OLAMILEKAN:
Joshua and I ran towards Kairin in hopes of saving Dorian, who was in its grip, from getting killed. Joshua, ahead of me, stretched his hands holding twin blades wide. Kairin, while still holding Dorian with its right hand, stretched out its left hand towards Joshua, then its long claws, sharper than a knife, shot out of its fingers, headed straight for Joshua with unimaginable speed. But Joshua was able to counter that speed as he vanished through his shadow. He then reappeared behind Kairin immediately, swinging his sword horizontally, aiming straight for Kairin's head. But Kairin dodged with ease, then punched Joshua right in his stomach, sending him flying, tumbling into a building.
With the short amount of distraction Joshua created, I appeared right in front of Kairin. Kairin was slow to react but still managed to dodge—but I had already achieved my mission. My strike sliced off its arm, the one holding Dorian, freeing him from its grip. I quickly set Dorian down close to the wall of a collapsed building, ensuring he was safe before turning back to face Kairin.
Kairin stood there, staring at its severed arm on the ground. It then looked at me, its face twisting in pure rage. "How... dare you. How. Dare. HUMANNN!" Kairin screamed, its voice sounding like a sharp knife cutting through metal, terrifying and filled with fury.
Immediately, its sliced arm regenerated, tendrils of flesh twisting together unnaturally. I had no time to be shocked as Kairin lunged toward me, its speed unimaginable. I barely managed to react in time, swinging my sword, but it dodged and countered with a vicious swipe. We exchanged blows at speeds beyond what a normal human could comprehend. My sword clashed against its claws, each strike sending sparks and shockwaves into the surroundings.
At first, I thought I was holding my own. I was matching its speed, reading its movements, countering its strikes. Confidence surged through me—but that confidence shattered as Kairin suddenly increased its speed, leaving me struggling to keep up.
I leaped backward, trying to create space. But Kairin didn't give me the chance. Before I could react, it vanished in a blur, appearing in front of me while I was still mid-air. I tried to swing my sword, but before my arm could move, Kairin's punch landed square on my face. The force sent me tumbling, crashing through a building that collapsed upon impact.
Joshua roared in fury, his shadow magic swirling around him like a living storm. He emerged from the rubble, his eyes blazing with power. He dashed forward, his body sinking into the shadows, then reappeared above Kairin. His first strike landed—a clean cut across Kairin's chest. Black blood oozed from the wound.
Joshua didn't stop there. He vanished again, reappearing by Kairin's side, slashing through its leg. Kairin snarled, twisting to strike back, but Joshua disappeared before it could land a hit. He emerged behind it again, stabbing both of his swords deep into its back. Kairin shrieked, swinging wildly, but Joshua once again melted into the shadows.
His shadow abilities were evolving mid-battle. He was faster, sharper—more dangerous. He reappeared a final time above Kairin, twisting in the air before slamming his sword straight into its shoulder, pinning it momentarily to the ground.
For the first time, Kairin let out a roar of pain. But it wasn't done. Its body convulsed, a sickening cracking sound filling the air as it regenerated at a terrifying rate. Joshua leaped back, but Kairin's claw shot out, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the ground.
I pulled myself out of the rubble, blood trickling down my face. My body ached, but I couldn't stop. Kairin was gaining the upper hand. I summoned seven swords of light, sending them hurtling toward it. It dodged three, but the rest impaled its limbs, pinning it for a brief second.
That second was all I needed. I surged forward, sword in hand, ready to finish this—but Kairin's speed once again outmatched mine. It broke free in an instant and met me head-on. A flurry of strikes rained down on me. Claws tore through my skin, punches cracked my ribs, kicks sent me reeling. Blood splattered from my wounds as I struggled to stand my ground.
A final devastating punch sent me crashing into the ground. I coughed violently, blood spilling from my mouth. My vision blurred. My body was screaming, refusing to move. I was losing consciousness.
Then—something changed.
A dark energy surged through me, cold and suffocating. Unlike the warmth of my light magic, this power was chilling, like an abyss wrapping itself around my soul. My veins pulsed with an unfamiliar force as my body, broken and battered, began to heal itself at an unnatural rate. My vision cleared, my wounds closed, and an overwhelming presence took hold within me.
The darkness had awakened.