Somewhere in Hokkaido
Ryuma stood before the spaceship Nera had once used as her laboratory—the same place she had hidden for years after unleashing her test subjects in a fit of rage after losing her people, becoming the last of her kind. The same place where she had repaired Saiya. And now, the same place Ryuma intended to turn into his grave.
It felt like standing before a judge, awaiting a death sentence. A shiver of fear ran through him, but the overwhelming sense of accomplishment drowned it out. In just a few months—thanks to the little time Xeno had bought him—he had changed. He had done more than he ever thought possible. Not only had he saved Saiya, which in itself was a miracle beyond belief, but he had also wiped out nearly all remaining Nephilims lurking across Japan and East Asia. He had done enough.
A metallic echo rang from within the spaceship, growing louder with each passing second. Soon, a towering figure emerged—Nero. And behind him stood Nera. From a distance, Nero loomed over Nera, his imposing form dwarfing her entirely.
Nera gazed down at Ryuma, her milky eyes unreadable. She had known this moment would come. Not from the day she released the monsters upon Earth. Not from the day their spaceship arrived. But from the very beginning—where everything had started.
"I will protect you, even if it costs my life," Nero vowed, his voice a hoarse mix of metal and flesh.
Nera shut her eyes, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She knew it was futile. Even with Nero, her brother—a proud Xcri warrior by her side, they were up against a human who could wield her greatest creation, Xeno, even if only partially. Their chances were slim, but not yet determined.
With a powerful leap, Nero jumped down from the spaceship, landing before Ryuma with a force that sent sand and dust swirling into the air. As the haze settled, the contrast between them became clear—Ryuma, a mere figure in comparison to the monstrous being standing before him.
"If you surrender now, I will make your death and Nera's quick and painless." Ryuma's voice carried no pity.
Nero scoffed, raising his hand high. "My Master, the ruler will live for an eternity. She will rebuild the Xcri civilization. And anyone who dares stand against her…" He brought his arm down with terrifying speed. "…will perish."
The impact was immense, forming a crater beneath them. But Ryuma caught the strike effortlessly with one hand.
Nero's gaze narrowed. "You've gotten much stronger since our last encounter, human."
Ryuma's lips curled into a smirk. "And you've grown weaker, monster."
A thin, nearly invisible tendril emerged from Ryuma's back.
"Dissect."
The tendril shot forward, slicing Nero's chest in two, revealing a glowing purple core. The wound healed instantly, but in its place, a hole opened from which a blast of compressed air erupted.
Ryuma instinctively crossed his arms, reinforcing them with hardened scales, but the force was overwhelming shattering his hardened scales.
Kwaak!!
He coughed as the shockwave sent him hurtling backward. Mid-air, he twisted, trying to stabilize himself, but Nero was already upon him, delivering a brutal kick. Ryuma barely managed to block, but the sheer force sent him flying again.
They ascended together—neither of them capable of flight, yet still locked in their aerial battle.
The moment they touched the ground, they vanished. In an instant, their fists collided at the center, creating shockwaves that rippled through the earth.
Ryuma twisted and countered, landing a powerful side kick to Nero's face. Nero's neck snapped to the side, but he grabbed Ryuma by his shirt and hurled him into the ruins of a distant city.
As Ryuma tumbled mid-air, Nero pointed a finger at him, releasing another burst of compressed air. Though invisible, Ryuma sensed the attack closing in at unimaginable speed. He tried to trigger his full transformation but only managed to harden his arms and chest.
The attack struck his leg.
Crack!
His limb shattered into pieces.
Arrhh!
Ryuma grunted as he crashed through a building, rolling across the floor before coming to a stop.
"Damn it… such a pain."
He pulled himself up, blood gushing from his destroyed leg. He focused, willing his body to heal, but the process was slow.
/If only you had listened to me, you'd be able to fully transform and end this battle in minutes./
"Shut up, B. I'm trying to concentrate here." Ryuma winced. "What's done is done. Besides, with Anix's core, I can still end this quickly."
His leg finally stopped bleeding and began regenerating. "Good as new." He stood and leaped out of the building, peering across the barren wasteland. Nero stood waiting.
"Not coming here, huh?" Ryuma smirked. He knew Nero wanted to avoid fighting in a cityscape where he had the advantage.
Reaching into his pocket, Ryuma retrieved a red Anix orb. Without hesitation, he plunged his hand into his own chest, embedding the core inside.
