Ryu turned the stone over in his hand. It was sort of plain, if he was honest. Like a pebble found along the riverside. It seemed strange that it would be so powerful. This was how Masters developed their Techniques? This?

The only distinct characteristic on the stone was a small painting of an open mouth. The System had called it an Inspiration Stone, he believed. Each Inspiration Stone held their own trait, and it was through those traits that Techniques were made. This one held a trait called Devour. He just had to crush it. One simple movement, and he would officially be a Master. He would taste power. He wanted to throw it away.

“Crush it,” Ender barked in his mind. Ryu shook his head. He knew what he had to. He did. It was the only way to keep Bonny safe.

He crushed the stone. It shattered, and something like mist rose from it. Ryu inhaled the mist. His vision darkened. His plain bedroom was replaced by an underwater cave.

His body was not his own. He had no arms or legs, just fins. His teeth were sharp, and his senses penetrated the cold, dark water. Most strange was the overwhelming feel of hunger. Not a hunger for food. A hunger for power, for more than he had. A creature armored in shell passed his cave. It was massive, a titanous existence that had seen centuries come and go in the blink of an eye. He was going to consume it. His body shot from the cave.

Teeth like the sharpest of blades tore at exposed flesh. A claw clamped down on his fin, threatening to pull it off. He ignored it. His meal tried to retreat into its shell, and his jaws pulled it back out. He refused to be denied. Blood filled the water. The creature was long dead, but he continued to tear at its flesh. Then a tentacle wrapped around his body. A hunger even greater than his own radiated from behind him. Fear filled his heart.

The scene shifted, and he was a man on a desolate battlefield. His armor was dented and rusted, the sword in his hand equally worn. Arrows stuck from the ground red ground. Smoke filled the air. The only other living figure in his view was a man in shining plate armor.

“Damn undead,” the man in the nice armor said. Ryu started to shuffle towards him. The man rose his hand, and a spear shimmered into existence in his grip. The tip was levelled at Ryu’s skull. “Poor bastard.”

The man marched towards him. Ryu continued forward. He was so hungry. This man… This man had what he wanted. He just needed to crack that armor like a shell and get at the tasty meat underneath. The spear jabbed towards his head. It was fast.

His brothers were faster. Dead hands popped from beneath the soil, pulling the armored man from his feet. His spear clattered uselessly against Ryu’s chest. He stumbled on top of his fallen victim. He had to get that armor off. He had to eat. His hands reached. The scene changed once more.

He was a god. Below him was a planet, and he stood in empty space. His worshippers had failed. The population had turned against him. Their prayers no longer sated him, and their energy no longer flowed to him. He was alone now, the pit in his stomach growing larger with every passing second.

He knew what would happen next. Regretted it, even. Ryu- or the body Ryu was in- had never wanted this to happen. He saw the souls populating the planet below him, each glowing with their own distinct glow.

He inhaled. The souls began to disappear like snuffed candles. Energy filled him. The pit in his stomach shrunk. He licked his lips, stopping himself from consuming the entire planet. He had to leave some people. Somebody had to worship him in the future, after all. Unless they wanted this to happen again.

On and on, the visions came and changed. In every one, he felt the same hunger. He even felt a brief glimpse of inspiration, a technique coming together under his mind. It was strangely exciting. Then the scene shifted once more, leaving him in a plain chamber. It was empty, save for the man that stood across from him. Ender waved with a lazy smile.

Attention

Under the influence of an Inspiration Stone, a Technique may be formed. Do you wish to continue? Y/N

Ryu selected yes after a moment.

Congratulations

A Technique Battle will now commence between you and your Shard Twin. The winner’s Technique will be formed as a permanent Technique. Good Luck!

Temporary access provided to Death’s Maw Technique.

Ryu bit the inside of his lip. So be it. The screen winked out of existence, and he stared at the devil across from him. He had played into Ender’s hands.

“Want to know the name of my Technique?” Ender asked with a hoarse chuckle. Something like black smoke seemed to curl around his body. “It’s called Soul Eater.”

Ryu opened his mouth to respond, but Ender appeared in front of him in a blur. A fist came to his face. It shattered his jaw. He stumbled back. A kick hit his leg, and he fell. This strength… It was too much. It had to be Ender’s technique. His Shard Twin stood over him, the inky smoke gone from his limbs. His boot was raised to stomp on Ryu’s head. A black sphere appeared behind him.

Wails came from the black sphere. Ender stumbled, trying to fight the pull. Ryu rose on shaky legs. He wiped the blood from his mouth and continued to swirl his power in the proper form for his Technique. This ability to push his energy- mana, he believed it was called- was almost instinctive, and the more he used the stronger the pull of his sphere became.

Ender glared at him, the distance between them decreasing faster than even [Whisper Step] could account for. Black smoke curled around his wrists. The distance between them disappeared once more. Ryu tried to move, but a hand snatched his throat. His world spun. He was on the ground now. He needed to fight, to move. A foot stomped on his hand with that overwhelming strength. Then it fell on his arm. Again and again, he was hit, the strikes coming too fast for him to move.

When blackness seemed to form a tunnel out of his vision, a voice spoke near his ear. “Rest easy, brother. I do what I must for us to be strong. I hope you can forgive me,” Ender said. His hoarse, dry chuckle came again. Ryu felt something hit his skull, and then all was black.

He woke up in the plain bedroom he shared with Bonny. His doppleganger’s chuckle followed him into existence. He sighed.

[Multi-Shot] replaced by Soul Eater