The Irregular's grip tightened, an iron vice crushing around Hikari's body. He gasped, feeling his ribs creak under the pressure. Every muscle strained against the force, but it was like fighting against a mountain—immovable, unstoppable. The pain shot through his spine, sharp and unrelenting, and for a fleeting moment, a terrifying thought crossed his mind.
This is it. My body is going to break.
A scream tore from his throat as the blood in his veins surged wildly, heat rushing to his head and limbs as if his body were on the verge of bursting. He clenched his teeth, forcing his mind to push past the pain, to focus. He had to find a way out.
And then, through the fog of agony, a thought surfaced. The words of the Shadow Manipulator echoed in his mind. I am the shadow manipulator, light in darkness.
That's what it meant. Light shines its brightest in darkness.
The realization struck him like lightning, electrifying every cell in his body. He stopped struggling. Panic would only blind him. He needed to become a shadow, let himself melt into the darkness. He closed his eyes, steadying his breath despite the pain clawing at his lungs. His heartbeat slowed, his mind calmed, and he reached deep within himself—past the fear, past the suffering, into the abyss where shadows whispered.
And then, suddenly, the pressure disappeared.
Hikari opened his eyes, but something felt strange. His vision blurred for a moment before adjusting. He wasn't standing on solid ground. Instead, he clung to the surface of something—not with his hands, but as if he had become part of it. Realization dawned on him.
He had become a shadow.
The world looked different from this perspective. Darker, flatter, yet oddly fluid. He moved instinctively, gliding across the ground, feeling no resistance. It was an eerie sensation, like existing without weight or form. His mind raced, but before he could process everything, a piercing cry snapped him back to reality.
"Hikari! Nooo!"
Mitsumi's voice cut through the night like a dagger. She was frantically looking around, eyes wide with terror. Of course. She hadn't seen him escape. From her perspective, he had simply vanished.
I'm still here, Mitsumi. Don't be afraid.
But she couldn't hear his thoughts. Fear had already taken hold of her. And worse—the Irregular was turning toward her now, his expression unreadable beneath the shadow of his hat.
He stared at his hand, expecting to see crushed bones, yet found nothing. A slow realization spread across his face—not confusion, but amusement.
"Hmph," he grunted, his lips curling into a smirk. "Interesting trick."
Then, he took a step toward Mitsumi.
Hikari's shadowy form pulsed with anger. He wouldn't let this happen. He couldn't.
Moving like liquid, he surged across the ground, slipping beneath the Irregular's feet. He concentrated, willing himself to interact with the physical world. The shadows coiled around the man's ankles, twisting and pulling. The massive figure stumbled, his balance thrown off. His body tilted forward, and before he could recover, he slammed face-first into the pavement with a deafening thud.
Hikari barely had a second to breathe before he noticed the man shifting, groaning. He was already trying to get up.
I need to finish this.
His mind raced as he scanned the environment. There had to be something he could use. His form slithered up the side of a nearby brick wall, searching. His fingers brushed against a jagged edge. A loose brick.
Perfect.
Just as the Irregular pushed himself up, Hikari emerged from the shadows, gripping the brick tightly. His breath came heavy, his hands trembling—but not from fear. From fury.
"Get away from her!" he roared, his voice echoing through the empty street.
The Irregular turned, his eyes widening slightly in shock. But he didn't have time to react. Hikari swung with every ounce of strength he had, all the rage, all the fear, all the will to protect Mitsumi pouring into a single, devastating strike.
The brick connected with the side of the man's skull. A sickening crack echoed in the night air.
The Irregular's eyes rolled back, and his massive frame collapsed like a felled tree. Silence followed, save for the sound of Hikari's ragged breathing. He stumbled backward, his arms heavy, his legs unsteady.
Then, his fingers uncurled, and the object in his hand dropped to the ground with a soft clink.
Confused, he looked down.
It wasn't a brick.
It was a sword.
A sword made of shadow.
His breath caught in his throat. He hadn't picked up a weapon. He hadn't summoned one. And yet, here it was, its dark blade shimmering under the dim streetlights, as if it absorbed the very darkness around them. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing.
"Well, well." A familiar voice broke through the moment.
Hikari turned sharply. From the shadows behind him, a figure stepped forward, moving with effortless grace. A smirk played on his lips as he studied Hikari with approving eyes.
"Sorry, Hikari. I was late."
Master Ryu.
The man folded his arms, nodding toward the weapon in Hikari's grip. "You handled yourself pretty well back there. Didn't expect you to learn that trick so soon."
Hikari blinked, still trying to make sense of it all. "What… what is this?" he murmured, looking at the shadow-forged blade in his hands.
Master Ryu chuckled, extending his own hand. From the darkness around him, an identical sword materialized, forming as seamlessly as mist gathering in the cold air.
"That, my boy, is the Legendary Sword of the Shadows. And it looks like you just unlocked one of our most advanced techniques."
"Our?" Hikari repeated, his grip tightening on the weapon. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Master Ryu's smirk widened. "You thought you were the only one?"
A chill ran down Hikari's spine. He had spent so long believing he was alone in this power. But if Master Ryu was hinting at something more… then that meant there were others.
And if there were others like him—who were they?
And more importantly…
What did that mean for him?