Chapter 26 - The Back They Witnessed

The boss moved. Fast. Heavy. Unforgiving. The ground shattered beneath its steps as it charged straight toward the party. Panic spread instantly. No formation. No strategy. Just survival. But one person didn't move back. Riven stepped forward. Slow. Calm. Silent. His presence alone felt… different. "…Riven?" one of the members whispered. The leader frowned. "…What are you doing?" Riven didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the boss. Focused. Cold. His body shifted slightly—stance lowering. Breath steady. Then— He moved. Fast. His footwork changed completely. Sharp. Precise. Controlled. A punch followed. Clean. Direct. Impact. The boss flinched slightly—but not enough. Riven's eyes narrowed. Not enough. His fists tightened. His body moved again—this time faster. Strike after strike. Each movement carried discipline. Structure. Power. Kyokushin Karate. His mind flashed— A rooftop. A calm voice. A quiet lesson. Daniel Park standing in front of him. "…Don't rely on power you can't control." A punch. "…Use what's yours." Another strike. "…Make it yours." Back to the present— Riven's attack landed again. But the boss barely reacted. A counter came instantly. Riven blocked—but the force pushed him back hard. His feet slid across the ground. "…Damn…" He exhaled sharply. The gap was still there. Kyokushin alone… wasn't enough. The boss roared again, charging forward. The party behind him froze. Because they knew— This wasn't something they could handle anymore. Riven's eyes shifted slightly. His breath slowed. Then— He made a decision. "…Alright…" His hand rose slowly. Chakra gathered. Different from before. More unstable. More dangerous. "…Let's try this." The energy surged. His body tensed. Then— Poof! Smoke burst beside him. Another Riven appeared. Then another. Then another. Silence. Absolute silence. The party's eyes widened. "…W-What…?" "…How did he—?!" The clones moved instantly. Attacking from multiple directions. Coordinated. Fluid. Not perfect—but effective. Riven's mind flashed again— A memory. A bowl of noodles. A grin. A voice full of energy. Naruto Uzumaki laughing. "…It's all about control!" The clones struck. Distracting the boss. Creating openings. Riven dashed in— Rasengan forming. Not perfect. But strong enough. Impact. The boss staggered. Roared. But this time— It took damage. Real damage. The fight turned chaotic. Clones getting destroyed. Reappearing. Attacks landing. Riven pushing beyond his limits. And finally— A final hit. The boss collapsed again. Hard. Heavy. Silence followed. But Riven didn't relax. Because he knew. "…One more…" His breathing grew heavier. His body trembled slightly. The clones disappeared one by one. The chakra… was running out. Fast. Way too fast. "…I'm not Naruto…" He whispered. The ground trembled again. The body moved. The voice echoed. "Boss Life: Final." The boss rose again. Stronger than ever. Its presence crushed the air itself. The party stepped back in fear. "…We're dead…" someone whispered again. Riven stood there. Alone. Breathing heavily. His vision blurred slightly. His legs felt heavy. But he stepped forward again. One step. Then another. His hand rose slowly. A punch. Slow. Weak. No power behind it. It landed. The boss didn't even react. Riven's body swayed. His strength was gone. His chakra… empty. His vision darkened. "…So this is it…" His knees gave out. He fell forward. Silence. The party froze. Despair filled the room completely. No one moved. No one spoke. Because this was the end. But then— Something changed. The air shifted. Subtly. Then violently. A faint glow appeared. Orange. Warm. Powerful. It gathered around Riven's fallen body. Slowly at first. Then faster. The ground beneath him cracked slightly. The energy grew. The party members stepped back instinctively. "…What is that…?" The aura thickened. Rising. Wrapping around him. Like something was waking up. Riven's fingers twitched. Then— He stood up. Slowly. Unnaturally. His head lowered. His face hidden. The orange aura burned around him—alive. Breathing. Watching. The party could only see his back. But that alone— Was enough. Because the presence standing there now… Was not the same Riven they knew. The boss roared—charging again. But this time— No one felt despair. Because something far more terrifying… Had just stood up. The chapter ends. 🔥