The morning sun rose brightly over the village, casting a warm, golden glow that promised a day of joy. The streets were already bustling with the energy of celebration, but Hiroto awoke with a weight on his heart. Despite the festive air outside, a pang of disappointment lingered deep within him. It was his birthday, and he had hoped Ronan would be the first to wish him a happy one. But as the hours passed without a word, doubt began to creep in. Maybe Ronan had forgotten, Hiroto thought. After the battle with Nightshade Phantom, it wouldn't have been surprising if his friend's mind was elsewhere.
Hiroto rose from his bed and stretched, his usual smile not quite reaching his eyes. He didn't want to let his sadness show. No, he thought resolutely, I can't let them see me like this. The world was already full of noise and joy, and the last thing he wanted was to dampen it with his own troubles.
As he walked through the village, Hiroto kept his gaze focused ahead, but it was hard to ignore the feeling of being overlooked. His footsteps were light, but his heart felt heavy. His usual cheerfulness seemed almost like a mask, and he wondered if anyone could see through it.
Turning a corner, Hiroto spotted Ayla and Aqua up ahead, walking toward him. For a brief moment, his heart lifted, hoping they might wish him a happy birthday. But then it hit him like a cold wave: he had never mentioned his birthday to either of them. They had no reason to remember.
Ayla was trying to conceal something behind her staff, and Aqua was holding her bow and arrows tightly, as though hiding something behind them. What could they be up to? Hiroto wondered.
Before Hiroto could speak, Aqua called out, her voice light and cheerful, yet with a hint of urgency. "Hiroto! We've been looking everywhere for you. Have you seen Ronan?"
Hiroto shook his head and forced a smile. "No, I haven't seen him today. I was just—"
Without another word, Aqua darted off into the crowd, her eyes scanning the villagers in search of Ronan. Hiroto's smile faded, disappointment creeping in again. But before he could linger on his thoughts, Ayla's gaze remained fixed on him. She seemed to study him carefully, and her eyes narrowed slightly with concern.
"Are you okay, Hiroto?" Ayla asked softly. "You look... sad."
Hiroto was taken aback by her perceptiveness. He hadn't thought anyone would notice his inner turmoil. He quickly masked it with a smile, though it didn't feel quite right. "I'm fine, really," he said, brushing off her concern. "Just a little tired, I guess."
Ayla didn't seem entirely convinced, but she didn't press him. Instead, she shifted the subject with her usual energetic spirit. "How about we grab something to eat together? It might help you feel better."
Hiroto hesitated, but the kindness in Ayla's offer was impossible to ignore. He nodded. "Sure, that sounds good."
As they walked through the village, laughter and music filled the air, mingling with the delicious aromas from food stalls. Hiroto appreciated Ayla's company, but the undercurrent of sadness still lingered. Despite the laughter surrounding him, Hiroto couldn't shake the feeling of being forgotten.
Meanwhile, far away in his dark lair, Shadeborn sat on his throne, his lips curling into a sinister grin. His eyes glinted with malicious intent as he watched Hiroto from afar. Hiroto's birthday could serve as the perfect opportunity to deal a blow to the boy's allies, he thought. The people Hiroto cared about could be used as pawns to break him down. He could taste the bitterness of Hiroto's loss from miles away.
Turning to his loyal assassin, ObsidianShade, who stood in the shadows awaiting orders, Shadeborn spoke coldly. "Prepare yourself. Today, Hiroto will learn that even on his birthday, he cannot escape the darkness. Infiltrate the celebration, take care of his friends, and make him feel the weight of loss."
ObsidianShade bowed, his expression unreadable. "It shall be done, my lord."
Back in the village, Hiroto and Ayla sat at a small table outside one of the many food stalls. They shared plates of fried snacks and steaming beverages, the rich flavors mingling with the light chatter of the crowd. Hiroto's heart lightened a little with every bite, but his thoughts still drifted to Ronan's absence. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
"Thanks for hanging out with me today, Ayla," Hiroto said, his smile returning, though it was more subdued than usual. "It really means a lot."
Ayla beamed at him, her fiery spirit always evident in her infectious grin. "Of course! We're friends, right? Besides, Ronan will show up soon. He wouldn't forget about you."
