From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

"Sir!" Rosa screamed, her voice cracking with despair as she watched Gojaro's form disappear into the debris. She barely had time to react before the boy turned his attention to her, the sinister melody of his flute filling the air once more.

"Move!" V shouted, his voice strained as he leaped forward, trying to intercept the boy's next attack. But the boy was too fast, too powerful. He flicked his wrist, and a wave of dark energy exploded from the flute, barreling toward V with lethal intent.

V braced himself, but the force of the energy was overwhelming. It slammed into him, sending him flying across the street, his body skidding to a stop as he struggled to rise.

Rosa gritted her teeth, her heart pounding as she faced the boy alone. This is it, she thought, every instinct screaming at her to run, but she stood her ground. We have to hold on. We have to give Gojaro a chance to recover.

But even as she thought it, the boy's eyes locked onto hers, the flute's melody growing darker, more ominous. She could feel the pressure building, the weight of the energy pressing down on her, suffocating her resolve.

Gojaro, struggling to pull himself from the rubble, looked up just in time to see the boy preparing to unleash another devastating attack on Rosa. No... His body screamed in protest, every muscle burning with exhaustion, but he forced himself to move, to act.

The bodies of Jade and Oscar lay still on the ground, unmoving, as V hovered protectively nearby. Gojaro, Rosa, and Vincent stood on shaky legs, struggling to keep going. They were nearing their limits.

Suddenly, a ringing sound cut through the chaos. Almost in unison, they all reached for their earpieces, snapping them into place. The Director's voice crackled through, breaking the silence.

"Thank you all for holding out for so long! Just hang on a bit further, and backup will be arriving."

His words carried a sense of urgency. "All other divisions have cleaned up the messes in New York and have been dispatched to Chicago, London, Brazil HQ, Japan, Okinawa, and the European districts. It's estimated about 40% of the world has been wiped out."

Then the tone shifted, sharper and more commanding. "This is Master Ash. You better not die on me! I will be there in less than 5 minutes, and I have a big surprise coming along. Keep him there until I arrive and don't let him weasel out and escape!"

Rosa's hand instinctively clenched over her heart as she processed the words. Master Ash was coming. They exchanged glances, realizing what it meant—they just needed to hold out a little longer.

Meanwhile, the boy stood amidst the rubble, playing a lazy note on his flute. His red-skinned form was covered with eyes that were still healing from earlier attacks. He sighed, his eyes narrowing with boredom as he muttered to himself, "Is this all they've got?" He looked around, almost as if considering whether to leave. The battle had lost its appeal.

The boy brought his hands together over his face, letting out a long sigh. "Of course," he muttered to himself. "Even when placing limiters and holding back, no one is enough to entertain me."

He glanced around at the fallen bodies and the destruction he had wrought, a look of mild disappointment crossing his face. "Oh well, at least I garnered what my Master wanted. But he promised me I would find a good fight... maybe I should have let the Angelic lady stay in control longer, just to beat her down first?"

With a shrug, he reached into his garb and pulled out a small green cube. He studied it for a moment, his thoughts distant. "This world will likely fall into ruin and be destroyed by the creatures the Vales left in it. Not that I care. Everyone here, except that fast adult and that young lady with the blue eyes, were uninspiring weaklings."

Pressing the button on the cube, a green portal began to swirl and slowly open before him. The energy crackled around the edges, forming a spiraling gateway.

"Just like Master said," he mused, watching the portal expand. "It would take a few minutes to open."

The boy looked over as Kieran was still standing in the same spot and he stated "You, get over here, these weaklings are barely even worth fighting anymore."

She didn't respond, her body trembling slightly as she stood there, defiant. The boy narrowed his eyes, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "What the hell? I know she's an Angelic, but to refuse my bidding once I have locked on full control, I—"

Before he could finish, a massive kick connected with the side of his head, sending him tumbling through the air. He crashed through the crumbled rubble, landing hard in front of a shattered storefront—Macy's, its iconic red star sign now cracked and barely hanging onto the frame.

Gojaro landed nearby, his stance unsteady with a slight limp. "No one said you're allowed to leave yet!" he growled, his voice filled with determination despite the obvious pain.

Rosa slowly made her way to his side, her face etched with concern. "How are we actually going to keep him at bay long enough for Master Ash to arrive?"

Before Gojaro could respond, the boy began to pick himself up from the debris, a twisted smile forming on his face as one of the eyes on his body closed slowly. "You could have fled like the others, you know? Even the Angelic brat that was here at first has tucked his tail and run. But I guess it's too late for you now. I have to say, that's probably the nicest cut I've ever made."

Gojaro shifted his weight to his right leg, only to feel a sharp, sickening sensation. He looked down in horror as blood poured out from the clean cut where his leg had been severed just moments ago. His mind struggled to catch up with the reality—his leg wasn't just injured, it was gone, sliced clean off by the boy's impossibly fast strike.