Ryu stayed on his knees in the dirty alley, cold rain poured over him, his back stung badly from the curse's claws, the jagged fragment felt heavy and cold in his hand.
The tall sorcerer walked closer, blood covered his torn coat, he limped a little, but his eyes stayed sharp.
"Kid," the man said again, voice low. "Drop the fragment, slowly."
Ryu's fingers closed tighter around it, he didn't know why, one part of him wanted to throw it far away, another part wanted to keep holding it.
The sorcerer stopped a few steps away. "My name is Ken Flash, i am from Power academy, that thing is dangerous, it woke up during the fight, give it to me before it hurts you more."
Ryu looked up at him, Ken's face looked pale, he stood ready, like he could fight again any second. The big curse still felt close, somewhere above the rooftops.
"I didn't ask for any of this," Ryu said, you gave this to me and i started feeling different.
Ken gave a short, tired laugh. "No one ever does but you touched it, now part of it's inside you, drop it. I'll take care of the rest."
The fragment pulsed again, a rush of blue energy moved under Ryu's skin, for a moment, he saw quick flashes in his mind, strange hand signs, flowing power, moves he had never learned.
Copy.
Understand.
The words floated through his head like someone else's thoughts, Ryu pushed himself up slowly, his legs shook, blood ran down his cut leg and mixed with the rainwater. "It spoke to me. After I hit the small curse. A voice, calm.
Ken's face changed. The calm broke a little. "What did it say?"
"I'm back, vessels break easily."
Ken cursed quietly, he took one step closer and held out his hand. "Listen. I work with the academies, that fragment belongs to something old and powerful, the longer you hold it, the deeper it digs in, let it go. Now."
Ryu stayed still, the new energy inside him felt like electricity waiting to burst, then the ground shook.
A deep roar came from above, the Special Grade curse had not left, it was still hunting them.
Ken looked up fast. "It's tracking the fragment's energy." He turned back to Ryu, voice harder. "No more time, drop it and run, or give it to me and stay behind me, choose quickly."
Ryu stared at the fragment, the blue glow had grown brighter, it felt warmer now, almost nice.
He took a slow breath.
"I'm not running again," he said.
Before Ken could speak, Ryu stepped forward. Blue energy wrapped around his right arm like glowing chains, he swung hard toward a broken streetlamp nearby, the chains shot out, wrapped around the lamp post, and yanked, the metal bent with a loud groan, then snapped free. Ryu turned and threw the heavy pole straight at the rooftop edge where the big curse hid.
The pole hit hard, concrete cracked, the curse roared and jumped down. It landed at the mouth of the alley with a heavy thud. Its body unfolded thick metal limbs and faces screaming on its skin.
Ken moved right away, he raised one hand and whispered something, a faint ghost-like figure appeared beside him for a second, an old sorcerer holding a blade, Ken dashed in and slashed at the curse's legs, trying to pull its attention.
"Kid! Get back!" Ken shouted.
Ryu did not move back, the fragment burned hotter in his left hand, more flashes came moves, energy flows, perfect copies.
He understood them, Ryu stepped forward, blue chains formed around both arms, he sent them out fast, they wrapped around one of the curse's thick legs.
The curse screamed and swung its arm at him.
Ryu jumped to the left, the massive arm smashed the ground where he had just stood, concrete broke.
Ken appeared beside Ryu, breathing hard. "You're copying techniques already? That's not normal."
Ryu said nothing, he felt far away, like someone else watched through his eyes, the curse pulled its leg free and swung again, this time the arm hit Ryu square in the chest.
He flew backward and crashed into the alley wall. Pain exploded through his body, he tasted blood in his mouth, the fragment slipped from his fingers and fell to the wet ground.
Ken attacked the curse immediately, his short blade cutting deep into its side, black smoke poured out, but the monster only got angrier.
Ryu pushed himself up slowly. His vision blurred. The fragment lay just a few feet away, still glowing blue.
The calm voice returned in his head, clearer than before.
*Pick it up or die here.*
Ryu reached for the fragment, Ken shouted something, but the words drowned under the curse's roar. The monster raised both huge arms for one final crushing blow.
**End of Chapter 2**