-Kajiwara Pespective-
"Sora, we have to do something! I have a really bad feeling about this," I say, worry evident in my voice as flashbacks flood my mind of the time I pushed Masa over the edge.
Admittedly, what Kaito is doing now is no better than what I did to Masa. But when Masa had me in his grip and truly told me how he felt about my actions, it reminded me of my father and how he treated me. If Keiko saw how I treated Masa back then, she'd definitely hate me forever, seeing me as just a clone of our father.
"We can't do anything. We mustn't interfere in other Royal quarrels," Sora sighs.
"But we can't just stand by!" I rebut.
"Kajiwara," Sora's voice softens. "Remember the disaster that happened when our families fought?"
I stand there, dumbfounded. Sora is right; we can't let that happen again. I look down at the ground, frustrated that I can't do anything.
"But what I'm worried about is Kaito's well-being," I let out a faint chuckle.
"Hm? Why so?" Sora asks in disbelief. "I've felt Masa's true magic before, and it wasn't really anything special. But maybe if he were born a Royal, he could have been stronger." He adds.
I look at Masa, who appears on the verge of losing consciousness with the collar around his neck. All I can hear him mumble under his dying breath is, "How—how—how dare you talk about him like that?"
Suddenly, the air around us grows heavy and dark, and a shiver runs down my spine. I know what's coming. Shadows rise from the ground, engulfing Masa's entire body.
"What th- th- hell? Is this??" Kaito stammers, stepping back. "A moment ago, you had no magic, but now it's overflowing within you like a raging river!"
I couldn't believe my eyes; he looked even more enraged than before. What could have happened to his father to make him act like this?
Masa's eyes turn a deep, menacing red, darker than before. His short black hair slowly changes, becoming stark white with streaks of blood red. The temperature drops even further, and his dark aura oozes from his body, thrice as intense as before. It mixes with the air, and with every breath, I can taste his murderous intent.
I fall to my knees, covering my mouth to stop myself from throwing up from the sheer energy radiating from Masa.
I glance to my right and see Sora's knees trembling, though he's holding up better. "Ka- Kajiwara, we need to stop this," he says, his voice shaking. "Don't tell me that Masa is—"
Masa slowly gets up, his injuries healing just like last time we fought. After about thirty seconds, he rises to his feet despite the collar around his neck constricting even tighter.
Masa brings his right hand up to the Mist Magic's collar, coating his hand with his dark energy. The darkness engulfs the collar with ease, dissolving it.
"Kaito, Kaito, my good buddy Kaito!" He cackles with a dark tone. "I'd like you to go visit my father and tell him how I've been doing lately." His voice is raspy, nothing like Masa's soft voice.
"As if!" Kaito laughs, as if unfazed by Masa's transformation. Kaito takes out some personalized blue wand, likely from his family and yells "Vapor Magic: Water Mist Domain." It creates a cloud of mist around all of us, keeping out Masa's dark energy.
I get up, relieved that I can now at least breathe because of Kaito's Mist Domain. I look forward, but my vision is greatly decreased. I can't sense other people's magic, and I can't even see Sora, who was right beside me.
"Sora! Sora! Are you here?" I call out, concerned that he might've gotten caught in the fight.
"Yeah, Kajiwara, I'm here," Sora replies. "Follow my voice," he adds.
As I follow him, I tumble over Aimi's unconscious body. "Sora, can you come here? Aimi's down cold," I ask.
Sora appears from the mist like a phantom, his hands in his pockets. "Are you two alright?"
"Yeah, all good. We just need to stay together," Sora says, relieved.
I look forward to where Masa and Kaito were originally fighting, but all I hear are the sounds of magic clashing.
Aimi slowly opens her eyes and starts to rise up. "What is going on?" she asks, confused as she looks around the Mist Domain.
"Your big brother and Masa are fighting, and it seems like Masa is not himself again. If we don't do something, he's going to go on a rampage!" I tell Aimi, dread creeping into my voice.
All of a sudden, a loud stomp reverberates through the air. From the center of the battlefield, a dark shadow surges forth, swallowing Kaito's Mist Domain. In moments, it feels like we're floating in a void. The ground below us turns jet black, shadows swirling beneath our feet. The sides and above us are also enveloped in the same inky blackness, shadows swimming around as if we're trapped inside a giant, ominous cube.
