The storm outside battered the windows of Riku's apartment, the rain falling in sheets, thunder cracking so loud it felt as if the sky was splitting in two. The cold wind howled through the cracks in the walls, but inside, Riku couldn't feel it. His body was too consumed by the heat of the battle.
He stood in the center of a desolate battlefield, the ground beneath him cracked and smoking. Around him, the remnants of shattered rift creatures and ancient beasts lay scattered—reminders of the destruction that had come before.
But he wasn't alone.
Across from him stood a figure, shrouded in shadows, their silhouette glowing with an aura that screamed power—something more than human, more than any Essence Warrior Riku had ever faced.
The figure's eyes were unreadable, dark pools of infinite depth, yet they radiated pure malevolence. The air around them crackled with energy as if the very atmosphere bent to their will. This was no ordinary foe.
Without warning, the figure lunged. Riku barely had time to react as the blow slammed into his chest, sending him hurtling backward, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. His body ached—pain shooting through his ribs. It felt real. Too real.
His arms trembled as he pushed himself up, forcing himself to his feet despite the agony in his limbs. His body was still sore from his last fight. But this enemy was different—unlike anything he had encountered before. Stronger. Faster.
He charged forward, throwing everything he had into a punch aimed at the shadowed figure. But the figure was already gone, moving with an impossible speed. In the blink of an eye, the figure was behind him, a hand clenching around his neck and lifting him off the ground.
Riku gasped for air, his feet kicking desperately as he tried to break free. The grip tightened, and the pressure on his throat only increased, making it harder to breathe, harder to focus.
The figure's voice was like a whisper in his ear—calm, cold, and deadly.
"You are nothing."
The words cut deeper than any physical blow. Riku's heart raced as he struggled against the grip, his Essence flaring, but it was like trying to fight the wind. His energy felt like it was being drained from him with every passing second, as if this opponent had the power to consume not just his body, but his very Essence.
His vision blurred. The pressure on his neck was unbearable. This wasn't just a fight—it was a test. A test of survival.
But then, the figure released him, tossing him to the side like a ragdoll. Riku collapsed on the broken ground, gasping for breath, his body screaming in pain. His limbs trembled with exhaustion, his head spinning.
I can't keep up with this...
Riku's mind raced, his thoughts chaotic. He had faced strong opponents before, but nothing like this. The strength, the speed—it wasn't something he could just fight through.
But then, something inside him shifted. A flicker of determination, a burning will to survive.
His hand moved to the ground, fingers digging into the dirt, and a burst of Essence surged through his body. It was raw, untamed, far beyond his current control—but it was there.
Riku forced himself to stand once more, despite the exhaustion. His muscles screamed in protest, his head ached from the effort, but he wouldn't fall. Not yet.
The figure appeared before him again, faster than before, with a smile that sent a chill down his spine. "You still think you can win?"
Riku's heart pounded in his chest, but his eyes narrowed. "I'll never stop."
The battle raged on, each blow more powerful than the last, each second stretching on like an eternity. Riku was battered, bruised, but the fight wasn't over. He refused to let it end.
The storm outside continued its relentless assault, the thunder echoing in time with the battle inside his mind. Each clash felt like an explosion, each strike a test of his will.
But he couldn't stop.
Not yet.