The night air tore past Guren's ears like a living thing. Every step he took left a crater in the cracked asphalt, the vibrations echoing across the highway as if the city itself were screaming. Ahead, the black car streaked through the chaos, dragging Kaito like a tethered comet. Sparks erupted from the cable connecting the boy's body to the vehicle, lighting the ruins in bursts of silvery blue.
Guren's muscles screamed in protest, his boots barely touching the ground as he accelerated into a blur of shadows. The wind whistled past him, carrying the faint, eerie hum of Kaito's energy pulses. He wasn't just chasing a car — he was chasing time itself, chasing a boy whose power threatened to fracture the world.
He glanced to the sides. Kiyara and Riley were trailing behind, their vehicle far back, the glow of their energy just specks in the distance. Behind him, a convoy of police cars raced through the fractured streets, sirens piercing the night, engines screaming against the turbulence. Yet even with their speed, the black car remained ahead — a phantom in motion, a storm on wheels.
---
Inside the car, Kuro's eyes were sharp, calculating. He leaned forward slightly, hand resting lightly on the steering wheel as if it were nothing more than a chess piece. His gaze flicked over each member of the team.
"Listen carefully," Kuro said, voice calm but laced with authority. "We need to get rid of Riley. she touched me , my location will remain visible in her map forever. That's unacceptable."
The group shifted. Andreo gripped his sickle, Michel's staff glimmered faintly in the moonlight, Bilish clutched her wrench like a child holding a lifeline. Sinon sat silently on the roof, eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of Guren.
"I'll take care of Riley," Kuro continued. "Bilish, you handle Kiyara. Keep her busy and make sure her claws stay contained. Andreo, when we reach the corner, you jump off. Your Lunar Cutter — use it to sever the road. Police won't follow us past that point. Then join Michel. Spar with Guren for one minute. One minute only. Understand?"
Andreo's eyes narrowed. "Understood. Timing is critical."
"Good," Kuro said. "Riley and Kiyara are our distractions. Once the illusions hit, everything will move like clockwork."
Bilish's grin was childish but fierce. "I'll hold her! Don't worry!" Her hands tightened around the wrench, glowing faintly from her connection to the car's residual energy.
Kuro's gaze returned to the windshield. The road ahead was a fractured mess, jagged edges glowing from previous collisions and energy surges. He calculated trajectories in milliseconds, the distance to Guren, to Kiyara, and to Riley all stored in his mind as precise points on a map.
---
The wind tore at Guren's coat, whipping it against his legs as he surged forward. He could see the black car ahead, Kuro at the wheel, Kaito glowing violently in the cable tether. Sparks of energy danced along the asphalt like fireflies caught in a storm.
> "They think they can escape me," Guren muttered under his breath. "I won't let them… not for one second."
His vision sharpened, focusing on the glints of Andreo's sickle, the staff in Michel's grip, and the wrench in Bilish's hands. He recognized the choreography before it happened — Kuro's tactical mind never moved without a plan. Every step, every glance, every command was precise, deliberate.
Guren pushed harder, the ground beneath him shattering with the force of his stride. He was closing in — just a few dozen meters behind the car. His breath came in controlled bursts, each exhale carrying determination, anger, and frustration.
And then he saw it: the corner up ahead. Andreo readied himself, the sickle gleaming faintly under the eclipse. Kuro's lips curved slightly into a small smile. Everything was about to go into motion.
---
"Now," Kuro whispered.
Andreo's body moved like lightning. With a single push off the car roof, he launched himself toward the fractured asphalt. His sickle glimmered, slicing through the street like it was paper. The Lunar Cutter ignited faintly, a crescent of energy cutting a swath across the road, severing the path behind them. Sparks and shards of asphalt flew like shrapnel, creating a barrier for the pursuing police convoy.
Bilish leaned forward, wrench raised, and targeted Kiyara. The girl's claws glowed with raw energy, but Bilish's hold and the residual charge of the car kept her in check. Sparks flew as their energy clashed, a brief yet intense struggle.
