Rajiv's training with his brother was exhausting. Every day, he swung his sword, ran until his legs burned, and sparred until he collapsed. But no matter how much he trained, he still felt behind.
One night, a scream tore through the silence.
Rajiv grabbed his sword and ran.
A tall stone wall blocked his path. "I can jump this," he muttered.
He sprinted and leaped—
SLAM!
He crashed into the wall, groaning. "Damn it…"
Shaking off the pain, he ran around it and saw the source of the scream.
A girl lay on the ground, clutching her injured leg. A demon stood over her. Its red eyes glowed in the darkness, claws dripping with something black.
Rajiv didn't hesitate. He charged.
The demon snarled, swinging its massive arm. Rajiv dodged and slashed—
Nothing.
The blade barely left a mark.
The demon smirked.
Before Rajiv could react, the demon's second hand slammed into him, sending him flying into the stone wall. Pain exploded through his body.
His vision blurred.
The girl whimpered. Rajiv tried to move, but his body refused to listen.
Then—
A flash of steel.
A single strike.
The demon split in half like butter.
Rajiv gasped.
A man stood between him and the girl, sword still in mid-air. He wore a long coat, his presence overwhelming.
The girl stammered, "W-Who are you?"
The man glanced at Rajiv. "Hey, boy. What the hell are you doing out here at night? And why are you standing in front of a demon?"
Before Rajiv could answer, another demon lunged from the shadows.
Kazuki barely had time to react before the second demon's fist slammed into his chest, sending him skidding back.
Rajiv's eyes widened. Even he got hit?
Kazuki landed on his feet, shaking off the impact. "Tch. Persistent bastard."
The demon regenerated instantly.
Kazuki turned to Rajiv. "Run."
But Rajiv didn't run.
Instead, he grabbed the girl and pulled her up. "Come on!"
The girl, limping, tried to keep up as Rajiv rushed her to safety.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes. He told him to run, but instead, he chose to save her.
As they ran, Kazuki yelled, "I said RUN, not come back!"
Rajiv shouted over his shoulder, "That's your fight, not mine!"
But before they could escape, the demon launched something.
Rajiv turned too late—
The girl screamed.
Rajiv's heart stopped.
She collapsed, blood pooling around her.
Rajiv stared in shock. She was dead.
The demon grinned.
Something snapped inside Rajiv.
His body trembled. His hands clenched into fists. His breath became ragged.
For the first time, rage consumed him.
Rajiv's energy exploded.
A bright golden aura erupted around him. The air trembled. The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Kazuki's eyes widened. "This… this isn't normal."
Rajiv wasn't just releasing energy. It felt different. Uncontrolled. Wild. Like something ancient was waking up inside him.
The demon smirked.
Rajiv didn't wait. He charged, faster than ever before.
The demon barely had time to react—
SLASH!
The blade cut through the demon like butter.
The demon didn't just fall apart—it split into eleven separate pieces.
Kazuki let out a low whistle. "Damn."
Rajiv stood there, breathing heavily, his sword dripping with dark blood.
He turned to Kazuki. "I'm not just some ordinary boy."
His voice was steady. Determined.
"I'm Rajiv. And I'm becoming a soldier. A great soldier."
Then, his energy flickered—
And he collapsed.
Kazuki stared at him for a moment. Then he sighed, rubbing his head.
"This kid…"