Haa—
He coughed up blood. His chest slowly closed up, his veins and muscles bulging. His eyes turned bright red, and his skin grew pale.
He was dying.
But it didn't matter.
"Let's finish this."
In an instant, he appeared in front of Nero, striking with relentless force. Blow after blow, kick after kick. Nero was launched skyward, but Ryuma followed, intercepting him mid-air and hammering him back down into the earth, forming another massive crater.
Ryuma landed and walked toward Nero, hands tucked into his pockets. "Stand up. We aren't done."
Nero coughed, struggling to rise. "You're right, human… we aren't."
***
Meanwhile, in Shibuya…
Saiya parked her bike in front of the gate, pressing the horn. The security guards had already noticed her, but they hesitated. She found it odd.
The gigantic gates creaked open, and she rode in casually, met with piercing stares. In front of her stood a ranger security unit commader, flanked by several others. His face held both confusion and sorrow.
"Lieutenant Saiya… is that really you?"
She killed the engine and dismounted. "Yes, sir."
The tone of his voice unsettled her.
"How… how are you here? What happened?"
More eyes bore into her. Saiya's frown deepened. "Is something wrong? I don't understand why—"
A jeep screeched to a stop nearby, kicking up dust. Haruchi and Kitetsu rushed out.
"Senior Saiya?!" Kitetsu's eyes widened.
"Mrs. Saiya! Hahaha, you're back!" Haruchi cheered.
Saiya ran to them. "You two look good. Now, can someone tell me why everyone is acting weird?"
Kitetsu hesitated. "He… he didn't tell you?"
"He? You mean Ryuma? What didn't he tell me?" Saiya's breath caught in her throat. She had a sinking feeling. "Talk to me Kitetsu what am I supposed to know?"
Kitetsu exchanged a grim glance with Haruchi. "Let's talk inside." Kitetsu's gestured
He turned to the Ranger security unit and salute them
"Thank you for everything, we'll take it from here"
***
Saiya sat on the sofa in Kitetsu's house, her legs pressed together, fingers trembling. She had just listened to an hour-long explanation—everything she had missed. A cold chill ran down her spine as she processed the information, her mind racing to predict Ryuma's next move and knowing who he is, it would be something very careless.
"So that's everything, Senior Saiya. And I think the same drug that saved you was what saved Aya too," Kitetsu explained.
"But who would've thought the dude didn't mean any harm? I mean, he came with those other weirdos, right? The robot chick and that slimy monster thing," Haruchi added.
Kitetsu leaned forward. "Did Ryuma tell you anything about where he was going? If we can find him, we might be able to explain things to the higher-ups. They may even grant him a pardon."
Saiya remained silent. Even if she knew where Ryuma was, revealing his whereabouts now felt utterly pointless.
"He's really going to get himself killed, isn't he?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, eyes welling up.
"Erm… we didn't quite hear you, Senior—"
"I said… the idiot is going to get himself killed." This time, her voice was stronger, but it cracked at the edges.
Haruchi and Kitetsu exchanged a concerned glance before Kitetsu spoke again.
"Get himself killed? How?"
Before she could answer, their wristwatches buzzed. An emergency call. Kitetsu tapped his watch, answering it. A holographic projection of a man from the control room flickered to life.
"All Captains, report to the control room immediately. A Grade S Nephilim reading has been detected near Hokkaido," the officer announced.
"It has to be—"
Kitetsu quickly placed a firm hand on Haruchi's shoulder, silencing him. Then, he turned back to Saiya, kneeling before her.
"We'll do our best to bring Ryuma back," he said gently. "I promise."
***
Nero crawled out from the crater and stood on his feet, his body battered from the rounds of blows he had received from Ryuma.
"Human, you've piqued my interest…" Nero said. "...It's unfortunate that I have to fight you in this vessel. If only I had my main body, I could go all out. However, I don't plan on going soft on you either."
Nero's body suddenly shrank to half his previous size, which Ryuma found very concerning. Even though Nero was now smaller, he was still bigger than Ryuma—the only difference was that the margin was much closer now.
"Air Room."
Nero whispered in his robotic voice. A hole appeared in his hand, from which compressed air emerged in the form of a ball—though invisible. The air expanded, covering a radius of hundreds of kilometers.
