it exhaled sent waves of dread into those who saw it.
It stood before a massive, dark gate—like the final guardian of a world that should never exist.
Its expression was devoid of emotion. Only an insatiable hunger remained.
And then, at that moment... another figure appeared before
it.
Saito.
Their eyes locked in silence—one, a merciless monster. The other, a man who stared back with...
A gaze colder than death itself.
(End of Chapter.)