Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

Alya stared at Ryan's back, her eyes flooded with tears. Her body was still trembling, but now it wasn't just from fear—there was a painful relief mixed in there. Her words came out slurred, laden with the sob that tore through her throat.

"Kuze-kun..." Her voice broke between a cry and a shaky laugh. "You came to save me..."

Ryan, still staring at the last man standing, didn't turn around. His eyes were fixed on the enemy, but his voice, firm and protective, was directed at her.

"Alya... you don't need to cry anymore."

Alya bit her lip, trying to hold back another sob.

"But..." Ryan continued, his voice dropping a tone lower, more serious. "I need you to close your eyes."

She hesitated. Something in the way he said that sent a chill down her spine. But, even with her heart pounding, she nodded quickly.

"Umu!"

In an almost childish manner, she covered her eyes with her hands, squeezing them shut tightly.

The last enemy, a curse user, frowned, hatred pulsing in his voice.

"You cocky brat, who do you think you are to—"

"Shut up."

Ryan's voice cut through the air like a blade. There was no patience there. There was no room for rambling.

"I don't have time to listen to your villain monologue." His tone was pure contempt. "Too bad, I know you spent your whole life waiting to use it... but now, you either fight, or you die."

The curse user growled, assuming a combat stance. His gaze carried a murderous glint, but his mouth formed a crooked sneer.

"You made a huge mistake, you imbecile."

He raised his hands in the air, and his voice reverberated with a ritualistic tone.

"Putrid Marionette!"

Lines of cursed energy shot out like black whips, snaking through the air, searching for a target.

Ryan remained still. A wall between Alya and danger.

Behind him, the beautiful Russian woman squeezed her hands even tighter against her eyes. She heard the crackling in the air, the strange sound of the lines cutting through the atmosphere, like strings vibrating in a macabre melody.

But she decided to trust.

The man who was going to save her... he was there.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the cursed lines found the fallen bodies. They clung to the dead skin, burrowing into mouths, eyes, open wounds. They seemed like hungry larvae devouring what remained of humanity in those corpses.

And then...

The dead screamed.

A horrifying, visceral sound, something that shouldn't be possible.

Ryan narrowed his eyes, his expression filled with disbelief and disgust.

"What the hell is this?" He murmured.

Alya couldn't take it.

Her curiosity spoke louder, and, trembling, she slightly parted her fingers to peek.

The regret was instant.

Black lines writhed like demonic veins, pulling the corpses like puppets. The bodies contorted in spasms, mouths open in impossible expressions, as if they were feeling pain.

She swallowed hard, her heart beating erratically.

"Hunyaaa!" She closed her eyes again, squeezing them shut tightly.

Ryan smirked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Alya..." His voice was playful, but there was an undercurrent of darkness in it.

"Be careful not to have nightmares."

The curse user laughed. A laugh full of mockery.

"Damn little hero! Never take your eyes off a fight!"

In an instant, one of the bodies—the one Ryan had crushed with the flying kick—shot towards him.

The destroyed head was still gushing blood, swinging grotesquely as the corpse leaped like a wild animal.

Ryan grimaced in disgust.

"What a horrendous mess!"

Before the thing got too close, he kicked it hard, hurling it back against the wall. But he didn't have time to breathe.

The second corpse was already by his side, wielding a knife.

Ryan ducked at the last second, dodging with ease. His body reacted instinctively: a precise sweep brought the undead down in the air, and before it even touched the ground, an upward kick brutally hurled it against the ceiling.

The impact was so strong that cracks spread across the plaster.

Ryan spun his body back into a combat stance, laughing as he spoke.

"Damn! He looks great as a ceiling fan!"

The curse user still had sarcasm in his voice.

"Heh... You're good. How envious... I wish I could do the same with my own body."

Ryan put one hand in his pocket, his gaze filled with boredom.

"Come on... You were already planning to kill these guys from the start, right? Just to use them as weapons?"

The enemy shrugged.

"Everyone fights their own way, don't you think?"

A distorted smile spread across his face.

"I only use the best weapons... After all, they're already dead."

The corpse that had been crushed against the wall shot out again, advancing with inhuman growls.

His master laughed, his eyes gleaming with ecstasy.

"Now I'm going to add you to my collection."

Ryan raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue.

"Tsk."

The putrid marionette lunged at him. But, in an instant, Ryan immobilized it with an arm lock, holding the dead body with ease.

His gaze turned to the curse user.

"Dude... You're weird. You're not into that necro stuff, are you?"

The man licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with something sickening.

"Cold flesh... is still very good..."

Ryan felt a shiver of pure disgust.

"Bleeegh! How gross, man!" He pretended to vomit.

He took a deep breath and then smiled sarcastically.

"Good thing you're freaking weird."

The dead body was still struggling, trying to break free. The curse user crossed his arms, mocking.

"Huh? And what's your plan? You can't kill what's already dead!"

Ryan tilted his head, his smile becoming sharp.

"You're pretty alive."

His eyes flashed with something wild.

"So, just kill you, don't you think?"

As soon as he said that, divine energy manifested.

His body was enveloped in a golden glow, dense as living fire.

The curse user felt a chill run down his spine. His body reacted before he even understood what was happening, instinctively recoiling.

"W-what is that!?" His voice trembled.

Ryan chuckled softly, his eyes burning like embers.

"Your pass to participate in your own corpse party..."

