I AM EXTRA IN A SHONEN MANGA

The gym was no longer a gym.

Its walls were cracked, the floor shattered, dust and fragments of tile floating in the air like ash. The air itself seemed alive thick with pressure, raw Shinrei, and the toxic pulse of the Void.

Matthew stood in the center, his body half-human, half-something else, black veins crawling across his skin like living shadows. His eyes flickered wildly between human clarity and abyssal haze. Every step he took shook the ground, like the Void itself had grafted into his bones.

Khael's hands trembled, pressed against the sigil he was weaving. Ancient dragon glyphs twisted and spun, molten gold spiraling around his arms, his veins bulging as though they would burst. He could feel his blood boil, the inheritance of Azael burning him alive as he tried to force the Severing Seal into place.

Khael thought, "(Come on… come on… If I don't finish this now… we'll lose him.

Khael's hands shook violently. The molten chains of the Severing Seal writhed around his arms, screaming for release. His dragon blood threatened to burst, veins burning like molten steel.

His dragon eyes narrowed, teeth gritted as blood dripped from his nose.

Khael thought, "(Almost there… almost… if I don't release now, the Void will consume Matthew completely. Just a little more… Come on, come on!)"

The glyph circle expanded, swallowing the cracks of the floor, stretching into a cage that shimmered with golden chains. The runes hissed as they tightened, ready to descend.

Matthew thrashed violently, void tendrils lashing at Kaen and Ceyla. Kaen blocked with his forearms, bones rattling, while Ceyla cried out as lightning dispersed under the weight of the Void's strike.

Andromeda leapt in, his Stormfang exploding with compressed gale, blasting back one tendril. His knees buckled from the recoil, but his teeth clenched in defiance.

Andromeda roared, "Not on my watch!!"

The dog barked again, weak but resolute.

"Arf!!"

Matthew's human eyes flickered again through the black haze. His lips parted, trembling.

"…What… have I done…? I'm no different… from my father…"

The words made Kaen's heart twist. His fist clenched harder.

Kaen shouted, "Then fight it!! Don't you dare give in!!"

The clown man's grin twitched wider, his voice sharp with mocking delight.

Clown Man sang, "Ohhh, so touching! Friends calling out, hoping for a miracle! Too bad… I'm going to tear that miracle to pieces!"

His Shinrei surged again, pressure hammering down like an avalanche.

Everyone staggered except Khael.

Khael roared, dragon fire igniting in his veins. His body shook violently, scales flickering on his arms. The molten glyphs completed their circuit, chains hissing with finality.

Khael shouted, "NOW!!!"

The Severing Seal of Azael detonated, golden chains snapping into place around Matthew, wrapping his void-wreathed body. The sigil blazed, dragon glyphs roaring with ancient authority.

Matthew shrieked, half-human, half-monster.

"GRAAAHHHHH!!!"

The Void screamed, lashing violently, tendrils cracking walls and ripping apart what little of the gym remained. The seal burned it away, golden chains cutting into the corruption like molten blades.

Khael's arms split open with blood, his skin blistering under the backlash. His knees buckled, but he held, dragon eyes blazing with unstoppable fury.

Khael thought, "(Even if it burns me alive… I'll save you, Matthew!!)"

The clown man's painted grin faltered for just a moment. His twitchy eyes narrowed, lips curling in irritation.

Clown Man thought, "(Tch… This brat… is more dangerous than I thought.)"

But then his grin snapped back, wide and jagged.

Clown Man sneered, "Yes… YES!! Break yourselves to save him!! The more you resist—the sweeter the despair when you fail!!"

The battlefield roared with chaos—chains, storms, gales, fists, and the screams of a friend on the edge of damnation.

And through it all, the dog barked again, weak but unwavering.

"Arf… Arf!!"

The golden chains constricted, flaring hotter, hissing like burning metal against ice. They dug into Matthew's corrupted flesh, slicing away the writhing void tendrils that tried to burst free. Every link pulsed with Azael's authority.

Matthew screamed, voice splitting between human agony and Voidborn shrieks.

"AAAAAAAAH!!!!"

The ground quaked under his thrashing, his claws tearing fissures across the floor. But for every lash of the Void, the seal clamped tighter, refusing to yield.

Kaen forced his way forward through the shockwaves, fists raised, aura blazing.

Kaen shouted, "Matthew!! Don't give in!!!"

Ceyla staggered beside him, lightning flickering over her body like broken sparks. Her eyes locked on Matthew's twitching face, seeing faint glimpses of his real self beneath the black haze.

Andromeda planted his hand on the ground, channeling gale force into the air to stabilize the collapsing room. His voice, usually cool and proud, was strained and raw.

Andromeda shouted, "Bastard! Wake up!!"

The dog limped forward, broken and bleeding, yet its tail wagged faintly. With a weak bark, it pushed itself close enough to press its nose against Matthew's trembling arm.

"Arf… Arf…"

Matthew's thrashing froze. His eyes, swirling void black and faint human brown, focused on the small creature pressed against him. The faint, loyal warmth of the dog pierced through the cold abyss clawing at his soul.

Matthew whispered, "...You… stayed? Even now…?"

The dog barked again, whimpering but resolute.

"Arf!!"

Inside his collapsing mind, the Void whispered temptations promises of power, vengeance, release. But louder than that was the echo of the dog's unwavering loyalty, the voices of his friends shouting, and the burning chains of Khael's dragon seal dragging him back toward the light.

His hands clawed at his face, tearing away the black veins crawling up his skin. He screamed as golden chains wrapped around his chest, ripping the Void's grip away piece by piece.

Matthew roared, "I… AM… NOT… VOIDBORN!!!!"

The seal detonated with a blast of molten light, shaking the battlefield. Shadows peeled off his body like ash in a storm, disintegrating under the dragon glyphs. When the dust settled, Matthew collapsed to his knees half-burned, half-broken, but human again.

Kaen caught him before he hit the floor.

Kaen grinned weakly, "You stubborn bastard… welcome back."

Ceyla let out a trembling breath, relief flooding her exhausted body.

Andromeda slumped against a broken pillar, his knees buckling. He gave a sharp exhale.

Andromeda muttered, "Tch…"

The dog licked Matthew's face, wagging its tail despite the blood dripping from its body. Matthew weakly smiled, hand trembling as it patted the creature's head.

Matthew whispered, "...Thank you."

The heavy silence of relief washed over them. For one fragile moment, it felt like victory.

But then clapping.

Slow, deliberate claps echoed across the shattered gym.

Clown Man chuckled, "Well, well, well… what an interesting scene."

The group turned, their battered bodies trembling as the painted figure tilted his head, his grin stretching unnaturally wide.

Clown Man sneered, "A loyal dog, friends screaming their hearts out, golden chains of a forgotten era pulling someone back from the abyss… Ahhh, so poetic. So touching. Truly… entertaining."

His twitchy eyes narrowed, and the smile shifted not playful, but predatory. His tone dropped, dripping with menace.

Clown Man growled, "But playtime… is over."

To be continue