A shockwave exploded outward from Ryuk's heavy clap, the resultant force pushing the creatures above him higher into the abyss while he himself shot downward at terrifying speed.
But still, they kept soaring after him. Ryuk's eyes flashed with sharp light.
"They'll catch up again soon, and my head is starting to blur from this unending fall. I need to get them off my turf!" he mused, his gaze locking onto the creatures plummeting down just like him—bound by the same force.
Then, his eyes widened.
"Gravity!" he said aloud, glancing at the creatures above.
Spreading his body wide, he somehow slowed his descent just as the creatures caught up, their devil-forsaken claws reaching for him.
In that instant, Ryuk inched closer to the wall of the abyss and—
He smashed his legs against the abyss wall, reducing an unlucky Chained One into pulp before soaring with incredible speed toward the opposite wall.
The entire abyss quaked as Ryuk slammed into it, his blood tumbling within him, but he ignored the pain.
A grin spread across his face as he looked at the Chained Ones who continued plummeting into the abyss, soon disappearing from sight.
"We're all being pulled by gravity, slaves to it in this space. And if there's one thing about these creatures, it's that they're slow in the head."
"They won't react fast enough if I cling to the wall while we keep falling. That should get them off my back..." Ryuk analyzed.
The grotesque sounds of squelching and groaning reached his ears. The creatures around the wall, once locked in chains, began breaking free.
With narrowed eyes, Ryuk watched as they crawled toward him from all directions like monstrous spiders.
He had managed to shake off the ones above—but what about those waiting by the side and below?
"They're all crawling toward me…" he muttered.
From below, dark shapes flashed toward him.
A sickening slash rang out as a creature's horrific claws tore through the air. Ryuk punched forward—but then—
A sudden, wailing scream erupted.
Blood gushed from Ryuk's nose and ears as his fist pierced only air.
Ryuk barely jerked his head aside at the last second, but it wasn't enough. A claw slashed across his cheek, tearing open a hole in his jaw.
His face twisted in agony.
"Their claws… they can cleave through my bones!" Ryuk gasped.
Yet he had no time to think—three more claws lashed toward him. He tried to climb higher up the wall to evade—
Another wail shook the abyss.
Ryuk's movements froze.
Even more blood shot from his ears and nose.
A strangled groan escaped his lips as he felt sharp agony rip through his arms and back.
"Their screams… they disorient me!"
Without hesitation, Ryuk made his decision—he jumped off the wall, resuming his descent into the abyss.
"If I cling to the wall, they'll overwhelm me and rip me to nothing. I have to keep going down!"
But then—his eyes flashed as he noticed something.
The creatures below the abyss walls had already broken free from their chains.
And in the next instant—
They leapt toward him.
From below, their claws reached.
From above, they crawled down, blocking his view.
From the sides, they lunged, claws gleaming with wicked hunger.
"I'm trapped! Damn it!" Ryuk growled.
He watched as the creatures' mouths stretched open wide—then quickly curled himself into a tight ball, twisting his bones unnaturally to shield his vital organs.
A thunderous scream rang through the abyss—deafening beyond comprehension. And since Ryuk was caught at the center of it—
The pain was unbearable.
A chilling, gut-wrenching scream tore from Ryuk's throat.
Forty percent of his body was ripped apart.
Blood rained down in torrents, drenching the frenzied Chained Ones, who only seemed to grow more manic.
Ryuk's eyes widened as he watched himself being ripped apart into nothing.
His defensive stance wasn't working.
If this kept up, it was only a matter of time before his important organs were gone.
Through the haze of pain, he lashed out—tearing bodies apart with his fists and kicks. He reached for one of the creatures' claws—yanking it out amidst the bloodbath—and wielded it as a weapon.
Ryuk roared, his body giving in to the final, desperate struggle.
With the ripped-out claw in hand, he tore through the blockade in front of him.
Claw clashed against claw. When his strength failed, he bit into them—cracking their skulls with his broken jaw. His eyes burned crimson.
The battlefield was pure carnage.
Red blood mixed with dark blood.
Organs splattered across the abyss walls.
A crazed, evil cackle echoed through the abyss.
Ryuk's jaw widened unnaturally—stretching all the way to his ears without him realizing it.
With black-stained teeth, he devoured his enemies.
Anything that came within his grasp—he snapped apart.
Arms were ripped out and wielded as weapons, used to tear through more bodies.
"ALL I NEED TO DO IS SURVIVE!"
To kill long enough to survive.
Their claws came from everywhere.
There was no way he could avoid it all.
The only choice he had now was to survive in the only way he knew.
And to Ryuk, that was battle!
The creatures grew frantic at the sight of red blood, unlocking their chains even faster as they rapidly chased after Ryuk.
They slashed and slashed, ripping apart chunks of skin with their ghostly dark claws, yet they were also sliced to nothing by the rampaging Ryuk.
This was a battle between two groups of creatures.
One had completely lost their sense of pain, now driven solely by their primal thirst for blood.
And the other—had been assaulted with so much pain that their body had turned off its pain sensors, leaving nothing but pure will for survival.
Blood and body parts sprayed all over the abyss as both groups soared downward at incredible speed before—