Infinite Skill Devourer

The soldiers matched the passengers' silence.

The clinking of their chains was the only sound that echoed through the empty land.

The air was thick with tension, every step feeling heavier as the towers and buildings of a nearby town came into view.

Haruka stumbled as they entered the gates, her legs trembling beneath her. Luckily, Ryuen caught her arm before she fell, steadying her.

He leaned closer and whispered, "Keep moving."

She nodded weakly, trusting everything he said. There was always a meaning behind his words.

And the others were also aware of that.

She clutched his sleeve like a lifeline, terrified that if she let go, she would find herself at the mercy of something worse than the beasts.

The town was silent—eerily so.

No voices, no signs of life or activity, only the rhythmic clanking of armor and the quiet shuffle and shudders of the other passengers.

Ryuen, who walked behind the captives, had his eyes closed as Haruka walked beside him.

His mind reeled with different thoughts as he made plans for escape if danger arose.

By the time they reached a large fortress, the air had become damp and cold.

The scent of mildew filled the air, making Akari cover her nose in discomfort.

Luckily for the passengers, their belongings were still with them, including their phones and gadgets.

Which, unfortunately, were useless in this world.

They were led deep into the base of the fortress, into the dungeons.

To Ryuen's surprise, it didn't look like the dungeons he'd imagined.

Instead of dirty walls, a bone-littered ground, and blood-stained surfaces, the space was spotless.

The shiny metal walls and clean aroma were unnerving.

Ryuen's eyes narrowed as he scanned the environment, from the ceiling to the cells that contained actual mattresses—two to four in each.

Without ceremony, the soldiers shoved Ryuen and his students into a cell.

And separated the other passengers, pairing them up without saying a word or answering any questions.

Haruka and Akari crawled to where Ryuen sat, and the three sat cross-legged beside each other.

Yuta sat silently on one of the mattresses, his stoicism understandable given his situation.

Kenta, on the other hand, stood by the door, his rage evident.

If possible, steam would be escaping from his ears with how angry he was.

Ryuen stayed silent, his hands curling into fists as he leaned against the cold metal wall.

The chains on his wrists had been removed, but he could still feel the weight of them, reminding him of the handcuffs he had once worn.

Moments later, silence fell.

Most of the other captives had strangely fallen asleep, while others lay on their mattresses, gazing at the ceiling.

Akari broke the silence first. "Sensei..." her voice came out as a tiny, trembling whisper.

"What do we do now?"

Ryuen didn't answer. He simply stared at the floor, deep in thoughts.

The events of the last few hours kept replaying in his head—the beasts, the train, the soldiers.

Nothing made sense.

He could accept strange occurrences, but he couldn't understand why they had to be so dangerous.

"Sensei!" Haruka's voice cracked, pulling him out of his thoughts and earning a glance from him.

She reached out and slowly pushed her fingers into his hands. "Please, say something."

He exhaled slowly, trying to suppress the suffocating weight pressing down on him.

He could imagine the pain and fear they must be feeling, especially Yuta and Akari.

He could also imagine the panic their parents must be experiencing.

Except for Haruka—she lived alone, rarely staying in her apartment.

"We wait," he said finally. "We watch, listen, and do as I tell you so we can survive."

Kenta scoffed, turning swiftly to Ryuen.

"Survive? How? We don't even know where we are, what those things were—"

He gestured wildly, his voice raised and laced with panic and anger.

"—or why we're even here!"

"Panicking won't help," Ryuen stated. "Save your energy." He didn't spare Kenta a glance.

Kenta opened his mouth to argue but paused when Yuta suddenly spoke.

"He's right," the boy uttered in a low, emotionless tone. "We can't do anything right now."

"Yuta," Akari whispered, stunned. For the first time in months, Yuta said something.

They wanted to celebrate, but they couldn't—not now, not yet.

The weight of the truth settled over them like a heavy blanket.

Haruka leaned her head against Akari's shoulder, sobbing softly.

Kenta leaned against the bars. "And what do you suggest we do? Just sit here and wait for them to decide whether to kill us or feed us to those things?"

