The shadow detached from Lucien coalesced into a tall, slender figure. Its eyes glowed a pale silver, reflecting the storm above. A mask resembling a cracked skull covered the upper half of its face, and dark armor-like shadows clung to its body like living smoke.
Ryu tightened his grip on his scythe. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head, voice smooth and chilling. "I am Ashen, Lucien's enforcer. I exist to test the heirs… and eliminate those who fail."
Hana stepped closer to Ryu, trembling. "Another… monster?"
Ryu shook his head. "Not just a monster. Someone trained to mirror my weaknesses… and exploit them."
Ashen's silver eyes narrowed. "Correct. You wield death with hesitation. That hesitation will be your undoing."
With a flick of his wrist, Ashen's shadow expanded, forming twin scythe-like appendages. The shadows moved independently, slicing through the rooftop with preternatural speed.
Ryu raised his scythe defensively. The clash of dark energy sent shockwaves through the air. Sparks and shadow fragments rained down around them.
"You mimic a Reaper," Ryu said through gritted teeth. "But you lack judgment."
"Judgment is weakness," Ashen replied. "Power alone decides."
The two collided. Each strike sent tendrils of shadow exploding outward. Ryu's scythe cleaved through one of Ashen's shadow arms, but more sprang forth instantly, a relentless torrent.
Hana's hands glowed blue, guiding the souls trapped in Ashen's shadows. She whispered softly, attempting to free them, but Ashen's presence distorted the energy, twisting it back into chains.
Ryu's eyes burned red and silver—the dual glow of the Grim Reaper's heir. He swung his scythe again, more fiercely, but the attack scattered only fragments of Ashen's shadow.
Ashen smirked. "You hesitate. You choose to spare even the souls of those bound to me. That is your weakness."
Ryu froze, realizing the truth. Every life he spared, every hesitation, was being used against him. His shadow tendrils writhed, responding to his anger.
"I won't let you harm anyone!" he shouted. "Even if it costs me everything!"
He leapt forward, combining his Shadow Cleaver technique with Hana's guidance. Souls freed from Ashen's grasp surged into Ryu, enhancing his power. His scythe glowed with a terrifying intensity, shadows whipping like storms.
Ashen staggered, their smirk faltering. "Impossible… your soul… it wields them?"
Ryu's eyes glimmered. "I am the heir. I control death… not the other way around."
With one massive swing, Ryu unleashed Judgment's Edge, a torrent of shadow energy imbued with the freed souls' will. The attack struck Ashen head-on, dissolving the lieutenant's shadow form into smoke and leaving the rooftop scarred with deep gouges.
Ashen's voice echoed faintly from the smoke. "This… isn't over… heir… every choice… will bind you…"
Ryu dropped to his knees, exhausted, wings folding behind him. His heart pounded. Sweat, rain, and blood mixed on his face.
Hana rushed to his side, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Ryu… are you okay?"
He looked at her, eyes heavy but resolute. "I'm fine… for now. But this… this is only the beginning. Every enemy, every choice—they're going to test me. And each one… will cost something."
Above the city, the storm raged. Lightning illuminated the distant skyline, where other Syndicate agents moved like shadows, waiting for their turn to strike.
Ryu's gaze hardened. "I'll protect everyone… no matter the cost. I'll face every shadow… and every choice. Even if it breaks me."
Hana nodded, holding his hand tightly. "Then I'll stay with you… whatever happens."
In the distance, a faint laugh carried over the wind—a voice familiar and sinister.
The Dark Reaper. Watching. Waiting. Calculating.
The war between life, death, and those who sought to control it had only begun—and Ryu's first moral trial had set the tone for all battles to come.