Rebellion Against Heaven - Part 8

Chapter 8: The Man Who Was Not Meant to Exist

The world was still in shock.

Video of a headless corpse running through the streets had gone viral.

The news was divided.

Some said it was a trick. Others said it was a demon.

But those who had been there... they knew the truth.

Ryuusei was still alive.

(Refuge)

Ryuusei teleported to the hotel, entered quickly and the managers were frightened to carry a girl in their arms.

The hotel receptionists almost choked when they saw Ryuusei appear out of nowhere in the lobby, with a bloodied girl in his arms. Their faces turned pale, their gazes averted, some even took a step back.

Before anyone could react, Ryuusei stretched out a hand, and with a subtle flick of his fingers, his credit card floated from his pocket to the counter. The employees were speechless.

"I'll give you a million won if you keep quiet," he said coldly, his voice cutting like a knife. And I want the best room.

The workers exchanged nervous glances, swallowing hard. One million won... more than many earned in months. The balance between fear and greed tipped immediately.

One of them, still with a trembling hand, took the card and nodded.

"Yes, sir." This way...

He walked into the room with firm steps, leaving behind a trail of drops of blood. The girl in his arms was breathing weakly, her fragile body barely moving. The hotel employees preferred to look away, as if ignoring what they saw kept them safe.

Ryuusei closed the door with a snap. Outside, the world might be in shock, but in here, in their temporary shelter, all that mattered was survival.

He brought forth four ordinary heralds, shadow-shrouded figures that materialized in the room with a faint gleam. Their presences were imposing, but Ryuusei barely glanced at them before giving his order.

"Protect Aiko until she returns."

One of them clicked his tongue in disdain.

"Tsk. As you say, bastard.

Ryuusei stopped in his tracks. His eyes flashed with a latent menace as he slowly turned his head towards them.

"Say it one more time," his voice was cold, charged with a dangerous calm, "and I swear I'll make the four of you disappear—" in a way that not even death will find them.

The heralds looked at each other, feeling a chill run through their bodies.

"Understood... lord.

Satisfied, Ryuusei walked out of the room without looking back.

Ryuusei entered the bathroom and locked the door. He walked over to the mirror and, with a sigh, slowly removed the mask of the Yin-Yang. His sharp eyes swept over his reflection: his face was already restored, with no trace of wounds or blood. He ran his fingers over his skin, checking every detail.

"I hope the news didn't catch my face," he muttered to himself.

After washing her face with cold water, she straightened up and walked out of the bathroom. He couldn't sit still. Aiko needed clean clothes and so did he. His mansion, his lifelong refuge, had been reduced to rubble in the heralds' attack. Now he had to start from scratch.

He left the hotel with his hands in his pockets, hiding his presence in the shadows of the alleys until he reached the city center. As he progressed, the echo of tragedy enveloped him. The area where he had fought Aurion and Archangel was unrecognizable: collapsed buildings, wrecked cars, and the asphalt marked by cracks and ash.

The air was permeated with smoke and despair. Several families wept through the rubble of what were once their homes. Children clinging to their mothers, old men watching silently with empty eyes, men and women sifting through the wreckage, searching for any belongings they could save.

Japan had not experienced devastation of this magnitude in decades. This country, accustomed to peace and stability, was now once again facing the brutality of beings that transcended human comprehension.

A reporter was livestreaming, talking about the tragedy with a mixture of sensationalism and horror.

"The authorities have not yet identified those responsible, but witnesses say that..." Ryuusei stopped listening. His gaze was fixed on a makeshift poster with photos of missing people pasted up. Dozens of faces, some of them children.

A lump formed in his throat. He had seen too much death in his life, but this one... This one was different.

He clenched his fists.

I couldn't change what happened. But he could make sure that this didn't happen again.

As Ryuusei walked through the rubble, an intense light illuminated the street. He looked up and his body tensed. On a giant screen, located at the top of a building, his image appeared in the flesh... and without skin.

