Chapter 63: Ruins Under the Moonlight

Dusk painted the horizon, darkness creeping in like an unstoppable tide. Yahageshii carried Shingin on his back, his face as tense as a cornered beast. He could feel the faint rise and fall of Shingin's breath—a fragile thread threatening to snap with every labored inhale.

"Those damned Watchers!" Yahageshii growled, flames of fury dancing in his eyes. "They did this to A'Shin. Next time I see them, I won't let them off!"

Trailing behind, Myouka staggered, clutching her knees and panting. Her voice was tinged with frustration and exhaustion. "You two are too fast… Riyugi and I can't keep up."

Riyugi, pale and sweating, moved unsteadily. Her usually serene eyes now showed hints of helplessness.

Ryuosho glanced at her briefly before turning to Yahageshii. "You're running like that with Shingin on your back. Do you want to make his injuries worse?"

Yahageshii halted reluctantly. Despite his impatience, he slowed his pace, grumbling under his breath, "A'Shin, you better hold on! You're all I've got left…"

Night had fully fallen, cloaking the ruined cityscape in shadows. The moonlight broke through ragged clouds, casting an eerie glow over the desolation. Ryuosho pointed to the distance. "There's an abandoned building up ahead. Let's head there and treat Shingin's wounds."

After a moment's hesitation, Yahageshii nodded and gritted his teeth, heading toward the indicated direction.

The ruins of the city were even more desolate under the moonlight. The wind howled through crumbling structures, and the pale light outlined the devastation like a ghostly shroud. Towering skyscrapers, now reduced to skeletal remains, loomed over the horizon—some tilted, others collapsed entirely, exposing rusted steel beams and broken concrete. Streets were littered with shattered bricks and abandoned vehicles, their rusted frames and shattered windows a testament to years of decay.

"There's a building over there that still looks intact," Ryuosho said, eyes narrowing as he examined a partially standing structure. The walls were riddled with cracks, and the top floors had collapsed, but the lower windows remained intact. Broken shutters swung lazily in the wind, creaking ominously.

Carefully navigating the debris-strewn streets, the group pushed open a damaged metal door and entered the building. Inside, darkness swallowed them, accompanied by a musty odor. Dust coated the floor, and abandoned office desks and toppled shelves cluttered the room. Peeling paint revealed darkened walls beneath, etched with faded inscriptions—remnants of forgotten warnings or commands.

Shingin was placed gently against the wall. Ryuosho knelt to examine his wounds. Outside, the silence was oppressive, as if the entire city held its breath. Riyugi stood guard by the door, her hand clutching a pendant that emitted a faint bluish-green glow—a fragile light in the suffocating darkness.

Moonlight filtered through shattered windows, illuminating the dusty floor in pale streaks. Yahageshii stared at Shingin's pallid face and murmured, "A'Shin, hang in there. I'll save you…"

He turned to Ryuosho and growled, "I'll find a doctor! Use your Thunder Leap to get me there, now!"

Myouka's eyes widened in alarm. Her voice rose in a sharp protest, "Are you insane? Do you even know where we are? Do you realize how dangerous it is out there?"

Ryuosho's brows furrowed, his tone calm but resolute. "And what about Shingin? He needs care, and you need to ensure Myouka and Riyugi's safety before you rush off."

Yahageshii froze, fists clenched as veins bulged on his temples. He paced in agitation before letting out a frustrated growl—a trapped beast with no escape.

Clink.

A sharp sound shattered the stillness, echoing faintly through the ruins like a drop of water hitting a silent lake, rippling into the void.

Everyone froze. Myouka instinctively covered her mouth, her wide eyes filled with fear. Riyugi's gaze darted to the source of the sound, her hand tightening around her pendant.

Yahageshii's breath caught. In an instant, his head snapped up, his eyes piercing the darkness where the sound originated.

Footsteps followed—slow, deliberate, and unnervingly rhythmic. Thud… thud… thud. The sound grew louder, each step reverberating like a war drum, pounding against their nerves.

"Who's there?" Yahageshii barked, his voice sharp and cutting through the silence like a blade.

The footsteps didn't stop. Instead, they drew closer, their deliberate pace laced with an indescribable tension. It felt like a predator silently closing in, its unseen gaze pinning them down.

Myouka shrank back, trembling behind Ryuosho. Her voice barely a whisper, "Is it… a person? Or…"

She couldn't finish the sentence, her words swallowed by the suffocating dread.

Ryuosho's expression hardened as he stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of the others. His voice was low but steady. "Stay with Shingin."

Yahageshii didn't respond, his focus locked on the source of the sound. Each footstep seemed to carry an unrelenting pressure, weighing down the air.

Finally, a figure emerged from the shadows. Moonlight poured over them, revealing a face with an unsettling smile…