The heavy silence of the cell was broken by a soft breath. A shiver ran down Jin's spine. He wasn't alone.
His gaze adjusted to the darkness, and he distinguished a female figure leaning against the wall. Despite the austerity of the place, she exuded an unsettling confidence, as if the oppressive atmosphere of the cell had no effect on her.
Jin slowly straightened his aching body and fixed his eyes on the intruder.
— Who are you?
The woman didn't respond immediately. She crossed her arms, her piercing eyes observing him with an unsettling intensity. Her voice finally rose, calm and composed:
— I am the one sent to train you.
Jin felt his stomach tighten.
— By whom? he asked, narrowing his eyes.
— By the leader of the Nine Clans.
Jin's breath caught. His fists clenched instinctively.
— The Nine Clans…? His voice was almost a growl.
The woman slowly nodded.
— She needs you.
A bitter laugh escaped Jin.
— Am I supposed to believe that? Those words awakened a flood of bitter memories. Flames consuming his home, the screams of his slaughtered clan, the blood of his loved ones staining the ground…
The woman remained unfazed by his hostility.
— You don't have to believe in her. But know this: if you pass the test, you will be able to see your friends again.
Jin's fists trembled slightly. His heart pounded.
— Ryuu… Kaede… Mei… he murmured.
He had lost everything. They were all he had left. If there was even the slightest chance that they were alive…
— What is this test? His voice was rough, tinged with a glimmer of hope he hated feeling.
The woman gave a cryptic smile and slightly turned her head.
— Someone else is already taking it right now.
Jin frowned.
— Who?
A silence stretched between them. Then, at last, she answered.
— Ryuu.
A shock coursed through Jin. His vision blurred for a moment under the weight of those words.
— Ryuu… is alive?!
The woman didn't reply immediately, merely staring at him with unwavering intensity.
— For now.
The cold tone of her response sent a chilling shiver down Jin's spine.
The world around Jin abruptly faded.
One moment, he was still in that freezing cell, fists clenched before the mysterious woman. The next, he was standing atop a devastated plain, where rocks levitated slowly, suspended by an invisible force. The air was heavy, charged with an oppressive pressure that pinned him in place.
And in front of him, Ryuu was fighting for his life.
His friend was there, down below, fists raised, his clothes in tatters. Jin could see his chest rising and falling in a ragged rhythm, each breath a struggle against exhaustion. But that wasn't what struck him first. No, it was the thing facing Ryuu.
A shifting, formless shadow, a mass of darkness whose contours wavered and undulated like a veil caught in a storm. No face, no distinct features, except… those eyes.
Blood-red pupils, fixed, piercing, devoid of any human emotion.
Jin wanted to scream, to warn Ryuu of the impending danger, but no sound left his lips. An invisible force prevented him, as if this world refused to let him interfere. He was a powerless spectator.
The creature moved, swift as lightning. A mass of indistinct darkness shot toward Ryuu. He pivoted just in time, his silhouette vanishing for a brief instant before reappearing a few meters away. But he wasn't unharmed. His left arm bore a deep black gash, a wound that seemed to spread slowly, as if the darkness was seeping beneath his skin.
"Ryuu!"
Jin tried to move, to break through the invisible wall holding him back, but it was like slamming against a cage of steel. Frustration surged within him, a mix of rage and helplessness that made his blood boil.
Why was he here if he couldn't do anything?
Ryuu didn't even take the time to examine his wound. He repositioned himself, legs bent, his eyes shining with fierce determination. He had no intention of running.
— That's it? he growled, wiping the blood from his arm. You'll have to do better than that.
The creature didn't respond. It simply advanced, its body fluctuating like a living mist. Then it attacked again.
This time, Ryuu didn't try to dodge. He struck.
His fist tore through the darkness with sheer force, and the impact echoed through the air like a shockwave. The shadow reeled back, its form rippling like a wave on the verge of breaking. But it didn't disappear. On the contrary.
The darkness reformed instantly, and something changed.
A second pair of eyes opened on the creature's chest, followed by a third on its arm. Then a gaping mouth appeared—distorted, filled with razor-sharp fangs.
A shiver ran down Jin's spine. This thing… it was evolving.
Ryuu is losing.
Jin couldn't look away. He saw Ryuu take a step back, his fingers clenched, blood dripping from his knuckles. His breathing was heavy—too heavy. His body trembled slightly, not from fear, but from exhaustion.
He wasn't going to last.
— He's stronger than I expected, murmured the woman's voice behind him.
Jin turned sharply. The woman was still there, calm, arms crossed. Her gaze was fixed on Ryuu, and Jin noticed something he hadn't seen before.