Government drones had captured fragments of the battle. His body torn, his face stripped of flesh, exposing muscles and tendons. His presence on the big screen was a grotesque spectacle, an image taken from a nightmare.

"Thanks to the government's drones, we have been able to obtain exclusive images of the confrontation that devastated the district. I inform you the following, Richard...

The journalist spoke in a serious tone, while the images of the combat were played on a loop. Each scene showed absolute chaos: explosions, bodies flying through the air, the ground cracking under the power of the combatants. And then, the screen changed.

Aurion appeared.

His serene face and imposing presence dominated the broadcast. He was wearing his dress uniform, with the Japanese flag on his back. His tone was solemn, charged with authority.

"Dear compatriots... Today Japan is in mourning.

The silence in the city became denser. Even those who were crying stopped for a moment to listen.

"We have been attacked by terrorists with powers beyond our comprehension. Beings who have brought destruction, who have taken innocent lives and reduced homes to ashes. We will not sit idly by.

His gaze sharpened, as if piercing the screen.

"Japan has never given up. And it won't do so now. I promise you that these criminals will be found and eliminated.

The audience began to murmur. Some nodded, others gritted their teeth in anger. The tragedy was turning into outrage. In hatred.

Ryuusei looked down for a moment. Not out of fear, but because I understood what was coming.

He was no longer just a ghost in the shadows.

Now he was public enemy number one.

The broadcast continued, and Aurion's voice resounded in every corner of the city.

"According to the information we have gathered, the perpetrators of this attack are two individuals. Their names: Ryuusei and Aiko.

The murmur of the crowd intensified. Some spectators put their hands to their mouths, others exchanged uneasy glances. The image of Ryuusei, with his skinless face, was still on the screen as a reminder of the horror they had witnessed.

"This Ryuusei can be identified by the Yin-Yang mask he usually wears. It is a dangerous, lethal enemy... And the girl who accompanies him, according to our information and thanks to the intervention of my comrade Archangel, has gray hair and crimson eyes.

The images changed. Fragments of the fight were shown: Ryuusei dodging attacks with inhuman movements, Aiko fighting with a strength that did not correspond to her fragile appearance.

"We know that this information is not yet entirely accurate," Aurion continued, "but we give you our word: we, the heroes, will find and eliminate these criminals.

The audience erupted in a mixture of shouts and applause. Some chanted Aurion's name, others cried out for justice.

The broadcast returned to the news studio, where the journalist, Richard, took the floor in a serious tone.

"These were the statements of Aurion, leader of the resistance against these terrorists. As we have seen, the devastation is incalculable, and the authorities have begun an intensive search to find these individuals.

Citizens stared at the screen with hardened faces. Some took out their phones, began to publish messages, to spread the images. Ryuusei and Aiko were no longer just names. Now they were the target of an entire inflamed nation.

Ryuusei looked down, her brow furrowed.

"So that's how it will be," he murmured.

The world had chosen its heroes.

And he was the villain of the story.

Ryuusei exhaled slowly, staring at the screen that still repeated his flayed image. I didn't have time to worry about it. There was someone I had to see.

"It's time for an important visit," he murmured, and a slight, almost cruel smile came across his face. I have a date with my best "friend".

He snapped his fingers, and out of nowhere, an ordinary herald appeared in front of him, a shadow-shrouded figure, featureless beyond bright eyes that radiated absolute obedience.

"Take me with her."

The herald nodded without question.

"As I ordered, sir.

A swirl of dark energy enveloped them. The world around him became distorted, the city lights became blurred lines, and in the blink of an eye, the noise of civilization was left behind.

When the distortion dissipated, Ryuusei found himself in a different landscape. The air was thick, heavy, charged with an eerie silence. They were in what looked like a forgotten cemetery, where cracked tombstones stood in the mist. A black river meandered in the distance, with waters as dark as the night itself.

And in the center of it all, standing on a marble slab, was her.

