The serpent's energy beam charged, an unearthly screech filling the air as it roared toward me. My instincts screamed to dodge, but my body felt weighted, drained from the relentless fight. "Oh no! This is bad!" My breath hitched as I leaped upward, invoking every scrap of power left. "Demonic Arts: Water!" With the last of my energy, I summoned a surge of water beneath me, propelling myself skyward. I barely escaped the burning blast, which passed so close that my skin sizzled with its heat.
I crashed back down to the ground, stumbling as pain shot through my body. The strength I'd gathered was nearly gone, but I forced myself forward, channeling everything I had into one last-ditch attempt. With a guttural yell, I charged toward the serpent's massive head and threw a punch. The impact sent a shockwave across its body, but instead of shattering, it absorbed the blow like mist. Panic hit me like a punch to the gut.
Before I could process it, the creature's tail swung out, smashing into me with devastating force. My bones creaked under the impact, my body thrown like a ragdoll, crashing into the ground with a thunderous quake. My vision dimmed, blood streaming down my face as the world began slipping away.
Darkness swallowed me, weightless and empty. I was in a pitch-black room, suspended in nothingness, barely able to hear my own breathing. "Where…am I?" My voice echoed, ghostly and faint. Memories of the battle floated through my mind. "Right…I was fighting. But…did I lose?"
A voice drifted from the void, a low whisper. "It was nice, wasn't it? Being with Mei."
My heart ached. "Mei…" The thought of her, of everyone, still out there battling filled me with dread. I couldn't give up, not now. "Are they going to be okay?"
"Who knows?" The voice sneered, the sound sharp and mocking. "Maybe Mei will manage. But Takashi, Kaito, and Yumi…who's to say they'll make it out alive?"
"Yumi?" I mumbled, confused. "Why…why would I care?"
A dark chuckle echoed around me. "But you do care, don't you?"
"…Maybe," I admitted, surprised by my own words. "She might not be so bad, after all."
"So…what will you do?" the voice asked. "Hide here? Wait for someone else to clean up your mess?"
Anger simmered within me. "No. I want to fight. I want to win. To be stronger, for Mei…for everyone." I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling to the surface. "But I'm weak. In this world, only the strong survive. Livestock like me…we're just a burden."
The voice snorted. "Since when did strength become your only measure? You're a survivor. Doesn't that mean something?"
I looked at my hands, scarred from countless battles. "These hands…they've saved people before. Maybe Mei helped me, maybe I struggled—but the battles I fought…they mattered."
"Exactly," the voice echoed, soft yet firm. "Who says you have to live by someone else's standards? Go back. Fight. This world will take everything you love if you let it."
It paused, and then, in a piercing whisper, added, "Do it for Mei. For your family. For your friends. And…for her."
The name left my lips in a trembling whisper. "Yuki." The memory of my sister's smile, her laughter, her boundless joy—it filled me with a warmth I thought I'd lost. "I'll keep going. I'll fight. No matter what it takes."
The voice softened, merging with my own, as a surge of energy filled me. "Then…grow."
Meanwhile, Takashi stood guard beside my unconscious body, panic spreading across his face. "Mei, this looks bad! Izumi hasn't moved for ages!"
Mei's face was tense, worry evident in her clenched jaw. "His breathing…seems steady, but…"
Takashi's voice shook. "Do something! Don't just stand there!" His eyes darted between me and the encroaching shadow serpents, his hands trembling with fear.
Kaito's voice wavered as he looked around in despair. "This can't be happening. Not like this."
"Mei!" Takashi cried, desperation lacing his voice. "Please!"
Mei looked conflicted, her gaze fixed on me, her usual confidence wavering. Takashi's cries seemed to fall on deaf ears. Her hands trembled, her face hardening in resolve. Then, with a deep breath, she muttered, "Looks like there's no choice left."
She raised her hand, ready to summon a powerful spell. But before she could release it, a familiar voice called out.
"Like I'd let you."
A blast of white light flared across the battlefield as I struck the serpent's back, sending shockwaves through the air. The creature staggered forward, and I landed on shaky legs, bloodied and bruised but determined.
Mei's face softened with relief as she exhaled. "Izumi…"
Takashi's expression brightened. "You…you saved us!" he cried, his hands clutched to his chest, his face a picture of pure gratitude. Even Kaito looked stunned, relief flickering across his worried gaze.
Yumi scoffed, her arms crossed as she looked at me with an exasperated sigh. "You're such an idiot, Izumi. Can't you just stay down for once?"
I locked eyes with her, defiance burning within me. "No matter how many times you knock me down, I'll keep getting back up. I'll return from hell if I have to—just to protect the people I care about."
Yumi's expression twisted into a sneer. "You actually believe you can challenge me, the Princess of Shadows? This foolish bravado…it's pathetic."
I took a deep breath, laughing despite the pain. "I know I'm weak. I'm just some nobody, some useless trash." My gaze shifted from Mei to Takashi and Kaito, then further—to a memory of my sister, of everyone I cared about. My voice grew stronger. "But I won't let that stop me. I'll protect them, no matter what it costs. There's always someone willing to fight, someone who'll save others. And right now, I'll be that person."
For the first time, Yumi's face showed something other than confidence—uncertainty, a flicker of surprise.
Mei's voice cut through the silence, her tone hesitant. "Izumi…are you sure about this?"
I nodded, my heart pounding. "Mei, use that spell. Give me the power."
Her gaze was filled with doubt, but she didn't argue. "Very well…but be careful. It's dangerous."
"I can handle it," I assured her, gritting my teeth.
Mei's chant began, her voice steady as she raised her arm, calling upon an energy I'd never seen before. "Crimson skies that soar over the realm. Azure water that grims the land. Gale that cleanses the heart—all to protect the one who shall wipe away the evil, my dearest. Ode, O Cultivation, resonate."
A glowing light enveloped her hand, brilliant and pure. She extended her arm toward me, the power flowing into my body in waves. It filled me, spreading warmth through my veins, strengthening every fiber of my being.
"Izumi," Mei whispered as I felt the energy solidify within me. "This…is all I can give you. Please, be careful."
The power surged, a force unlike anything I'd ever felt. But in Mei's eyes, there was a flicker of concern, a fear that lingered.
Yumi took a step back, eyes widening in shock. "How…how could you wield such an art? That kind of power…it's angelic."
High above, an unknown figure stood atop a pole, observing the scene with a sly smile. "Now, isn't that interesting…" she murmured, her gaze fixed on us.
Back on the ground, I steadied myself, the power thrumming within me, pushing my body to its limits. "Ode, O Cultivation...an Angel Art," I whispered, fully realizing the magnitude of what I'd been given.
My whole being was humming with strength, yet I could feel the pressure bearing down on me, testing my endurance.
To be continued...