Kuro's eyes locked on Riley, who was nearing the car in a desperate attempt to catch up. "You won't stop me," he said softly. The tension between them was palpable — past alliances and betrayals hung in the air. Riley's eyes flared with energy, the map tracking system still pulsing faintly around her wrist. Kuro's lips curved into a calm smirk. He could feel her focus, her determination — and he would exploit it.
Michel readied himself, staff raised. He glanced at Guren approaching from behind, a flicker of calculation in his calm gaze. "One minute," Michel reminded himself silently, "that's all we have."
---
The road cracked, debris flying as Andreo's Lunar Cutter sliced a clean swath across the highway. Sparks erupted from the severed asphalt, bouncing against the broken concrete, painting the night in jagged streaks of red and silver.
Guren's eyes narrowed. He could see each member of the team now, perfectly positioned. The energy from Kaito's body still pulsed violently in the distance, a ticking time bomb dragging along the black car.
> Timing. Everything depends on timing, Guren thought.
Kiyara, claws glowing, faced Bilish. Sparks arced between them, light reflecting in the jagged edges of the fractured road. Riley and Kuro stood on opposite ends of the lane, eyes locked in a silent war — one of energy, strategy, and past trust turned to betrayal.
Andreo crouched low, sickle ready, muscles tensed to spring. Michel's staff glimmered faintly with stored energy, a calm but deadly aura surrounding him. Bilish held her wrench like a dagger, ready to strike, protect, or block at a moment's notice.
Guren slowed slightly, assessing the battlefield. Every heartbeat counted. Every microsecond could tip the balance.
The air was thick with tension, charged with kinetic energy and the remnants of Kaito's power. Sparks, dust, and shattered asphalt swirled in a whirlwind around them.
> This is it, Guren thought. One moment and everything changes.
---
The camera of perception — if one could call it that — pulled back to reveal the standoff:
Andreo crouched on the cracked asphalt, sickle glowing faintly in the eclipse light, ready to slash the path or intercept.
Michel held his staff, aura calm but deadly, prepared to intercept Guren at a moment's notice.
Bilish gripped her wrench, charging with residual energy, ready to block Kiyara's glowing claws.
Kiyara's claws flared in response, every pulse threatening to tear through Bilish's hold.
Riley's eyes met Kuro's, a storm of anger, determination, and betrayal reflected in each gaze.
Kuro smirked faintly, calm, cold, calculating every move before it even happened.
Guren approached at top speed, muscles tensed, eyes locked on Kuro, ready to strike, strategize, and adapt.
For a heartbeat, time froze. Sparks hovered midair. Dust swirled, forming jagged streaks in the moonlight. The tension was palpable, almost visible — a living thing stretching between them.
Every member of the team, ally or enemy, was locked in a standoff, eyes meeting eyes. Each knew that one wrong move could mean disaster, yet none could afford to hesitate.
And then —
The scene exploded with anticipation, the battlefield ready, energy charged to the limit, the next move about to be made…
The fractured asphalt shimmered under the glow of the Eclipse. Sparks from the severed road twisted into the night air, igniting the dust and debris into fleeting fireflies. The standoff had erupted into motion, each member of the black car team locking into their roles, while Guren advanced with lethal precision.
---
Kiyara's claws glowed violently, streaks of raw lunar energy wrapping around her arms like serpents. Her eyes shimmered with amusement as she circled Bilish, a faint smile on her lips.
"Is this all you've got?" Kiyara taunted, her voice dripping with playful menace.
Bilish tightened her grip on her wrench, stance defensive but brimming with potential energy. "No! Boss said to hold you down, not kill you. I'm not using my full power!"
Kiyara chuckled lightly, twirling her claws like ribbons in the air, sparks flying with every swipe. Bilish swung her wrench in arcs, sparks colliding with Kiyara's claws. The impact sent shockwaves along the asphalt, knocking small debris aside.
"You're fast, I'll give you that," Kiyara said, dodging a swinging arc, "but speed isn't everything."
"I told you! I'm holding back!" Bilish shouted, gritting her teeth. She swung again, and Kiyara laughed, leaning back gracefully to let the wrench slam into the concrete, leaving a dent but not cutting her energy flow.
