Five days have passed since that incident at school, and although I try to lose myself in music and drawing, the feeling of guilt still clings to me. The school closed temporarily. If I had been braver, my sister wouldn't have been hurt, and Kiyo wouldn't have had to face that chaos alone. The news insists it was just a simple robbery, but I saw something far worse. Monsters. Creatures that seemed straight out of nightmares, looking for something that, for a second, I thought they were looking for me.
This afternoon, Minata barged into my room with her usual energy that contrasts so much with my lethargy. She asked me to go to the park with her, but I didn't feel like going out. Despite my refusals, she eventually bribed me with the promise of a chocolate dessert. She's always known how to manipulate me. While she got ready, I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to tidy up my white, curly hair. My tired green eyes stared back at me. I knew the real reason she wanted to go to the park was to see Kiyo—it was clear he had always been her refuge.
Minata came down a few minutes later, wearing denim shorts and a sleeveless top. Her two golden braids framed her carefree smiling face, swaying with her movements.
"I'm ready."
"Let's go," I replied, without much enthusiasm, but unable to refuse.
I left her at the park, surrounded by children laughing and running, and couples holding hands. Minata fit in so well there. She always had that ease of adapting, of being part of any place she went to. I, on the other hand, have never bothered trying. It's not that I feel uncomfortable or out of place, I just prefer to stay on the sidelines. It's easier that way.
I began to ride away on my bike, the fresh wind against my face. It was a pleasant sensation, almost as if everything was in place for a few minutes. But it didn't last long. As I turned a corner, a bright light stopped me in my tracks.
My hands trembled on the handlebars, and sweat dripped down my forehead. Then I saw it. A figure emerged from that light: a being wrapped in black armor, purple veins pulsing in the cracks of its shell. On its back, a large sword, decorated with runes glowing with an ethereal shine. It didn't belong to this world. I knew it as soon as I saw it.
"Shit... what do I do?" I thought, fear taking hold of me. My heart was pounding so hard I thought my ribs would break. It was like that time at school when terror paralyzed me. But I couldn't let it happen again. I couldn't ruin Minata's day, not again. "Dad always told me to be brave, but... how?"
The being advanced, its footsteps echoing as if the very ground protested its presence.
"Hey, kid. Come with me. If you cooperate, you won't get hurt."
Without thinking, my body reacted instinctively. I pedaled with all my strength, the wind cutting across my face as I sped away. But then, in an instant, the being appeared in front of me. I didn't have time to react before crashing into its armor. It was like hitting solid rock.
"I'll say this one last time. I am Natzuku. Come with me and work for our—"
I tried to get up from the ground, but fear had paralyzed me. My body refused to move. I could barely breathe.
"I'll take that as a 'yes, I'll come without putting up more resistance,'" Natzuku said with disdain.
Suddenly, a rock hit his helmet. Natzuku turned sharply, and there stood Minata and Kiyo, firm and determined.
"Hey, leave him alone!" my sister yelled.
Natzuku's eyes narrowed as he observed Kiyo more closely.
"So, you're the boy who defeated the last ones we sent. Interesting."
Kiyo laughed, flashing a confident smile.
"Me, interesting? Well, I've always had that effect," he said arrogantly, winking at Minata.
"Let's make this more fun," Kiyo added, stepping forward. "You let the kid go, you get lost, and leave us alone. Or, option two: I kick your ass, and you let him go anyway."
Natzuku let out a deep, dark laugh.
"You? A mere human defeating someone like me? That confidence will lead to a fall you won't survive."
"Who says I won't survive?"
Natzuku looked down for a moment.
"I don't have time for games. I'll take this boy and—" his eyes scanned the area. "Wait, where is he?"
I had taken advantage of his distraction and crawled close enough to Kiyo.
"Fine, if you want a fight, I'll give you one," Natzuku growled, his patience running thin.
The first attack came with brutal speed. Kiyo barely had time to dodge, moving purely on instinct. When he tried to counterattack, his fist slammed into Natzuku's armor as if hitting a steel wall. The pain was instant, shooting through his hand and up his arm.
"You were warned, kid. You can't hurt me," Natzuku said, smiling cruelly before landing a heavy blow to Kiyo's face, knocking him to the ground. Blood trickled from his nose.
"Well... I wasn't expecting that," Kiyo said, still smiling despite the pain.
Barely managing to stand, he grabbed a rock from the ground. With all his strength, he hurled it at Natzuku's helmet, barely causing a small dent.
"I admit, you're strong for your age, but that smile of yours is starting to annoy me."
Before Kiyo could even react, Natzuku kneed him hard in the stomach, leaving him winded and dazed. Without giving him a chance to recover, he grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the ground with brutal force. With a heavy and firm hand, Natzuku pressed Kiyo's head against the dirt, immobilizing him completely.
"I want you to wipe that smug smile off your face."
