Continued from previous chapter.
The siren's ear-piercing wail cut through the air, sending a chill down my spine. "Everyone, please proceed to the bunker immediately! This is not a drill!" Mayuri's voice echoed through the school's intercom.
I grabbed Ai's hand, my heart racing with anticipation. "Let's go, Ai! We have to get to the bunker now!"
Ai's eyes were wide with fear. "Asahi, what's happening? What's going on?"
"I don't know, but we have to get to safety," I replied, pulling her along.
As we rushed to the bunker, I knew I couldn't stay hidden for long. I had to act, to protect the city from whatever threat loomed outside.
I slipped away from the crowd, my eyes scanning the dimly lit bunker for an escape route. Ai's voice echoed in my mind, "Be careful, Asahi."
I made my way through the winding tunnels, avoiding detection. The air grew thick with the smell of smoke and sweat.
As I emerged into the bright sunlight, the siren's wail still echoing in my ears, I saw it - a horde of demons, their twisted bodies pouring onto the streets like a dark tide.
I charged forward, my powers surging. But as I fought, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The demons seemed too organized, too calculated.
Kaito's voice came through the earpiece again. "Asahi, we've detected a large group of demons heading straight for the city center. We need you to take them down."
"I'm on it," I replied, already moving towards the city center.
"Be careful, Asahi," Kaito warned. "We don't know what we're up against here. But don't worry, I'm sending in the drones to give you some backup."
"Thanks, Kaito," I said, feeling a surge of relief. "I could use some help."
The battle was intense from the start. The demons were everywhere, their twisted bodies pouring onto the streets like a dark tide. I fought my way through them, my powers surging as I took down demon after demon.
But just when I thought I was getting the upper hand, a massive demon emerged from the crowd. Its body was a twisted mass of muscle and sinew, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy.
I knew I had to take it down if I wanted to save the city.
I charged forward, my powers surging. The drones followed close behind, their weapons firing as they helped me take down the massive demon.
But as we fought, I started to feel a strange sensation. The demon seemed to be getting stronger, its powers growing with each passing moment.
And then, I saw it. A person, standing behind the demon. A person I had never seen before. I can sense the aura radiating from him, anger, sadness, and something that makes me fear him.
He looks human, with piercing blue eyes and jet-black hair. He wore normal clothes like hoodie and jeans.
"Who are you?" I shouted, my heart racing with fear.
But they didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand, and the demon surged forward, its powers growing even stronger.
I was shocked. Who was this person, and what is he doing?
I didn't have time to think. I charged forward, my powers surging as I fought to take down the demon and uncover the truth.
As I fight, my fists fly through the air, striking the mysterious person with precision and force. But he's no pushover - he takes each blow with a smirk, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"Who are you?" I demand, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
He just smiles, his lips curling up in a cocky grin. "You'll know soon enough, kid," he says, his voice dripping with confidence.
With a sudden burst of speed, he closes the distance between us, his fists flying in a flurry of punches. I block each one, but he's relentless, his blows coming faster and faster until I'm stumbling backward under the onslaught.
I try to counterattack, but he's too quick - he dodges each punch with ease, his eyes never leaving mine.
"You're pretty good," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But not good enough."
With a sudden burst of strength, he sends me flying across the street, my body penetrating through the building road. I land hard, my head spinning.
As I struggle to get to my feet, he's already there, his foot coming down in a kick that sends me crashing to the ground.
I try to defend myself, but he's too powerful - his blows rain down on me, each one landing with precision and force.
I'm injured, my body battered and bruised. But I refuse to give up.
With a surge of adrenaline, I launch myself at him, my fists flying in a desperate bid to take him down.
But he's too strong - he takes each blow with ease, his eyes never leaving mine.
"You're no match for me, kid," he says, his voice dripping with contempt.
With a sudden burst of speed, he sends me flying across the street once more. I land hard, my head spinning.
As I struggle to get to my feet, he's already there, his eyes glinting with triumph. But I refuse to give up. With a surge of adrenaline, I launch myself at him, my fists flying in a desperate bid to take him down.
He meets me head-on, his own fists flying in a flurry of punches. We exchange blow for blow, our bodies clashing in a flurry of movement.
I land a solid punch to his jaw, but he takes it with ease, his eyes never leaving mine. He retaliates with a kick that sends me stumbling backward, my head spinning.
I recover quickly, my training kicking in. I launch myself at him once more, my fists flying in a flurry of punches.
He blocks each one with ease, his movements fluid and precise. But I refuse to give up. I keep coming, my fists flying in a desperate bid to take him down.
He meets me head-on, his own fists flying in a flurry of punches. We exchange blow for blow, our bodies clashing in a flurry of movement.
I land a solid kick to his stomach, but he takes it with ease, his eyes never leaving mine. He retaliates with a punch that sends me stumbling backward, my head spinning. I recover quickly.
But he's too strong. He takes each blow with ease, his movements fluid and precise. He retaliates with a flurry of punches that send me stumbling backward, my head spinning.
I try to defend myself, but he's too powerful. His blows rain down on me, each one landing with precision and force.
I'm injured, my body battered and bruised. But I refuse to give up.