Hiroto nodded, grateful for her words, but his mind wandered again. Unbeknownst to him, the darkness was closing in.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the festive atmosphere suddenly shifted. A chill breeze swept through the village, and Ayla's instincts flared. She turned, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Hiroto, be careful!" she shouted, her staff already crackling with energy.
From the shadows emerged a figure, cloaked in darkness, his presence like a suffocating fog. ObsidianShade stood tall and imposing, a malicious smile twisting his lips. "Ah, Hiroto," he said with a sneer. "I am ObsidianShade, the Cloaked Assassin, and the 5th member of the Six Shades of Darkness. I have come to deliver a birthday surprise."
Hiroto's heart skipped a beat. He stepped in front of Ayla, drawing his light dagger from its sheath. "Stay back!" he shouted, his voice laced with determination.
The battle erupted with a fury. ObsidianShade moved like a blur, his cloak swirling as he launched a series of lightning-fast strikes. He blended seamlessly into the shadows, his Shadow Meld ability making him nearly invisible, while Hiroto struggled to land a blow.
Ayla quickly joined the fray, her staff flickering with fiery energy as she fought to keep the assassin at bay. "Hiroto, we need to work together!" she shouted over the sounds of battle.
Hiroto nodded, his focus sharpening as he avoided a strike from ObsidianShade's spectral dagger. "Got it!"
They coordinated their movements, Ayla throwing fireballs to keep ObsidianShade on the defensive. But the assassin was relentless. He dodged her flames with ease, vanishing into the shadows and reappearing behind Hiroto in an instant.
"Too slow!" ObsidianShade sneered, his dagger cutting through the air and slashing Hiroto's shoulder, the cursed blade leaving a shadowy wound that drained Hiroto's strength.
"Hah!" Hiroto grunted, stumbling backward as the blow weakened him. He gripped his light dagger tightly, his knuckles white from the strain. "Ayla, keep him distracted!"
Ayla nodded, her fiery powers creating a wall of flames between them and ObsidianShade, but the assassin moved through the fire like it was nothing, his steps silent and sure.
Then, before they knew it, ObsidianShade had darted forward and struck Ayla. His Phantom Step ability allowed him to vanish, reappearing just in time to stab her with his dagger. Ayla gasped, the blow landing in her side as she crumpled to the ground.
"No!" Hiroto screamed, rushing toward her. "Ayla!"
"Happy birthday..." Ayla whispered weakly, clutching the right dagger she had forged for Hiroto in her trembling hand. "Use it... to defeat him."
Tears welled in Hiroto's eyes. This wasn't how this day was supposed to go. Rage burned through him as he gripped the dagger in his hand. The energy inside him surged, and without thinking, Hiroto lifted the dagger high into the air.
In that moment, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, engulfing the dagger in crackling energy. Hiroto's body surged with power, his speed and strength magnified by the lightning coursing through the blade.
With a roar, Hiroto charged forward, his movements now like lightning itself. ObsidianShade's evasions seemed sluggish in comparison, and Hiroto's strikes were swift, relentless. Each blow was infused with the power of the storm, crackling with energy as it landed against ObsidianShade's cloak.
"You will not harm my friends!" Hiroto shouted, his voice shaking with fury as he struck again and again, the power of the right dagger overwhelming the assassin's defenses.
Finally, with a resounding clash, Hiroto's lightning-charged dagger pierced through ObsidianShade's cloak, the dark figure collapsing into a heap as the last of the shadows fled from him.
As the battle ended, Hiroto dropped to his knees beside Ayla. "Ayla, no... stay with me," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he pressed his hands against her wound, summoning his healing magic.
Her breathing was shallow, but slowly, color began to return to her face. "Stay with me, Ayla," he pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
It felt like an eternity before Ayla's eyes fluttered open, her weak smile sending a wave of relief through Hiroto's heart. "Hiroto?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Don't scare me like that," he muttered, his voice breaking.
Ayla weakly reached up, touching his face with trembling fingers. "Happy birthday, Hiroto."
Despite the chaos and the battle, Hiroto's heart swelled with a sense of gratitude. Even in the darkest moments, there was always a flicker of light.
Hiroto gently helped Ayla sit up, his hands trembling as he supported her, the worry still clouding his mind. The aftermath of the battle hung heavily in the air, a stark contrast to the joy he had once expected from the day. Though he had just defeated ObsidianShade, the darkness from the assassin's presence still seemed to linger, like an invisible weight pressing on his chest.
