kago no yuri

Ryo, once a pillar of stoic resolve, now found himself shattered by the maelstrom of foreign emotions that had ravaged his mind. The sheer intensity of the feelings that had been unleashed upon him was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. 

His usual emotional numbness, a shield that had protected him from the whims of his own heart, had been breached, leaving him vulnerable to the torrent of sensations that now threatened to consume him.

As he struggled to maintain a semblance of coherence, Ryo felt as though he was being slowly submerged into a dark, abyssal pool of water. 

The pressure was crushing, the weight of the emotions bearing down upon him like a physical force that threatened to snuff out the flickering flame of his consciousness. 

His thoughts, once sharp and focused, were growing increasingly disjointed, his mind numb and unresponsive.

The world around him had become a distant, fading memory, a recollection of a life that was rapidly slipping away from him. Ryo's sense of self, his very identity, was disintegrating, fragmenting into a thousand disparate pieces that seemed to be drifting away from him like leaves on a winter's breeze. He was losing himself, his essence, his soul, and he was powerless to stop it.

The spectre, that enigmatic and malevolent presence, continued to watch them with an unblinking gaze, its intentions unclear. The Kardia Beast, despite its monstrous nature, seemed to possess a level of instinctive intelligence that was unsettling. 

It was as though the creature had developed a form of cognitive awareness, one that allowed it to adapt and evolve in response to its surroundings.

This, Ryo realized, must be what Aetherion had meant when he spoke of the monsters' intelligence increasing in tandem with their strength. 

The beast's powers, it seemed, were not limited to mere brute force, but also encompassed a level of cerebral sophistication that made it a far more formidable foe.

As Ryo's thoughts grew increasingly disjointed, he couldn't help but wonder if this was the end for him, if he would soon succumb to the crushing weight of his own emotions and lose himself forever in the darkness. 

The prospect was a terrifying one, and yet, he felt powerless to resist it, unable to stem the tide of feelings that threatened to engulf him whole. The last remnants of his consciousness were fading, slipping away into the void, and Ryo knew that he was on the cusp of disappearing forever, lost in a sea of emotions that would consume him utterly.

As the fog of unconsciousness slowly lifted, Ryo's awareness returned, like a gentle breeze stirring the leaves of a long-dormant tree. A foreign, cold sensation on his arm, a tingling feeling that seemed to seep into his very marrow, was the first thing he felt, even in his trance-like state. 

It was as if his body was awakening, slowly, incrementally, like a sleeper rousing from a deep slumber. His left wrist, once a mere appendage, now felt alive, thrumming with a strange, pulsating energy. 

His eyes, once dull and lifeless, now regained their glint of life and vigor, like embers that had been smoldering beneath the surface, waiting to be fanned into a flame.

As he looked around, he was met with a scene that was both haunting and heartbreaking. The others, his fellow survivors of the Kardia Beast's brutal assault, lay broken and shattered, their minds ravaged by the emotional onslaught. 

The monster, still watching them with an unblinking gaze, seemed oblivious to Ryo's newfound awareness, its attention fixed on the group with a malevolent intensity that was both captivating and terrifying. 

The air was heavy with the weight of their collective suffering, a palpable, almost tangible thing that seemed to press down upon Ryo like a physical force.

He turned his attention to his dark, glowing wrist, and what he saw surprised him. The traits he had possessed since before, once mere zeros, now seemed to be stirring, like a sleeping giant awakening from a deep slumber. 

The numbers, once stagnant, now ticked upward, a testament to the fact that he had grown, that he had evolved, and that he had been forever changed by the experiences he had endured. 

「Scenario of the lich aspirant」

Dark magic: stage 6, 

Lesser necromancy: stage 3, Resurrection: stage 3, 

Threat perception: stage 4. 

The numbers went up, and Ryo felt a sense of wonder, of awe, at the secrets that were being revealed to him.

He realized, in a flash of insight, that maybe the key to unlocking greater power was the emotions that stemmed from the heart, his heart, which had received an inconceivable amount of influx, like a chain cycle, alongside the others. 

Could that have been the cause of his growth? But he thought to himself, 

"Is that it?" If that was the key to getting stronger, why had the numbers not grown in a significant way? Perhaps it wasn't merely emitting strong emotions that would lead to a person gaining greater strength. And how high would the numbers go? So many questions swirled in his head, like a maelstrom, but this was neither the time nor place to ponder them.

