Yami stood unmoving, his skeletal form cloaked in shadowy, tattered fabric that rippled in the cool night air. His long, spiked hair hung down like a dark crown, an eerie contrast to the fierce glow of his Kusarigan. The creature before him staggered, hissing in pain and rage, its remaining eyes gleaming with bloodlust as it continued to bear down on him.
But Yami had decided he'd let this fight drag on long enough.
In a blur, he vanished, becoming a shadow that flickered between one heartbeat and the next. Before the beast could register his movement, Yami reappeared beside it, his fingers piercing through its thick, hardened flesh. With incredible precision, he plunged his hand into the creature's torso and located its first heart. His grip tightened, and with a swift jerk, he pulled the pulsing organ free, sending it crashing to the ground below.
Before the creature could even react, he flashed to its other side. He didn't hesitate; his hand struck like lightning, finding its way through bone and muscle to rip out a second heart. A sickening, wet thud filled the air as he tossed this heart to the ground, blood pouring from the massive creature's wounds.
Then, one last flash, and Yami was in front of the beast, his gaze dark and unyielding. He reached deep into the monster's core, feeling the final, fading heartbeat. His grip turned iron-like as he tore it out, the third and final heart falling at his feet. All three hearts lay in a grotesque pile on the ground, still pulsing for just a moment before stilling forever. The beast, a twisted creation of flesh and bone, let out a final, agonized screech before collapsing, its body becoming nothing more than a shell of its former monstrosity.
Yami stepped back, breathing steadily as he took in the stillness. He lowered his head slightly, his deathly form still exuding an aura of grim authority, his Kusarigan aglow with the power he had wielded so effortlessly. The dark energy of the Death Deity pulsed through him, resonating like an unspoken, ancient power. He glanced down at the pile of hearts, a slight glimmer in his hollow eyes as he took in his handiwork.
Then a shiver ran through him—something cold, and yet familiar.
He felt something wrap around him, soft but heavy, like a shroud. His gaze flicked to the side, and there, standing behind him, was the spectral figure of a massive woman. She was tall and cloaked in tattered, decaying fabric that draped over her skeletal form, matching his own in eerie likeness. Her skin was faded and pallid, as if caught between worlds, and her dark eyes held an unsettling calmness. It was clear to Yami that this was an apparition, an essence bound to the Death Deity itself—a haunting reflection of the power he wielded.
The woman's decaying arms wrapped around Yami's shoulders in a strange, possessive embrace, her presence both protective and ominous. She seemed to linger between worlds, hovering in a state only he could sense. Her touch was cold, a reminder of his connection to this spectral force. Her grip tightened on him, as though acknowledging the deadly work he'd just performed.
Watching from a distance, Rei gasped. Her eyes widened, and a chill ran down her spine as she beheld the scene before her. From her perspective, Yami was standing alone in his Death Deity form, but she could sense something more, something that shouldn't have been visible to her.
And yet she could see it—a massive, ghostly figure of a woman shrouded in darkness, her decaying form wrapping around Yami like a silent specter. Her eyes glinted with sorrow and fierceness, and the decay that clung to her seemed to echo the ancient curse of death itself. Rei felt her breath catch as she realized she was gazing upon a sight that was forbidden to the mortal eye.
The woman's gaze met Rei's for a moment, her hollow eyes holding a hint of something unreadable, something Rei felt reverberate within her own soul. It was a mixture of ancient wisdom and mourning, of inevitability and strength.
Yami, still enveloped in the ghostly embrace of the spectral figure, remained silent. He glanced back, noticing Rei's transfixed expression as she took in the unseeable manifestation. His gaze softened, a silent reassurance in the face of the fearsome aura surrounding him. This was his burden to bear, his fate to fulfill.
The spectral woman's presence faded, her image becoming translucent before finally dissolving into the shadows, leaving Yami standing alone once more. But Rei could feel the lingering energy in the air, a chill that was now embedded in her memory. She took a steadying breath, knowing they were in the presence of a force that defied life itself.
Yami turned back to her, his Kusarigan still aglow, but there was a calmness in his gaze. For a long moment, he and Rei simply looked at one another, a silent understanding passing between them. They had come here for a reason, and they would face whatever horrors awaited them—together.