From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Gojaro collapsed to the ground, his severed leg falling beside him, the pain hitting him like a freight train. He tried to stifle a scream, his vision blurring as the shock set in. The world around him seemed to tilt, the sounds of the battlefield muffled by the ringing in his ears.

The boy's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "That's the painful look I like to see."

Rosa shouted out, rushing to Gojaro's side, trying to help him up as best she could. Her heart pounded with a mix of fear and desperation as she glanced over at the portal, now fully open. The boy stood before it, a smug expression on his face.

"Well, thanks for the fun," the boy said, his tone almost casual. "For a human, at least you were strong. Maybe if you were on another planet with a naturally higher energy level, you would have become something more. A problem for another life, I suppose."

He raised his flute, and a bolt of black energy began to form at its tip—the same deadly force that had struck Oscar earlier. Rosa tried to move, but the pain and exhaustion in her body made her too slow. She watched helplessly as the bolt shot toward Gojaro, who remained in a high-knee pose, staring down his fate as the blast closed in.

His mind raced, a single thought echoing in the chaos: Is this really it?

But just as the heat of the blast began to sear his skin, the bolt exploded into harmless fragments. Gojaro blinked in surprise, a figure now standing between him and certain death—a man with dark skin, his presence radiating strength and calm.

Gojaro managed a smirk despite his pain. "Tyree… I was wondering where you've been. I thought they would have sent you to Japan or something. I hear that's your dream."

Tyree glanced back at Gojaro, his expression serious but with a hint of warmth. "Master, please don't talk too much," he replied, his voice steady as a vortex of flames erupted around his hands. With precision and care, Tyree bent down and cauterized the wound on Gojaro's severed leg, stopping the bleeding.

"Master Ashaiki should be close behind," Tyree continued, his focus never wavering. "She's got a big payload coming in, so it'll take her a few more minutes. I'll handle things from here."

Gojaro nodded, grateful for the help but knowing they weren't out of danger yet. "Good timing, as always," he muttered.

Tyree's eyes flicked to the distance, his gaze sharpening. "There's another man watching us from afar. He has someone more frail with him. Do you know if they're threats?

Gojaro, still reeling from the pain, glanced over at the figures Tyree had mentioned. "Uhhh, I believe those are the Angelics," he said, his voice strained. "Very unfriendly people to be around, but I'd say not as bad as the person in front of us... But, well, I could be wrong."

Tyree didn't take his eyes off the boy in front of them. "Also, is it me, or do you look more buff? And why are you drenched in sweat?"

"Oh, I've been in nonstop training since that event with Erebos and the other group," Tyree replied, his tone clipped but focused. "It's been the Director's secret regiment."

Gojaro managed a weak chuckle. "Oh? Well, I guess that's the first I've heard, but the Director always has some secrets up his sleeve, I suppose."

Tyree nodded, his focus sharpening as he watched the boy in front of them. In a blink, the boy disappeared and reappeared above Tyree, his flute poised to strike down. But Tyree was ready. His entire body engulfed in a fiery aura of blue, he sidestepped the attack with fluid grace and delivered a crushing punch to the boy's midsection. The impact sent the boy skidding back, flipping through the air.

Tyree didn't waste a second. He caught up to the boy instantly, bringing his hands together before calling out, "Blazing Comet Strike!"

The boy took the fiery blow straight to the face, his body spinning and crashing into the scorched ground. As he struggled to regain his footing, Tyree noticed a trail of blood running from the boy's mouth.

Before the boy could fully recover, Tyree's voice cut through the air, sharp with intensity. "Do you know who Erebos is?"

The boy wiped the blood from his lip, a twisted smile curling up as he spoke. "Well, well... and who the hell are you? How do you casually know my master's name? My future King!"

Tyree felt something snap inside him, a surge of uncontrollable anger flooding his veins. "What the hell did he do with my brother?" he roared, rushing forward with renewed fury.

The boy's smirk only widened, clearly enjoying Tyree's rage.

Tyree's fist, blazing with blue flames, surged forward, his muscles coiled tight with the promise of impact. His mind was a storm of fury and desperation—this boy knew something about Erebos, and Tyree was ready to unleash everything to get those answers.

But as his punch neared its target, something went wrong. Instead of the satisfying crunch of contact, Tyree felt his momentum stop cold. His wrist was caught mid-air, and the heat from his flames sputtered against a grip so strong it felt like iron.

Tyree's eyes widened, disbelief flashing through the red haze of his anger. What the—? His gaze snapped to his wrist, and he saw a hand, fingers digging into his skin with impossible strength. The man's grip was unyielding, the veins on his forearm bulging as they absorbed the force of Tyree's attack. Tyree's own muscles tensed in response, but they were useless against the hold.

Sweat dripped down Tyree's forehead, stinging his eyes as he tried to yank his arm free, but the man's grip was like a vice. And then he noticed—just inches from his face—the boy's hand, outstretched in a deadly strike that had also been stopped. Another hand had caught the boy's wrist, holding it with the same unbreakable force.

Tyree's heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in sharp, angry bursts. Who the hell does this guy think he is? His flames flared hotter, a desperate attempt to burn through the hold, but it was no use.

He glared at the man standing between them, his voice laced with venom. "Who the fuck are you?"