Previously, Mei and I had figured out who the culprit behind all the incidents was. Mei held a rendezvous after school where we revealed it to Takashi and Kaito. Did she really betray us?
"Yes, it is Yumi," Mei said firmly, her gaze never wavering.
Before her words could sink in, a sharp, sudden sound sliced through the air. CRACK. The door shattered as Yumi lunged forward, her figure twisting like a shadow. Her movements were silent and fluid as water, but her eyes glinted with a cold, predatory gleam. She landed directly in front of me, a small, wicked smile creeping up her face as she whispered, "Go to sleep." I felt something cold and sharp press against my chest—a weapon forged from pure darkness, as if the shadows themselves had come alive.
If I don't move… it's going to be… it's going to be… My mind went blank, paralyzed by the suddenness of it all. My body wouldn't respond, frozen under her icy gaze.
And then, a voice rang out, clear and fierce. "Demonic Arts," Mei called, stepping in front of me in an instant. "Red Aistia" Her arm became surrounded by a swirling vortex, an intense energy that radiated from her like flames. With one powerful swing, she sent Yumi sliding across the room, crashing into a corner.
I gasped, catching my breath as the room filled with the lingering smoke of Mei's attack. The sharp, acrid smell seemed to jolt Takashi and Kaito out of their stupor, their wide eyes darting from Yumi's crumpled form to Mei's outstretched arm.
"That's… that's not fair…" Yumi's voice echoed from the smoke, unshaken. As the dust began to clear, her form appeared again, still standing, still smiling—a smile that sent chills down my spine. "Miss Candidate, you really seem to underestimate me." Her voice was playful, but laced with a dark, unsettling confidence.
Kaito took a shaky step back, his face pale. He glanced between me, Mei, and Yumi, unable to fully process what he'd just seen. "Wh… what was that?" he managed to stammer, his voice barely a whisper.
Takashi's eyes, usually bright, were wide with terror, his fists clenching and unclenching as if he were trying to wake himself up from a nightmare. "Yumi… are… are you really Yumi?" he asked, his voice wavering. He sounded more like a child than the Takashi I knew, as though he were pleading with her to deny it all.
Yumi's smile only widened. She turned her gaze to Takashi, tilting her head with a taunting glint in her eye. "Oh, Ta-ka-shi," she drawled, stretching his name mockingly, each syllable dripping with malice. "You're truly an innocent soul, aren't you?" Her voice was sweet, like poisoned honey. "You really think we're friends?"
Takashi took a step back, swallowing hard. He raised a trembling hand as if to shield himself from her words. "Yumi… aren't… aren't we friends? We—we shouldn't be fighting like this…" He forced out the words, clinging to some last hope. "You're not a bad person, right?"
A shadow fell across Yumi's face as she began to laugh, a sound that filled the room like a chilling echo, wrapping around us. Her form seemed to shift and darken, her body emitting a sinister, pulsing aura that spread outward, changing the atmosphere until it felt like the very air was suffocating us. "Oh, Takashi… you really are too optimistic." Her laughter softened, her face now hidden in shadow. "Allow me to clarify."
The shadow around her twisted, and when she spoke again, her voice was colder than ice. "I am Kuroha Yumi, the Princess of Shadows." Her tone dropped to a deadly murmur. "And no, I'm not your friend. I am the nemesis of this world."
Takashi's face went slack with horror, his body swaying slightly, as if the words themselves were too much to bear. Kaito, usually the calm one, seemed to tremble, his expression frozen somewhere between shock and disbelief. His hands gripped the edge of the table as if to anchor himself, knuckles white. "This… this has to be some kind of sick joke…" he muttered, his voice barely audible.
But Mei's voice cut through, calm and unyielding. "As for you, Misaki Mei, the Demon Lord Candidate," Yumi sneered, finally shifting her gaze back to her. "How did you discover me?"
Kaito's eyes darted to Mei, confusion mixed with fear. He was pale, struggling to process the words. "Candidate… Demon Lord…?" he whispered. "What does that even mean?"