At that moment, Ryuma could feel it—the weight, the pressure, how dense the air had become. It was now incredibly hard to breathe, as though oxygen had turned into a congested form of liquid gas.
Using his compressed air, Nero could not only create air bullets but also manipulate gravity and vector force to some extent.
Ryuma tried to run at Nero, but the air pressure was too heavy, weighing him down. Meanwhile, on Nero's end, the holes on his body created an airbag-like effect, reducing the pressure on him.
"Well then, what are you going to do now, human?"
Nero ran at him and threw a punch. Ryuma sidestepped to dodge, but he was too slow. The punch landed, pummeling him into the ground.
Kwaak!!
Ryuma coughed, only to open his eyes and receive more blows, sinking him deeper into the ground.
Nero picked him up from the ground and lunged him into the air, still within the area of decompressed gravity. Nero charged at him, about to land another hit, when a tendril from Ryuma's back snapped and cut off both of Nero's arms.
With much effort, Ryuma turned mid-air and landed on one knee—the sheer force of the air pressure caused a crack in the ground. He tried to move up when his body suddenly gave out. He coughed and dropped flat on the ground lifelessly, yet he was still actively conscious while the air pressure pressed down on him.
"What the fuck is going on, B??"
/This is rather strange to me. Bro, I think I may know what's happening./
"And what the hell is that?"
/I think your body is failing—it has most likely reached its limit./
"Eh? What the fuck are you saying, B? Reached my limit—at this time? I'm going to die like this? When I'm about to end all this mess?"
Ryuma questioned, watching as Nero slowly approached.
"I can't die now… Not when these monsters are still alive… Say, B, is there anything you can do?"
/Since you can't move, I'm also affected./
"Shit… so this is it."
Ryuma thought.
Nero picked up Ryuma's body from the ground, his legs dangling.
"You fought well, human. Now, it's time to end this for good."
Nero placed his fingertip on Ryuma's chest and shot a hole straight through him. Blood and organs filled the area as Ryuma's body slipped from his grasp and dropped to the floor.
Nero turned and walked past his body. But then, he heard whispers. Light… yet persistent.
"I can't die now… I can't die now…"
Ryuma kept mumbling as if on autopilot. He staggered to his feet, his movements unsteady. His posture twisted unnaturally, his upper body bending backward due to a missing vertebra. But almost immediately, his body began to regenerate—only this time, something had changed.
His size expanded, his muscles bulging until he matched Nero's current form. Patches of dark scales crawled across his flesh, leaving some areas of raw muscle exposed. His pupils faded, leaving only the whites of his eyes, now glowing with a crimson hue.
Ryuma had just undergone a final, unforeseen evolution—one that not even Nera, watching from a distance, could have predicted. Unlike normal life forms that relied on a brain and heart, Ryuma had transcended that limitation. Now, every single cell in his body acted as both his brain and his heart.
"I CAN'T DIE!!"
His roar shattered the compressed air field, sending shockwaves through the earth. The ground cracked, buildings in the distance crumbled, and even Nero struggled to keep his footing.
In an instant, Ryuma appeared before Nero, his massive hand wrapping around the Nephilim's throat. With terrifying strength, he lifted him off the ground and slammed him headfirst into the dirt, the impact carving a deep trench through the earth. Spinning on his heel, Ryuma hurled Nero into the sky.
As Nero ascended at tremendous speed, he struggled to stabilize himself, but the force was overwhelming. Before he could react, Ryuma was already upon him, moving with an insane velocity.
Desperately, Nero conjured two compressed air spheres in his palms and smashed them together, creating a devastating pressure wave. Ryuma swiped his hand, dispersing it effortlessly.
The shockwave tore through the thick, dark clouds overhead, creating a massive opening. Sunlight streamed down onto the battlefield, painting the world in an ethereal golden glow.
Ryuma didn't stop. He caught up to Nero, landing a flurry of devastating blows. Each strike carried lethal intent, shaking the very air. The final punch to Nero's chest sent him soaring past the storm clouds that had loomed over the earth for ages.
As Ryuma pierced through the heavens, the sudden exposure to sunlight blinded him for an instant—just long enough for Nero to seize his chance.
Nero fired multiple air bullets in rapid succession. Though they did no real damage, they knocked Ryuma off balance, sending him plummeting back toward the ground.
But before Nero could capitalize, four tendrils shot from Ryuma's back, wrapping around his limbs. With monstrous strength, Ryuma spun, whipping Nero back into the sky.
