NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Chapter : 19 : That's What Happened
Later, back in the hotel room, the friends sat in silence, their eyes glued to the news. The broadcast crackled with urgency: "Due to recent demon attacks, the Shibuya government, along with the Department of Demon Control, DDC, has issued an immediate citywide lockdown. Citizens are instructed to get to the nearest bunkers as soon as possible."
"No… no… no. This can't be happening," Yuki whispered, her face pale with fear.
"Yuki, breathe. Everything will be alright," Aki said, his voice steady but his own hands trembling slightly as he reached out to comfort her.
"But…" Yuki's voice cracked, barely a whisper.
"Look at me," Aki said, his tone firm yet gentle as he held her close. "Just breathe. Calm down."
He paused, steeling himself. "We need to get to the bunkers… now," he added, a fierce determination in his eyes as he tried to keep everyone grounded amid the rising dread.
Shion was unusually tense, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Ryuzin. He was the one who would face the danger, the one who had to defeat them. The weight of it all seemed to press down on her heart.
"Promise me you'll be safe out there," Shion whispered, her voice trembling as she sought reassurance.
Ryuzin gently took her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles as he gazed into her eyes. "I promise, Shion," he said softly, leaning down to place a tender kiss on her forehead.
Turning away, Ryuzin approached Aki. "Aki, please take Shion to the bunker and keep her safe. I have something I need to take care of."
Aki frowned, his brow creased with concern. "Where are you going, leaving her like this? She needs you the most right now," he protested, glancing worriedly at Shion.
But Shion stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Aki's arm. "It's alright, Aki-kun. This must be something really important. Let him go."
Aki hesitated, still uncomfortable with the idea. "If you say so," he finally replied, nodding reluctantly.
Ryuzin bowed gratefully. "Thank you."
Aki placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Ryuzin. You don't have to bow."
With that, Aki led both Shion and Yuki toward the nearby bunker. The streets of Shibuya, usually filled with the lively hum of people and flashing lights, were now eerily empty. Only a few scattered figures moved through the thickening dusk, hurriedly making their way to safety. The air was heavy, filled with an unsettling quiet, broken only by the distant wail of sirens.
High above, Ryuzin found Yoru standing on the rooftop of a deserted shop. Yoru's eyes were fixed on the vacant streets below, where shadows stretched long and ominous over the barren pavement. A faint breeze stirred, rustling through stray papers and debris left behind in the rush.
"You know," Yoru murmured, his voice low and somber, "I've never seen the streets of Shibuya this empty… It feels wrong."
Before Ryuzin could respond, the sharp sound of a siren pierced the air, echoing off the buildings. Yoru turned to him, his face set with determination. "Ready?"
Ryuzin's eyes hardened. "I was born ready."
They received the coordinates and headed towards the source of the disturbance. The city around them grew darker, the silence pressing down as they approached their destination. As they neared, an unsettling sensation crawled over their skin—a warning, a primal sense of danger. Before them loomed a massive figure, a low-class demon, grotesque and hulking, yet somehow more terrifying than it should have been. Its very presence made the air feel thick, as if saturated with something vile.
"Izanaji-kun, be careful," Yoru cautioned, his voice barely a whisper.
Ryuzin nodded, and together, they leapt towards the demon, channeling their kai in perfect synchronization. Flames erupted around them, roaring to life as they struck with all their strength. The fire blazed, consuming the demon from within, twisting and writhing as it howled in agony. But then, something went horribly wrong. A shockwave tore through the air, blasting out from the demon with a furious intensity. The sound was deafening, a roar that reverberated through the empty city.
The blast spread like wildfire, a wave of destruction radiating in all directions, obliterating everything in its path. Ryuzin and Yoru turned to flee, their breaths ragged as they sprinted away from the devastation. But the force caught up to them, slamming into their backs with brutal strength. Ryuzin's ears rang, and in an instant, everything went dark.
---
When Ryuzin's eyes fluttered open, he found himself surrounded by an endless, dreamlike expanse of white. The world around him was muted, devoid of sound, as if he were trapped in a place beyond reality. Disoriented, he looked around, searching for something—anything—that would make sense.
Then he saw her. Far in the distance, lying motionless on the pale, featureless ground, was a figure. He broke into a run, heart pounding as he approached. As he drew closer, recognition struck him like a blow. It was Shion. She lay there, vulnerable and exposed, her clothes gone, her skin marked with burns that traced over her body like the remnants of some terrible, searing pain. Her face was peaceful, yet her stillness filled him with a sense of dread.
