"So many Kaiju… where do those bastards keep coming from?" Ryder muttered, his voice laced with frustration.
With a powerful leap, he vaulted into the air, his body glowing faintly with aura. His boot came down hard, smashing into the skull of a towering Kaiju and driving its head deep into the cracked earth. The monster shrieked once before going limp, blood pooling beneath its corpse.
Ryder exhaled sharply. "Tch. Not even worth the effort."
He turned slightly, his gaze flicking toward the young woman standing several paces back. "Hey, Scarlet. You'd better stay back. I know you don't want to use your power, but this isn't the kind of fight you can just watch."
Scarlet hesitated. Her crimson eyes darted around the battlefield, watching as shadowy silhouettes fell from the skies like meteors. More Kaiju slammed into the ground, snarling and screeching as their hulking bodies rose, each one ready to tear through anything in sight.
Ryder's hand tightened around the hilt of his blade. His aura burned brighter, the silver glow rippling outward like waves on water.
"Aura Slaying Art…" he whispered, his voice steady. "—Sword Formation!"
Blades of shimmering silver burst out from the aura surrounding him, forming a deadly orbit around his body.
The Kaiju roared, charging at him with reckless abandon. Ryder extended his hand, his eyes narrowing. The swords shot forward, piercing through the monsters with unerring precision. One by one, the Kaiju collapsed, lifeless, their roars cut short.
Scarlet's lips parted slightly in awe. She whispered under her breath, almost afraid to voice her thoughts. "This… this power goes beyond any human I've ever seen. This isn't strength. It's something deeper… something vast."
While Ryder battled, Scarlet crouched low, her fingers brushing the dirt. With a casual snap, she called out softly. "Rise… my servant."
The ground quivered. A gelatinous, slime-like creature pushed itself free from the earth, its body pulsating and shifting with a wet, bubbling sound. The creature let out a strange noise as its massive form loomed beside her.
Without hesitation, it lunged forward. "Pururururururuuuu!" it gurgled, wrapping its gelatinous mass around a nearby Kaiju. The monster howled, struggling, but within moments it was dragged inside and dissolved. One after another, Kaiju fell victim to the gelspawn, consumed whole, unable to put up any resistance.
Ryder stopped mid-swing, blinking at the sight. "Wait… you've been carrying a gelspawn around this whole time?"
Scarlet gave a faint, amused smile. "You sound surprised."
The gelspawn trembled, its voice echoing in their minds. "It is time for me to fight."
"Silence, you weakling." Scarlet's tone turned cold and commanding. "You are in the presence of your Queen. Obey."
The gelspawn froze, shivering in submission. Around them, Kaiju that had tried to flee collapsed mysteriously, one after another, as if cut down by an invisible force.
Ryder's eyes narrowed. He exhaled slowly, finally voicing the suspicion he'd kept hidden. "So… it's true. You were Scarlet all along. You were just pretending not to be."
Scarlet tilted her head, her crimson hair swaying slightly. "You caught on sooner than I expected. Good."
She raised her hand, materializing a faintly glowing fruit—a deep purple, swirling with energy that seemed both enticing and ominous. She stepped forward and extended it to him.
"I am willing to accept your deal," Scarlet said. "Let us join forces."
Ryder arched an eyebrow. "What's this supposed to be?"
Before she could answer, Ryder plucked the fruit from her hand and took a large bite without hesitation. The bitter juice ran down his chin as his face scrunched up.
"Hey!" Scarlet shouted. "At least let me explain before you shove it into your mouth!"
"Well…" Ryder chewed slowly, swallowing with effort. "It's sour."
Scarlet's face darkened, her voice rising. "Of course it's sour! That fruit is a seal. A limitation. If you ever betray me, it will kill you instantly. And you—" she jabbed her finger toward him, "—didn't even stop to think before eating it?!"
Ryder wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and shrugged. "Oh, so that's what it was. Figures."
"Figures?!" Scarlet nearly screamed. "What kind of lunatic eats something like that without listening first?!"
Ryder smirked, the faintest curve tugging at his lips. "Well… that's a secret."
Scarlet glared at him, her hands clenching into fists. "I swear, you're insufferable."
"You got another one?" Ryder asked casually, as though he hadn't just accepted a death seal without a care in the world.
Scarlet froze, staring at him in disbelief. "You… you're impossible."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the low groans of dying Kaiju in the distance. Finally, Scarlet's voice softened. "Then tell me, Ryder. What is your real goal? What drives you to fight like this?"
Ryder's smirk faded, his eyes sharpening with rare seriousness. He lowered his blade, the aura flickering faintly around him.
"My goal…" he said slowly, "…is the annihilation of all Kaiju. To wipe them from this world completely. And more than that—" his voice trembled, just slightly, " to protect my life… and the lives of those I love. Something my twenty-second self failed to achieve."
Scarlet's eyes widened, taken aback by the raw conviction in his words. She studied him for a moment, then allowed a small, almost imperceptible smile to form.
Perhaps, she thought, this partnership wouldn't be so impossible after all.