Just then, his heart pounded again—hard. Wadump. The same soft, almost seductive female voice whispered in his ear, calm and gentle despite the chaos: "Dodge Ren!"
The creature's hollow gaze darkened, its empty eyes narrowing with sudden malice as it took another slow, dragging step forward. Ren barely had time to react before an invisible force hurled him against the wall, splintering the wooden beams as he crashed through them and landed on the street below. Pain radiated through his body, a sharp ache flaring along his spine, but he forced himself to stand, clutching the katana.
Ren landed hard, pain searing through his body as blood gushed from a deep gash on his face. He crawled to his katana, fingers shaking as they wrapped around the hilt. He staggered to his feet, his body aching and trembling with fear.
"No… this isn't real. This isn't happening." His thoughts tumbled over each other, desperate to deny the reality before him. But the weight of the sword in his hands was real. The sting of the wound on his face was real. The overwhelming stench of blood and decay—so real it burned in his nostrils.
The words from before struck him like a lightning bolt, igniting a rage that roared through his veins. His eyes narrowed, his grip tightening around the katana as he unsheathed it. But then—
"Mom. Dad."
Images flashed in his mind. His mother's warm smile. His father's hand ruffling his hair. The soft hum of their voices, the warmth of home, the quiet laughter over dinner. And now—
"Gone. They're gone. Because of this thing."
Rage crashed over him like a wave, violent and consuming, but beneath it, something else clawed at him—grief. A raw, unbearable ache that twisted in his chest like a knife.
"I… I can't let it end like this."
His legs shook beneath him, his body barely able to stand, yet he screamed—a raw, primal sound that echoed through the empty street.
For a brief moment, Ren thought he could win.
With a roar, he lunged at the monster, katana raised high. But before he could land a blow, the monster used its attack again, and the air seemed to bend around him, flinging him across the yard like a ragdoll. He crashed into the ground again, pain exploding through his body.
The creature's grotesque mouth twisted into a malevolent grin as it prepared to strike once more.
Suddenly, a cacophony of gasps erupted from the nearby houses as terrified neighbors peeked through curtains and cracked doors. A porch light flickered on, casting shaky illumination onto the street. Someone cursed under their breath. A hushed voice murmured, "What the hell is that…?"
A woman clutched her child close, stepping back into the shadows. Another neighbor fumbled for their phone, hands trembling too much to dial. No one moved beyond their doorsteps—frozen between fear and disbelief.
The monster, sensing its growing audience, turned its hollow eyes toward them, gleaming with malicious intent. A sharp inhale rippled through the crowd. It slithered forward, slow and deliberate.
It was ready to unleash its wrath.
But before it could strike, a lone figure emerged from the crowd—a girl, calm and poised amid the rising panic. Her pastel-colored eyes shone like beacons in the dark as she stepped forward, her long, flowing hair catching the faint light of the streetlamps.
She raised her hand, her voice soft but powerful as she chanted:
「封印の鎖よ,この邪悪な存在を縛り給え.」
("Chains of sealing, bind this evil presence.")
The words reverberated with a powerful, resonant energy. Four ethereal pillars materialized in the air, slamming down around the creature in a ring. The monster lunged forward but suddenly felt resistance—it glanced down to find its limbs bound tightly by chains, each one anchored to a pillar. The chains seemed to have appeared from nowhere, tightening as they locked the creature in place.
A massive, pot-like structure materialized above it, carved with sacred Japanese symbols, and dropped down, squashing the creature in a single, crushing blow. There was a brief, eerie silence as the dark form dissolved beneath it, leaving only a charred imprint on the ground.
But unknown to anyone, a severed hand from the creature twitched and slid into a nearby drain, slipping down into the sewers. It disappeared into the shadows with a faint ripple in the murky water, vanishing into the city's underbelly, undetected.
Ren watched in stunned silence as the creature dissolved, the weight of what had just happened settling in his chest.
The girl turned toward him, her expression shifting from determination to concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle, almost like a balm against the horrors he had just witnessed.
Ren, still trembling, could only shake his head. "I… I don't know," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
In the distance, the murmurs of the crowd began to rise, their concern palpable. The girl glanced around, aware of the attention they had drawn, and as the crowd surged toward them, she suddenly turned and fled into the shadows, disappearing from view.
The murmurs of the crowd grew louder, their voices tinged with confusion and concern.
"Hey, is he hurt?" someone called out.
"Ren, are you okay?" another shouted, stepping closer.
Ren's vision blurred, his body trembling as he staggered forward. "No. No, I can't be here. I can't—". His body trembled violently, his legs unsteady beneath him. The noise, the lights, the people—it was all too much. His chest felt hollow, the weight of everything crushing down on him. His breath hitched, shallow and uneven, his pulse hammering in his ears.
The world tilted.
His knees buckled.
He hit the pavement hard, but the pain barely registered. His limbs felt heavy, his body drained beyond anything he had ever known. There was no strength left to fight, no will to stand.
"Someone get an ambulance!" a woman yelled. "Don't just stand there, call for help!"
The voices were distant now, muffled by the rushing sound in his ears. His breaths came in shallow, frantic bursts as his strength gave out. His head hit the ground, and the chaos around him began to fade.
"So… tired."
Darkness swallowed him whole.