Chapter 184: The Sole Eternal Friend

Shingin suddenly became aware of Ryuosho's faint breathing, his heart pounding violently as if all the pain and regret of his life had crystallized into an unbearable weight at that moment. His hands trembled, and his eyes filled with despair and fear that nearly overwhelmed him. Without hesitation, he let go of his mother's cold hand, crawling urgently across the blood-soaked ground, his tears blurring his vision.

His knees hit the hard ground painfully as Shingin half-crawled, half-stumbled to Ryuosho's side. He grasped Ryuosho's increasingly lifeless shoulders with desperate urgency, his heartbeat syncing with Ryuosho's faint breaths. The sounds around him faded, leaving only the fragile connection between him and Ryuosho, a reminder that time was slipping away.

Shingin's stiff fingers traced Ryuosho's blood-soaked shoulder, trembling slightly. He opened his mouth, but no words came out—everything seemed caught in his throat, leaving only the sound of heavy, labored breathing.

Ryuosho sensed him and struggled to open his eyes, a weak, forced smile appearing on his face. "Hey... Shin..." His voice was so faint it resembled a candle flickering in the wind.

Hearing that familiar voice, Shingin's body shook violently, and his eyes instantly reddened. He opened his mouth to speak but could only choke out a strangled sound. His throat felt as if it had been pierced with sharp spikes, rendering him incapable of words.

Between shallow breaths, Ryuosho managed to curl his lips into a smile, one tinged with both exhaustion and relief.

"Shin..." he whispered, his voice faltering. "This time... I didn't slack off... I used all the speed I had in me... to save your mother... but... I was still too late..."

Shingin's throat tightened under an unbearable weight, as if an invisible hand was choking the very essence out of him. He couldn't tell if the person before him was truly Ryuosho—his dearest friend—or a figment of his broken reality. Blood and guilt tainted the air.

Ryuosho's breath became ragged as he forced out his words. "Shin... stop running away... When my powers awakened... I understood it clearly... no matter where we go, those with abilities... are fated... to die alone..."

Shingin froze, his entire body stiffening as though struck by lightning. His heart ached, each pulse like a spear driving through him. Ryuosho's words echoed in his mind, an invisible whip lashing his soul.

Ryuosho's trembling hand grasped Shingin's tightly. "Those with abilities... we were always monsters... out of place in this world... Shin, even if you... try to ignore it... everyone around you... will get dragged in... and die. Because... those with abilities... are cold-blooded... everywhere."

Shingin shook his head furiously, tears flooding his eyes like a broken dam. His lips quivered, and his voice broke into a desperate cry. "I'll take you to the hospital! You'll get better! I'm not listening!!"

Ryuosho's lips curved faintly, a fragile motion that drained the last of his strength. "What I said about the future being better... It's not about eliminating people with powers... but about you... finding the courage to face everything..."

The words landed like a hammer, shattering Shingin's heart. His tears flowed uncontrollably, and his body trembled in anguish.

As Ryuosho's voice faded and the final word slipped from his lips, his eyes dimmed.

"Ryo... Ryo!" Shingin's voice was a piercing wail of despair. He grabbed Ryuosho's collar, shaking him as though trying to pull him back from the abyss of death.

"Why..." Shingin choked out, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "Why did you do this... why did you push yourself so hard...?"

Ryuosho's gaze softened, even as his strength waned. "Because... you're Shin... I'm just an orphan... doesn't matter if I'm gone... but I couldn't let you be alone..."

Shingin clutched his hand tightly as Ryuosho's faint warmth began to slip away. His throat closed up, rendering him unable to speak, leaving him to weep in silence.

Ryuosho's smile froze on his face, his fingers loosening as they fell lifelessly.

Memories began flooding Shingin's mind:

"Hey—Shin, let's skip class!"

"Rocks aren't so bad; at least they don't need lessons."

"Lazy as I am, life's still important."

"Shin, what are we eating later?"

"The teacher found us—run! Shin!"

"Let's go; today's my treat for dinner!"

Kneeling in a daze, Shingin burst into uncontrollable sobs, his memories replaying in his head like a cruel film. His tears fell onto Ryuosho's lifeless face, mingling with the blood that had long gone cold. He clenched his fists and pounded the ground like a despairing child. No one would call him Shin again...

"Why!!! WHY—!!"

Suddenly—

BOOM—!!

The ground shook violently as a strange force of yellow and blue energy erupted from beneath. The energy surged like a raging tide, painting the sky with unnatural hues. A deafening wail echoed from all directions, as if the world itself was weeping.

The swirling yellow and purple storm surrounding Shingin grew increasingly wild, tearing at everything. Cracks spread across the earth, and an eerie yellow-purple light seeped from the fissures as if the very planet was mourning.

A thunderous roar reverberated as the storm consumed everything around Shingin. His figure blurred amidst the blinding light, obscured by a maelstrom of energy.

From a distance, Watcher 09 observed, a grim expression shadowing his face. A strange glint flickered in his eyes as he muttered, "A human... has opened the gates of hell?"

Meanwhile, in another realm, a man in a mage's robe stood on a high platform, gazing at the faint yellow-purple glow in the sky. His face twisted with a manic grin as he burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Hell is real! The exploration to open the gates of hell has finally taken a critical step forward! This is an irreversible moment in history!"

Far away, in the deepest depths of hell, a shadowy figure stood amidst eternal darkness, eyes glowing with a dim red light. Gazing upwards, he growled in a low, rasping voice, "Who dares... to let the aura of hell escape without permission?"

Elsewhere, a young man sat cross-legged on a stone platform in utter silence. One hand rested against his cheek, the other casually moving a pawn forward on a chessboard. His relaxed demeanor betrayed an eerie omniscience. A subtle smile tugged at his lips as he murmured, "Another key... just a bit more, and I'll have the final piece. This is getting more interesting."