The loud bang startles us from our peaceful stargazing. I jump to my feet, heart racing, and scan the horizon. The thick black smoke I noticed earlier is billowing up from the lower level of the city.
"We need to check that out," I say, already moving towards the gates of the Minazuki estate.
Aimi and Kajiwara quickly follow, their faces etched with concern. We race through the streets, descending to the lower levels as fast as we can. The smell of smoke grows stronger, and shouting fills the air.
Rounding a corner, we come face to face with chaos. The police station is in shambles, windows shattered, doors hanging off their hinges. Officers lie scattered on the ground, some moaning in pain, others unnervingly still.
"What happened here?" Aimi gasps, rushing to the nearest officer.
The officer, a middle-aged woman with a nasty gash on her forehead, struggles to sit up. "It was... a jailbreak," she manages to say between labored breaths. "The masked oni... the ones the hero caught... Someone came for them. Used nunchucks. Too fast... too strong."
My blood runs cold. The nunchuck Oni came here to save his niece and nephew. Are they going to hurt the citizens next?
Kajiwara kneels beside another officer, using his earth magic to create a makeshift splint for the man's broken arm. "We need to help these people," he says, with determination.
I nod, about to agree, when something catches my eye. Through a shattered window, I see three figures darting away into the shadows. My heart drops as I recognize the silhouettes of the masked oni siblings and their nunchuck-wielding rescuer.
"Aimi, Kajiwara, stay here and help the injured," I say quickly. "I'm going after them."
Before they can protest, I'm off, racing through the window and into the night. The cool air whips past my face as I run, following the fleeing figures through winding alleys and narrow streets.
After a while the three masked oni were cornered nowhere left to go.
The nunchuck uncle sighs, "I didn't want to hurt you, kid, but you left me no choice. I see I broke your arm last time we met." He pulls his nunchucks from his back pocket and starts to approach me, spinning them in one hand.
With no way to defend myself, I take a step back, my left arm still broken. But then I notice it doesn't hurt anymore. I take off the cast and sling, realizing it's fully healed. I'm guessing that when my powers are released for the first time after taking a break, my body heals any injured parts, like when I fought with Kajiwara.
The nunchuck guy stops approaching me for a second. "Huh, I was sure that I shattered your arm." He then shrugs it off like it was nothing and continues approaching me.
I close my eyes, visualizing the Reaper's magic flowing from my heart and spreading throughout my body. I feel a tingling sensation as the magic surges, concentrating it in my palms. When I open my eyes, I see a faint, dark aura surrounding my hands.
What the—how come I'm able to use it now? I swear it works whenever it feels like it. This power is so unpredictable.
"What? How come I'm sensing magic from you now? You didn't have any before..." the nunchuck guy asks, genuinely confused, his eyes narrowing as he tries to comprehend the sudden change.
"Don't think I'll let you get away after thrashing me and my friends around like rag dolls!" I shout, my voice trembling with fierce anger. The Reaper's magic surges through me, seeping into the air and creating an aura of dread and murderous intent. The temperature around us seems to drop, the very atmosphere heavy with the dark energy emanating from my body.
With one eye, everyone seems to have a red tint emanating from their bodies. Without giving the nunchuck guy a chance to react, I coat my fists in dark energy and charge at him with lightning speed.
The nunchuck guy tries to block with an X shape formed by his nunchucks, but the dark energy enhances my punch, sending him crashing into the brick wall with a powerful impact.
"UNCLE!!" His niece and nephew shout in unison, their voices filled with alarm.
A thick cloud of dust billows from the impact. Kajiwara and Aimi catch up to me, standing behind me with worried expressions.
-Aimi's Perspective-
"This—this aura is like when Masa fought me," Kajiwara's voice trembles as he recalls our duel, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and recognition.
"M-Masa... Is that you?" Aimi asks, her voice filled with concern as she clasps her hands over her chest. She's desperately hoping it's still him beneath the dark energy.
The air is charged with a malevolent force. The dark energy emanating from Masa is extreme, making the temperature drop significantly. It feels as if Masa is on the brink of unleashing a deadly force, indifferent to who gets caught in the crossfire.
Masa slowly turns around, his fists glowing with magic and energy. "Don't worry, it's me," he says, smiling, though one of his eyes has turned red.
