CLANG, CLANG, AND CLANG.
That was the only sound echoing through the room. A mask hid within the shadows and shot toward him at any moment—clash after clash—until the cycle repeated again.
"Damn it… how do I get close to this thing…? Is it intelligent even though it's just a shadow…?"
Hikaru said, moving from side to side as best as he could.
The shadow suddenly propelled itself toward him with simple yet effective speed, appearing in front of him in an instant and raising its greatsword. Hikaru could only grow more surprised.
"Th-that speed… it's worthy of a commander… no… it reminds me of Akira…"
Although he tried to deflect the greatsword with his mask, it was knocked away and pushed off his fingers, leaving him vulnerable.
Before the shadow could attack again, it moved quickly and sliced apart a small missile that was about to reach him from behind.
More followed.
One after another.
It cut through every single one of them while advancing toward Mizuki, who remained still, relentlessly attacking with card after card.
"And now everything makes sense. You took a while to show up…"
Without mercy, the shadow raised its greatsword toward Mizuki.
But a flash—and a clang—intercepted the strike.
Yuzuki.
Her eyes, like those of a hunter, stared directly at the shadow while she glanced backward from the corner of her eye without taking a single step.
"What are you doing in the combat area? You're my priority."
"Where are the others?"
Yuzuki pushed harder against the clash, forcing the shadow to retreat several meters. She sighed deeply before speaking.
"I left them inside there. If I had taken them out… I might not have made it in time."
Mizuki listened while slowly stepping backward, alert to her surroundings.
Yuzuki, meanwhile, began advancing toward the shadow.
"I assume you can't speak… but maybe you can listen. Breaking the place where I sleep is a death sentence."
Yuzuki propelled herself forward, raising her sword.
The shadow blocked the attack with its greatsword.
And so began continuous clashes.
The constant noise of blades colliding at that speed made approaching them the same as signing your own death warrant.
Meanwhile, Shiro ran from side to side, trying to keep up with what he was seeing and find some way to help.
His movements were constant.
His feet lifted repeatedly to kick.He crouched to try to dodge, to react, to strike.
Kaede couldn't do much against Akira in hand-to-hand combat.
Still, she wore a determined expression.
She jumped lightly and raised her leg toward Akira's head.
He caught it with one hand.
"Attacking like that… your expression… you're taking this fight seriously. Admirable."
From afar, Shiro tried launching his thread toward Akira's hand, hoping to provoke something.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the buttons near his fingers.
He pressed 3.
The thread suddenly pulled Akira along with its motion.
"A rather intelligent approach, but…"
With careful control, Akira threw Kaede toward Shiro.
Shiro focused more on stopping her fall than keeping his attention on Akira.
In the end, Kaede landed on top of him, the impact against the floor causing mild pain.
She stood up with a small groan and grabbed Shiro's hand, pulling him up quickly.
"Kaede doesn't use her card because it's useless against me. Shiro can't get close because of his fear. My descriptions are accurate, aren't they?"
Akira walked slowly toward them.
Kaede glanced at Shiro and gave him a faint smile despite her seriousness.
"Relax. Just… support me however you can. You'll have to lose your fears sooner or later."
Kaede exhaled and stretched her legs.
Then she launched herself toward Akira at incredible speed, starting another close-quarters fight.
Shiro could only watch.
His fists tightened.
"It's just a simulation… and I still don't dare…"
He clenched his teeth and lowered his gaze to the ground.
"Burn my… fears…? Burn my fears…?"
Suddenly, that sweet voice echoed inside his head.
"God… you even practice the hook in here. Burn your fears, like she said."
It was Alma Rigel.
[...]
Shiro took a step forward.
"Easy to say… burn my fears, huh…?"
Shiro fired the ring's thread toward a pillar, trying to swing while keeping his eyes on the fight below.
When he reached the floating pillar, he steadied himself.
"How… how should I intervene…?"
Kaede suddenly threw a punch toward Akira.
He tilted his head slightly and, with apparent restraint, swept her legs out from under her.
She lost her balance.
Shiro was above the pillar, and the thread was already retracting toward Akira.
He pressed the button by reflex despite trying to think everything through.
Akira felt the thread attach to his shoulder and turned to look at him.
"Let's finish this quickly, Shiro."
At the last second, Shiro released the thread, dodging Akira's simple strike.
Akira didn't look surprised.
Shiro grabbed Kaede's hand.
At that moment she summoned a card and detonated it.
"Abyssal cards… destruction without end. Interesting, but…"
Akira appeared behind them in an instant.
He had moved at some moment Kaede failed to detect.
But Shiro grabbed Kaede with all his strength and pulled her along with him to dodge Akira's incoming strike that was aimed at her shoulder.
"Thanks…!"