Landing with a thunderous impact, Ryuma clenched his fists and kicked off the ground, rocketing upward once more.
Nero, now descending, fused his palms together, forming a colossal air bullet—his strongest attack yet. He fired it straight at Ryuma.
Ryuma's tendrils lashed out, slicing the projectile in half. The resulting explosion tore through the sky, clearing away the dense clouds.
The two combatants met in midair. Gathering all the momentum he had built, Ryuma threw a single, devastating punch to Nero's face.
The impact obliterated Nero's body. The sheer force of the strike scattered the remaining storm clouds, revealing an unobstructed path between the sun and the earth.
As Ryuma fell back toward the ground, the sunlight bathed him in its warmth—a warmth no living being had felt in decades.
He crashed into the earth, leaving a massive crater.
Slowly, he rose, whispering to himself, "I can't die now… I can't die now…" Over and over, the words spilled from his lips.
It was clear—his humanity was slipping away.
His vacant gaze drifted to Nera, who had been observing from her spaceship.
In the next instant, he was behind her.
A single tendril had pierced through her abdomen.
Nera looked down at the wound, then up at Ryuma's face.
A soft smile touched her lips as she whispered, "Thank you."
Then, she died.
For a fleeting moment, a sliver of Ryuma's humanity remained. A small part of him felt relief—he had won. He could finally rest.
But his body didn't stop moving.
His will no longer controlled it.
His mouth continued to murmur the same words: "I can't die."
Ryuma had accomplished everything he set out to do. So why was his body still moving?
It was fear. Fear of death. Fear of loss. Fear of the unknown.
In the distance, the low hum of helicopter rotors shook the ground.
Ryuma felt them approaching—over two dozen.
Half were from Japan. Five from Korea. The rest, from the United States. Leonard's interference had drawn international forces, all detecting the same Grade S energy reading.
Ryuma was relieved to see the Rangers arrive.
But the thing inhabiting his body… was not.
As Ryuma fought to regain control, his consciousness slipped further into the abyss—a fragment of a soul, tiny yet vast in the endless expanse of nothingness.
He was drowning.
With the last shred of his humanity, he forced out a final, tearful whisper:
"I don't want to die."
But the thing inside him translated those words into a deafening roar.
A roar that shattered the sky like the warning siren of an apocalyptic event.
The sheer force of it ignited half the helicopter fleet, their fuel tanks exploding into flames. The rest lost control, spiraling into the earth.
And in that moment, Ryuma—the hero who had fought an unknown battle for humanity's greater good died and was labeled and would be remembered for ages to come as A Monster that threatened the same human race he fought hard to protect.
He died not knowing a false legacy he left behind
***
In the endless void of space, where only the faint glow of distant galaxies flickered, a lone figure sat atop an invisible throne woven from the light of dying stars.
He was humanoid, his upper body bare, draped only in a flowing robe that covered his lower half. His long, dark hair cascaded down his back, and at the center of his chest lay a massive scar, as if seared by an ancient, unhealing wound.
His eyes remained closed. Only his third eye—embedded in the center of his forehead—remained open, watching the infinite cosmos.
A second figure materialized before him.
A woman.
Her skin glowed a deep, celestial blue. Her eyes shimmered like liquid gold. Above her head hovered two rings—one reflecting the sun, the other the moon.
She knelt before the seated figure and spoke with reverence.
"Another light has dimmed, O Great Ruler."
The man's voice was calm, yet absolute. "I am aware."
The celestial woman hesitated, then finally asked, "I know your authority is unquestionable. But, my Lord… how far do you intend to go with this?"
At last, the Great Ruler's two mortal eyes opened, revealing a gaze as endless as the void itself.
He stepped forward, into the nothingness.
"As far as it takes."
"To the very beginning—where it all started."
The End
************
A/N: Thank you for reading up to this point of my story, this is actu
ally my first story I ever started and completed so I expect that there will be some ups and downs, mostly downs along the line but I'm very much grateful you reached up to this point of the book.
I pray and hope to meet up to my future expectations and yours included
So I'd like to announce that an epilogue titled "A short Dream" would be released three days from today hopefully, the epilogue will talk about what Ryuma experienced in the dream Nera placed him in. What happened to Orisidant, the home planet of the Xcri people what happened to Nera and Nero etc everything will be there
I will like to say thank you once more for the reading thus far