His tone was a mixture of dark amusement and pure adrenaline.

He was loving it.

The black threads ignited in an instant, as if the very essence of cursed energy was being consumed and purified. Ryan's divine flames didn't burn like ordinary fire—there was no heat, no smoke—only the absolute destruction of the malice impregnated in those cursed cords. Like gasoline being swallowed by a voracious fire, the sacred energy spread in an overwhelming flash, surging through the connection and reaching directly to its master.

The man screamed.

But it wasn't a human scream. It was a distorted, grotesque sound, a lament that seemed to come from the depths of a personal hell. Absolute pain. Absolute fear. It was as if his own existence was being ripped out from the inside out.

Ryan released the lifeless body that had been manipulated before. The corpse fell with a dry thud, the already stiff flesh sprawling on the floor like a useless rag doll. He watched the man writhe on the ground, desperately trying to extinguish the invisible flames that burned only for him.

"Wow... It actually worked?" Ryan murmured, sarcasm dripping from his voice with a cold satisfaction.

The curse user rolled on the floor, his eyes wide with panic, his nails digging into his own skin, as if he could tear and rip out that unbearable pain. But there was nowhere to run, nowhere to escape.

Ryan walked over to him, his steps slow, controlled. His eyes analyzed the scene like a predator who already knew the hunt was over. He crouched beside the agonizing man, resting one arm on his knee as he tilted his head slightly, as if he were a curious spectator.

"Now that you're going to be a corpse... How does it feel?" His voice was almost gentle, a cruel contrast to the brutality of the situation. "Are you excited about it? Or in too much pain to think about anything else?"

The man arched his back, his mouth open in a silent scream before finally tearing through the air:

"MY GOD! FORGIVE ME! FORGIVE ME, GOD!"

Ryan raised an eyebrow, as if genuinely surprised. Then, he sighed, resting his face on his own hand, his fingers drumming lightly against his cheek.

"You will not have my forgiveness..." His gaze turned cold, devoid of any trace of pity. "You tried to touch MY Alya."

The man's body trembled violently for a last instant, his glazed eyes filling with despair before, finally... everything ceased.

His chest stopped rising and falling. His mouth froze in a final spasm. And then, as if he had never existed, the energy that consumed him dissipated into the air, leaving behind only an empty and insignificant body.

Ryan stood up, casually adjusting his clothes, as if brushing off dust from something inconvenient. His gaze swept the room until it found Alya.

She was huddled against a corner, her knees bent and hugged against her chest, her shoulders trembling softly. She was crying quietly, her breathing punctuated by contained sobs. Her silver hair, bathed in sunlight filtered through the broken windows, seemed to shimmer with a melancholic glow.

Ryan walked over to her, his steps now lighter, more careful. He knelt in front of her, blocking the view around, creating a small refuge between the two.

"It's all right now... Alya..." His voice was soft, but firm, like a beacon in the storm.

Alya was still trembling. She tried to wipe her eyes with her fragile hands, but the tears kept falling. Her voice came out thin, fragile, laden with mixed fear and hope.

"Is it... really alright? You swear?..."

She opened her hands a little, peeking between her fingers, her reddened and teary eyes desperately seeking confirmation. Her voice failed in a final, soft cry.

"Is it... over?"

Ryan raised one hand and gently placed it on her face, his warm touch contrasting with the skin cold and damp with tears.

"It's all right now..." He gazed at her with eyes that no longer carried the shadow of battle, but rather a welcoming warmth. "You can trust me."

Alya blinked, her gaze sinking into his. And in that instant, something inside her gave way. The fear, the despair, the overwhelming tension... Everything dissolved in a single reflection of relief and gratitude.

Without thinking, without hesitating, she lunged forward, clinging to him tightly. The impact almost unbalanced him, but Ryan reacted quickly, holding her in his arms.

"I was so scareeed!" She sobbed against his chest, her voice laden with all the terror she had held back until now.

Ryan widened his eyes for a moment, surprised by the sudden outburst of emotion. But soon, a small, gentle smile appeared on his face. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her firmly, conveying warmth and security.

"The danger has passed, Alya... It's all right now."

_______________

Hey everyone! Hope you're all doing well! ^^

Things are certainly heating up for Ryan – feels like a big confrontation is just around the corner, doesn't it?

I wanted to reach out with an honest update about the story and its future. As you know, writing this is a labor of love for me. It began as a passion, but also with the hope that it could eventually help support me financially, allowing me to dedicate more time to bringing you new chapters. Unfortunately, the support through Patreon, while deeply appreciated, hasn't yet grown enough to make that sustainable. Coupled with increasing demands from my primary job, I'm finding it harder to keep up the current pace, and I might even need to seek out extra work soon.

Because of this, I'll have to adjust our posting frequency and slow things down a bit. I know this might be disappointing, and I truly wish things were different.

However, I want to make one thing crystal clear: My promise to you is that this story will be completed. Finishing Ryan's adventure and sharing it with you remains incredibly important to me. Even if it takes longer, transitioning back into more of a beloved hobby than a source of income, I am dedicated to seeing it through. Your readership and encouragement have been the fuel keeping me going, and I can't thank you enough for being part of this journey!

If you'd like to help me bridge the gap and potentially allow me to keep dedicating more consistent time to writing, visiting my Patreon would mean so much. Your support, no matter the size, directly helps sustain this creative endeavor. <3

Find me here:

patreon.com/ErisNoSeraph