Kaede said between quick breaths.
She grabbed Shiro's hand again and summoned more cards, detonating them around Akira.
He moved between them like a shadow until he stood right in front of them, raising his right fist to strike.
Shiro stepped in front of Kaede.
Just as he remembered doing before, he summoned Alma Rigel's card in front of him.
At that instant, time seemed to stop before Akira.
He stared directly at the card.
He punched it—
…and his fist couldn't pass through it.
At that moment, Shiro raised his hand and pressed the ring's button again, the thread anchoring itself to Akira's shoulder.
Shiro pressed the button once more.
He was pulled directly toward Akira.
He raised his fist.
The Alma Rigel card.
Using his ring.
Trying to take the lead and help Kaede.
Always staying beside her, always standing in front of her in every situation.
All of it for one thing.
"To burn my fears…"
Shiro said in a delirious tone.
His fist struck Akira's face.
Akira simply stepped back twice.
Instead of looking annoyed, he smiled warmly.
"I like what I saw. You're a good team. Now…"
The air around Akira grew slightly heavy.
He looked calmly at Shiro.
"Let's finish this."
Outside, rain had begun to fall.
Much of the area around the departments was empty.
From afar, the broken window of Department 9 could be seen.
He walked along the sidewalk.
The rain stopped briefly, though the sky remained completely dark beneath thick clouds.
His blue eyes glanced toward the Department 9 building.
"So that's where the clients are. Should I go…?"
Calius completely turned his gaze away from the building.
"…Not my business. But maybe father would be interested."
His voice sounded slightly disinterested as he pulled his phone from his pocket and began typing.
After sending a quick message, he looked around.
"I detected you a while ago. You can come out."
Despite his words, nothing changed.
He kept walking.
Then suddenly stopped.
Something shot past him at a speed similar to a bullet.
Calius glanced toward that now-empty spot.
"An annoying enemy in an annoying city. I knew staying wasn't an option. I should inform father th—"
He stopped speaking to himself and moved to the side.
A katana blade sliced past his tie.
At that instant he saw it clearly.
A katana made entirely of shadows.
When he turned to look again—
nothing was there.
"Enough. I'll send a message… and deal with you."
The floor trembled slightly.
Glass fell without mercy.
Debris collapsed everywhere.
The clash between the two continued.
Yuzuki blocked and retreated again and again.
When she reached the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.
Without a trace of mercy, the shadow attempted a thrust.
Yuzuki moved slightly aside.
She opened one eye, a faint glimmer shining within it.
Her sword descended like lightning.
Fire and lightning collided.
Yuzuki pushed forward with strength and did not retreat.
From behind the shadow, Hikaru approached with his mask, about to attack without mercy with his card.
The shadow moved like a true shadow and leapt from the crack it had created itself.
Yuzuki let out a furious sound and ran toward the gap between the window and the wall.
"You won't escape!"
She jumped after it.
The shadow slid downward along the glass, shattering it as it descended.
Yuzuki followed several meters behind, tracking its movement.
"You think you can leave after destroying this place…? No chance. Now this is my territory."
Yuzuki accelerated downward, preparing to strike with her sword.
However—
the shadow turned into dust.
Like a true shadow.
Still visible as it moved.
At the same time, a shield the size of Yuzuki appeared before her, glowing with green fire.
Furious, Yuzuki tried to cut it in half.
She nearly succeeded—
but behind the shield, a massive shadowy hand held it firmly while falling.
"Another one?!"
Trying to remain calm, Yuzuki attempted to thrust at the large creature she still couldn't fully analyze.
Before she could, both of them reached the ground.
Even landing as safely as possible, the impact hurt.
Yuzuki rose firmly.
The other shadow being stood up as well, holding its green-flaming shield with strength.
Its armor resembled that of the greatsword-wielding shadow whose blade glowed red.
This one was larger.
Large enough to wield the shield effortlessly.
She looked at it with contempt and raised her sword.
Behind her, a lightning bolt filled with ether began descending at her command.
Above Department 9, the capsule opened.
Kaede, slightly dazed from what had happened inside, intentionally rubbed her cheek against Shiro.
He immediately jolted upright at the sensation.
"Hey… we've got problems."
Akira stood a few meters away, drawing the attention of both Shiro and Kaede.
She grabbed Shiro's hands to help him stand.
The two of them stepped out of the capsule together.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Mizuki put away her phone, calmly watching the events unfolding below. Hikaru had been about to jump.
"Don't do it. That would be stupid," Mizuki said without taking her eyes off the scene.
Behind her, Akira appeared. Mizuki glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"Why did you take so long?"
Akira simply gave a faint smile and walked toward his older brother.
"Where's my sister?" Akira asked.