Then, like a beacon of hope, a white wall of light appeared in front of him, the timer ticking away with a steady, relentless beat. 20 minutes left, the numbers seemed to scream, like a countdown to destiny. 

Ryo let out a sigh of relief, feeling like he had been given a reprieve, a second chance. He had thought it was over, that all was lost, but even after everything that had happened to them, it all seemed to have happened in a rather short amount of time. 

They had been given one hour for this challenge, and after 15 minutes of walking, they had encountered the Dark Prum. Only 25 minutes had passed, and yet, the battle had felt like an eternity, a never-ending cycle of pain and suffering. 

This, surely, was the influence of the Kardia Beast, a monster that seemed to warp time and space to its own twisted will.

As he stood there, lost in thought, Ryo pondered the implications of his growth, his mind working with its usual calm and methodical pace. 

He looked at the others, still broken, still shattered, and felt a sense of responsibility wash over him, like a wave crashing on the shore. 

He knew he had to find a way to help them, to help himself, to survive this ordeal and emerge stronger on the other side. 

The Kardia Beast may have won this battle, but Ryo was focused on the war ahead. He would take his time, think things through, and come up with a plan. The timer was ticking, the clock was running, and Ryo was ready to take the next step, into the unknown.

As the holy light emanating from Akari's left wrist intensified, it enveloped not only her but also the seven individuals scattered around her. The creature recoiled, its eyes fixed on the group as if bewildered by their sudden revival. 

Ryo watched the scene unfold with a mixture of curiosity and detachment, his gaze lingering on Akari's serene face. She was the catalyst for this miracle, yet she seemed oblivious to her own role in their salvation.

The others, however, were slowly regaining their senses. Kenzo stumbled to his feet, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if taking stock of their situation. 

His gaze locked onto the creature, and a flicker of fear danced across his face before he suppressed it. "It's... stopped?" he muttered, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Mei's expression, normally a mask of calm detachment, was twisted in a scowl.

 "That thing violated our minds," 

she spat, her voice low and venomous. "I'm not going to let it go unpunished." 

Her eyes flashed with a fierce determination as she turned to the others. "There's a way to defeat this creature."

But her words fell on deaf ears. The group's attention was focused on Akimitsu, who lay writhing in agony. The emotional onslaught had left him shattered, his mind reeling from the trauma. 

Tsukiko's knees buckled as she gazed at him, her body shaking with sobs. But then, with a newfound resolve, she straightened and turned to Kenzo. "Give me a sword."

Kenzo hesitated for a moment before handing her a long, elegant sword. The blade seemed to shimmer in the fading light, and Tsukiko's left wrist glowed with a soft, pulsing energy. She turned to Mei, her eyes burning with a fierce intensity. 

"You have a plan in mind?"

Mei's expression returned to its usual calm mask. 

"It's likely that the creature is currently experiencing some degree of confusion," she began, her voice detached and analytical. "Given the severity of the attack, it's probable that it expected us to be incapacitated or deceased by now. The fact that we're still functional is likely to be... intriguing to it."

She paused, her gaze flicking to the creature. "According to the available data, the creature's visual capabilities are non-existent. Additionally, its vulnerability to sensory disruption suggests that dulling its senses may be a viable strategy for neutralizing it."

Ryo's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he processed Mei's words. A glimmer of understanding sparked within him, and he realized that his dark magic might hold the key to their survival.

 "I appear to have a capability that may be relevant to this situation," he said, his voice low and even.

The group turned to him, their faces etched with a mix of hope and desperation. Maybe, just maybe, they could turn the tide of this battle in their favor. 

The creature, sensing their newfound determination, let out a low growl, its eyes fixed on them with an unblinking gaze. The stage was set for a final, desperate confrontation.

As Ryo's mind grasped the truth of his abilities, a spark of determination ignited within him. Kenzo's words, like a key turning in a lock, unleashed a floodgate of understanding. 

The way to harness his powers was almost laughably simple: just imagine, and believe. Yet, for someone like Ryo, who had always struggled to tap into his emotions, it was a daunting task. 

He closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on conjuring the dark magic that had been simmering within him like a pent-up storm. His heart racing, he felt the familiar thrill of adrenaline coursing through his veins like liquid fire.

In that moment, the beast, which had until now ignored Ryo, suddenly sensed his presence. Its gaze snapped towards him like a whip cracking through the air, and it lunged forward with a ferocious roar that shook the very foundations of the earth.