With a surge of adrenaline, I launch myself at him once more, my fists flying in a desperate bid to take him down.
But it's no use. He's too strong. He takes each blow with ease, his movements fluid and precise.
Finally, with a sudden burst of speed, he sends me crashing to the ground. I land hard, my head spinning.
As I struggle to get to my feet, he's already there, his eyes glinting with triumph.
"It's over," he says, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
And with that, everything goes black.
When I opened my eyes, everything felt hazy. The sterile scent of the base's medical room hit me first, then the ache coursing through my body. I was lying on a medical bed, groggy and disoriented. My hand was warm, and when I looked down, I saw Ai sitting beside me, holding it tightly. She was asleep, her head resting on the edge of the bed, but what really caught my attention were the dried tear streaks on her cheeks.
"Ai?" My voice came out weak, barely more than a whisper.
She stirred at the sound, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw me awake, her lips curved into a trembling smile, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
"Asahi... you're awake," she whispered, her voice shaking.
I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my body, forcing me back onto the bed with a wince.
"Don't move," she said quickly, pressing her hands gently against my chest to keep me still. "You're injured."
I looked at her, feeling a warmth in my chest despite the pain. Her eyes were filled with so much worry, so much... love.
"What happened?" My voice was hoarse, weaker than I wanted it to sound.
Her gaze dropped, and her voice was barely audible. "You fought... that person. You were so brave, Asahi. But... but you lost."
The memories came rushing back like a flood. The fight. The mysterious figure. The overwhelming feeling of defeat. I closed my eyes, reliving those moments, and the weight of failure pressed down on me.
Ai's grip on my hand tightened, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Asahi, I was so scared. I thought I lost you."
When I opened my eyes, I saw the fear and vulnerability in hers. I hated seeing her like this. "Ai... I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice heavy with regret.
Her face crumpled, and the tears she had been holding back started to flow. "Don't say that, Asahi. You did everything you could. You're always protecting me, putting yourself in harm's way."
Hearing those words, feeling her raw emotion, made my chest ache in a way that had nothing to do with my injuries. I reached up, ignoring the pain, and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I'll always protect you, Ai. I promise."
She buried her face in my shoulder, her tears soaking into my shirt. "I know, Asahi. I know."
The moment was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps, and Kaito burst into the room. Relief washed over his face when he saw me. "Asahi! Thank goodness you're awake. We were worried sick about you."
I tried to smile at him, but it probably looked more like a grimace. "Kaito... what happened?" My voice was still weak, but stronger than before.
His expression darkened. "You lost consciousness after the fight. We were all terrified. But don't worry; we took care of the remaining demons. He's gone."
I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing. "What about... him? The mysterious person?"
Kaito shook his head, frustration evident in his tone. "He vanished. It's like he disappeared into thin air. We searched everywhere, but there's no trace of him. We don't even know who he is or what he wants."
My hand tightened around Ai's instinctively as a surge of determination welled up inside me. "I'll find him," I said quietly, my voice hardening. "And I'll make sure he pays for what he did."
Ai looked at me, her eyes filled with concern but also admiration. "Asahi, you need to rest. You're in no condition to go after him right now."
I nodded reluctantly but couldn't shake the thoughts racing in my mind. Something about him didn't sit right. "He didn't feel evil," I murmured, more to myself than anyone else. "It felt like... he was sad. But also, like he enjoyed fighting me. Could he be... like me?"
Ai tilted her head, considering my words. "It's possible. We don't know much about him, but he might share your abilities."
Kaito chimed in, his tone resolute. "We'll dig deeper. See if we can find anything—anything that might tell us who he is and what he's after."
I nodded again, though my mind was still elsewhere. Then something struck me. "How long was I out?"
Ai hesitated. "Three days, Asahi. We were all so worried."
"Three days?" My eyes widened in shock. "Where's Natsumi?"
Ai hesitated again before answering. "I had to tell her about your powers. She was devastated when she heard you were hurt. She cried for hours."
My heart clenched at the thought of Natsumi crying because of me. "Where is she?" I asked softly.
Ai smiled faintly. "She's outside. Kaito, let her in."
Kaito nodded and moved to open the door. The second it opened, Natsumi burst in, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She rushed to my side, climbing onto the bed without hesitation and throwing her arms around me.
"Oni-chan!" she cried, her voice breaking. Her tears soaked into my shirt as she clung to me.
I winced at the sudden movement, but I couldn't bring myself to stop her. "Ouch... Natsumi, careful," I said weakly.
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her face still wet with tears. "I was so scared, Oni-chan. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep this a secret?"
I sighed, guilt weighing heavily on me. "I didn't want to worry you, Natsumi. I didn't want you to get hurt."
"That's not fair!" Her voice rose, filled with emotion. "You're my brother. I'm supposed to worry about you! Who's going to protect you if you're always protecting everyone else?"
Her words hit me harder than any blow I'd taken in that fight. I wrapped my arms around her again, holding her close. "I'm sorry, Natsumi. I didn't mean to scare you. From now on, I promise I won't keep secrets from you."
"Promise me, Oni-chan," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "Promise you'll let me be there for you."
"I promise," I whispered.
END OF CHAPTER 5