Ryuen met his gaze, his hazel eyes, which sometimes seemed silver in the dim light.

"Yes. For now, we wait. We don't know enough about this place to act recklessly."

"That's it?" Kenta scoffed, his frustration boiling over. "Wait and hope? Great plan."

"Stop it, Ken!" Akari snapped, rising to her feet. "You're talking to your teacher!"

"May I remind you that this teacher of ours is two years older than you and barely has the experience of a lecturer to actually be one?"

"So what?!" Akari shot back, taking a step closer to him, her head raised and gaze steady despite her earlier trembling.

"That same man is the reason you are the basketball captain and the top scorer in our year."

"Should I also remind you how you were pestering him for extra lessons last month?" she asked, anger evident in her eyes.

Ryuen sat in silence, watching Akari put Kenta in a tight corner.

It was a little harsh, but he was glad she could stand up for... well, someone.

She was the timid type and rarely raised her voice, but she managed to stand up for him.

Something he would reward her for.... that was, if they were not dead by then.

Kenta crossed his arms and averted his gaze.

"That doesn't mean we have to listen to him. We don't even have to call him Mister or Sensei," he mumbled, clearly defeated.

Akari raised a finger. "He is still our teacher, and you must accord him respect."

Ryuen sighed. "Akari," he called softly, waiting for her to turn to him before continuing. "Kenta is right."

"I am?"

"I'm not an old man, after all. Since we're away from Japan, you can call me by my name."

"We will not!" Akari refuted firmly.

Ryuen flashed her a glare. "I order you to. My name is Ryuen. You call me that, or I will stop teaching you Kanji."

She loved kanji more than anything, and he knew that.

The moment her shoulders slumped in defeat, he smiled.

"Good girl. Now stay put and—"

The clanking of armored boots in the distance interrupted him. The sound grew louder, and they fell silent.

Their eyes locked on the corridor, where shadows stretched along the ground, revealing the soldiers who had detained them.

The soldiers stopped in front of their cell, their leader wearing a frown until his gaze fell on Akari.

"No talking. You will be summoned soon," he stated before walking off instantly, evading any questions.

Kenta let out a shaky breath. "Summoned for what?"

"Doesn't matter," Ryuen said, shifting his gaze to Yuta. "We'll find out soon enough."

"Yuta," he called, earning a weak glance from him. "Are you alright?"

Yuta gave a small nod and a faint smile before averting his gaze again.

The cell fell silent once more. Ryuen closed his eyes, frustration and guilt bubbling beneath his calm exterior.

'What went wrong?' he asked himself, wondering if he had triggered something or offended someone.

He noticed the air around him grow colder, the faint sound of voices fading into nothingness.

And then, a voice echoed suddenly in his mind:

[Ryuen Takeru, Mortal. Status: Cursed.]

[Cursed by the Great Arbiter: Mark of the Unseen bestowed upon you. A judgment for the lives you've stolen, for the souls you've left without sanctuary.]

Ryuen's eyes shot open. "What the hell…" he whispered, careful not to draw attention from the others.

He lifted his hands before him, turning them over, searching for something—anything—that might explain what the voice had said.

But his skin was spotless. No mark. No sign of this so-called curse.

'What curse?' he thought. The voice didn't respond, its haunting tone fading into silence.

'Why? What did I do to deserve this?'

And then it hit him—memories he had buried months ago.

Blood on his hands. The lifeless eyes of his victims. The tears on their faces as they stared at the 'Masked Crusader'

However, before he could accept the voice's words or digest it....

DING!

The sound was sharp, almost deafening. He flinched, as though struck directly in his eardrum.

His ears rang, the faint echo of the sound lingering, bouncing off the walls of his mind.

[Curse Active.]

[To survive, you must Consume or Eat.]

His stomach twisted, his mouth going dry as his thoughts raced to the worst possible things he might have to eat.

Knowing it was tied to a curse only made it worse.

'Consume huh?' he thought, his voice barely above a whisper. 'Consume… what exactly?'