Seeing what was happening, Minata ran toward them without hesitation. She tried to push Natzuku with all her might, but it was useless; her efforts had no effect at all. With almost insulting ease, Natzuku lifted Kiyo like a rag doll and threw him several meters into the air. Kiyo's body flew uncontrollably before crashing brutally to the ground, bouncing once before lying still.
"You threw a rock at me, didn't you, girl?" Natzuku said, walking toward Minata, a cruel smile on his face.
As Natzuku advanced toward Minata, my heart raced. Everything in me screamed to run, to get as far away as possible. The fear was suffocating, like a noose tightening around my throat. What could I, weak and terrified, do against something so monstrous? But then I saw my sister's eyes, glowing with bravery. This time, I couldn't fail her.
With a surge of courage I didn't know I had, I rushed toward Natzuku and stepped between him and Minata.
"I... won't... let you... hurt her," I managed to say, my voice trembling with fear.
Natzuku looked at me with indifference.
"This is getting boring."
Kiyo reappeared behind him and, with all his strength, threw himself at Natzuku, trying to rip off his helmet. Though he didn't succeed, Natzuku, irritated, grabbed him forcefully and threw him to the ground with a rough motion. Without giving him a chance to react, he started kicking him repeatedly.
"Leave him alone!" Minata screamed, tears in her eyes.
Natzuku stopped his assault, observing Minata's tears with a malevolent smile.
"Oh, look at her cry. Enough of this. It's time to take my prey."
Before I could react, Natzuku struck me in the stomach, knocking the breath out of me. He slung me over his shoulder as a dark portal opened in front of us. Minata tried to block his path.
"You're brave, girl. But now, move aside," Natzuku said, hitting her across the face.
That blow ignited something inside me. A fury I hadn't felt before. Kiyo reacted too, and together, we attacked. We did the impossible: we knocked Natzuku's helmet off. Surprised, he dropped me.
"Take the helmet and run!" Kiyo shouted.
But I wasn't going to run. Not this time.
The helmet fell to the ground, revealing Natzuku's face. His long, intense blue hair hung in messy strands around his face, his eyes burning with fury. His skin, adorned with strange dark tattoos pulsing with a sinister energy, was marked by a deep scar running across his jaw.
Several people nearby began to notice what was happening. The witnesses, bewildered, stopped for a moment, watching as the imposing figure brutally attacked a young man. Some silently took out their phones to call the police, while others quickly backed away.
Kiyo lunged forward, his fist finally connecting with Natzuku's jaw. The impact was solid, but it barely made him step back. The monster didn't even show signs of pain.
Natzuku countered swiftly. A fist aimed at Kiyo with deadly speed, but he barely managed to dodge it, retaliating with a kick that struck Natzuku's face. However, the damage seemed minimal, as if his skin was as tough as the armor he had worn earlier.
"We took off the helmet, but it's not enough," Kiyo thought through clenched teeth. "His skin is as hard as steel. I need more than just my fists to take him down."
As Kiyo struggled to keep up with the fight, Kirata saw an opening. Despite the fear, he ran toward Natzuku from behind, taking advantage of the fact that his attention was focused on Kiyo, and hit him with all his strength using the helmet. The impact resounded with a dry crack, stunning Natzuku for a brief moment. A fleeting second, but enough.
"Take this!" Kirata shouted, throwing the helmet to Kiyo, who caught it with a shaky smile.
Natzuku, noticing their intentions, reacted with inhuman speed. In one fluid motion, he drew the enormous sword that had been hanging on his back. The sword grew in size upon contact with his hands, feeding off his energy. With overwhelming speed, he charged at Kiyo.
Although Kiyo managed to dodge the first strike, the blade of the sword grazed his chest, leaving a deep wound that sliced through his shirt and began to soak in blood. The pain was intense, and Kiyo felt the energy he had moments ago start to fade. Exhaustion took hold of him, and his body began to fail. He fell to his knees, coughing up blood as he felt his chest burn as if it were on fire.
"Look who's reached his limit," Natzuku mocked, walking slowly toward him, sword in hand.
In the blink of an eye, Natzuku raised his sword, ready to decapitate Kiyo. But in one last desperate effort, Kiyo rolled to the side, barely dodging the attack. Natzuku's sword slammed into the ground with a deafening crash, sending pieces of dirt and rock flying into the air.
"Why does my chest hurt so much?... Everything burns... but... the exhaustion... it's going away. What's happening?" Kiyo thought, feeling a strange sensation begin to course through his body.
Despite the pain and exhaustion, something inside him shifted. The fatigue that had been crushing him started to fade, replaced by a renewed energy. Natzuku kept swinging his sword furiously, but Kiyo, as if revitalized, dodged every attack with impossible precision. His arrogant smile returned to his face, and confidence surged through his veins like fire.
"What the hell is wrong with you, kid?!" Natzuku shouted, frustrated, as he launched attack after attack, all in vain.