Kiyara's smile widened. "This is fun. Don't hold back on me next time. I want to see what you're really made of."
Bilish's face flushed with frustration and exhilaration. Sparks flew from every swing, creating a strobing battlefield of light and shadow. Yet neither moved to kill — the tension lay in controlled chaos, each holding back just enough to maintain orders, each testing the other's limits.
---
Guren's muscles rippled under the force of his movement, each step sending tremors through the road. Andreo and Michel were coordinating, trying to keep pace with his relentless advance. Yet the distance between them and Guren seemed to collapse with every calculated strike.
"Tell me," Guren growled between strikes, "what are you two working for? What purpose do you serve?"
Andreo gritted his teeth, deflecting another precise punch from Guren that smashed a streetlight behind him. "You don't have to know!" he snapped.
Michel parried a second attack with his staff, his calm gaze never wavering. "Exactly. Keep your mind on the fight, not our motives."
Guren's strikes were surgical, each one forcing them back, testing their defenses. Every punch, kick, and step had a purpose — he was not just attacking, he was studying, predicting, dismantling their rhythm. Andreo's Lunar Cutter glowed faintly as he swung it in arcs to intercept Guren's attacks, each movement sending sparks cascading into the night air. Michel's staff clashed against the waves of power emanating from Guren's body.
> They're barely keeping up, Guren noted silently. And yet they keep fighting. Determined, disciplined… predictable.
Even with their combined abilities, Guren's precision kept them on the defensive, forcing them to expend energy just to survive.
---
Meanwhile, Riley faced Kuro. The standoff between them was tense, electric. Kuro's calm demeanor and calculated movements clashed against Riley's sharp instincts. Both were aware of the stakes — Kuro's touch could force Riley into illusion, making her powerless.
"You think you can bluff me, Kuro?" Riley said, staff ready in hand. "Your tricks don't work against me."
Kuro's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Then let me show you a new type of combat," he said, advancing slowly, measured, and silent.
Riley tightened her grip on a metallic rod she pulled from inside the car, eyes narrowing. She couldn't rely on hand-to-hand alone — her abilities weren't suited for that against someone like Kuro. Every strike, parry, and block required improvisation.
For a moment, Kuro hesitated. His movements were precise, but Riley's rod kept him at bay. He couldn't get close, and each approach was met with a spinning, defensive strike. Sparks flew with every clash of metal against his technique.
Inside the car, Samuel watched the scene, pale and tense. Sweat beaded on his forehead. What is happening out there? He whispered to himself. Fear gripped him as he saw the chaos unfold — the crackling energy, the swinging weapons, the human storm moving in perfect synchronicity.
---
Riley's confidence grew as Kuro struggled to close the distance. She felt her pulse race, energy sharpening her reflexes.
> Not now… I can't let him touch me.
Riley twirled her rod, striking with precision, forcing Kuro backward. But the moment of opportunity came too soon — Kuro had been preparing all along. With a swift motion, he produced a small device from his sleeve: a smoke-and-tear gas bomb. He lobbed it toward Riley.
The cloud erupted around her, thick and pungent. Her eyes burned, stinging, tears streaming down. Her vision blurred. Every strike became sluggish. Her arms trembled as the gas hit her lungs, choking her.
Kuro took the moment to close in from behind. His hand grazed her shoulder, just enough for his touch to initiate the illusion. Riley braced herself, staff raised, but the world began to tilt, colors shifting unnaturally.
> No… I can't… fall into this, Riley thought, straining against the haze of the illusion.
---
While Riley struggled against Kuro, the battlefield roared around them. Kiyara's claws flashed against Bilish's wrench, each collision sending arcs of light scattering into the air. Bilish gritted her teeth, swinging with full force yet still holding back just enough to obey Kuro's orders.
Guren's fists slammed into Andreo's defenses with pinpoint accuracy. Each strike forced Andreo to react instantly, swinging the Lunar Cutter in desperate counters. Michel's staff clashed repeatedly against Guren's rapid assault, his calm presence barely containing the ferocity of the encounter.
