Sitri's chest tightened painfully as the memory of his cruel words rushed back. "He said that…?"
Skype nodded slowly. "And he's not the same as before. His power… it's on another level now. It's overwhelming. He may already have reached the strength of a Dragon Lord or maybe even beyond."
Sitri bit her lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the passing landscape. "Ryder… don't leave me," she whispered, her voice finally breaking as the profound sense of loss consumed her. She began to cry, the tears flowing freely for the man who had sacrificed their relationship for her safety.
"Hey, stop crying," Skype said awkwardly, trying to offer a meager comfort. "You're going to wet my expensive dress here."
But Sitri couldn't stop. The tears flowed endlessly as the caravan moved further and further away from the ravaged town, leaving Ryder and his terrible, necessary lie behind.
Meanwhile, Ryder was behind them alone, in the devastated expanse of the borderlands. He cut down Kaiju after Kaiju with brutal, non-stop precision, a relentless force of destruction ensuring none could follow the escaping townsfolk. His blade shone under the moonlight, dripping with viscous black blood.
"Another one down…" Ryder muttered, tossing aside a massive Kaiju's severed, smoking head. The ground trembled as the creature's colossal body collapsed, shaking the very roots of the nearby trees. "Looks like this was the last one that posed a threat to the caravan."
Wiping the sweat and black blood from his face, Ryder exhaled deeply, the exhaustion momentarily visible in his stance.
"You can come out now," he said suddenly, his gaze fixed and steady on the treeline. His hand never left the hilt of his weapon, his muscles coiled and ready. "I know you've been watching me."
From the heavy shadows beneath the largest trees, a figure slowly stepped forward, their presence radiating a danger that was both familiar and overwhelming. This was no mere Kaiju.
Ryder narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on his blade, preparing for the true reason he had risked everything and pushed everyone away.
"Is this really how you wanted to do it?" Scarlet asked, her voice carrying a sharp edge that barely concealed the profound disappointment underneath. She stood amidst the ashes and the faint smell of ozone, watching him tremble. "To part ways with them like this? With such cruel words?"
Ryder lowered his gaze, staring at the scarred ground where Sitri had been lying moments before. "It's fine. I'm okay," he said, but the wavering in his voice betrayed the lie.
Tears slipped down his cheeks despite his best effort to remain composed. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, forcing himself to look unbothered, but the raw grief reflected in his eyes was undeniable.
Scarlet crossed her arms, her crimson hair swaying lightly in the lingering wind as she studied him with an unblinking intensity. "You're saying that," she murmured, her voice softening slightly, "but your face, Ryder, is telling me a completely different story."
Ryder chuckled faintly, a hollow, broken sound that carried no real amusement. Before he could formulate a defense, a sudden, fragmented thought of Sitri, running away, flashed through his mind. She was running as if escaping the weight of the entire atmosphere. His chest tightened again, but he forced his focus back to the challenge in front of him: the woman he had to convince.
"Please, listen to me, Scarlet," he said earnestly, stepping forward, his hands open in a plea.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Scarlet snapped, her voice raising to an emotional pitch. Annoyance, confusion, and deep-seated frustration flared across her features, her eyes burning with an internal fire.
Ryder closed the distance, refusing to let the moment end in a shout. "If I were a Kaiju a true, self-aware beast do you think I'd be standing here now, struggling with humanity? I would've already lost myself to the primal rage! I couldn't even defeat the specific Kaiju that killed my friends and family…" His voice broke on the final word, anger and grief mingling into a choked admission. "But you—you're still here, standing, alive. That means you can fight back. Don't you see? You're stronger than you think."
Scarlet turned away sharply, her lips trembling with denial. "Kaiju are weak against sunlight," she muttered, trying to rely on basic facts to shield her from his dangerous conviction. "If I were truly one of them a Kaiju Lord I'd already be gone, incinerated by the day. Look at me I'm fine."
"Not exactly," Ryder replied softly, pressing his advantage, knowing this would shatter her self-delusion. "Your powers are sealed. And your memories too. That's the only reason the sun doesn't harm you right now. You are safe only because you are incomplete."
Scarlet's eyes widened with genuine terror before narrowing again, her defenses slamming shut. "That's enough!" she shouted, throwing her hands up. "Go on, then. Kill all the Kaiju you want on your own. I don't care. I wish you a… bountiful hunt." Her voice cracked bitterly on the final, sarcastic words.
She stomped her foot and jabbed a furious finger at him. "Look at me, Ryder. I'm a young woman! If I were really some ancient Kaiju Lord like you claim, I'd be a mature woman by now, with decades of experience reflected in my appearance! Do you see me? Do I look like some ancient monster?"
Ryder tilted his head, his expression becoming annoyingly thoughtful. "You can change your age as you like," he pointed out logically, as if discussing the weather. "It's one of the abilities you possess."
"I can't!" Scarlet yelled, her voice shrill with genuine, overwhelming frustration.
"Hmph," she huffed, puffing out her cheeks in a furious pout as she spun around and began walking away, determined to leave him and his madness behind.
Ryder scratched his head, sighing heavily. "How am I supposed to make her understand the fate of the future?"