Nox stared in horror at the broken necklace on that lay on the ground, the necklace that had moments ago hung around the neck of the boy. The shadows continued to crawl out of the hole they opened in the middle of the shopping district. People began to scream and back away hoping to escape from the beast. Their escape was quickly stopped as four beasts leaped high into the air over the crowd, blocking their escape. With stalls filling the sides of the road and the shadows surrounding the crowd every civilian couldn't escape. The last remaining shadow, the largest of the group, pulled itself from the hole before letting out a roar in victory.
"No," Nox whimpered, "this can't be happening. That boy...Is dead."
"Dead?" A voice asked from above.
In a flash, a figure landed before her. Their knees bent as they landed and after several seconds they stood with their hands in their pockets. Nox quickly realized whose voice she had just heard. Before her stood the boy she had seen in an explosion just moments ago.
"I don't plan on dying for a while," the boy said with a chuckle. He looked over his shoulder to Nox, a smile plastered on his face. "Also, my name's not Sir, you can call me Hitsu." With those words, he turned his attention back to the largest shadow. Hitsu walked towards the beast without hesitation, he cracked his knuckles with anticipation.
"Hey, freak!" Hitsu shouted at the shadow. The creature's head snapped in his direction and much to Nox's surprise it began to cower in fear. Like a cornered animal, the creature let out a cry of fear. Reacting immediately, the four other shadows broke their formation and leaped back over the crowd. The five shadows all stood in a line growling at the boy, none of them daring to let Hitsu out of their sight.
"I'll take that as a yes," Hitsu said with a grin.
The shadows fear was apparent to those in attendance and excited whispers began to fill the air.
"Who is that guy?" A man asked.
"Is he a hunter?" Another man whispered
"Maybe he's a guardian," a woman said in a hopeful tone.
"Sorry folks," Hitsu interrupted, silencing the whispers in the process. "But I'm none of those. I'm something much greater." Hitsu stopped his approach and raised a single finger high in the air.
Nox found herself captivated by his confidence, by his fearlessness, by his symbol...
"I am..."
...The symbol...
"...a hero!"
...of a hero.
Nox was forced from her trance by the voices of the civilians, voices that were no longer hushed.
"A hero, are you kidding me?"
"You mean those losers who do odd jobs for money?"
"We're screwed!"
The fearful shopper's words angered Nox.
"What is wrong with these people?" Nox yelled in her mind. "He's the only one brave enough to stand up to these things!"
"Well, this is interesting," Hitsu announced suddenly. The civilians silenced once again and Nox found that the boy had her full attention. "Looks like I have to educate you all." Hitsu's smug smile turned into one of happiness and somehow it seemed to comfort Nox, making her feel safe. She watched in anticipation as Hitsu cupped his hands around his mouth and called out.
"Juno! It's showtime!"
Immediately a large beast jumped through the large pillar of smoke that still rose from the hole in the ground. Nox realized quickly this giant creature was the cat she had seen earlier, but now the feline was much different. Juno was now at least ten times her previous size, she could tower of the boy she was just traveling with. All of the white furs on the cat's body now glowed a powerful pink as it punched towards its prey.
Landing with authority, Juno swung down hard on the shadow that stood to the far right, the smallest of them all. The shadow tried to turn but its attacker gave it no time to do so. With razor-sharp claws, Juno tore three large gashes through the shadow. It cried out in pain as its form seemed to fall apart and it fell apart into a puff of smoke and dispersed. Without giving the other shadows time to react Juno grabbed the closest one in her mouth and swung her head at great speed. At the end of her swing, she released her grip on the creature, sending it flying through the plume of smoke. Juno glanced back to Hitsu before leaping back through the smoke herself, leaving behind only three shadows.
The shadows looked around frantically as they attempted to keep with the attack Hitsu and Juno unleashed on them. After a moment of confusion, the shadows turn their attention back to the threat in front of them.
"No way," Nox whispered in disbelief, "they took two of them out already. This guy is insane.
"Pay attention everyone," Hitsu shouted with a grin. All eyes were now on him as he called out to everybody around, to the civilians, to the shadows, to Nox.
"I'm gonna show you all..."
Suddenly, what seemed like a surge of power rushed through Hitsu. A vibrant pink aura surrounded the boy was he clenched his fist with excited anticipation. Hitsu's once black clothes now looked like a completely different wardrobe. The plainclothes were now covered with dozens of bright pink designs. Smiley faces, flames, lightning bolts, and many more symbols covered Hitsu clothes and filled the blank space. A glowing pink heart sat slightly to the left of Hitsu's chest, placed where his heart was located.
"...what it means to be a hero!"
The crowd noise began to pick up once again as people murmured and whispered in amazement at the boy's sudden boost in energy, but Nox was amazed by a different thing about Hitsu. On the boy's back was a single word that trailed down his spine, a word the shined brighter than any other design, Nox whispered the word aloud.
"Hero."
Nox watched as Hitsu turned his head over his shoulder back at her, his smile even bolder than before.
"He couldn't hear me," Nox thought, "It's like he's telling me something."
Hitsu turned back to the shadows. The three remaining beasts looked poised and ready despite Hitsu's lack of fear.
"I've been chasing you guys for a long time," Hitsu said to the shadows as he readied himself for battle.
"So you guys better put up a good fight."
...
End of Episode 3