The wind that brushed across Hoshino City that evening carried something unnatural — a weight that pressed against the air, thick with silent malice. The clouds above churned like ink in water, their edges glowing faintly red, though no sun remained.
Far beneath that sky, in the heart of an empty alley, Ren stood still. His breath came out uneven, his fingers trembling as he clutched his head. The mark on his neck pulsed faintly, veins blackening beneath his skin. The fragments — those cursed remnants of Oblivion — were no longer dormant. They whispered.
> "Do you feel it? The despair crawling in the air?"
Ren's voice was shallow. "Stop… stop talking…"
> "You wanted power, didn't you? You envied him. You feared being left behind."
A flash of Akira's face seared through his mind — the way he'd moved during training, the calm fire in his eyes. That look had always bothered him. The jealousy and guilt twisted inside Ren like barbed wire. He fell to one knee, his breath harsh.
Then the ground cracked beneath him.
Black tendrils spread out like veins of tar, pulsing in rhythm with his heart. The fragments within him began to resonate — pieces of something vast and ancient — the echo of Oblivion's core.
Ren screamed, clutching his chest as the shadow energy burst outward. His reflection flickered across broken glass — his eyes, once human, now burned violet with a faint spiral of black light.
---
Across the city, Akira felt his pendant flare. It wasn't a soft glow this time — it burned, vibrating like a heartbeat. The blade inside his soul trembled.
He jolted upright, gripping the pendant tight. "Ren…?"
A sound, faint but clear, echoed in his mind — a distorted cry of pain, like someone calling from across an abyss. The mark on his hand seared, dark light bleeding through the edges.
Masahiro's voice — faint, distant — flickered through the void.
> "The fragments have awakened. That power does not belong to him."
Akira's heart pounded. "Then what do I do?"
> "Find him before the fragments consume what remains. Or you'll lose him forever."
The voice faded. The pendant dimmed.
Akira didn't hesitate — he grabbed his coat, his blade pulsing faintly through the pendant, and sprinted into the night.
---
Meanwhile, Ryozen stood atop a skyscraper, his coat rippling in the rising wind. His eyes glowed faintly gold — the Wheel of Samsara materialized behind him, its rotation slow but unending.
"...So it begins," he whispered.
The air distorted as he extended his hand, tracing the residue in the atmosphere — thin strings of black energy intertwining across the skyline. His expression hardened.
> "This presence… I've felt it before. But it's stronger — purer. It's his."
He looked toward the western edge of the city, where the distortion converged — and vanished in a blur of golden light.
---
Back in the alley, Ren's transformation was nearly complete. His breath came out in broken gasps, every inhale accompanied by a flicker of black mist.
> "You see? The world rejected you first."
The voice grew louder — merging with his own thoughts until he couldn't tell them apart. His body convulsed as shadows coiled around him, solidifying into jagged, armor-like veins of darkness.
Ren lifted his hand. The air bent around it. His voice deepened, layered with something ancient and commanding.
> "I can feel it… I can see everything."
The walls around him collapsed outward as his energy expanded violently — a dark pulse rippling through the entire district. Windows shattered, streetlights exploded, and the ground split beneath his feet.
Then, through the chaos, a blinding light split the dark.
Ryozen appeared, stepping from the brilliance. Dust swirled, shadows recoiled. He stood a few feet away from Ren, his expression unreadable.
Ren turned his head slowly. The remnants of his humanity flickered — but only for a second. His lips curved into a smirk.
"Finally," Ren said, his tone distorted. "You came."
Ryozen didn't answer immediately. His eyes didn't meet Ren's. Instead, they drifted above his head — where the aura of Oblivion had begun to take shape. It wasn't complete yet, but its form pulsed, almost sentient.
A low hum rippled through the air. The aura spoke, its voice emerging through Ren — deep, layered, reverberating through the ground itself.
> "Still the same stare, Ryozen. Still pretending you're not afraid."
Ryozen exhaled slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Afraid?" He tilted his head, eyes cold as glass. "No… I just remember a flash of you."
The Wheel of Samsara behind him spun once — light bursting outward. But only for an instant. When the brilliance faded, Ryozen was gone.
Ren blinked — and then fury replaced confusion. His hands clenched.
He slammed his fist into the ground.
The concrete shattered like paper, the shockwave tearing through the alley. Dust spiraled upward as cracks split across the walls and road.
> "Akira…"
Ren's eyes burned brighter. His aura swelled, the remnants of Oblivion circling him like wings made of dusk.
> "I'll end you. And I'll never let you open the seal."
---
High above the city, Ryozen reappeared — standing atop a broken clock tower. The Wheel of Samsara behind him slowed, its light dimming.
He looked down at the darkness spreading below — a growing pulse that no mortal could see.
"Fragments of Oblivion… merging faster than expected," he murmured. "If it continues like this, even Akira won't be able to stop it."
The wind howled — carrying whispers from the void, threads of power drawn to Ren's awakening. Ryozen's eyes narrowed.
> "I'll have to intervene soon. But not yet… not until he's ready."
The city lights flickered — one by one — as the shadow spread outward like ink in water.
And somewhere beneath it all, Akira ran through the darkened streets, the pendant glowing again. The storm had already begun.