After Ayaka's burial, an eerie, unsettling silence descended upon the cave. It was as if the cave itself was holding its breath, frozen in place.
Drip... Drip... Water fell from somewhere above—each drop echoing like a grim reminder... of death.
Ryan walked at the front of the group, his bloodstained sword gripped tightly in his hand. The flickering torchlight cast shadows ahead, but with every step, the darkness seemed to deepen. It felt like something... was lurking.
Every time he closed his eyes, Ryan saw Ayaka's face—her final, sorrowful smile... her last whispered words.
("Master... perhaps this is my punishment...")
Ryan gritted his teeth. Rage burned inside him like fire, mingling with grief.
"Ryan," Grace called softly from behind, her voice trembling, "are you okay?"
Ryan didn't answer. What could he say? He wasn't okay. None of them were.
And then—
A terrifying, bone-chilling hiss shook the cave. As if some ancient monster had awakened from the darkness.
"Hisssssssssssssssssss!!"
Everyone froze. Ryan's heart pounded in his chest. The sound came from the left tunnel—the path Daniel and his team had taken. What had happened there? Why this noise?
Jackson said in a voice laced with fear, "Sounds like something really bad went down that way."
"Let's go!" Kaito shouted, charging ahead, though uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
Ryan and the others followed, racing toward the sound. Each footfall echoed through the cave, as if the cave itself was warning them... danger was closing in.
Then—
Sudden gunfire. Sharp, relentless.
Screams. A mix of pain and terror.
"Fire!! Keep shooting!!!"
Ryan and the group rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. Their hearts seemed to stop. What lay before them... was the gates of hell. But what? What was tearing everyone apart?
Daniel's team was in complete chaos, fighting an invisible enemy.
And that's when Ryan's eyes locked onto it—a massive, shadowy serpent, at least thirty feet long—looming over them. Its body was pitch-black, covered in glistening scales, eyes glowing red like harbingers of death.
Two soldiers had already vanished into its belly... forever.
The rest fired wildly, but the bullets bounced off its armor-like scales, utterly useless.
"Why? Why isn't anything working? Get the rocket! Bring the launcher!" Daniel yelled, desperation cracking his voice.
But the man couldn't even lift it. The serpent's tail whipped around—slowly, but with deadly speed—
Crack!!
He slammed into the wall, his bones pulverized. Blood splattered across Ryan's face.
"Fall back! Everyone, fall back!" Jackson roared, but his voice wavered.
Before anyone could move, the snake lunged again. One man's scream cut short—his entire body disappearing into its jaws... swallowed whole. The sound still echoed in Ryan's ears.
Then the serpent turned toward Kaito. Hunger in its eyes. Would Kaito survive?
From afar, Ryan watched as Kaito unleashed his best move: Blood Moon Slash. Light flashed, but...
But its scales were so tough that even that powerful strike only left a scratch.
"Why? How is this possible?" Kaito gasped in fear.
Suddenly, the serpent's tail struck at Kaito's gut—swift, unstoppable. He couldn't dodge in time. The impact hurled him away, crashing hard. Blood trickled from his head... slowly. His skull had cracked open. Finally, he slumped unconscious. Motionless.
Seeing this, rage exploded inside Ryan toward the serpent. In his mind, he screamed, "Ayaka died right in front of me—I won't let Kaito die! Never!"
Ryan unleashed his three strongest attacks on it. Each strike made the cave tremble.
Blood Moon Slash...
Inferno Cyclone Slash...
Final Grave Strike...
After those powerful blows, Ryan dropped to his knees, gasping for air. His body was on the verge of shutting down. But... had it worked?
Every hit landed true, and the monster let out a pained screech for a moment. Yet it thrashed wildly, attacking them again. It wouldn't stop.
Ryan parried its strikes while retreating. Each clash felt like it could be his last.
Then the snake pounced on Mr. Jackson and Albert. They were strong, but against this, they were nothing—their attacks had no effect.
From behind, Daniel and his soldiers kept firing. Exhausted from the fight, barely holding on. Their ammo was running low.
Seizing the moment, Ryan desperately searched for a way to kill it. A weakness... but what?
Suddenly, an idea hit him. Risky, but their only chance.
Ryan stood again, diving back into the fray. They realized they couldn't win and started retreating. That's when it targeted Ryan. Eyes locked.
Ryan slipped into its blind spot and unleashed a special move. Swift, silent.
Phantom Eclipse Strike...
Slash!!!
Ryan drove both blades straight into its eyes. It howled in agony, the cave shaking. But it wasn't over yet.
Then, leaping onto it, as it opened its mouth in its weakened state—Ryan hurled a grenade inside. Time seemed to freeze. Would it explode? Or fail?
Boom!
The grenade detonated in its mouth, blasting its head apart. A fountain of blood.
Blood drenched Ryan's entire body. He panted, blue aura glowing from his eyes. But... was this the end? Or was there more?
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence. The quiet returned once more.
Evan whispered, "He looks like a total monster now. Who is this kid?"
Albert thought to himself, "I thought he was just a brat. But I was wrong."
After killing it, Ryan's body was utterly spent. His breathing slowed. The world blurred before his eyes. Darkness was descending... but what else lurked in the cave?
In just a few moments... everything went black before him.
To be continued.