Megumi trembled in fear, but Ryuji remained calm.
"I have a few questions," Ryuji said, his voice steady as he raised his right fist. A pale blue glow surrounded it once more. "Before that, though, can you please be quiet for a moment?"
His words were directed toward the monstrous creature in front of him, a human-faced dog that had just tried to attack him. Ryuji had other priorities. Urban legend? He was intrigued.
With a casual motion, he swung his glowing fist at the creature.
Bam!
The punch sent the human-faced dog flying over ten meters, crashing into the alley wall with a loud thud.
"It hurts! It hurts!" The creature yelped in pain. "What kind of monster are you, human?!"
The creature was stunned. It couldn't believe what had just happened. It was supposed to be an urban legend, a being feared by humans, yet this boy had knocked it aside like it was nothing.
Ryuji, however, wasn't concerned with its confusion. Ignoring its pained cries, he looked down at his glowing fist with a thoughtful expression.
"Just as I thought."
Under normal circumstances, humans couldn't physically harm supernatural beings, but this pale blue light that surrounded his fist seemed to grant him the ability to strike them. It wasn't just brute strength-there was something more to it. He was starting to grasp the true extent of this strange new power.
Meanwhile, Megumi stood frozen, wide-eyed and speechless. She had fully expected this to be the end of her, to be devoured by the horrific creature that had been chasing her. but now... now, she watched as Ryuji, a fellow student, had not only stood up to the monster but sent it flying with a single punch.
What was going on? Who was this guy?
Her fear gave way to awe as she stared at him, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
At that moment, Ryuji dispersed the glow around his fist and began walking toward the creature, which was now crumpled on the ground.
"Can we talk now?" Ryuji asked, his voice cold and calm.
"Human!" The creature snarled, still writhing in pain. "I'll kill you! I'll eat you alive!"
Its fury had replaced its fear. It couldn't tolerate being humiliated like this by a mere human. Its grotesque face twisted in anger, its body shaking as it struggled to rise.
"It seems you still haven't learned to listen,"
Ryuji said, his tone slightly amused. The blue glow reappeared around his fist, and the creature's eyes widened in fear.
"Wait, wait-!"
Bam!
Before it could finish, Ryuji delivered another punch, this time directly to the creature's head, causing part of its face to cave in.
"Are you ready to listen now?" Ryuji asked casually, glancing down at the creature, who was now trembling in fear, its head half-collapsed from the impact.
"Please, please! I'm sorry! Forgive me!" The human-faced dog was now on its knees, groveling before Ryuji. Its earlier confidence had completely disappeared. This human wasn't just strong-he was terrifying.
Megumi stood by, unsure whether she should be terrified or relieved. The boy who had saved her was clearly powerful, but watching him beat the creature so effortlessly made her question whether she should be more afraid of him than the monster.
"So, tell me about these urban legends," Ryuji said, finally giving the creature a chance to speak.
"Y-yes, of course!" The creature stammered, eager to comply.
It explained that urban legends were supernatural beings born from stories passed down through generations. These creatures were different from ordinary spirits or ghosts. They could appear in front of humans freely, without being bound to a particular location. Their power came from the fear they instilled in people, which was why they thrived on human terror.
That explained why the human-faced dog hadn't immediately devoured Kato Megumi- it had been savoring her fear, letting it grow stronger before planning to consume her.
"I see," Ryuji said, his expression thoughtful.
So, you're not just some random ghost. You're born from stories."
Urban legends. He had heard of them before. And if those legends were true, some of these beings were incredibly powerful-on par with gods, even.
Things in this world were definitely more complicated than he had first thought.
"Since I've told you everything I know, can I... can I go now?" The human-faced dog asked, its voice trembling with hope.
"Leave?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow, then smiled. His smile wasn't friendly-it was the kind of smile that sent shivers down your spine.
The creature's hope vanished instantly.
"Don't worry," Ryuji said, stepping closer. "The pain won't last long."
"Wh-what?! No, wait!"
But it was too late
"Soul Devouring!" (T/N: I changed this to soul devouring from soul devourer because I thought it sounds better let me know your thoughts should I leave it as it was before or continue using this)
Chains erupted from the air behind Ryuji, wrapping around the human-faced dog and pinning it in place. The creature struggled, but the chains tightened, pulling it toward a dark, swirling void.
"Human! No! Please-!"
Its cries were cut off as the chains dragged it into the darkness, and the alley fell silent once more.
Burp!
Ryuji let out a small burp and patted his stomach. "Ah, finally full," he said with satisfaction.
The silence was heavy until Megumi finally found her voice.
"T-thank you," she said, her voice still shaky. She wasn't stupid. Without Ryuji's intervention, she knew she would have been devoured by that creature.
You don't have to thank me," Ryuji waved her off, clearly unconcerned.
Besides, he had gained something from the encounter too. A golden entry had triggered when he met Megumi, though he didn't yet know what ability it would grant him. Golden entries were rare and powerful, so whatever it was, he knew it would be something good.
Ryuji was in a very good mood.
"Didn't you report me to the school for beating up those bullies?" Ryuji asked casually, as if they were discussing something trivial.
Megumi shook her head. "No, I didn't," she said quietly. "I know those three. They've been bullying other students for a long time. I've reported them to the teachers before, but..."
She trailed off. With her low presence and the general apathy of the school staff, her reports had always been ignored. The teachers didn't care as long as the bullying wasn't too obvious.
Anyway," she said, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you again for saving me."
Ryuji smiled. "Alright, if that's all, I'll be heading back now." As much as he enjoyed chatting with Kato Megumi, he was eager to return home and check out the golden entry he had just unlocked.
"Wait!"
Ryuji paused, looking back at her.
"Can I... Can I have your contact info?" Megumi asked, as she fidgeted awkwardly.
It was the first time she had ever asked a boy for his number, and she felt nervous beyond belief.
"Hmm?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Noticing his playful gaze, Megumi became even more embarrassed, but she didn't back down.
"Please?" she asked, Her voice soft but earnest.
After a moment, Ryuji chuckled. "Sure, why not?"