Damn, this is delicious… That was the last thought that drifted through Ren's mind before sleep claimed him.
...…
The noise hit him before his mind caught up.
Ren stirred, irritation flashing across his face. "Arg… what is that…?"
The sounds grew louder.
Clash! Clash!
BOOM!
His eyes flew wide.
"What the hell?!"
In a heartbeat, he was on his feet, tension coiling through him.
Ren pivoted toward the battlefield and caught sight of an emerald-glowing warrior surrounded by a writhing swarm of crabs.
He moved like a phantom through the horde. Every sweep of his sword was followed by a flash of green—and then something would be sent spinning into the air.
Ren stood rooted in place, captivated by the deadly display before him.
The emerald warrior moved without a sound, cutting down his enemies with chilling precision. A head would sometimes fly free, tumbling through the air; other times, a body would fall neatly divided in two.
As Ren watched, realization struck him. His eyes widened.
"It's… he's playing with them."
And the more he observed, the clearer it became—this wasn't a struggle. It was entertainment.
Some minutes later, yet the swarm showed no sign of thinning.
"What the hell…? Are they really endless?"
"And what's with him too? How long has he been at this? It's almost like he's a bully stirring chaos in an anthill," Ren muttered, a flicker of pity crossing his face.
Then he heard it again—the same thunderous sound that had woken him earlier.
Boom! Boom!
Where was that coming from—
He saw it before the thought could finish. A crab far larger and more imposing than the rest emerged.
"Damn it… they're getting serious if they're sending a Worker Crab."
Wait. Something's different.
Ren narrowed his eyes, studying it closely. Unlike the others with dull brown shells, this one bore dark red stripes along its brown body.
An ominous realization began creeping into his mind. Ever since encountering the different types—the Lethal-Backed Crabs, the Worker Crabs, then the Warrior Crabs—something had been bothering him, especially after he shattered that first egg.
A memory surfaced. A novel he'd read in his previous life.
What was it called again?
"Oh… Chrysalis…"
Before the name could fully leave his lips—
Boom!
Another explosion shook the cave. Then another.
Ren twisted his head toward the tunnel entrance. Two more massive crabs burst through the walls.
"No… this is just like it. Just like the novel."
And if it truly was… then more were coming.
"Damn these beasts and their leader. We have to eliminate whatever's commanding this swarm—"
His thoughts were cut off again.
"I've been wondering when the big toys would show up again."
The voice echoed across the cavern.
"Big… toys? Again?"
The emerald glow around the figure pulsed once. Then again—like a heartbeat. The light flowed from his body into the blade in his hand.
"Now then… let's make way for the big guys, shall we?" he said, his tone disturbingly playful.
"I call this move—Making Way for the Big Guys!"
He swung his sword casually. A massive emerald crescent tore through the swarm, cleaving the smaller crabs cleanly in half.
The figure huffed. "Finally. Time for the real fun."
Ren frowned.
What's with him? No… this isn't Miyato. If I'm judging by the way he talks… this should be Miyoshi. But—
Damn it. He never struck me as someone this strong.
Thump. Thump.
The giant crabs advanced slowly, like vermin sensing a predator. They began shifting and splitting apart, trying to circle around him.
Why are they acting like that?
They kept their distance the way stray dogs circle wide around a calm man holding a leash.
And the calm man, in particular, was doing so while smiling.
...…
The warrior—who was actually Miyoshi—stood bathed in emerald light. He drove his sword into the stone floor, rolled his shoulders, and cracked his knuckles. A series of sharp pops echoed as he stretched, loosening himself like an athlete before a match.
Then he retrieved the blade and set his stance—left leg forward, right leg back. Almost instantly, the air around him changed. The playful aura vanished. What remained now was the aura of a true warrior.
He gripped the sword firmly with both hands and waited.
Silence fell.
Seconds later, the crabs could no longer endure the tension.
The one on the left released a near-silent screech, signaling the others before lunging forward. Then the others followed.
Miyoshi's body pulsed again as he swung, unleashing another crescent of emerald energy.
Bang!
The strike slammed into the crab, leaving a long white scar across its hardened carapace.
The impact halted it in its tracks, buying him a heartbeat of time. Miyoshi charged in instantly, his glow flaring as his blade swept down and cleanly severed the crab's left pincer.
Before the severed limb even hit the ground, he twisted and parried a red-glowing strike from another crab—almost as if he had eyes at the back of his head.
The clash rang out sharply, drowning out the wounded crab's painful screech.
The crab lashed out with its remaining pincer, aiming for Miyoshi's back—but it was too late.
Miyoshi pivoted and parried the strike. Before he could counter, another crab swung its massive pincer in a wide arc, smashing into him from the side and sending him hurtling through the air—straight toward the third crab, which waited with its pincers crossed in an X.
Midair, Miyoshi twisted and tucked his legs in.
His body spun like a tightened spring, increasing his momentum. As he neared the third crab, the emerald glow around him flared violently—
—and he vanished.
Before the creature could react, a blade pierced straight through its head. Miyoshi reappeared in the same instant behind it, sword buried deep, his purpose already completed.
As though nothing had happened, he smiled as he ripped the sword free, then flicked the blade, scattering droplets of blood across the cavern floor.
"One down. Two more to go."
Ha. Ha. Ha