Death.

Her figure was that of a tall woman, wrapped in a cloak of shadows that seemed to move on their own. His eyes, two bottomless abysses, fixed on Ryuusei with a mixture of amusement and boredom.

"Wow, wow..." His voice was an echo that filtered through the skin, cold as the grave. To what do I owe the honor, dear Ryuusei? Did you come to offer me company... Or do you plan to do me another favor?

Ryuusei folded his arms and smiled confidently.

"I just stopped by to say hello... and maybe ask you a little favor.

Death bowed her head, intrigued.

"Speak." I'm listening.

Death let out a soft laugh, an ethereal sound that made the fog around him churn.

"Annoying?" he repeated, with a slight nod. Oh, Ryuusei, I'm surprised you don't understand me yet.

Ryuusei frowned.

"Why do you speak to me so kindly?" His tone was dry, almost irritated. At first you hated me, remember? You were not even able to look at me without contempt.

He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on hers.

"Besides, he was your best warrior," he continued. Not only that, I tortured Daichi, I smashed him to pieces until he begged. And as if that were not enough, I killed Haru and Kenta, and sent you their bodies as a gift.

He folded his arms, hoping to see some hint of fury on his face. But Death only smiled with that unbearable calm.

"Tell me, aren't you upset?"

Death let a few seconds pass, watching him in silence, as if he were savoring his every word. Then, with an almost melancholy sigh, he answered:

"Ryuusei, you were always an interesting case. At first, yes, I hated you... Because you were an unpredictable chaos, because you didn't fit into my balance. But now—" he shrugged gracefully, "you're part of the game now. And the pieces that fit well on the board, dear, don't bother me... they entertain me.

Ryuusei gritted his teeth. Something in his tone was unsettling to him.

"So you're only amused to see me destroy what's left of this world, is that it?"

"What can I say?" Death made a nonchalant gesture. I like tragic stories.

There was a moment of silence between the two, a clash of glances in which neither wanted to give in.

"But tell me, Ryususei..." Death leaned slightly toward him, with an enigmatic smile. If you just came to me to ask me that, then you wasted a trip. Something tells me that you want more from me.

Ryuusei let out a snort and gave a half-smile.

"You're right," he admitted. I need your help.

Death was silent for a few seconds, watching Ryuusei with an indecipherable expression. Then, suddenly, he let out a laugh.

It wasn't a light, mocking laugh, but an explosion of pure amusement, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke of his existence.

"By all the kingdoms!" He exclaimed laughing, putting a hand to his mouth as if trying to restrain himself. So that's why you came! Because they did shit to you!

The shadows around her twisted, as if sharing her joy.

Ryuusei glared at her, his fists clenched tightly, but Death didn't stop.

"Tell me, how do you feel?" He asked with a venomous smile. To be humiliated, to be trampled on, to make a fool of the great Ryususei in the eyes of the whole world... and best of all, how does it feel to see that foolish Aiko being reduced to a useless burden?

Ryuusei gritted his teeth.

"Shut up.

"Oh, come on, don't get like that," Death tilted his head, enjoying every second of it. Where is that ego of yours? Doesn't it bother you that Aurion humiliated you in front of millions? That the government has exposed your shattered face on all screens? He put a hand to his chest, feigning pity. Poor Ryuusei, the big monster now made the talk of the town!

The shadows around him were stirring mockingly, almost as if they were laughing too.

"And Aiko... oh, Aiko," Death went on, with a cruel smile. I'm surprised you keep dragging it with you. The girl who was supposedly so powerful... Now it's just a bloody nuisance in your arms.

Ryuusei closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to contain her fury. When he opened them again, his gaze burned with a dark glow.

"End your damn show," he growled. I didn't come to listen to your mockery.

Death finally stopped laughing, though his smile didn't go away.

"Well, well," he said in a tone that was still amused. Then tell me, what do you want from me, Ryuusei?