Takashi's face was grim, though he no longer looked afraid. He clenched his fists, the fear replaced with a quiet determination. "Kaito," he said, his voice steady but dark. "What you're hearing… what you're seeing… it's all true." He took a breath, speaking with an eerie calmness that even I wasn't expecting. "This is the true face of this world."
The room was thick with shadows, the air heavy and tense as Yumi's attacks became faster, sharper. Despite her relentless assault, she didn't seem frustrated or desperate; instead, her smile grew wider, her eyes glittering with a strange excitement.
"Is that all, Miss Candidate?" she taunted, her voice laced with playful malice as a dark shadow ball appeared in her hand, crackling with dark energy. "Xsphere" yumi chanted as she dashed forward, closing the distance between herself and Mei, who stood, still calm, watching each movement with laser focus.
"X-sphere is a custom move, Null arts i suppose" Mei said it to Yumi as she started analysing her.
Mei's Red Aistia flared as she sidestepped, parrying the X-Sphere with a controlled movement, dispersing the shadowy energy effortlessly. The clash sent ripples through the room, causing the desks and chairs to rattle. But Yumi only grinned wider, her form disappearing and reappearing around Mei, leaving trails of shadow.
"That's shadow link, I am right?" Mei continuned "A move that lets the user transmite through the shadows as long as it has some contact with user physically. Not bad".
"Does that make you scared " Yumi mocked.
"Yeah that makes me very scared" Mei said it in a sarcastic manner.
Takashi and Kaito were frozen, their eyes wide, barely daring to breathe as they watched the fight unfold. Kaito leaned toward me, his voice a shaky whisper. "Izumi… Evrything looks like it's out of an anime. And look Mei's barely moving, but she's still overpowering Yumi?"
I nodded, my gaze fixed on Mei. "It's Red Aistia," I murmured. "Mei's using it to amplify her defense, focusing her energy into her arm to deflect each attack with precision."
But Yumi's laughter echoed through the room, a dark, taunting melody. "I wonder, Mei," she called, her voice dripping with mockery. "Can you keep up if I don't hold back?" Her form shimmered and vanished, using Shadow Link to reappear behind Mei, a new X-Sphere forming in her hand, its energy crackling with even more intensity.
"Let's see what fate awaits for us" Mei replied.
Mei's eyes narrowed, her body tensing as she anticipated the attack, readying her arm for another parry. But just as she swung to intercept, Yumi vanished once more, only to reappear at Mei's right side, her X-Sphere already aimed and unleashed.
"Now… take this!"
The dark energy shot toward Mei, too close and too fast. There was no time for a counterattack or a defense with Red Aistia. In that instant, Mei's calm exterior shifted slightly, and a green, vivid flame erupted around her, enveloping her like a protective cloak.
"Green Aistia…" I breathed, feeling the room tremble with the sudden surge of power. Mei's figure was bathed in the green light, a soft radiance that shielded her from the impact of the X-Sphere. Yumi's attack hit the Green Aistia barrier but was nullified, dissolving harmlessly against the soft yet impenetrable flames.
Takashi's jaw dropped, his eyes wide as he took in the sight. "That power… it's like nothing can touch her."
Kaito nodded slowly, eyes transfixed by the scene. "She… didn't even flinch…"
Yumi's laughter only grew louder, a twisted excitement in her voice. "Oh, now that's more like it, Mei! Show me more!" Her form blurred again as she surged forward, her movements even faster and more unpredictable, launching X-Sphere after X-Sphere, testing every angle of Mei's defense.
The room felt smaller, shadows and light clashing as Mei countered each of Yumi's attacks, the Green Aistia shimmering with every impact. Desks and chairs were shoved back, some tumbling over as the force of the battle shook the ground.
Takashi's hand gripped the edge of his desk tightly, knuckles white. "I can't believe this… They're tearing the room apart…"
"But Mei's not using her full power, is she?" Kaito asked, looking at me for confirmation.
