Muscles tightened.
Veins pulsed.
That black, grotesque heart beat beneath his chest.
The dark tattoo ran up his neck like a curse.
His hair was soaked—white and wild.
UA stared.
"Nice. I like it," he said, smiling.
And Asahi, with a cold nod, replied—
"Thanks."
Anari stood frozen.
Drenched. Confused. Terrified.
"What's going on...?" she thought.
"I don't understand anything."
"A man like Asahi... and Asahi himself..."
"Now Asahi doesn't even like me."
"Why am I still standing here?"
"RUN, YOU IDIOT!" Asahi screamed.
Anari flinched.
"Why?" she whispered.
Then louder—
"WHY?!"
"Why, Asahi?"
Her voice cracked.
"Why are you like this...?"
"You're changing..."
"Who is this... why does he look like you...?"
UA tilted his head.
A dark smile stretched across his face.
"Because I am Asahi," he said, grinning.
Asahi grinned too.
Eyes cold. Dead.
"Oooh... then let's find out."
Anari stepped back.
Breathing sharp. Mind spinning.
Fear crawling through her spine.
"Hey," Asahi said, tone sharp, threatening.
"If you don't run now... you DIE."
Anari's breath caught.
"Die...?" she echoed.
UA moved.
Fast.
He bent down, his soaked clothes flaring behind him like broken wings.
Asahi's eye narrowed.
He calculated.
"Fast... too fast—ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—"
Asahi jumped—
Straight up into the air.
UA grinned.
"Gotcha."
He kicked off the ground—
Soaring toward Asahi midair.
A punch cocked back—
Yellow energy began swirling around his fist like a storm trapped in flesh.
Asahi saw it—
With his left eye.
Time slowed.
"I can catch it... I think... maybe..."
"I'm scared."
He caught it.
Silence.
Time froze in the air.
Asahi looked at his hand—still holding the punch.
UA's energy vanished.
"What... happened?"
Both fell.
UA's face unreadable.
Asahi landed—stumbled—looked at his hand.
"Huh..."
Then—
SPLASH.
BURST.
His finger exploded.
Then his palm.
Veins ruptured—bleeding black.
His eyes widened—full horror.
"ARARARARRARARRARARRA!!!"
Asahi screamed.
He fell to his knees—grabbing at what was left of his arm.
The pain didn't even feel human.
It felt dimensional.
Anari screamed.
Then choked.
She dropped to her knees.
Frozen.
Traumatized.
She had never seen anything like this.
Not even in dreams.
Not even in nightmares.
And Asahi—
Still screaming—
Clutched his disintegrating arm.
"ARRARARARRAARRARARAA!!!"
The storm didn't stop.
The rain kept falling.
And the air—
Shook with the sound of pain.