Ryuzin knelt beside her, reaching out with trembling hands. The silence pressed down on him, heavy and suffocating, as he whispered her name, hoping against hope that she would open her eyes.
He felt a surge of emotions—anger, fear, and, most of all, a deep, hollow hopelessness. Desperation took hold as he pressed his ear against her chest, straining to hear something, anything. There it was—a faint, fragile heartbeat, barely discernible but there.
"Shion, wake up... Shion..." His voice cracked as he gently shook her, trying to rouse her from the darkness that held her captive. But she lay still, not even a flicker of movement.
Suddenly, a soft, almost ethereal voice whispered into his ear, carrying with it a strange sense of calm amidst the chaos. "Don't worry. She will live if you listen to me."
He flinched, startled, his heart racing as he looked around. "Who… Who said that?" he stammered, eyes darting through the shadows.
"Behind you," the voice replied, smooth and unhurried.
He turned, his gaze landing on a woman who seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Her presence was magnetic, her form graceful and enticing, as if she belonged to some otherworldly realm. Her eyes glimmered with a knowing look, and a faint, mischievous smile played at her lips.
"I can stop her from dying," she murmured, leaning forward, her body moving with fluid elegance. One arm slipped around his neck, her touch warm against his skin. Her face drew close, her breath brushing his ear as her fingertips traced the curve just behind it, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.
"Really... please, save her. I'll do anything," he pleaded, a flicker of hope igniting within him, mingling with a helpless desperation.
"Don't misunderstand me," she said softly, her tone tinged with a hint of amusement. "I can only stop her from dying. The rest is up to you if you wish to truly save her."
"What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice trembling.
Her smile widened, almost playfully. "You must become the Demon King to save her," she explained. "And for that, there's much work ahead."
"I'll do anything for her, so please… don't let her slip away from me," he demanded, his voice tinged with raw desperation.
The mysterious woman tilted her head, her expression one of mild amusement. "Oh… so impatient," she teased, reaching out toward Shion. In a swift, almost magical instant, Shion's burns began to heal, her skin regaining color as her chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. She was breathing, her heartbeat strong and stable.
"She's in a suspended animation," the woman explained, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "The blast hit her, throwing her Ki out of balance and leaving her in a state of suspended animation."
"But… she was in a bunker!" he exclaimed, trying to make sense of it all. "Are you telling me the bunker couldn't protect her? It was supposed to be underground."
The woman sighed, her eyes flickering with a hint of sorrow. "The bunker couldn't stop it. The blast tampered with the life energy—Ki—of every living being within its reach. It's a good thing she was underground; otherwise, you wouldn't even have ashes to bury. The heat was intense enough to scorch anyone above ground. But not everyone was affected; a few survived, intact and unharmed."
Ryuzin swallowed, a cold dread settling in his stomach. "Aki… Yuki…" he murmured, his voice barely a whisper as he prayed they had somehow survived.
The woman placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her gaze steady. "Come on," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "There's much work ahead for us."
Mana incident—a catastrophe that had claimed millions of lives, leaving Shibuya in ruins. The city had been a wasteland, taking two years to rebuild.
Returning to present…
I closed the file with a sigh, his parents had died in a terrible accident during his childhood, leaving him to navigate a life marked by loneliness and grief. At 17, he met Shion, a girl whose kindness and warmth managed to break through his hardened exterior and change him in ways he never expected. But the story took a darker turn when he went to Shibuya for a double date during Golden Week. It was after the Mana incident that Izanji was never heard from again.
Countless questions swirling in my mind. *What had truly happened to Izanji Ryuzin? What had shaped him into who he was now?* The weight of the mystery pressed on me, hinting at deeper secrets.
Suddenly, Natsumi, my younger sister, approached and leaned against my back, wrapping her arms around my neck in a familiar, affectionate gesture.
"What is it, sweetheart?" I asked, my voice soft with affection.
"I'm hungry," she replied, her voice playful and innocent.
I nodded with a smile and led her to the dining room. As I began to prepare a meal, my thoughts remained fixed on the mystery of Izanji Ryuzin. This was only the beginning, and I knew I had to uncover the truth.
END OF CHAPTER: 19 :THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED