BETWEEN WORLDS | Ryohei Arisu x Reader

Flames rage behind the building, sending thick plumes of smoke curling into the night sky. A man in blue trunks screams over the chaos, his voice raw with fury.

"We have to find whoever murdered Momoka and burn them in the fire of judgment!"

Ann steps forward, her expression unreadable. "A witch hunt, huh? This ought to be good."

Haeru glances at my phone, eyes widening. "Oh, shit. The game started."

Behind me, Niragi leans in close, his breath hot against my ear. "Rain check on our date?" he murmurs.

I roll my eyes, stepping away. "Alright, let's go witch hunting," he smirks.

Haeru frowns, eyes flicking between Niragi and me. "Date? What's that about, Y/N?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry, Haeru." I brush it off, knowing we have bigger problems at hand.

The crowd is spiraling into madness. People are turning on one another, desperate to place blame.

"You! You're always with her!" A girl accuses Asahi, Momoka's best friend. "Why weren't you with her today?"

Asahi stares, confused. "What?"

"That's true! You weren't! What happened? You two fight?" Another voice chimes in.

Niragi grins, stepping closer. "Are you our witch?"

"It's not me!" Asahi protests, panic rising in her voice.

"Guess we'll know once we put you in the fire," Niragi shrugs.

A few people start grabbing her, dragging her toward the flames. The screams, the frantic movement, it's all happening too fast. My stomach twists as I take Haeru's arm.

"We need to get out of here before they find a reason to throw us in."

"But it's not Asahi! I know it's not! That was her best friend—best friends don't do that to each other!"

I grip her tighter. "We wouldn't do that to each other, Haeru. But we don't know about them. We need to go. Now."

We push through the panicked crowd. My eyes lock onto a table filled with confiscated phones. Arisu.

"Wait—let's grab one more. He's going to need it."

Just as I reach for a device, gunshots tear through the night.

Asahi hits the ground, trembling. Haeru doesn't hesitate—she pulls her up, and we sprint into the darkness.

"Asahi, stay here and hide, okay? We'll come back for you."

"What?! No! I wanna come with you guys! If I stay here, it'll be game over."

I shake my head. "We need to find someone first."

Two figures emerge from the shadows—one in black trunks, the other in a red shirt and a baseball cap. My body tenses.

"Listen, I'm Tatta. Hear me out. I think the five of us should work together."

I hesitate, glancing at Haeru and Asahi. Strength in numbers.

"Help me find Arisu. You three go together, Haeru and I will go alone. Here—" I toss Tatta a walkie-talkie, one of Arisu's old ones. "Keep in contact."

Gunfire rattles the halls as Haeru and I search each room. Every shadow feels like a threat. Every step, a risk.

Then we push into a dimly lit space—and I freeze.

"Last Boss."

He swings his katana through the air, grinning when he sees us. His eyes gleam with excitement, like he's been waiting for this.