Gradually, his energy starts to dissipate. Soon, I can no longer feel his Reaper powers. It seems he either can't control them for long or, now that we've arrived, he doesn't want to endanger us.
The nunchuck guy emerges from the smoke, his mask cracked, holding one arm. The bricks he smashed into are destroyed.
How in the world was Masa able to send this maniac crashing? Last time, the three of us together couldn't even beat him.
"N-no way..." the nunchuck guy murmurs under his breath. "Activate the spell now!" he shouts with all his remaining energy.
Suddenly, his nephew activates a magic circle, creating a thick smog that blocks our vision.
Masa's Perspective
I stumble around in the smog, looking for them. "We can't let them get away with this!" I tell Kajiwara and Aimi.
As the smog clears, I frantically search the area, but the nunchuck guy and the oni siblings are nowhere to be found. Frustration wells up inside me as I realize they've escaped.
"Damn it!" I punch the nearby wall, wincing as pain shoots through my knuckles.
Kajiwara puts a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, take it easy. You did more than any of us could."
Aimi nods in agreement. "He's right, Masa. That was... incredible. Scary, but incredible."
As we search the alley for any clues they might have left behind, something catches my eye. Half-hidden beneath some debris is a small, leather-bound book. I pick it up, brushing off the dust.
"What's that?" Aimi asks, peering over my shoulder.
I flip through the pages. Most of it seems to be written in some kind of language which I have never seen before.
"I think... I think this might be important," I say, tucking the book into my pocket. "We should head back and report what happened. I'll look into this later."
As we turn around, we hear heavy footsteps approaching. Sora and Kaito seemingly appear out of thin air from the corner of the alleyway entrance.
"What the hell happened? Are you alright?" Kaito asks, his worry directed more towards Kajiwara and Aimi.
"Yeah, everything is fine. Masa was able to fend them off. The oni cult came and bailed their friends out," Aimi says, her voice tinged with shame at our inability to stop them.
"Shit! I wasn't done interrogating them," Sora adds, frustration evident in his tone, even more intense than mine.
Kaito scoffs. "Masa? They must be weaker than I thought." He laughs, clutching his stomach. "How did you guys almost die last encounter?"
"Brother!" Aimi yells at Kaito, disappointment evident in her voice.
I look down, forming fists with both of my hands at my sides. Then I lift my head and meet his eyes. "Maybe they are weaker. Or maybe you just can't tell the difference because you've never faced anything stronger than your own ego."
Kaito's laughter fades as he meets my determined stare, and an awkward silence hangs in the air.
"How dare you talk against a Royal? Has your dad not taught you any manners?" Kaito growls, his eyes narrowing.
He raises his hand, and a strange, swirling gray energy envelops his fingers. The air around us thickens, and I feel a sense of dread. "Vapor Magic: Water Mist Veil!" he shouts, and suddenly, I'm engulfed by a dense, choking smoke. It feels like a thousand suffocating tendrils wrapping around me, not just blocking my vision but filling my lungs with a heavy, stifling weight.
The force of the attack sends me flying backward, and I crash into the same place where I had sent the oni guy earlier. My vision blurs, and I struggle to catch my breath.
Aimi rushes over, grabbing her brother by the arm. "What the hell, Kaito? What's your problem?" she shouts, her voice breaking with frustration.
"Shut up, Aimi," Kaito snaps, pushing her away with a rough swipe of his arm. "This peasant has made you soft! Remember your role as a proud royal!"
Aimi is sent stumbling backward into Kajiwara and Sora, who rush to steady her. Kaito's heavy footsteps echo ominously as he approaches me. His voice drips with insult. "Is it that your dad died in a ditch, or perhaps your mother did instead?"
He conjures a dense, swirling mist, shaping it into a tight collar around my neck. The collar constricts painfully, and I claw at it in a attempt to loosen its grip.
The pressure mounts, and I can barely breathe. My vision blurs as I slump against the wall, my legs stretched out in front of me. My breaths come in shallow gasps.
"My d-dad dying in a ditch?" I manage to croak out with the last of my strength. My eyes blaze with anger, despite the agony.
How dare he insult my father like that? I'll make sure this bastard pays for his arrogance. I swear, he won't get away with this.