The third giant, now fully charged with an overwhelming surge of energy, towered over me. Its massive body crackled with raw power, and its eyes burned with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. There was no mistaking it now—this creature was unlike anything I had faced before. It wasn't just a ghoul, a rogue hunter, or even a rogue force. It was something else entirely.
The ground beneath my feet rumbled as the giant released a pulse of energy, sending shockwaves through the air. I braced myself, my legs bending as I prepared to leap out of the way. But before I could move, the giant slammed its massive fists down, and the shockwave from the impact sent me flying back, crashing into a nearby building.
Pain exploded in my chest as I collided with the stone wall, the force of the impact knocking the wind out of me. My vision blurred for a moment, but I didn't have time to recover. I had to get up, or this would be the end.
I pushed myself to my feet, gritting my teeth as I wiped the blood from my lip. The giant was already advancing, its hulking form taking slow, deliberate steps. It was toying with me, savoring my pain, like a predator playing with its prey before the kill.
But I wasn't going to let it end like this. Not now.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the power within me. The raw energy that surged through my veins. The anger, the fear, the determination—everything I had built up in this battle. I was no longer just a man. I was something more. Something I couldn't fully comprehend, but something I knew was capable of taking on this beast.
With a deep breath, I released the full extent of my kagune, unleashing its power like a tidal wave. The tendrils of dark energy crackled and twisted, a force of nature that matched the giant's power blow for blow.
I charged once again, this time not with fear or hesitation, but with purpose. The creature swung its massive arm toward me, but I dodged with fluid grace, my kagune snapping around its wrist and constricting it. I pulled with all my strength, throwing the giant off balance.
Before it could react, I was already at its side, driving my kagune through its ribcage with everything I had. The creature roared in pain, its body convulsing as it tried to fight me off. But it was too slow. I could feel the life force draining from it, the pulse of energy weakening with every strike I delivered.
I twisted my kagune, driving it deeper into the creature's body, feeling the darkness within it begin to fade. The giant's roar grew quieter, the energy dissipating into the air. And then, with one final, earth-shattering scream, the creature collapsed, its massive body disintegrating into dust.
The battle was over.
I stood over the remains of the beast, breathing heavily, my body aching from the strain. The dust settled around me, the world returning to an eerie silence.
I had done it. I had faced the impossible and come out alive.
But even as the adrenaline faded and the weight of the battle began to lift, a cold realization settled in the pit of my stomach. This fight had only been the beginning. Whatever these creatures were, whatever they had been sent for, there was something far larger at play here.
The woman's words echoed once again in my mind. "The true battle is not against Miyu or anyone else. It's against yourself."
I didn't fully understand what she meant, but I knew one thing for sure: I had only just begun to scratch the surface of whatever lay ahead.
I turned around, my heart pounding in my chest. And there, standing in the distance, was a figure watching me. A person I hadn't expected to see. A face that sent chills down my spine.
Touka.