Page 44 of Echoes of Eternity

The urgency of the moment was driving me to act, to find a way to break free from the grip of my past and face whatever lay ahead.

The choice was clear: Play the part for a little longer but possibly get trapped at his home, or let him kill me here and now.

But what about my family?

19

The tensioninside was nearly unbearable as the group of Yakuza members surrounded me and my ex who had a determined scowl on his face.

Just when I was about to lunge for the closest goon’s weapon, the door of the building slammed open with a thunderous crash, and a gust of wind swept through the room, kicking up the debris from underfoot. My heart skipped a beat as a large silhouette emerged from the shadows, towering and majestic. It was Noboru, his presence radiating an otherworldly power that seemed to command the very air around him.

The Yakuza members immediately tensed, their hands instinctively moving toward their weapons. I chose that exact moment to catalog the position of all their hands.

Kaito’s eyes widened in shock and fury as he turned to face the divine being. “What the hell is this?Halloween is still months away, asshole,” he spat, his voice filled with disbelief.

Noboru's gaze was fixed on me, his eyes glowing with an intense, almost blinding reflection of flames.

“If you wish to live, I suggest you step away from Mae,” he said, his voice resonating with a deep, commanding authority.

“Fuck! You let every other freak between your legs, but you refuse me? ME? I’m starting to think I am crazy for wanting you, Mae,” Kaito sneered.

Before I could react, the Yakuza members drew their guns and fired at Noboru. The sound of ammunition released from the barrel echoed through the building, the bullets slicing through the air. Noboru moved with a speed and grace that seemed almost impossible, effortlessly dodging the projectiles with a fluidity that defied logic.

With a wave of his hand, Noboru conjured a barrier of shimmering light that absorbed the bullets, rendering them harmless. The Yakuza members were momentarily stunned, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion.

Noboru's expression hardened as he stepped forward, his power palpable in the air. Did he seem a fraction bigger than before? “You dare to threaten those under my protection?” he boomed, his voice reverberating with a godlike fury.

The Yakuza members hesitated, their weapons lowering slightly as they took in the sheer force of Noboru's presence. One of the men, his face marked by ascar, tried to rally the others. “Don’t just stand there! Take him down!” he ordered, his voice tinged with desperation.

The Yakuza members fired again, this time with more determination. But Noboru's barrier remained impenetrable, deflecting the bullets with an effortless grace. He moved toward them with an almost imperceptible speed, his every movement precise and deliberate as he pulled a sword out of nowhere and brought it down in a wide arc.

His blade sliced through the first goon, spraying blood like a geyser as he choked on his own life force, falling haphazardly to the ground, sliding his weapon farther away from me. Noboru flicked the blood away from his blade as he continued forward, his wings snapping out to the sides in all their glory.

“What the hell is that thing?” One of the guys cried out.

“It doesn’t matter what it is, we need to kill it, you idiot!” Kaito growled.

In a flash, Noboru was upon them, his divine power manifesting in a blinding burst of energy. The room was filled with a brilliant, metaphysical light as he unleashed a wave of force that sent the Yakuza members reeling. The impact of his power was staggering, causing the very walls of the building to shake and tremble.

How far were we out to not have the cops show up yet? Unless, Kaito paid them off before bringing us here.

The Yakuza members were thrown off their feet, their weapons scattering across the floor. Some tried to rise,their faces filled with a mix of fear and determination, but Noboru’s presence was overwhelming. The deity moved among them with an authority that left no room for resistance.

Ugh, when this is all over and we get home, I was going to ride him to oblivion.

My ex, caught in the middle of the chaos, watched with a mix of horror and disbelief. “W-What are you?” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of the battle. “Who are you?”

Noboru's gaze turned to him, his eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. “I am Noboru, one of the guardian units of the Eight Legions,” he said, his voice cutting through the pandemonium like a blade.

The intensity of the battle was almost too much to comprehend. Noboru’s power was both terrifying and awe-inspiring, a force that seemed to transcend the boundaries of human understanding. The room was filled with flashes of light, the sound of divine power clashing with the violence of the Yakuza. My ex’s attempts to regain control were futile in the face of Noboru’s overwhelming power.

I found myself standing in stunned silence, my mind reeling from the sheer scale of the conflict unfolding before me.

As the last of the Yakuza members were subdued, the room fell into a stunned silence, the ground soaked in crimson pools. The building was left in ruins, the remnants of the battle scattered acrossthe floor. Noboru stood amidst the debris, his expression a mix of concern and something else I couldn’t name.

He turned to me, his eyes softening as he approached. “Mae,” he said, his voice gentle despite the power that had just been unleashed. “Are you unharmed?”

I nodded, still trying to process the magnitude of what had just happened. “I’m… I’m okay. But what was all that? What took you so long?”

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