Aimi clutches my arm, her eyes wide with horror. "What is this place? What has Masa become?"
Kaito, now struggling to stand, looks around in panic. "What... what is this place? Where is my mist?" he gasps, his confidence shattered.
"C'mon, guys! Masa's gone completely mad!" Sora yells, putting his arm out in front of him with his palm up. A strong gust of wind erupts from his hand, pushing Masa away from Kaito.
I quickly draw my wand and shout, "Earth Magic: Earth Boulder!" A massive stone boulder materializes and hurtles towards Masa.
Masa crosses his arms in an X shape, coating them with his dark magic. The boulder disintegrates into nothingness upon contact.
Aimi swiftly takes out her wand and yells, "Water Magic: Jet Bullet!" Multiple water bullets shoot towards Masa, making him stagger as they hit.
"Masa, you've got to come back to yourself!" Sora, Aimi, and I yell in unison.
Masa recovers from the barrage of attacks and slowly rises, his eyes blazing with fury. "What? You think I'll listen to you after what you did to my dad?" His voice is cold and cutting. "If Kaito was about to kill me, none of you would have done anything!" He laughs, a dark, bitter sound, then shouts angrily, "You're all hypocrites!"
His words hang in the air, thick with accusation and rage. The atmosphere grows tense, and the shadows around Masa seem to pulse with his anger. We exchange worried glances, realizing the depth of Masa's turmoil.
"Now it's my turn to return the favor!" Masa conjures a small dark blade with his magic and cuts his finger slightly, dark blood dripping. He then looks up at us and smiles. "Reaper Magic: Reaper Necromancy." Suddenly, two figures start to emerge from the darkness below. One wields a naginata, the other a magic wand. They are both fully skeletal, wearing hooded cloaks that add to their eerie presence.
"Wha- wha—" Aimi's voice trembles. "These are the same people that attacked me and Masa. Has he revived as them... as skeletons?" she says, shocked.
I look over and see Sora's face turn completely white. He murmurs, "No way— I thought it was just a legend, but this confirms my suspicion." Then he slowly says, "Masa is Yoshikawa's Reaper."
The Naginata Skeleton charges towards me, and I yell, "Earth Magic: Mountain Armor!" Rocks cover my entire body, creating armor that stops the Naginata's slashes.
The Magic user sends an icicle hurtling towards Kaito. Aimi stands in front of him, creating a water shield that stops the projectile.
"Yoshikawa's Reaper?" Aimi asks, voicing my own question.
"Yeah, it's the family in charge of looking over Kurayami. They all have outrageous magical powers," Sora explains, his voice steady despite the chaos. "About twenty years ago, one of Aethoria's king's descendants found their village and stole the orb housing Kurayami. It was unknown if they ever retrieved it. After that, the Yoshikawas were never heard of again."
Sora and Aimi band together to take down the Skeleton Mage, their coordinated attacks showcasing their synergy. The mage's skeletal frame is struck by powerful water and wind spells, disorienting it and preventing it from casting further ice attacks. Meanwhile, I fend off the Naginata Skeleton, my rocky armor absorbing its relentless blows.
"Only two users have ever harnessed the Reaper's powers, and the last one hasn't done so in over two centuries!" Sora shouts, as he and Aimi rush to my aid, taking down the Naginata Skeleton together.
Aimi and I stand there, jaws collectively dropping. We knew Masa had some crazy power, but who would have known he was part of a family with more magic than the three royal families combined?
"Is Masa here to take revenge on all of us?" I ask worriedly.
"Masa would never want revenge, but even so, I'm not very sure," Aimi replies, her voice lacking confidence.
It's too late. While we were fighting Masa's summons, he has Kaito by the throat. A dark rift opens beside him, shaped like an oval. Masa reaches in and slowly pulls out a long black scythe, as tall as he is, with a very sharp blade that curves down. The blade has a blood-red tint around the edges as it curves down, giving it a sinister appearance.
"Shit! I didn't think I had to use this, but—" Sora says, his voice tense.
I glance to my right and see Sora digging into his baggy pants. He pulls out a