Ashes of the Forgotten

Ikaris folded his arms, watching Toshi with his usual unreadable expression. "Alright then, cross this planet. Your first target is waiting for you on the next one."

Toshi narrowed his eyes. "Does that mean… we've been in Hell this whole time?"

Ikaris gave a slow nod. "Yes."

A brief silence followed as the realization settled in.

Toshi turned his gaze toward the endless landscape before him—dark skies stretching infinitely, an eerie crimson glow illuminating the distant horizon. The air was dense, almost suffocating.

So, this is Hell?

For a moment, he simply stared. No fear, no hesitation. Just acceptance.

Then, without another word, he stepped forward, leaving Ikaris behind.

After some time, he came to a stop, scanning his surroundings. "This place… doesn't seem that bad."

Then—

"Energy 0.6%."

A deep hum resonated through the air. The ground beneath him trembled, thin cracks spreading outward. Small fragments of rock lifted slightly, pulled by the sheer energy radiating from his body.

Toshi bent his knees, eyes locked onto the dark sky above.

For a brief second—stillness.

And then—

BOOM!

The land beneath him shattered as he launched himself into the air. A massive shockwave erupted outward, dust and debris blasting in all directions. The force of his takeoff left behind a deep crater, marking his departure point.

He soared through the sky, tearing through the atmosphere like a shooting star. The abandoned planet shrank behind him as he pierced the void of space, moving at an inhuman velocity.

His destination appeared ahead—the next planet.

As he entered its atmosphere, friction ignited a faint glow around his body, the sheer force of his descent leaving a blazing trail in the sky.

Then—

CRASH!

Toshi collided with the surface, his landing sending a controlled shockwave outward. The impact split the ground, forming a deep crater, cracks stretching across the rocky terrain. Dust and smoke filled the air, slowly settling.

As the last bits of rubble crumbled, a lone figure emerged from the destruction.

The explosion had been so loud that villagers from nearby settlements gathered, drawn by the impact.

Among them, a devil's gaze locked onto the figure standing at the center of the crater.

His eyes widened. "Look! Someone's there—"

SLASH!

Before his words could even finish, his body dropped to the ground. Lifeless.

Toshi's voice was devoid of emotion. "One."

The moment the first devil fell, the others froze.

For a brief second, there was only silence.

Then—chaos.

The remaining devils stumbled backward, fear flashing in their eyes as they finally registered what had happened. One of them let out a panicked cry—

"He—he killed him in an instant!"

Toshi tilted his head slightly, his gaze shifting toward the others.

"Two."

SLASH!

Another body hit the ground.

Screams erupted. The devils scattered—some tried to run, others grabbed weapons, instincts screaming at them to fight or flee.

Toshi exhaled. This was going to take longer than expected.

He took a step forward.

And then—he vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he was already behind the next one.

SLASH!

"Three."

The air was thick with the scent of blood. The devils who had tried to escape barely made it a few steps before Toshi was upon them.

He wasn't chasing them. He wasn't rushing.

He was simply cutting them down one by one.

"Four.""Five.""Six."

The last remaining devil, trembling, dropped his weapon.

"P-please… wait…!"

Toshi stopped. For a moment, it seemed like he was considering his words.

Then—

SLASH!

"Seven."

As the final body collapsed, Toshi turned away from the massacre. His eyes, blank and emotionless.

He exhaled.

"Next."

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness, his hunt far from over.