'Patriarch Ajax shouldn't have arrived by now... I wonder why he didn't come yet,' Lady Isabella thought.
"What's wrong Lady Isabella?" Bear Aidan asked innocently.
Lady Isabella, looking at her dark, destroyed playhouse, shouted in frustration, "Ahh, someone quickly come clean this mess up!" as she couldn't stand seeing any messiness.
...
Theo, having just saved a peculiar man who couldn't resist making jokes even in the midst of chaos, headed towards the designated meeting point where he and Lennox had planned to regroup. However, upon his arrival, he was greeted with a surprising sight Lennox soaring through the air, his eyes widened in astonishment.
Theo smiled and chuckled, "Dam...Nox, why are you always flying in the air? Are you a kite?" he joked out loud. "I guess I needed to find you before going to the dark giant," he continued.
As Theo dashed through the city, to follow Lennox to wherever he might crash land, he couldn't ignore the peculiar changes around him. The city, despite it still being midday, started to grow darker. A sense of unease crept over Theo as he pondered the unnatural shift in daylight. Why would the city be getting darker in the middle of the day?
Amidst his concerns about the darkening surroundings, Theo suddenly felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck. This sensation was familiar to him it signaled danger. Someone was either preparing to attack him or observing him with intense scrutiny.
'Who's looking to kill me, especially when the city is in danger?' Theo thought, his mind racing.
Theo, reacting swiftly to the tingling sensation and the imminent danger, turned around just in time to avoid a direct attack. However, he felt a sharp cut on his neck, causing a slight spray of blood. As he assessed the injury, he also noticed a small, shadowy wisp floating around a presence that eluded the perception of untrained eyes.
Recognizing the unseen threat, Theo knew he was dealing with a someone who could manipulate shadows or conceal themselves within them.
Theo placed his hand on the back of his neck, trying to stop the blood flow. "Who are you... you surely have no reason to attack me," he questioned, searching for answers why now.
"..." Instead of whoever attacked him answer back, instead multiple black shuriken hurtled toward him, he acted swiftly, deciding to employ his air manipulation to deflect them. However, in a surprising turn of events, a shadow mist emerged from the shuriken at the last second, transforming them into shadowy projectiles that pierced through the air manipulation and directly into his chest before dissipating, Theo felt the impact and pain in his chest, though momentarily caught off guard, he remained vigilant.
"So, you suddenly attacked me and decided to hide?" why don't you at least tell me who you are? Theo said out.
"Hmm... Alright, I'm Shadow, a shadow," a voice echoed eerily from everywhere around him.
Theo scratched his head, "So, your name is Shadow, and you're a shadow?" he said, bewildered." "Shadow? Really? Could you be any more cliche?"
"Yes, and there won't be anyone standing in the way of my LORD'S return to conquest."
Theo quickly turned to the voice of Shadow that sounded the loudest, "So that dark giant...he's your LORD?" Theo said. 'Damn, it seem we chose the wrong fight.'
Theo, swiftly conjured a ball of air and shot it at the area where he sensed the strongest presence of the shadow. The air ball landed by a destroyed stone wall, but to Theo's dismay, there was no sign of movement or the sound of shadow.
"Well, Shadow, if you are so strong or weak that you need to hide?" Theo taunted, looking around for the spot where Shadow was hiding.
"I, Shadow, may be in my weakest form, but it's more than enough to defeat you," the voice sounded everywhere around Theo again, but mainly from a different place this time.
Theo opened his hand to show that he was off guard. "Why don't you come fight me face to face?" he taunted.
"Why would I do that when I'm a shadow?" Shadow replied.
"Well, you're a subordinate of a king. why don't you have more dignity and show me at a higher standard if you think you will defeat me" Theo taunted.
"..." Shadow didn't answer back but suddenly a appearance of a shadowy ninja materialized before Theo, clad in form-fitting, midnight-black ninja garb that seemed to absorb light. In the absence of distinct facial features, the only visible elements were their eyes an otherworldly purple glow emanating with an intense and eerie brilliance. Twin katanas rested on their back, surrounded by shadowy smoke that clung to their figure.