Ayla coughed softly, her breath shallow, but she gave Hiroto a reassuring smile, albeit weak. "I'm alright, Hiroto," she said, her voice raspy. "I just... I couldn't let you face him alone."
Hiroto's lips tightened, guilt gnawing at him. "You shouldn't have gotten hurt," he muttered, his gaze dropping to the wound on her side. It was already starting to heal, thanks to his magic, but the scar left behind would be a reminder of the battle they had just fought.
"I knew the risks," Ayla said, her eyes closing as she leaned against him. "And I trust you. You're not alone in this, Hiroto."
The weight of her words hit him harder than he expected. Hiroto nodded silently, squeezing her hand for reassurance. "We'll make sure something like this never happens again," he promised, his voice steadier now. The rage that had burned in him during the fight still simmered, but now there was also something else—a sense of resolve. For Ayla, for everyone he cared about, Hiroto swore to protect them with everything he had.
A shadow fell over them, and Hiroto instinctively stood, drawing his dagger as he scanned the area. But it was Ronan who emerged from the crowd, his expression a mix of relief and concern as he rushed to Ayla's side.
"Hiroto, what happened?" Ronan asked, his eyes widening as he saw Ayla's condition. "I heard the fighting from across the village... Who did this to her?"
Hiroto's expression hardened as he sheathed his dagger. "ObsidianShade. One of the Six Shades of Darkness," he explained shortly, his voice clipped. "He was here to... ruin the celebration. And to hurt us."
Ronan frowned, his concern deepening as he knelt beside Ayla. "I'm sorry, Hiroto. I should've been here." His tone was filled with regret, but Hiroto shook his head, cutting him off.
"You couldn't have known. We dealt with it." Hiroto gave Ronan a brief smile, though it was far from a cheerful one. "But we need to be careful. He wasn't alone. There are others out there. We have to stay ready."
Ronan nodded solemnly, then turned his attention back to Ayla, gently lifting her so that Hiroto could get a better look at her. "Ayla, you alright?" he asked, his voice soft.
Ayla opened her eyes and gave him a faint grin. "Yeah, just a little tired. Hiroto took care of me."
Ronan shot Hiroto a grateful look. "Thanks, man," he muttered. "You didn't have to do it alone."
Hiroto shrugged. "We're a team. I couldn't let him hurt you."
The three of them shared a brief, quiet moment, a bond formed not just from friendship but from the trials they had endured together. But Hiroto couldn't help the lingering feeling of unease gnawing at him. His birthday had been overshadowed by the dark forces that had come after them, and his thoughts were still heavy. He glanced at Ronan, then at Ayla, wondering if they could feel it too—the sense that something much bigger than them was moving in the shadows.
"I need to go," Hiroto said suddenly, standing up with determination in his eyes. "There's something I have to do."
Ronan and Ayla exchanged glances before Ronan stood as well. "What do you mean?" he asked, though his voice held a hint of concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You're not going alone, right?"
Hiroto met his gaze, the quiet resolve in his voice unmistakable. "I need to find out more about the Six Shades. We can't wait for them to strike again. I have to prepare—prepare us."
Ayla reached out, her hand resting on his arm as she gave him a knowing look. "We're with you, Hiroto," she said firmly, her earlier exhaustion replaced by the fire that burned within her. "No matter what happens, we'll face it together."
Ronan nodded as well, his usual playful demeanor gone, replaced by a rare seriousness. "You're not getting rid of us that easily."
A smile tugged at Hiroto's lips, his heart warming at the strength of their bond. Even with everything that had just happened, they were standing by him. His friends. His family.
"Thanks, you two," he said quietly, feeling a deep sense of gratitude. "Let's figure this out. We'll face it together."
As they made their way toward the village center, the festive atmosphere now felt distant, like something that belonged to another world. The day of celebration had turned into something else entirely—an omen of the challenges they would face. The road ahead was uncertain, filled with dangers, but Hiroto wasn't afraid anymore. He had his friends, and together, they could take on whatever came next.
For now, though, the first thing they needed to do was regroup. And Hiroto had a feeling that their next battle was already closer than they realized.