Yuko turned his gaze toward the cloaked stranger standing at the edge of the cliff.
From beneath the purple robe, four golden-yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness, fixed on him.
This wasn't a simple stare.
It felt as if the stranger was calculating exactly how Yuko would die—
which limb would go first,
and in what order his body would be torn apart.
Yuko instinctively looked away.
— Who are you?
— What do you want from us?
The cloaked figure slowly closed his eyes.
Silence followed.
Then, in a single motion, he threw the robe off his shoulders.
Pale violet hair spilled down to his shoulders. At the front of his forehead hung a small, yellow braid.
The four golden eyes opened once more, locking onto Yuko.
Frenzy spoke in a cold, emotionless voice.
— My name is Frenzy.
— And you… have entered my territory without permission.
Yuko's leg began to tremble uncontrollably.
He struck his knee hard, trying to stop it—
And in that instant, Frenzy was standing right in front of him.
Before Yuko could even react, a brutal punch slammed into his abdomen.
His body was hurled backward.
He thought he would crash into the ground—
But instead, he was pinned against an invisible wall.
Like a leech stuck to glass.
The pain was unbearable.
His chest tightened.
He couldn't breathe.
His vision blurred.
Then—
An overwhelming agony surged from where his left arm should have been.
He looked down.
From the elbow down… it was gone.
There was no bleeding.
The blood wasn't flowing.
It was pouring out, as if emptied from a broken vessel.
A muffled scream escaped Yuko's throat.
Meanwhile, Rasona was still falling off the cliff.
She let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes.
— Ugh… again?
Her hand latched onto a tree root.
She looked down.
For a moment, her emerald-green eyes lingered on the root, as if considering whether to let go.
She paused.
Then clenched her teeth, pulled hard, and leapt back up in a single motion.
The sight before her ignited pure rage.
Yuko's severed arm lay on the ground.
Blood stained the earth.
— I'll make you regret ever being born…
four-eyed freak.
Rasona took a slow breath.
— So you're still alive, Yuko.
Good. I'll save you and look cool while doing it.
Laughing to herself, she began following the trail of blood.
—
Yuko opened his eyes.
They were filled with tears.
The same nightmare… he thought.
But it wasn't.
His body was bound to a wooden board by thorn-covered, fiery red chains.
He looked toward his left side.
— AAAAAH!
A scream of pain and terror tore out of him.
His arm was truly gone.
Forcing his gaze away, he scanned the room.
Blood stained the floor.
Empty bottles, skulls, and human bones were scattered everywhere.
The stench was unbearable.
Across from him sat a chained man, staring at Yuko in fear and agony.
— Are you one of them too?
Yuko asked in confusion.
— What do you mean?
The man swallowed hard.
— I mean… are you a Ritualist?
Yuko was about to answer—
A shadow appeared behind the man.
An arm reached out.
Without a sound, the man's head was torn from his body.
Frenzy drank from the spilling blood.
Then he turned his gaze to Yuko.
— Good morning, little soldier.
Yuko's throat tightened.
He couldn't speak.
The last thing he remembered
was four golden-yellow eyes staring straight into him.
Then the world went dark.
Chapter 5 – End