A fleeting smile on her lips.
A satisfied smile.
— Stop this! Jin growled. This isn't a test—it's an execution!
— It is a test, she corrected without looking away. A test whose outcome will decide his future… and yours.
The creature let out a distorted screech. Its fangs lengthened, and its shadowed arm shot toward Ryuu.
Jin felt his heart stop.
And Ryuu, breathless, had no way to dodge.
Here's the translation of the text into English:
---
The attack was unstoppable.
The shadow descended on Ryuu like a tidal wave of hungry darkness. He tried to move, to react, but his body no longer responded. Exhaustion had caught up with him.
Jin, still trapped behind that invisible barrier, screamed.
— RYUU!
But his scream was swallowed by the void.
A dull impact echoed as the shadow pierced Ryuu's chest. His body froze, a gasp of pain escaping his lips. Jin watched in horror as black veins spread beneath his skin, branching out like corrupted roots.
— No... no... no...
The air turned icy, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. Jin could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage, a dull pain spreading through his skull.
He refused to lose him. Not again. Not after everything they had been through.
And yet... Ryuu was smiling.
Even with the creature's arm embedded in his chest, he was smiling.
— Tch... Is this it...?
In a fluid motion, he grabbed the shadow that was passing through him. His fingers closed around the shifting mass as though it were something tangible. A bluish light emanated from his palm, and the creature screamed.
Jin saw the shadow writhe and burn under the light.
— This is... not possible, murmured the woman behind him.
Jin didn't know what he was seeing. That glow... he'd seen it before.
A blurry memory came to him. A fight, long ago. Ryuu training alone, under a waterfall, surrounded by the same light. At the time, he hadn't understood. But now...
It was a hidden power.
The shadow struggled, but Ryuu tightened his grip. His breath was short, but his voice remained firm.
— I told you... if you want to take me down... you'll have to do better than that.
With one final effort, he tore the shadow's arm from his own chest. Blood poured out, but he didn't retreat. The light around him grew more intense, crushing the creature under its radiance.
The shadow screamed one last time... then exploded into a cloud of dark particles.
A heavy silence fell over the plain.
Jin felt his body suddenly freed. He dropped to his knees, breathless, as the pressure holding him prisoner disappeared. He didn't think about it long. His first instinct was to run to Ryuu.
The latter was standing, swaying, his chest covered in blood.
— Ryuu!
Jin caught his friend before he collapsed. His body was burning, his breath erratic, but he was alive.
Ryuu managed a crooked smile.
— Did you see that, Jin...? I got him...
— Shut up, you idiot, growled Jin. You almost died!
— But I'm not dead...
He weakly laughed, then coughed, a fresh spurt of blood staining the ground. Jin gritted his teeth. He needed to heal him.
— You used a power I don't know... What was that light?
Ryuu closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the pain. Then he whispered:
— Kaibutsu no Hikari...
The Light of the Monster.
Jin felt a shiver run down his spine. That name...
— You'll tell me later, he whispered. For now, rest.
He supported him as best as he could. Behind them, the mysterious woman was watching, still calm. But this time, her smile was gone.
— Impressive, she admitted. I didn't expect him to survive.
Jin straightened up, his gaze burning with anger.
— That wasn't a test, was it? You were trying to kill him.
— Let's say... if he hadn't been up to the challenge, he wouldn't have been of any interest to us.
Us.
Jin felt his fist clench.
— The Nine Clans.
She nodded slowly.
— You're finally worthy of our attention.
— Go to hell, spat Jin.
She didn't react, merely watching them for a moment. Then she raised her hand, and a golden light enveloped Ryuu. Jin tensed, but quickly realized that his friend's wounds were slowly healing.
— What are you doing...?
— He'd be useless to us if he died now, she replied simply.
Then, before Jin could say anything else, the world tore apart again.
The plain vanished, and Jin found himself in...
A familiar place.
His heart skipped a beat.
They were back in the cell.
As if nothing had happened.
Ryuu was still unconscious against him, but his injuries had disappeared. The woman stood before them, unscathed, as if all of that had been just a dream.
But Jin knew it was real.
The woman crossed her arms.
— Now that we have confirmed your potential, we can talk seriously.
Jin glared at her.
— Seriously?
His voice was low, sharp.
— You almost killed him... and now you want us to discuss calmly?
— Almost killed him? No, on the contrary. He proved he could survive. And believe me, Jin, that's exactly what you'll need for what's to come.
Jin felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
— ...What are you talking about?
The woman smiled.
— We were just the first test.
Her gaze darkened.
— Others are waiting for you.
Silence.
Jin felt his stomach twist.
This was just the beginning.