The sky churned with heavy, oppressive clouds. Winds tore through Tatsuma Village, carrying with them a warning of something dark approaching. Snow fell thicker than usual, but the air was unnatural—like the storm itself carried malice.
Shimoro stood in the same forest where he had first encountered Vargas. The memory of that night replayed vividly in his mind.
He clenched his fist tighter, but his thoughts were drowning in chaos.
Far miles away, under the shadows of frozen trees, the Black Knights advanced. Their steps made no sound, yet the trails they left in the snow were deep and heavy—
as if the land itself was reluctant to bear their weight.
At the head of the formation walked the commander, his crimson eyes glowing faintly beneath his black helmet.
His low voice stretched through the ranks:
"We have waited long enough… Tonight, this legacy ends."
Inside her small wooden hut, Grandma Kaina sat before a dim candle, trying to steady the trembling of her hands. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.
The pendant glowed.
Kaina whispered with dread:
"…They're here."
She shot to her feet and rushed outside, eyes frantic as she searched the village for Shimoro.
Along a lonely path just outside of Tatsuma, Shimoro stood alone, watching dark silhouettes moving in the distant haze. His heartbeat quickened… but he didn't move.
Then, from nothingness, a shadow stepped forward.
One of the Black Knights emerged, walking slowly toward him, eyes cold behind the helmet.
Black Knight (with a grim smile):
"So… you're the child we've been seeking."
Shimoro didn't answer. His fists only tightened.
Black Knight:
"Don't be afraid… We aren't here to kill you. Or at least—"
He chuckled.
"—that's the assumption."
Before Shimoro could react, the knight blurred.
Shimoro (wide-eyed):
"What?!"
A brutal strike sank into his abdomen, sending him rolling helplessly across the snow.
His breath trembled. The icy ground pressed against his cheek, but he couldn't move. Pain shot through his core like fire.
"Is this… my end? After all that training… am I still this weak? Was it all for nothing?"
Then a voice echoed inside his mind—
not his own, yet unmistakably familiar.
Fang's voice.
"I know you will… Remember—don't hesitate. And in my absence, listen well to your grandmother."
Shimoro's eyes snapped open.
A faint blue glow surrounded his body.
The snow beneath him began to tremble. Ice cracked around his palms as power gathered—raw, intense, awakened by instinct.
The Black Knight stepped back, eyes narrowing.
Black Knight:
"…This feeling?!"
A violent surge of ice burst outward from Shimoro. The explosion launched him upward before he landed firmly on both feet.
His eyes gleamed with a chilling blue light.
Snow spiraled around his hands—
not uncontrolled this time, but guided by his will.
Shimoro (low, steady):
"I will keep my promise to Fang…"
The knight charged forward, sword of black steel tearing through the air. Shimoro raised his hand instinctively—
a shimmering ice barrier materialized just in time.
The blade struck. Cracks shot across the surface—
but it held.
Shimoro retaliated instantly, firing a compact ice orb from his other hand. It slammed into the knight's chest, throwing him backward.
The knight slid across the snow, stunned.
Then a slow grin formed under his helmet.
Black Knight:
"So… the Ice Heir is real after all."
Shimoro could still feel the icy energy rushing through him, wild and unfamiliar. He didn't fully grasp it yet—but something inside him had changed.
He was no longer just a boy from an isolated village.
Shimoro (under his breath):
"I just need to stall until someone from the village arrives…"
The air is frighteningly cold, and the ice that burst from Shimoro's body still carpets the ground, filling the atmosphere with a sense of awe.
The Black Knight steps back slightly, though his gaze remains fixed on the boy—his lips curving into a faint, knowing smile.
"Hmm… it seems your power has begun to awaken."
Shimoro breathes heavily. His body feels lighter, yet strangely unstable—
as if something inside him is trying to take control, his energy overflowing far beyond normal.
What is this power…?
The knight wastes no time. He surges forward, his black sword glowing with a sinister aura.
"No matter. I'll take your head before you learn how to use it!"
Just as the blade is about to reach him, Shimoro's body reacts on its own. He raises his hand, and ice gathers instantly, forming a transparent shield in front of him.
CRAAAACK!
The blade strikes the ice, but doesn't fully break through—only thin fractures spread across its surface. Shimoro stares in disbelief, realizing he created it instinctively.
"…I stopped it?"
But the knight doesn't hesitate. He swings his leg and kicks Shimoro with crushing force, sending him rolling across the snow.
While Shimoro struggles to rise, the surrounding ice begins to glow again. This time it spreads through the air, forming sharp crystalline shards around him. Inside his mind, he whispers to himself:
This power… I can feel it. I can use it… just like I did that day in front of Fang…
The knight notices the shift and narrows his eyes, raising his sword high.
"I can't let you grow any further… I'll tear you apart now!"
As he charges, Shimoro feels a surge explode from deep within. He thrusts his hand forward and shouts:
"Ice Wall!"
A massive wall of ice erupts from the ground, blocking the knight's path and halting him again.
"What?! Again!?"
Before he can retreat, sharp ice spikes burst from the wall, shooting straight at him.
WHOOSH!
He dodges at the last moment, but one spike grazes his shoulder, forcing him back as he clutches the wound.
The knight glares at Shimoro, then closes his eyes briefly, analyzing the situation. He mutters under his breath:
"Not yet… his power still isn't complete."
He turns away, places two fingers in his mouth, and lets out a sharp whistle. Instantly, the other Black Knights hidden in the shadows withdraw, melting into the darkness as if they were never there.
Shimoro watches them leave with a weak smile—then collapses to his knees.
"They… left?"
Suddenly, fast footsteps approach. The old woman, Kaina, appears, panting, her eyes full of worry.
"Shimoro! Are you alright?"
He raises his head slowly, exhaustion weighing on every breath.
"…I think so. But they were strong."
She looks around at the ice scattered across the battlefield, her expression tightening.
"Your power has truly begun to awaken…"
She helps him to his feet, guiding him toward the hut. As they walk, she whispers:
"There is much I must tell you. But not here… Let's return inside."
Shimoro doesn't respond, but he feels it—
something big is coming.
Far away, hidden within the shadows, the injured knight examines the wound on his shoulder… and smiles.
"The journey has begun, Ice Heir… We'll meet again soon."
---
End of Chapter four.