Ryuu stepped forward, pulling Tohka behind him. The contract ceremony had been interrupted, and someone needed to pay the price.
In a blink, he vanished—then reappeared right in front of the AST forces.
Ryouko Kusakabe immediately raised her hand. "Hold fire! Civilians are nearby—cease attacks!"
Tobiichi Origami's grip on her weapon tightened. She knew this presence all too well. The suffocating, merciless aura that nearly killed her on the rooftop just days ago.
"It's him…" she muttered, voice shaking.
One of the AST members glanced at her. "Wait, isn't that the guy who fought the Princess last time? Is he here as an enemy?"
"Be careful," Ryoko warned, eyes locked on Ryuu. "Even if he isn't a Spirit, his threat level is just as high—maybe higher!"
Ryuu raised his sword.
A single slash cut through the air—fast, precise, merciless.
Ryouko barely activated her
Her blood ran cold. That was just one strike.
"Hey!" she yelled. "What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to kill us?!"
Ryuu scoffed. "Of course."
He twirled his sword, stepping forward.
"You dared to interrupt the contract ceremony. That's the reason you're all about to die.."
"The hell are you talking about?! What 'contract ceremony'?!"
"It doesn't matter," Ryuu said coldly. "You'll all be dead soon anyway."
He lunged.
---
Ryouko barely raised her
If not for her
"H-How…?" Ryouko gasped.
"Hmph. And you thought you could fight me with that toy?" Ryuu sneered. "Go home girl, maybe train more instead of trying to play with that toy."
The AST squad saw their captain struggling and immediately responded.
"Cover the captain! All units, open fire!"
Ryuu smirked.
Gunfire erupted, bullets raining toward Ryuu.
But—
They phased right through him.
Like he wasn't even there.
"W-What?!" an AST member stammered.
"It's that technique again!" another yelled. "Captain, we can't hit him!"
Origami stood frozen, staring at the gun in her hands.
"Look at your so-called strength. Just broken pieces of metal."
"Without your display device, you're nothing but an ordinary high school girl."
Ryuu's words replayed in her mind. Her fingers trembled on the trigger.
Was he… right?
"Origami!" the vice-captain snapped. "What the hell are you doing?! Execute the order!"
Origami clenched her jaw.
---
Meanwhile, Shiori had successfully reached Tohka.
Tohka immediately summoned her giant sword and placed it at Shiori's neck.
"Are you with them?" she demanded.
"N-No!" Shiori raised her hands quickly. "I'm with Ryuu! It's dangerous here—I need to get you out of here!"
Tohka hesitated.
"I can't leave. Ryuu is still fighting."
"He'll be fine," Shiori assured her. "But you being here will only distract him."
"…Really?"
"Of course. Let's go. He'll come find you soon."
Reluctantly, Tohka lowered her sword.
Shiori exhaled in relief. That was close.
Carefully, she led Tohka away from the battlefield.
---
Ryuu sighed as AST continued shooting at him.
His eyes closed for a moment.
"Alright," he murmured. "Since you refuse to back down."
When his eyes snapped open, they glowed crimson.
"I won't hold back anymore..."
"Unknown male!" Ryouko barked. "Are you really going to side with a Spirit?!"
"Siding with a Spirit?" Ryuu chuckled darkly. "Oh, I'm not just siding with them."
He raised his hand.
"In my eyes, Spirits are far more valuable than insects like you."
"You mean to make all of humanity your enemy?!"
"Humanity?" Ryuu tilted his head mockingly. "You?"
He scoffed.
"You insects aren't even worth calling my enemies."
Geass activated.
A crimson glow flashed through Ryuu's eyes. The moment AST locked eyes with him, their minds snapped under his command.
"In the name of the Demon King," he declared, his voice like a curse upon their souls—
"Kill Yourselves!"
A moment of silence.
Then—
Gunfire.
AST soldiers suddenly turned their weapons on each other, attacking without hesitation.
"Wh-What's happening?!" a soldier screamed.
"Stop! It's me—STOP!"
Several AST members fell before they even realized what was happening.
Ryouko 's eyes widened in horror. "This… This isn't happening—!"
The battlefield had turned into a massacre.
Origami's hands clenched into fists. Mind control…? He can do this?!
"You bastard!" Ryouko roared, charging Ryuu.
He didn't even move.
"Defend me."
Two mind-controlled AST members immediately blocked Ryouko's path, attacking her.
The sheer hopelessness of the situation hit everyone.
---
Onboard Fraxinus, the crew stared at the screen in horrified silence.
"So… this is what he's capable of doing," someone whispered.
Kotori gritted her teeth. "He can control the minds of soldiers instantly. That's an ability that defies reason itself."
"Commander," one of the crew members hesitated. "If we ever become his enemies…"
Kotori stayed silent.
Because she knew.
If they ever fought Ryuu…
They wouldn't stand a chance.
"Commander," Murasame Reine spoke up. "Shall we intervene?"
Kotori hesitated.
"We're supposed to be allies right now," she muttered. "And AST… did attack first."
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
"…Just keep watching."
---
Back on the battlefield, Ryouko desperately tried to reach Ryuu—but her own soldiers kept blocking her path.
Her heart sank.
Her own subordinates… were slaughtering each other.
All because of him.
Ryuu watched her struggle with zero expression.
"You should have just walked away, ignoring whatever was happening...."