"So, that's how you look, pretty simple. You don't seem to be actually a shadow," Theo said.
"What? I am a shadow a shadow!" Shadow shouted back, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice.
Shadow swiftly unsheathed his twin katanas, the moonlight glinting off the razor-sharp blades. With a fluid motion, he assumed a battle stance, his eyes gleaming with a deadly intensity. In an instant, the shadow vanished into the shadows, leaving no trace for Theo to follow.
Unfazed, Theo conjuring a fierce gust of air on his palm. The air surged forward like a tunnel, a powerful force aimed at unveiling Shadow's concealed presence. Theo spun around, eyes scanning for any sign of them.
As Theo unleashed the air tunnel, a sudden disturbance rippled through the shadows. The concealed shadow were pushed back, their shadowy forms briefly revealed amidst they shadowy smoke. Caught off guard, Shadow braced themself against the rushing air.
Just as quickly as they appeared, the shadow vanished once more, slipping through the air like ghosts. This time, however, they reappeared with a breathtaking flourish Shadow reappeared high above Theo, defying gravity. The katanas descended like a deadly rain, aimed at Theo below. managing to dodge one katana but not the other as it sliced down his back thankfully not to deep.
'Damn it, I need somewhere with light. Also, I need an opening for an attack,' Theo thought as he realized that Shadow, even when face to face, would use the darkness around him to his advantage. Quickly looking around, he saw a part of the city that still had a little sunlight, so he dashed toward it.
"Why are you running from Shadow? Didn't you want to fight Shadow face to face?" Shadow shouted, his voice echoing through the surroundings.
Theo shouted while running away, "I'm not running! I'm strategically repositioning to a better lit area. It's called tactics!"
As Theo sprinted towards the source of sunlight, a feeling of impending danger gnawed at him. Sensing a presence behind him, he abruptly pivoted, his eyes narrowing. With a swift swing of his hand, a weapon materialized in his grasp.
The sudden motion wasn't just a defensive reflex; it was a reaction to the relentless pursuit of shadow. The haunting echo of they footstep was still heard by Theo.
With unparalleled speed, The weapon Theo summoned cut through the air, as shadow didn't have time to react As the blade sliced through shadow's chest, a surreal sight unfolded. There was no blood, no mortal wound only an eerie mist of darkness emanated from the wound.
The weapon Theo gripped is his Aerial Blade Emitter an impressive weapon crafted with a handle made of lightweight yet durable metal alloy. The weapon incorporated an intuitive activation mechanism, allowing for the swift deployment of two pointed blades made of pure, compressed air, as he activated the Aerial Blade Emitter again. The blades materialized with a subtle hum, leaving behind a trail of shimmering, residual air particles in.
Shadow looked at Theo's Aerial Blade Emitter. "So, that's the reason you ran away, but it still won't be of any help," they said, a sense of confidence in their voice.
Silence hung in the air as Theo without uttering a word, he directed the weapon at the encroaching shadow, with a sudden burst of speed the Aerial Blade Emitter unleashed a torrent of compressed air. The invisible force materialized into a tangible ball of sheer powerful air ball, hurtling towards the shadow before it could comprehend the impending assault. The impact struck the shadow square in the chest, propelling it backward with explosive force.
Yet, at that moment an unexpected turn. In the midst of the airborne shadow, two arrows materialized out of nowhere. Swift and precise, they found their mark in the head and chest of shadow. They form expanded, swelling as if absorbing the very essence of the arrows, the shadow erupted into a explosion of shadowy smoke. The shadow smoke, swirling and reformed into a form that soared away.
The destination became clear as the shadow smoke raced toward the dark giant.
Theo was shocked, quickly looking toward where the arrows came from. He spotted Kira on top a building, aiming her bow down, with him falling to his knees and shouting "Oh,My savior! Thank you, Kira!" he exclaimed, grateful for her unexpected assistance.