Shadows surged forward like a living tide, swallowing the alleyway whole. The light was snuffed out, replaced by a void of inky black. Katsuki's hand shot up, conjuring a shield of pure yokai energy. The shadows crashed into it with a violent force, sending shockwaves that trembled through the narrow space.
The shadowy figure paused, then sneered as it walked towards the demon crouching nearby.
"I knew it… You're the yokai hybrid of war," the figure hissed, eyes glinting with recognition. "I thought I could avoid you. Damn it. But I guess fate had other plans."
Before Katsuki could react, the figure reached down, its hand sinking into the demon like quicksand, absorbing it. The demon's form twisted, merging into the figure's body, which contorted and stretched in grotesque ways, as if reshaped by nightmares.
Katsuki's voice cut through the tension. "Hikari, hold on tight!"
Hikari barely had time to process his words before Katsuki bolted, his speed a thunderous roar that shattered the silence. They burst from the darkness of the alley into the blinding light of afternoon, wind whipping her hair into her face, stinging her eyes. Her heart pounded as she clung to him, each step rattling through her body as he moved faster than she could comprehend.
"What… the… hell is happening?!" she shouted, her voice shaky, eyes wide with panic.
Katsuki's face, now half-covered in that jagged, shadowy mask, twisted into a smirk. "Just a high-speed chase with a demon, no biggie."
The world around them blurred, colors blending as he accelerated. The sound of a sonic boom erupted behind them, making Hikari's ears ring. She could barely breathe from the sheer speed, each step Katsuki took sending a shockwave that rattled her to her core.
"This… this can't be real…" She gripped his shoulders harder, her mind reeling. "I'm being carried by the new kid I met today—and we're being chased by a freaking demon!"
But as she looked back, there it was, that twisted creature, now infused with something far darker than she could have ever imagined. It was gaining on them, distorted limbs stretching unnaturally, its hollow eyes fixed on her.
"Sutaro! What the hell is that thing?!"
"A Wendigo," Katsuki replied without looking back, his tone unfazed despite the chaos. "And a strong one at that."
"A… Wendigo?" she echoed, disbelief twisting her voice. "Like… the creature from those horror stories? The one that eats people and drives them insane?"
"Bingo." Katsuki's eyes gleamed with a mix of thrill and danger. "It's a spirit that possesses humans, turning them into these… things. It feeds on hunger, drives people to madness. And that one just fused with a demon to get stronger."
Hikari's stomach twisted, her throat dry. "This… this is insane…"
Katsuki glanced back, noticing the Wendigo-infused demon still on their tail. "Alright, Hikari. I'm gonna do something very, very stupid, so don't freak out."
Before she could respond, he threw her—fifty feet—into the air.
Her scream tore through the sky, heart seizing as she felt herself rise, the ground spiraling far below her. Tears pricked her eyes, pure terror filling her as she flailed, desperately reaching for anything to hold onto.
"WHAT THE HELL, KATSUKI!"
Below, Katsuki slowed to a sudden halt, mid-sprint, causing the Wendigo to overshoot past him. The creature's distorted face twisted with rage, and it lunged forward.
"Gotcha," Katsuki muttered, his smirk widening as he propelled himself forward with explosive speed, reaching 10,000 miles per hour in a heartbeat. His body became a living projectile, slamming into the Wendigo with an earth-shattering impact that obliterated it in a flash of dark energy.
Hovering over the fading remains of his opponent, he chuckled, "Guess I was the one savoring that."
Then, he looked up, eyes widening as he remembered Hikari. "Oh, right—Hikari!"
In a flash, he accelerated upward, appearing beside her mid-fall. Before she even registered his presence, they were both back on solid ground. Hikari collapsed, hugging the concrete, as if it were her lifeline, her whole body shaking.
"OH MY GOD, I WAS SO HIGH! I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE!" Her voice was frantic, raw with relief and lingering terror, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Katsuki, still in his turbo form—his body bulked up, purple flame-like patterns flickering along his clothing, jaw masked by that eerie, jagged shell—gave her an amused look. "Relax, it was only fifty feet."
She shot him a death glare, fists clenched. "Only fifty feet?! Are you insane?! People are terrified of heights, you know!"
He shrugged, dismissing her fear with a wave of his hand. "Fear of heights is kinda dumb, don't you think?"
"Excuse me?!" she snapped, still catching her breath. "Oh, so you think you're all that with that freaky transformation of yours?"
Katsuki's eyes glinted behind his glasses. "Never said that. Just telling you to grow some guts."
Hikari ground her teeth, frustration boiling over. "You're such an asshole, Katsuki."
"Anyway," he continued as if she hadn't spoken, "if you could see my turbo form, the alleyway demon, and that Wendigo… that means you've got supernatural affinity."
She blinked, frowning. "Supernatural… affinity?"
"It's a rare gift. Lets you perceive and interact with the supernatural." He shrugged again. "After what you saw, I'd think that's proof enough."
"But… just yesterday, I couldn't see any of this supernatural junk," she argued, still reeling. "What changed all of a sudden?!"
Katsuki adjusted his glasses, looking thoughtful. "Supernatural affinity awakens in weird ways. It's tied to the supernatural itself, so sometimes… it just needs the right trigger."
The memory hit her like a punch. The alleyway after school—the eerie pull, the night sky that shouldn't have been there, the shadows twisting around her. Her breath hitched.
She murmured to herself, almost in disbelief, "It all… makes sense now…"
Katsuki raised an eyebrow, but she waved him off, regaining some composure. "So… this supernatural crap. What's the deal with it?"
He leaned against a nearby car, exuding an effortless coolness even with his shadowy mask and muscular, transformed body. "The supernatural… it's made up of beings that shouldn't exist. But they do. Only people with supernatural affinity can see them."
He pulled a vape from his pocket, took a puff, and let out a ring of smoke. "Most people don't believe in it. But once that affinity kicks in, well… either you go insane, or you become part of this twisted world."
She crossed her arms, looking down as she processed his words. "So, the supernatural… is real. Grandpa always told me stories… Guess he was right all along."
Katsuki smirked, not meeting her gaze. "That's how it goes. You start out not believing, then you see the truth. And it's a damn rough road."
She lifted her head, eyes tracing the sky as she tried to steady herself. "Okay… supernatural stuff exists. It's gonna take me some time to get used to it, but…" She paused mid-sentence, a flash of cyan fire flickering in her mind, like a spark igniting within her. Her heartbeat quickened, a cold sweat trickling down her back as the vision filled her senses. She could almost feel something awakening inside her, something potent and terrifying.
Then, just as quickly, the vision faded, leaving her gasping for air.
"Shit… what was that?" She clutched her chest, breathing hard, as the adrenaline surged anew.
Katsuki's smirk widened. "Oh, looks like you just saw your aura~"
"My… aura?" She gave him a questioning look, still disoriented.
"Yeah. I'm not great at explaining it, but I know someone who can teach you." He pocketed his vape, his gaze now serious.
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "And who's that?"
Katsuki's smirk turned playful. "My sensei, Sylvia Bloodwood~"
To be continued…