I nodded. "Green Aistia… it normally releases an explosive burst of energy when first activated. Mei's holding it back to avoid damaging the room any more than necessary."
Yumi's grin only widened as she fired another X-Sphere, each one more powerful, more reckless. Her movements grew more erratic, using Shadow Link to appear and disappear with each strike, a whirlwind of shadows and taunting laughter.
"Come on, Mei, are you going to hide behind that green shield forever?" she sneered, her voice filled with dark amusement.
Mei met her gaze, unwavering, her Green Aistia shimmering like a steady flame. "If you think you can break through, try."
Yumi let out a low chuckle, then dashed forward again, her aura pulsing with an ominous energy. Her hand shot up, and the shadows around her seemed to pool and thicken, almost like liquid as they wrapped around her, enhancing her strength. Her next X-Sphere crackled with even more energy, the dark ball of shadow larger, almost pulsing with malevolent energy as it streaked toward Mei.
Mei raised her arm, her Green Aistia intensifying around her. The room shook as Yumi's attack collided with the barrier, sending a wave of energy outward, rattling the windows. But Mei didn't waver; her defense held strong, absorbing the impact.
Yumi's eyes shone with excitement. "That's the spirit, Mei!" she laughed, launching herself forward again. She appeared above, below, to the left, each time summoning a new X-Sphere and firing it from a different angle, never giving Mei a moment to rest.
Takashi could only watch in stunned silence, his gaze locked on the scene unfolding before him. "Is she… enjoying this?" he whispered, almost to himself.
Kaito leaned forward, his expression tense. "If this goes on much longer… will they destroy the whole room?"
But Mei's expression remained steady, her Green Aistia unwavering even as Yumi's attacks rained down on her. Shadows wrapped around Yumi like armor, her form moving faster, the dark energy in the room growing thicker with each passing moment.
Then, in a sudden burst of energy, Yumi aimed an X-Sphere at the ceiling, shattering it with a loud crack. Sunlight poured in through the opening, illuminating the club room, casting sharp beams of light across the floor and walls. Mei's Green Aistia flickered slightly, the soft flames losing some of their glow as the sunlight reached her.
Yumi's eyes lit up with triumph, her grin widening as she noticed the effect. "Ah, sunlight… Isn't it beautiful, Mei?" Her voice was filled with glee as she dashed forward again, her shadows twisting around her, her strikes faster, more relentless than ever.
Mei's Green Aistia held firm, but the sunlight seemed to sap some of its strength, her movements growing slightly more defensive as she adapted to Yumi's newfound advantage.
As the sunlight streamed through the shattered ceiling, Mei's Green Aistia began to waver and finally dissolved completely, leaving her exposed as the curse activated. A faint flower-like mark appeared on her cheek, its delicate lines betraying her vulnerability in the harsh sunlight. Mei glared at Yumi, her voice filled with bitterness.
"So, you planned this all along, huh? A coward's move," Mei spat, her voice laced with frustration.
Yumi's expression remained unfazed, her smile as smug as ever. "Coward? Maybe. But I'd say I just knew my opponent."
Mei's anger only grew, her gaze burning with betrayal. "Nee, Yumi… what was all of this for? The laughs, the time we spent together—was it all just an act?" Mei's voice trembled slightly, but she maintained her fierce composure. "Especially Takashi… he thought you were his girlfriend… went as far as to confess his feelings." She took a slow step forward, her words piercing through the silence of the room. "Did that mean anything to you?"
Takashi's breath caught, his face pale as he listened. His hands balled into fists, and he looked at Yumi, pain etched deeply into his features. "Yumi… was everything just a lie?"
But Yumi only gave a light, uncaring shrug. "So what? You were all fools, eager to believe whatever I showed you. You approached me first, so tell me—how exactly is that my fault?"
Kaito's eyes narrowed, disbelief filling his face. "How can you say that? After everything?"
