Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Three sharp, thunderous cracks echoed through the air like the judgment of a god. With each bang, one of the remaining ninja fell to the ground—heads burst open, bodies collapsing in slow, eerie silence. Blood painted the earth a deep crimson as if nature herself recoiled from the violence. The man slowly lowered his hand, turning his gaze toward Yuri.
Blue eyes met hers—glowing, piercing, unfathomably deep. She felt her breath catch in her throat, her body frozen in place. It was like staring into the endless ocean, an overwhelming sensation of being swallowed whole by a presence far beyond her understanding.
Then, a voice shattered the moment.
"You impatient bastard, can't you wait a little bit?" Tony's voice rang out, annoyed.
"I really don't care if they were good guys or not. I didn't like them, so I killed them. Simple as that," Eric replied in his usual flat tone.
Tony sighed. "I'm not talking about that. I mean, even if things aren't that straightforward, those guys were definitely bad news. So I don't mind you killing them. But maybe—just maybe—they could've told us something useful."
Eric shrugged, looking at the unrecognizable bodies. "I don't think these small fries knew anything important."
Tony frowned slightly as he glanced at the mangled corpses. "Still, overkill much?"
Eric scratched his head, sounding a bit embarrassed. "It's my first time using my psychic powers like this. I guess it was stronger than I expected."
He turned to Yuri, who was still dazed and clinging to consciousness. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice cold and casual—more a formality than genuine concern. There was no warmth in his tone, nor did he even attempt to pretend.
Yuri stared at him, her mind spinning, her heart caught between fear and something else. Something... unfamiliar. An instinct? A feeling? Her heart whispered that everything would be fine from now on. She didn't know why, but she chose to trust it.
There was something about him, something terrifying that made her instincts scream. But at the same time, from deep within her heart came an odd, comforting feeling.
She couldn't understand it. Maybe it was because she had faced too many dangers, maybe her Kagura Eye had evolved subconsciously... whatever the case, she chose to trust this feeling because, it saved her life countless time before.
The man took a few light steps forward and extended his hand to her. Slowly, cautiously, she lifted her trembling hand to meet his.
"Are you okay?" he repeated, more clearly this time. "My name is Eric William. And this is Tony Stark." He gestured toward the older man who stood watching casually.
The names sounded strange to her—foreign. But she had more pressing matters.
"Y-Yes... I'm okay," she answered with a shaky voice. "Thank you... for saving me. My name is Yuri Uzumaki."
She gave her real name—not because she trusted them, but because this was a calculated gamble, or an helpless choice. Those four ninja who had been chasing her were Jōnin, while they weren't on par with the elite of the five great nations. Not the strongest in the world, but dangerous, nonetheless. And yet, this man had killed them instantly, with no effort. It was overwhelming.
But Eric had erased them from existence in an instant.
That alone told her everything she needed to know.
This man was a monster.
A shadow-level powerhouse. That's what she guessed. Someone on the level of the leaders of the great ninja villages. Even with her limited training and experience, she knew that beings like this were rare—countable on two hands.
If she could gain his protection, her days of running might finally come to an end.
As she introduced herself, she activated her Mind's Eye. She wanted to understand them. Gauge their hearts. Sense their intentions.
Tony's reaction was... odd. His thoughts were elsewhere, distant. His mind wasn't focused on her at all. That was a relief.
Then, she turned her focus to Eric.
—and her world turned to darkness.
Her breath caught in her throat.
A suffocating, endless darkness swallowed her vision. She looked around in panic. She tried to sense, to feel, to think—but it was like she was drowning in a void. Her body began to fade, dissolve into the darkness itself.
Her fear surged, drowning her senses—
But just as quickly, the void shattered.
A voice called out.
Tony's voice snapped her back. He had gently touched her shoulder, pulling her back to reality.
"Hey. You good?"
Her eyes flew open. Eric was standing where he had been, his expression unreadable, his blue eyes as cold as ever. She instinctively flinched, fear crawling up her spine. Her hands trembled, her heart raced.
But... nothing happened.
He turned and started walking away.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Alright, let's go," Tony said with a grin, gesturing for her to follow. "Tell us about this place while we walk. At least that much you can do for us saving your life."
His tone was light, almost joking.
Still confused, heart pounding.
Yuri followed them, still dazed.
Confused.
Afraid.
But also...
Hopeful.
toward whatever future this strange twist of fate had in store for her.