Ashes of the Forgotten

"Toshi? Igasaki?"

Toshi repeated the name slowly, as if trying to grasp something beyond his reach.

Ikaris's voice remained steady. "Yes, you are the one… the one who will exterminate the devils."

Toshi frowned. His mind was a blank slate, wiped clean of everything. No memories. No past. Just… emptiness.

"Devils?" His voice was cautious. "Who are they? And why would I kill them?"

Ikaris's gaze didn't waver. "Because you were created for this sole purpose—to destroy the devils."

Toshi's brows furrowed. That word—created. Something about it unsettled him.

"I was... made?" His voice was quieter now, almost to himself.

A gnawing feeling crawled up his spine. An itch at the back of his mind. A whisper from something long forgotten.

"Who made me?" His hands clenched into fists.

Ikaris studied him for a moment before speaking.

"The one who stands above all."

Toshi scoffed. "That's not an answer."

Ikaris smirked faintly. "It's the only one you need."

Toshi took a step forward. His jaw tightened. "And what if I refuse? What if I don't kill these devils?"

Ikaris turned away. "Then you'll die. Simple."

Toshi's body tensed. His heart pounded. Even without memories, something inside him—some instinct—rebelled against those words.

Ikaris began walking. "Come. There's no time for hesitation. If you wait too long, the devils will find you first."

Toshi narrowed his eyes. His fingers twitched. "Let them come."

Ikaris stopped. Then, without turning back, he simply said—

"They already have."

BOOM!

The cave trembled. The ground beneath them cracked.

From the darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes flickered into existence.

Then another.

And another.

And then—

The entire cave came alive with them.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the cavern. The air turned thick. Heavy. Suffocating.

Toshi took a step back. His instincts screamed at him. His body knew fear—even if his mind didn't.

Ikaris turned his head slightly. "Still think you don't need to fight?"

Toshi exhaled sharply. His body was tense, yet something deep inside him stirred. A fire. A hunger.

He lowered his stance. His fists tightened.

And as the first devil lunged—

His body moved on its own.

A flash. A strike.

A life taken.

One.

Then another.

And another.

Five. Ten. Fifty.

The devils kept coming. And he kept cutting them down.

Flesh tore. Blood splattered. The cave walls shook with dying screams.

Toshi moved like a beast. His instincts took over, driving him forward. His fists broke through skulls. His feet cracked spines. His mind was empty—just raw, unfiltered destruction.

Ikaris stood at the back. Watching. Silent.

Toshi gritted his teeth. "Are you seriously not going to help?!"

Ikaris remained still. "Do you need my help?"

Toshi clicked his tongue. "Tch."

He turned back—

And his heart nearly stopped.

A shift in the air.

The ground shook.

A new presence.

From the depths of the cave, they emerged.

Larger. Armored in obsidian exoskeletons. Their movements—sharper. Faster. Stronger.

For the first time, Toshi struggled.

His breath grew heavier. His body—inhumanly strong—wasn't enough.

One of the devils lunged—too fast!

Toshi barely dodged. The creature's razor-sharp claws grazed his cheek. A deep cut. It burned.

His grip tightened.

Damn it. This isn't enough.

The devils moved in sync, their attacks relentless. They weren't mindless beasts. They were something else.

A fist slammed into his chest—BAM!

Toshi went flying.

He crashed into the cave wall. The impact sent shockwaves through the cavern.

Dust exploded. Rocks crumbled. The entire battlefield froze.

For a moment—silence.

Ikaris sighed. "Hmph… Looks like you're still holding back."

Then—

CRACK!

The rubble burst apart.

Toshi stood there.

His body trembled.

Not from pain.

From something else.

Slowly, he raised his head.

His eyes… weren't the same anymore.

A devil lunged at him again—

SQUELCH!

Before it could react, Toshi's hand was already inside its chest.

Tearing through it like wet paper.

The devil let out a choking screech—before it stopped moving entirely.

Toshi ripped his hand out. Blood dripped from his fingers. His breath—slow. Deep. Controlled. Cold.

The devils hesitated.

Something about him had changed.

Ikaris's smirk widened. "There it is."

Toshi rolled his shoulders.

Cracked his neck.

Then, in a voice lower, deadlier, colder than before—

"I hope you're not done."

The devils shrieked.

They charged.

But this time—

Toshi didn't dodge.

He stepped forward.

And said—

"DOMAIN DECLARATION."

The cave shook.

The ground splintered.

And then—

BAAM!

A devil's body exploded within the horde.

Ikaris's smirk deepened. "Oh? So you can do this too… Looks like slamming your head into the wall jogged your memories."

Toshi didn't care.

Bloodlust clouded his mind.

One after another, he tore through them.

Until the last devil fell.

He stood there.

Surrounded by a pile of corpses.

His hands dripping with blood.

He turned to Ikaris. His voice—devoid of hesitation.

"Hey, you. I don't know who you are… but tell me—where is my next target?"