A heavy pulse of energy flooded Hikari's senses, his breath hitching as the fire-clad figure charged straight toward them. The intensity of its presence sent a primal warning through his body, every fiber screaming at him to run.
But instead, he planted his feet firmly on the pavement, Mitsumi and her mother standing frozen behind him.
The night, once calm and quiet, now burned with an eerie orange glow. Shadows flickered erratically across the pavement as the flames roared, consuming the air with their heat. The figure's molten eyes locked onto Hikari, its burning form pulsing with sheer ferocity.
"Get away from—"
The fiery assailant barely finished his sentence before Hikari reacted. With a sharp inhale, he dissolved into shadow, his form stretching and gliding across the ground like an ink stain flowing through the cracks of the earth. The sensation still felt unnatural—his body wasn't meant to move like this—but he had no time to hesitate.
The moment he reached the figure's foot, he shifted back to human form and swept his leg outward. A startled grunt rang through the night as the fiery man lost balance, crashing onto the pavement with a forceful thud.
For an instant, Hikari felt a rush of triumph. But then—
"Sloppy," a voice muttered. "Too predictable."
A blur of red flames erupted beneath him, and before he could react, a fist wreathed in searing fire shot upward. The impact struck his ribs, sending him skidding backward across the pavement. Pain bloomed through his side, his breath escaping in a ragged cough.
Hikari scrambled to his feet, eyes darting to the figure rising from the ground. The flames hadn't even flickered when he fell, and now they swirled around his form with even greater intensity.
However there was something else—his face. The shadows wavered just enough to reveal sharp, familiar features beneath the fire.
With a shocked expression, Mitsumi gasped, her eyes widening as she understood what was going on. "Dad?!"
Hikari's brain nearly short-circuited. The last thing he expected to hear from Mitsumi was that word.
Dad?!
Mitsumi's father stood before him, flames licking at his skin like living entities, yet he remained entirely unburned. His expression was unreadable, but there was something teasing in his eyes as he flexed his fingers, the fire responding with eager bursts of movement.
"Well," he mused, cracking his knuckles. "That was an interesting attempt, kid. But if you're going to attack someone, make sure they don't get back up."
The words barely had time to register before he moved. Fire surged, and in the blink of an eye, he was on Hikari again.
A flaming foot shot toward his head. Hikari barely ducked in time, feeling the heat graze his hair. Instinct screamed for him to retaliate, so he shifted into shadow once more, slipping beneath Mitsumi's father's feet.
"Again. Predictable," the older man remarked.
A sudden explosion of blue flames ignited beneath Hikari, forcing him back into his solid form. He staggered, caught off guard, and that hesitation was all Mitsumi's father needed. A blazing fist slammed into his shoulder, spinning him midair before he crashed onto the ground.
Pain pulsed through his limbs, but Hikari gritted his teeth. He wouldn't lose. He refused to. Even if his movements were sloppy, even if he didn't fully understand his abilities yet—he couldn't back down.
Shadows curled around his fingers as he pushed himself up, his breath heavy. "Again," he muttered.
Mitsumi's father arched a brow, a small smirk forming. "Oh? You're still standing? Impressive." He gestured with his hand, the fire around him flaring wildly. "Then come on. Show me what else you've got."
Adrenaline surged through Hikari's veins as he lunged forward, the shadows around his body shifting erratically. He aimed a strike toward Mitsumi's father's ribs, but the man sidestepped effortlessly, his flames twisting like an extension of his will. Hikari barely had time to counter when a spinning kick caught him in the chest, sending him sprawling once more.
"Tch~ Too slow."
Hikari groaned, coughing against the pavement. His vision blurred for a moment before sharpening. He could feel it—something within him stirring. The frustration, the desperation to win, the refusal to be humiliated again.
The shadows around him writhed.
And then—
Chains erupted from his hands. No, they were more like tape, bindings that had the form and shade of a shadow.
Dark, swirling binds of pure shadow shot toward Mitsumi's father with blinding speed. They wrapped around his arms and legs, tightening as though they had a mind of their own.
For the first time, Mitsumi's father's expression shifted.
"What the—?!"
Hikari barely registered what he had done. His breath came in shallow pants, his body trembling from exertion. The chains felt… powerful. Like an extension of himself, bound to his will.
But then, something else happened.
The red flames that had enveloped Mitsumi's father flickered.
Then, before Hikari's eyes, they turned blue.
A powerful wave of energy burst forth, the heat intensifying, but instead of feeling oppressive, it felt… different. The flames no longer burned chaotically. They moved with grace, controlled and honed to precision.
Mitsumi's father exhaled, glancing down at his own hands. "Huh," he murmured. "Didn't expect that."
Hikari barely had time to react before the chains snapped. A mere flick of Mitsumi's father's wrist, and the bindings unraveled, dissipating into the night like mist.
He stepped forward, lowering his flames, his expression unreadable once more. Then, with a sigh, he patted Hikari on the shoulder—right where the pain still lingered.
"Not bad, kid. Sloppy, but not bad."
Hikari blinked. "What—?"
"You awakened something there," Mitsumi's father continued, rubbing his chin. "Shadow Binds, huh? That's a rare one. But you've got zero control over it."
Hikari scowled. "I—"
A sharp flick to his forehead cut him off. "Don't get cocky," Mitsumi's father said with a grin. "You lost this fight."
Hikari frowned but couldn't argue. His body ached all over, and if Mitsumi's father had been serious, he'd have been reduced to a pile of cinders long ago.
The older man turned away, stretching his arms. "We'll call it here for tonight." He glanced at Mitsumi, who had been watching with wide, fascinated eyes.
Mitsumi nodded eagerly. "Wah~! That was amazing, Hikari!"
Heat rose to his cheeks, and he quickly looked away. "I-It was nothing."
Mitsumi's father smirked. "Keep thinking that, kid. You've got a long way to go."
He then turned around, hands in his pockets as he headed towards his wife and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm home," He sweetly said.
"Welcome back, love," Mitsumi's mom greeted back, hugging her husband.
Hikari exhaled slowly as he nodded his head, his hands still tingling from the strange new power he had awakened. A long way to go, huh?
He clenched his fists.
After saying goodbye to the family, he decided to head home, the encounter still lingering in his mind. Ever since he became the successor of the shadow manipulator, he had met a number of irregulars in a span of a couple of days.
Something tells him that this was just the beginning, however.
"Hey, kid, wait up." Mitsumi's dad then flared up once again as he turned around. "I seem to be forgetting something..."
Before Hikari could react, a ball of fire hit him squarely on the head.