Ragnarök, Eternal Tragedy.
Chapter 67: A demon’s awakening

Chapter 67: A demon’s awakening

The sun was low in the sky, stretching long shadows across the open field in the middle of the woods. The air was thick with that tense feeling right before a fight—like everyone knew what was coming but wasn’t saying it. Amari stood there, feet planted, waiting. His sharp eyes darted around at the five guys surrounding him. They were itching to move.

Kenneth, always the impatient one, broke first.

He charged straight at Amari, fists clenched, ready to throw a punch. But Amari had already seen it coming. He shifted his weight, muscles tensing for his own attack.

Maverick caught on quick.

"Kenneth! Dodge and back off!" Maverick’s Unco—Voice of Command—hit like a shockwave, cutting through the air like thunder.

Kenneth’s body reacted instantly, like his limbs were wired to obey. Mid-step, he twisted, yanking himself away from Amari’s incoming hit. He backed off, jaw tight.

Amari narrowed his eyes. "That Unco of yours is annoying."

Maverick smirked. "Then deal with it."

The others stayed ready, shifting their stances. Johnny cracked his knuckles, watching Amari like a predator locked on its prey. Shylo crouched, waiting for the right moment. Milo tapped his foot against the dirt, waiting for an opening.

Amari rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers. "Alright," he muttered. "Who’s next?"

Kenneth exhaled sharply, frustrated. "Oi, Maverick! Cut that voice command crap! I don’t need you controlling me!"

Maverick raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Suit yourself." The command lifted instantly, and Kenneth felt the pressure disappear.

A grin stretched across his face. "Alright, Amari—just you and me."

Amari smirked and adjusted his stance. Kenneth wasted no time lunging in again. They went at it—sharp punches, fast movements, every hit calculated. Amari kept Kenneth in check, but his eyes stayed on the others, watching for any sudden jumps in.

Kenneth noticed immediately—and it annoyed him.

"Yo, fight me, not them!" he snapped.

The second Amari locked back onto Kenneth, he struck. Hard. His first hit landed clean on Kenneth’s chin, rattling him. Before Kenneth could react, Amari followed up with a brutal shot straight to his throat.

Kenneth staggered back, gasping, his throat tightening. Panic flickered across his face for half a second. But a few gulps of air later, his body kicked in and forced him to recover way faster than Amari expected.

Amari blinked, confused. How the hell did he recover so fast?

But there wasn’t time to figure it out. Amari shoved the thought aside, clenched his fists, and jumped right back in.

Kenneth rushed forward, and Amari was ready to counter—except, out of nowhere, Johnny’s fist smashed into his jaw.

The hit connected, but Amari barely flinched. He absorbed the impact like it was nothing. Still, his mind raced. How did Johnny get that close? Even with his dulled instincts, he should’ve sensed the movement—but he didn’t. His body had never failed him before, but now?

That second of hesitation cost him.

Kenneth and Milo took advantage, coming at him from opposite sides. Their fists flew toward him at the same time—one from behind, one straight ahead.

Amari reacted instantly.

He flipped mid-air, dodging cleanly out of range. Landing smoothly, he pulled back to a better position where he could see all of them.

Alright. No more surprises.

Or so he thought.

The second he caught his breath, something shifted behind him. A creeping force crawled up his spine—something unnatural.

His shadow twisted.

Before he could react, a dark presence latched onto him, locking his body in place. Shylo. His Unco had invaded Amari’s shadow, pinning him.

Amari clenched his jaw. Damn it.

Maverick chuckled, crossing his arms. "Alright, I’ll admit—we underestimated you," he said, amused. "Your reflexes are insane."

Amari let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of Shylo’s shadow creeping through his limbs, locking him up. The others watched, expecting him to struggle—but Amari only smirked.

"You really think this is enough to stop me?" His voice was calm. Almost mocking. "I’ve fought people way stronger than all five of you combined." He glanced at Shylo. "A shadow trick like this is nothing."

Then, his fingers twitched.

The reaction was instant—wide eyes, cautious steps back. Even Maverick, usually composed, stiffened.

"Shylo, hold on!" Maverick barked, urgency clear in his tone.

Amari chuckled. "That won’t work."

Slowly, he moved his right arm, forcing his muscles through the grip of Shylo’s Unco. The moment he freed up, the others launched forward, attacking all at once.

Amari grinned.

Too slow.

Before they could reach him, he broke free and exploded into motion. His movements were faster, sharper—almost unreadable. In a blur, he struck all four at once, each hit clean and brutal.

Milo stumbled back with a grunt.

Kenneth hit the ground, cursing.

Johnny barely caught himself, kneeling, dazed.

Shylo flinched, his shadow pulling back instinctively.

Dust settled, and for a moment, everything was silent.

Amari rolled his shoulders, brushing off his sleeve like it was nothing. "Damn. I expected more from you guys."

Kenneth groaned, pushing himself up with a glare. "Man, you are way too cocky for someone who’s always scared and crying."

Amari just laughed.

He exhaled, looking at the group. They were still recovering from his last attack, bruised but not backing down.

Kenneth rubbed his jaw, annoyed. "You really think you’re better than us?"

Amari met his stare, unreadable. "Fighting is all I know," he said simply. "I’ve had to protect myself for as long as I can remember." His voice wasn’t arrogant—just stating facts.

He looked around at the group. "You think I’m cocky, but the truth is... I’ve never fought anyone weaker than me before." His tone was blunt. Honest.

Silence stretched between them. Then—collective irritation.

Johnny clicked his tongue. Milo crossed his arms, unimpressed. Kenneth scoffed, cracking his knuckles. Shylo clenched his jaw. Maverick smirked, amused.

"Alright, enough talking," Kenneth snapped. "Let’s go again."

The air shifted annoyance turning into determination.

One by one, they got back into position.

’’Come on guys you don’t have to be annoyed about that. Remember, this is a friendly battle that’s meant to test my skill.’’