Lightning tore across the stormy sky, illuminating the rooftop where Ryu faced Lucien. Shadows danced around the city like restless spirits, responding to the tension between the two forces.
Lucien's golden eyes gleamed. "You've survived this long, heir… but how far are you willing to go?"
Ryu tightened his grip on his scythe. Black energy swirled around his arms, coalescing into tendrils of living shadow. "Far enough to protect her… and the city. That's the only measure I need."
Lucien smirked. Chains erupted from his hands, whipping violently, forcing Ryu to step back. "And the souls? The innocent and the guilty? Every swing of your blade binds them—or destroys them. Can you live with that?"
Hana's hand found his arm. "Ryu… you can do this. You have to control it, not let it control you."
Ryu exhaled, the weight of responsibility pressing on him. Each soul trapped in Lucien's weaponized darkness was screaming, calling for judgment. He could feel their despair like icy knives against his chest.
Lucien moved forward with unnerving speed. "You hesitate. That weakness will be your undoing."
Ryu's shadow whirled, forming a semi-solid scythe of black energy. "I don't hesitate. I weigh the cost."
The chains lashed out, but Ryu deflected them with precise arcs of his scythe. Each strike shattered a fragment of the Soul Engine constructs around Lucien, but the remaining souls screamed louder, clawing at Ryu's mind.
"Judgment is never easy," Morrigan's voice echoed in his memory. "A Reaper's power is meaningless without the burden of choice."
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "Do you even understand what it means to be a Reaper? You wield death, yet you cling to life like a child."
Ryu met his gaze. "Being a Reaper doesn't mean losing your humanity. It means deciding what deserves to live—and what deserves to die. Even if it breaks you in the process."
Lucien laughed, a sound that split the night. "Then let us see how human you truly are."
With a flick of his wrist, the chains converged into a massive shadow beast, its body composed of screaming souls. Its maw opened, revealing countless faces in agony.
Ryu inhaled deeply. Shadows around him thickened, responding to his resolve. "Hana… focus on guiding the souls. I'll handle this."
Hana nodded, closing her eyes. Blue light radiated from her hands, reaching into the writhing mass of souls, calming the chaos, lending their energy to Ryu's control.
Ryu stepped forward, scythe spinning. Every strike cut through the shadow beast, yet each piece that fell threatened to shatter the souls inside.
Lucien's smirk widened. "You hesitate. Save the innocent, and the guilty escape. Condemn the guilty, and the innocent suffer."
Ryu's vision blurred, the screaming intensifying. Sweat mixed with rain. He gritted his teeth. "Then I make the choice… and accept the cost."
With a powerful arc, Ryu unleashed the Shadow Cleaver, a technique he had barely mastered. A wave of living darkness swept through the shadow beast, disintegrating it while sparing the souls Hana was guiding.
The rooftop shook. Chains cracked. Lucien staggered slightly, surprised at the precision.
Ryu's eyes burned with determination. "I'm not just the heir. I'm a Reaper who protects life, even when surrounded by death."
Lucien's golden eyes flashed with both admiration and frustration. "Clever… but this is only the beginning."
Before Ryu could respond, a shadow detached from Lucien, forming a humanoid figure that mirrored his every move—an elite lieutenant of the Syndicate, a new threat ready to challenge Ryu's judgment further.
Hana gasped. "Ryu… there's more."
Ryu exhaled sharply, gripping his scythe. "Then we keep fighting. No hesitation. No mistakes."
Above the city, the storm intensified. Lightning struck, illuminating the battlefield.
The first test of morality as a Reaper had begun—and Ryu realized something chilling: every choice would leave a scar, not just on the world… but on his soul.