> One minute… one minute to survive, Michel reminded himself. Guren was relentless. Andreo's energy was draining fast, muscles screaming from the exertion of keeping up.
The three fronts of the battlefield converged visually into a swirl of kinetic energy:
Sparks from weapons colliding
Cracks forming in the asphalt under Guren's impact
Smoke from Kuro's bomb drifting into the standoff
Glowing claws, swinging wrenches, spinning rods, and staff strikes
Kaito's tethered body still trailing behind, energy arcing across the road
---
Riley coughed, swinging the rod with one hand, trying to break free of Kuro's advancing shadow. The smoke burned her eyes, every breath a challenge, every step a hazard. Yet she refused to yield.
"You won't get me," she said through gritted teeth. "Not now."
Kuro's smirk remained, but frustration flickered in his eyes. Riley had adapted faster than he anticipated. Her strikes became sharper, more controlled, even with the gas cloud reducing visibility. He reached for another device — perhaps to force her into illusion entirely — but she blocked with timing uncanny for someone weakened by both fear and smoke.
> She's stronger than I remembered, Kuro thought, calculating the next step.
---
Andreo's Lunar Cutter arcs were precise but exhausting. Each swing carved through debris and air, yet Guren anticipated every move, countering with minimal effort.
Michel parried again, sweat dripping down his temple. "We can't keep this up for long," he muttered under his breath. Guren's strikes were incredibly accurate, each one forcing them to expend far more energy than they could afford.
> He's… too precise, Andreo thought, muscles straining to maintain stance.
Every exchange sent shockwaves down the fractured street, echoing off broken buildings. Even the Eclipse itself seemed to pulse in response to the energy erupting around them.
---
Riley's vision was impaired. She swayed slightly from the smoke, her hands trembling as she raised her rod defensively. Kuro's hand grazed her shoulder. The illusion began to creep in, reality warping at the edges.
Simultaneously, Bilish's wrench clashed with Kiyara's claws. Sparks flew like fireworks, the sound deafening. Guren's fists and feet were relentless, forcing Andreo and Michel to adapt constantly, barely keeping pace.
The battlefield was a storm:
Riley vs Kuro: Smoke bomb, illusion creeping, rod strikes, Kuro closing in
Guren vs Andreo & Michel: Relentless precision, barely-held defense
Kiyara vs Bilish: Claws vs wrench, playful but deadly sparring
Time seemed to stretch, every moment hanging on a knife's edge.
And then — the chaos froze for a heartbeat, tension so thick it could be sliced with a blade. Kuro's fingers brushed Riley's arm. Bilish and Kiyara glared at each other, sparks dancing in the shadows. Guren's fist was midair, Andreo's Cutter swinging, Michel's staff poised.
Everything paused on the cusp of catastrophe, the battlefield alive with motion yet suspended, the next second promising either escape or devastation.
----
The haze of the smoke bomb still clung to the roadside like a living shroud. Riley's vision was blurred, her thoughts fragmented. Her arms trembled, rod clattering to the ground as memories slipped away, each second erasing fragments of her focus, her strategy… her identity.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed into the cracked asphalt, gasping weakly. Panic flared, but she couldn't summon the strength to resist. The world had narrowed to a dim, smoky tunnel around her, reality bending under Kuro's illusion.
---
Kuro, blood dripping from his head where Riley had struck him blindly in the chaos, rose slowly, calm and deliberate. The crimson streak ran down his temple, glinting under the dim light of the Eclipse. He ignored the pain, stepping over debris, toward the black car.
Inside, Samuel's wide eyes followed every movement, confusion etched across his face. Kuro's hand reached for the wheel. "Samuel… I will drive," he said softly, voice steady despite the blood. "Pick up every ally along the way."
Samuel blinked, hesitant. "Why? What—"
Kuro didn't answer. His calm eyes met Samuel's, and without another word, he gripped the steering wheel, the engine roaring to life.
Above the car, Sinon sat cross-legged, still half-asleep, holding Kaito in her arms. His energy had ceased, the cable tether slack, his body limp but safe from the lingering power surge.