"Looks like she went back to the main department to… bring reinforcements. At least, that's what I think."
Mizuki sighed while listening to the brothers' conversation, then decided to speak.
"It's useless. Not even Yuzuki can defeat him directly… and the other one that appeared…"
Down below, Yuzuki was attacking aggressively. She seemed to have the advantage. Mizuki continued speaking.
"The other one seems a little weaker. A small relief, I suppose."
Kaede and Shiro entered the room. Kaede was breathing lightly.
"This guy is fast…" she said with a soft laugh.
"W-what's going on?" Shiro asked as he approached Mizuki.
Before she could answer, a helicopter slowly descended into the visible exterior area—the same place where Yuzuki had come down earlier.
The helicopter door opened slowly, revealing a woman. Her albino hair fell over her shoulders, a faint smile on her face. Her skirt was a soft shade of purple—slightly dark, with white edges.
"Looks like staying in Erithan was the right choice… I'm a Valtherion. That's enough for them to trust me. Get in."
Mizuki watched the helicopter passively while thinking.
"Selina Valtherion… Shiro, Kaede, you two get on."
"E-eh?"
"Alright! Don't die!"
Kaede shoved Shiro forward with her own body, forcing him into the helicopter as it began closing again. The albino-haired girl let out a quiet laugh.
"What a cute duo. So this is what Father was looking for, huh?"
Shiro sighed, remaining in that position while Kaede still clung to him.
Below the helicopter, which had begun to move, the being Yuzuki had been fighting turned his back and followed after it.
"Excuse me?! I'll kill you for turning your back on me!"
Yuzuki rushed after him. Just as she was about to cut him down, he appeared behind her again—the shadow being wielding a greatsword.
"Both of you…? Damn it…"
Yuzuki tried to evade them, but she couldn't gain any ground.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
From the rooftop of Department 9, Hikaru was breathing heavily after the previous fight. He glanced toward Akira and spoke.
"You… you're the fast one. Go to the central department and report."
He leaned against a piece of rubble, trying to recover his breath.
Akira hesitated, raising a hand toward his brother.
"Brother, I could… I mean… alright."
Akira jumped from the building, launching himself with monstrous force onto the rooftop of the next one, then continued from building to building toward his destination.
Hikaru slowly approached the edge overlooking the city of Erithan.
"What are you going to do?" Mizuki asked, glancing at him from the side.
The Sage stretched slightly as he spoke.
"Help your commander. Otherwise she'll die eventually."
Mizuki said nothing. She simply watched as Hikaru let himself fall.
"No matter how important we sages are… sometimes we're idiots," Mizuki murmured.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
On rooftops near the helicopter, a figure moved like a shadow beneath a hood, their face hidden.
They were about to jump toward the helicopter that was preparing to leave Erithan, but Calius propelled himself forward to stop them.
The hooded figure spoke calmly.
"I thought he was keeping you busy…"
It was a male voice—low, but strangely subdued.
Calius was about to strike him, but from behind, a kick to his stomach knocked him aside. He managed to retreat a short distance from the two of them.
The hooded man glanced sideways at the shadow beside him. It appeared almost human, a katana resting at its waist.
"Good work, Haru…"
The hooded man addressed the shadow, which stepped back calmly.
"That thing… does it have a name?" Calius asked.
The hooded man turned his attention to him.
"He used to be human, like you. It's only right to keep calling him by his name."
Calius slowly stepped backward, never taking his eyes off the hooded figure.
In a blink, the hooded man lunged forward, aiming a low strike. Calius shifted slightly aside and tried to run, but Haru stepped directly into his path, moving like a shadow itself.
He was cornered as the hooded man calmly walked toward him.
"You're the one controlling them?" Calius asked.
He received no answer.
With a sigh, Calius tried attacking again. The hooded man blocked with his arm. Calius continued striking at different points above the waist, each blow either dodged or deflected.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The shadow carrying the shield with green flames continued advancing toward the moving helicopter, blocking Yuzuki's attacks as best it could.
A few meters behind them, Hikaru was holding back the shadow wielding the flaming greatsword.
"No… I won't let you advance. You'll die here…"
Hikaru spoke with a slightly broken voice. He sighed and summoned his red card, releasing it.
Small fragments of ice emerged from it. Instead of falling, they launched themselves toward the shadow.
The entity sliced every single one in half while advancing.
In a blink, it appeared right in front of Hikaru. He barely avoided the sweep of the flaming greatsword, sparks flying from the clash.
Hikaru breathed heavily but tried to push forward aggressively.
The shadow took advantage of that moment, slipping past him and propelling itself forward, leaving him behind.
"Damn it… get back here!"
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Inside the helicopter, Shiro sat quietly, trembling slightly in thought. Beside him, Kaede stared directly at him, paying close attention.
