9. Gamer who cheets death

The black smoke pouring out of the rift was growing thicker. The village soil was swirling in the air, and the rooftops of houses were trembling. The empowered creature's eyes burned with a fierce red light, as if its body was completely under someone else's control.

Kael gripped his sword tightly and stood next to Ryu.

"This thing… it's not a normal monster anymore. You need to take this seriously."

Ryu smirked lightly, his expression still relaxed.

"I do take things seriously… but only when it's fun."

Kael glared at him angrily. "Your jokes are going to get you killed."

Ryu gave him a small smile. "And your anger is going to mess up your brain."

The masked man – the one who had come from the rift – stretched his hand over the creature. His voice echoed with a terrifying calmness.

"And you two… are just pieces in this game. Let's see how long you last."

The creature roared and leapt forward, attacking Kael in a single bound. Its strike was so fast it sliced through the air. Kael blocked with his sword, sparks and crackling electricity filling the air, but the impact pushed his weapon back slightly. The creature's strength was far beyond normal now.

Ryu cast a golden magic circle and threw it beneath the creature's feet. Golden spikes shot out of the ground, piercing its smoky body. The creature roared in pain and froze for a moment, but immediately spread its black smoke, breaking the spikes apart.

Kael shouted loudly, "Ryu! Distract it, I'll strike its core!"

Ryu replied with a smirk, "Feels like I'm the tank here… Fine, I'll play along."

Ryu moved directly in front of the creature, spinning his hand to create another magic circle. This time, tiny golden shards floated in the air, like a rain of small swords. The creature furiously attacked him, but Ryu dodged every strike with just half-step movements.

Kael seized the opportunity, jumping into the air and driving his sword into the creature's chest. A loud roar echoed, and the red light in the creature's eyes dimmed for a brief moment.

Then the masked man's voice rang out, "You think you're winning? You're just wandering inside a maze… RYUJIN."

Ryu froze. His smirk disappeared, and confusion flashed deeply in his eyes.

"…What did you just call me?"

The masked man chuckled softly. "Ryujin… your true name. Your old face… don't you remember?"

Ryu stared at him, and for a moment, an old memory flickered in his mind – a fleeting image, a place where a woman was crying, and someone had called out to him:

"Ryujin… don't go back…"

A sharp pain pulsed in his head, but he quickly forced himself back under control. His smirk returned as he looked at the masked man.

"Good… you know more about me than I do. But I have one rule – people who call me by that old name don't live very long."

Kael stared at him in shock. "Ryujin? Your name… isn't Ryu?"

Ryu glanced at him and smirked. "Call me Ryu. The other name belongs to the past."

The creature roared again, its body growing even more unstable. The masked man raised his hand and shouted, "Crush them!"

The creature released a violent blast. Both Kael and Ryu were thrown back, the ground cracked, and houses shattered.

Kael struggled to stand, looking at Ryu. "We can't keep this thing under control… Do you have another plan?"

Ryu took a slow breath and smiled. "Yeah… just trust me this one time."

Kael glared at him, frustration in his voice. "I don't trust you."

Ryu laughed. "Then pretend. You're better at acting than talking anyway."

Kael sighed heavily and nodded. "Fine… tell me."

Ryu created a massive golden magic circle, covering the entire ground. His face grew serious as he spoke quietly, "When I say… hit its core with your strongest attack. I'll hold it down."

Kael gripped his sword tightly and nodded.

Ryu's eyes glimmered as he looked at the masked man and said softly, "Call me Ryujin or Ryu… I don't care. But for today, I'm just a gamer using cheat codes."

He snapped his fingers, and golden chains shot out from the ground, wrapping around the creature and pinning it down. The creature roared, struggling, but the chains held it firmly. Kael leapt into the air, his sword glowing like lightning, and struck directly at the creature's core.

A loud explosion erupted, light filled the air, and with a final roar, the creature burst apart, its black smoke dispersing into the sky.

The masked man was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly. "So… you're still the same. Fine… the game isn't over yet, Ryujin."

He vanished into smoke, and the rift slowly began to close.

Kael collapsed to the ground, glaring at Ryu. "You… you're really something else."

Ryu just gave a small smile and walked toward a nearby bench. "Yeah… but you can still call me Ryu. The rest of the story… later."

—To Be Continued—