---
On the roadside, Kiyara and Bilish clashed fiercely. Sparks flew as claws met wrench, the collision of energy against steel ringing out across the fractured highway. Bilish grinned, swinging desperately to maintain pace, but Kiyara's movements were fluid, lethal yet playful.
"Bye for now!" Bilish shouted suddenly, twisting and leaping. Samuel, reacting fast, barely managed to drag her into the moving black car. The wheels screeched against debris, gaining pace instantly.
Kiyara's claws swiped air as she watched her rival disappear into the car. Her chest rose and fell quickly, a mixture of frustration and admiration filling her eyes. I didn't get to spar properly… next time, she thought.
---
Ahead, the chaos of the battlefield unfolded. Andreo and Michel were barely keeping up with Guren's relentless assault, their movements precise but strained. The edge of the slope loomed, jagged rocks and fractured terrain threatening to collapse beneath them.
Kuro steered the black car with uncanny precision, dragging it down the mountain slope toward the fight. "Andreo!" he barked. "Form Two. Lunar Cutter!"
Andreo's sickle ignited, energy coalescing into a massive blade as he unleashed the second form of his Lunar Cutter. The immense arc carved a vast swath of rock and debris, air rippling from the energy slicing through it like a living blade. Even Guren's eyes widened at the scale.
> This… this is insane, Guren muttered under his breath.
Kiyara leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as the air pressure slammed against her legs, scraping the earth. Sparks from crushed rock flew like mini-explosions. Even Andreo and Michel felt the force, dangling from Bilish and Samuel as they struggled to maintain control.
Kaito, still suspended in the car, remained surprisingly calm. The energy streaming from his body had ceased — the side of the mountain away from moonlight provided a natural barrier, suppressing the Eclipse's influence.
---
Above the car, Sinon's eyes fluttered open. She adjusted her grip on Kaito just in time as the vehicle swerved slightly, catching him before he could slip. Her calm, unflinching expression contrasted sharply with the chaos below, a silent anchor amid the storm.
By the time Guren and Kiyara had regained their footing, the black car was already several meters ahead, disappearing down the slope. Guren's fists clenched.
"Shit! WTF!" he shouted, teeth gritted in frustration. The sheer audacity of Kuro's maneuver, coupled with the speed and precision of the escape, gnawed at his composure.
Kiyara's claws retracted slightly, a small frown on her face. Her eyes softened as she thought of Bilish disappearing into the car. I wanted to spar more… next time, she murmured, the frustration tempered by a strange sense of respect for the rival.
---
The world around Kaito fell into darkness. His body, now quiet and free of uncontrolled energy, felt heavy but strangely lucid. He floated, suspended between the car and the mountain slope, shadows swallowing the fractured light.
And then he saw her.
A girl with purple hair, one eye visible, the other hidden beneath a veil or covering. Her gaze locked onto his, impossibly calm yet filled with an unspoken intensity. The darkness around him seemed to bend toward her, shadows curling as if drawn by her presence.
Kaito's heartbeat quickened, a mix of curiosity and caution coursing through him. He couldn't reach her, couldn't move toward her, yet he felt the pull of something deeper, something inexplicable.
The world faded, the chaos of the slope, the clashes of weapons, the raging Lunar Cutter — all seemed distant, replaced by the quiet, piercing connection between him and the mysterious girl.
> Who… is she? Kaito thought, unable to speak, unable to move, yet unable to look away.
The scene froze in that suspended moment — Kaito falling in darkness, eyes locked on the purple-haired girl, the Eclipse's suppressed energy casting long shadows across the mountain slope.
---
Below, the mountain slope was littered with chaos:
Guren and Kiyara, frustrated and recovering, forced to watch as their quarry vanished down the mountainside.
Kuro, bleeding but in control, driving the black car with Samuel reluctantly following his orders.
Bilish and Kaito safe, the car racing down the slope with precision, yet tension still crackling in every frame.
Riley, collapsed in illusion-induced weakness, still unconscious on the roadside.
And above it all, Kaito's gaze remained fixed — drawn to the enigmatic purple-haired girl, the scene ending with an eerie, quiet focus amidst the storm of action, a moment both intimate and terrifying.