The Turning Point
Ryo's eyes widened in horror.
Lucien had bypassed him.
For a split second, Ryo didn't understand—why? Why didn't Lucien kill him first?
Then he turned.
And saw it.
A spray of blood filled the air.
Haruto stood frozen, his eyes wide in shock. His hands instinctively went to his throat—
But it was already too late.
Lucien's knife had sliced cleanly through his neck.
A horrible, wet gurgle escaped Haruto's lips as he staggered back.
No…
Ryo's mind screamed.
Haruto collapsed.
His body hit the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
Lucien tilted his head, watching the life drain from Haruto's eyes. Then he grinned.
"Hm… that was easy."
Ryo's World Cracks
Something snapped inside Ryo.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Haruto wasn't from the novel.
Haruto wasn't a named character, not a protagonist, not an antagonist.
Just an ordinary person.
He was never meant to die like this.
And yet—
Here he was, his lifeless body on the ground.
Lucien's Amusement
Lucien let out a disappointed sigh. "Tsk. Thought he'd struggle more."
He kicked Haruto's corpse, rolling it over. His knife dripped with fresh blood.
Then he turned to Ryo.
"That look in your eyes…" He licked his lips. "Anger? Grief? Disbelief?"
Lucien laughed softly.
"It's beautiful."
Ryo gripped his sword so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His vision blurred with rage.
Lucien noticed—and his smile widened.
"Go ahead," he taunted. "Come at me. Let's see if you're more fun than he was."
Kael had no time to react to what happened.
The Nightmare Beast lunged, forcing him to dodge.
Shiori gasped when she saw Haruto fall, but she couldn't afford to be distracted.
The monster struck again, its massive claws ripping through concrete.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"This isn't good."
The beast was too strong, and now they had one less fighter.
And Ryo…
Kael's eyes flickered toward him.
He saw the way Ryo stood frozen, his entire body trembling with rage.
Kael had seen that look before.
The look of someone who had just lost something important.
Kael cursed under his breath.
If Ryo lost himself to anger now…
They were finished.