Mei took a steadying breath, though her voice was sharp. "I guess you're right, Yumi. We were fools. But Takashi—his feelings were real. And you played with them, crushed them for your twisted amusement. That's more than just betrayal—that's cruelty." She clenched her fists. "And for that, I can't let you walk away."
Yumi chuckled, unbothered by Mei's words. "Oh, Mei, that's adorable—really, it is. But look at yourself. You're weak under the sun's gaze, barely able to stand." Her voice dripped with mocking disdain. "And you call yourself powerful? Nature itself is against you."
Mei's expression hardened. "Yes, I'm weak. Helpless under the sun's light. And it seems you've done your homework… you've been watching me carefully."
"Ever since the day you used that time barrier," Yumi replied, her voice smooth with confidence. "That day when Takashi poured out his heart so foolishly… that's when I first confirmed what I'd suspected all along. So, I suppose I owe you a thank you."
Takashi looked like he'd been struck, his expression crumbling with each word Yumi said. "So… all this time…" His voice broke slightly. "You were just watching us, waiting to…?"
Kaito placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to steady him. "Takashi, it's going to be okay… you'll be okay."
But Yumi's laughter echoed through the room, dismissive and cold. "Sentimental nonsense. You really think emotions like that matter to me?" Her eyes sparkled with delight as she leaned into the chaos of it all.
Mei's gaze never wavered, filled with a fierce determination. "Fan or not, you've made a grave mistake underestimating me. I may be weak under the sun, but even so…" she smirked, her voice dripping with defiance. "I'm still too much for you, am I not?"
Yumi's eyes narrowed in intrigue, a grin pulling at her lips. "Is that so?"
Mei then turned to me, her voice unwavering. "Izumi, I'll pass this fight over to you."
"Huh?" I blinked, completely caught off guard. "Me? How am I supposed to fight her?"
Yumi scoffed, amusement glinting in her eyes. "Look at him. He's scared out of his mind."
But Mei's voice was firm, laced with quiet encouragement. "Izumi, you need to trust yourself. Think of it as a test—and if you succeed, you'll show your friends just how far you've come."
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her words, the quiet strength in them. "Alright… I'll do it!" My fists clenched, determination settling over me like armor.
Mei's smirk softened, approval glimmering in her eyes. "That's the spirit. Always listen to your master, Izumi."
"Master?" I huffed in exasperation, watching as she bit her tongue, looking somewhat embarrassed. Her face softened as she moved back to where Takashi and Kaito stood.
Takashi still looked hollow, his gaze distant as he tried to process the truth he'd been hit with. Mei placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Takashi… are you okay?"
Takashi forced a small nod, but his voice was laced with anguish. "I… I think I get it now. But… it hurts, Mei. It really does."
Kaito's expression was somber as he patted Takashi's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. "Takashi, you're going to be alright. We're here for you."
Mei nodded, her voice filled with resolve. "This is the bitter truth. And it's painful. But it's something we have to face."
Kaito glanced at her, his voice hushed with worry. "Mei… are we going to be safe?"
A quiet confidence settled over Mei's expression. "Yes. It's all going to be fine, and it'll be over soon. I trust Izumi."
Kaito hesitated, looking back at me with a hint of doubt. "Do you really think he can handle it? I mean… fighting like this…"
Mei's gaze softened as she glanced over at me. "When Izumi gets serious, I doubt Yumi can even touch him."
Yumi's laughter cut through the moment, a cruel edge to her voice. "Oh, really? You're comparing a rookie to a seasoned warrior? I've been through far worse—trained far harder. I'm the Princess of Shadows, remember?"
I steadied myself, feeling a spark of resolve build within me. "Titles mean nothing in a fight, Yumi."
She smirked, rolling her shoulders as dark energy crackled around her. "Bold words for someone so green. Come on, then. Show me what you've got!"
What is going to happen, can I really win against a monster like her, well there is no saying without trying. God wish me luck.
To be continued...