Across from them, Selina looked outside through the open door of the helicopter.
"I need to go get him…" she murmured as the wind made her silver hair flutter.
"Relax! Shiro can help!"
She lifted her gaze, regaining some spirit.
"E-eh?"
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
In the alleys near the helicopter, Calius ran while dodging and counterattacking.
While running, he jumped and tried to kick the hooded man's head. The hooded man ducked slightly and struck him in the stomach.
Calius staggered back, coughing lightly.
As he exited the alley, Haru drew his katana and thrust toward him. Calius barely dodged, using the moment to punch Haru in the stomach before finally escaping.
At that moment, a purple thread descended from the helicopter beside him.
Calius didn't hesitate. He grabbed it with one hand.
The thread began pulling him upward rapidly.
Inside the helicopter, Shiro struggled not to fall from the sudden weight. Most of the strain was supported by the ring.
He forced his grip, trying to retract the thread faster.
Kaede tried to help him. She wrapped her arms around Shiro's stomach and began pulling him backward.
But even that wasn't enough. They were about to fall themselves.
Selina sighed as she watched them.
"We'll have to move… but leaving Calius there would be suicide…"
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Below the helicopter, the hooded man briefly diverted his attention from Calius and leapt onto the roof of a nearby house with Haru.
"Ignis, come."
The shadow with the greatsword turned its attention toward him. In front of it stood an exhausted Hikaru, breathing heavily. Though Hikaru tried to stop it, the entity dissolved into shadow particles that drifted through the wind toward the hooded man.
"Gorath, come."
The shield-bearing shadow with the green glow didn't shift its attention at first, focused on preventing Yuzuki's attacks from landing.
But it too eventually dissolved into particles that traveled toward the rooftop.
"Damn it… what is all this?" Yuzuki muttered.
Standing beside the hooded man, Haru slightly unsheathed his katana.
An almost invisible slash flew toward the helicopter.
"S-Shiro, watch out!"
Kaede grabbed Shiro's head and forced him aside to avoid the cut.
But the sudden movement caused him to fall out of the helicopter.
Instinctively, Kaede jumped after him, wrapping her arms around him as she summoned her card.
It exploded against the ground below to break their fall.
Midair, Gorath appeared and hurled the shield toward them.
Shiro reacted by summoning Alma Rigel's card as a shield.
But it shattered instantly—like glass struck by a baseball.
The shield still hit them with part of its force, sending them spinning through the air.
"S-Shiro, calm down… use your hook…"
Shiro heard her. To him, it sounded almost like an order.
He tried to use his ring to reach a rooftop, but before the thread could connect, Ignis appeared and cut the thread with his sword, redirecting it effortlessly.
"Th-this is nothing… y-you and I can…!"
Kaede and Shiro struggled to keep the other from hitting the ground.
They both slammed down and rolled violently.
Shiro was the first to stand.
In front of him, as if he had always been there, stood the hooded man.
"So your name is Shiro. Your surname?"
Shiro wanted to step back.
But behind him, Kaede was still trying to get up.
So he forced himself to stand his ground.
"Not very talkative… let's make this quick."
The hooded man revealed part of his face—white skin, black hair falling across his forehead. His eyes were black.
He closed them calmly… then slowly opened one.
It was white.
Shiro reacted instantly.
He fired his thread and attached it to the man's chest. Pressing the third button, he pulled him forward while preparing a punch.
His heart pounded violently. Adrenaline surged through him.
But before he could strike—
Everything around him was swallowed by darkness.
Or perhaps he had been swallowed by it.
He fell to the ground with nothing to stand on.
He quickly got up and saw the man standing before him again.
"I have nothing against you. I'll be quick."
Around them, pale green chains began to form.
Slowly they closed in, taking away his space.
They wrapped around his wrists… his legs… his stomach… his neck.
Just as the hooded man took a step forward—
All the chains suddenly shattered.
Two arms in white gloves wrapped around Shiro, hugging him.
"I didn't think this would happen… I need more time, and I don't have it…"
With a snap, everything disappeared.
Shiro returned to reality.
Behind him, Kaede was hugging him tightly.
And in front of him—the hooded man again.
In an instant, none of the three shadows were present anymore.
"I wasted my only opportunity…"
The hooded man muttered to himself.
Behind him, a blue card-shaped portal appeared and swallowed him.
Shiro bent forward slightly, exhausted.
Kaede only hugged him tighter.
The helicopter began descending.
Once it was low enough, Selina jumped down.
Calius approached them as well.
The two simply stood near Shiro and Kaede.
From the corner of his eye, Calius saw Yuzuki in the distance watching Hikaru lying on the ground, worn out, resting after the battle.