I shouted, "Get away from me, I don't want any problems!" My legs steadied beneath me as I rose to my feet.
The man smirked darkly. "You're leaving with me."
His Kurayami power burst outward, forming hundreds of writhing dark tentacles that lashed through the air. The people of Haru noticed immediately, panic erupting as screams echoed and citizens scattered. The town's defense rushed in, their protectors charging with weapons drawn.
The monster turned his attention on them, his tentacles slamming down like whips. One protector ripped metal from the earth itself, shaping it into a blade and slicing through several tentacles before knocking the shadow man to the ground.
Laughter rumbled from his chest, cruel and unhinged, and suddenly, more tentacles erupted from the dirt like jagged nails. His form twisted, stretched, and warped into something grotesque—an abomination of darkness. His body was swollen with gloom, hundreds of eyes blinking open across his hide, and his tentacles thickened, striking the air with even more fury.
I slipped from the rooftop, crashing against one of his legs. His massive gaze darted to me instantly.
"You won't get away," he hissed, madness in every syllable.
A tentacle shot out and wrapped around me, lifting me toward his face. My heart pounded, but instinct surged. I slipped through his grip, darted between his legs, and punched the air upward. Energy surged, blasting his face as I followed up with a kick that sent him reeling outside the town's walls.
"My power's back," I muttered, heat rushing through my veins.
"What's happening?" Eqihr's voice cut in as he landed beside me, dragon sword gleaming in his hands.
I blinked. "How did you—?"
"Right where you said it was," he replied, grim but focused. "Not the matter now. Let's kill this thing."
He leapt from building to building, bounding toward the battlefield beyond the walls. I followed close behind. Outside the town, the abomination was on a rampage, tearing into the defense forces.
"Get away from here!" shouted the division woman, her pink aura blazing. "Don't show yourselves—!"
A tentacle slammed her into the ground before she could finish.
Eqihr roared, his sword extending in a streak of blue light, slicing through tentacles with precision and fury. The soldiers of Haru surged forward, pulling the earth itself to bind the beast. For a moment, it seemed to work—but he burst free in a violent quake, sending every single defender flying backward like leaves in a storm.
"This is your strength?" he mocked, voice guttural and cruel. "This pathetic display? You call yourselves warriors?"
His gaze fixed on me, all those horrible eyes narrowing. "If you don't surrender, I'll take everything from you."
"Ignore him!" Eqihr shouted, hacking through another flurry of tentacles.
"You make me sick," I growled, my teeth clenched. His focus locked on me once more. "You will leave this town alone."
He sneered. "And what are you going to do about it?"
A tentacle swung down toward me like a falling tower. I braced and caught it on my forearm. The shock rattled my bones, but I held firm.
"I healed you," I spat, voice shaking with rage. "I wasted time on you—and this is how you repay me?"
I seized the tentacle, twisted, and hurled him into the air. His body crashed against the clouds, flailing. In the same motion, I leapt to Eqihr, pulling him free from the beast's grasp. My finger extended, power thrumming, and a beam of energy erupted from me like a steady, focused laser.
The shot tore through the monster, splitting his form in half. His shadowy body dissolved, unraveling as he plummeted back to earth in his true form—a battered man.
I caught him before he hit the ground, his weight sagging in my arms.
So far, my powers had been healing, strength, warping, and aura-based attacks. But this… this was something different.
"Why?" he muttered weakly, eyes fluttering. "Why spare me?"
"Because I'm not like your allies," I told him firmly. "And because I need information."
His body went limp as he passed out from exhaustion. Haru's administration quickly seized him, dragging him into custody. As for me and Eqihr, we were marched back to our quarters, placed under strict surveillance.
"Goshi, what happened?" Mai asked as soon as we entered the home. Her eyes searched mine, worried.
I told them everything—that we'd been attacked, that I'd fought back, that we were being watched even more closely now. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Eqihr keeping his cloak wrapped tightly around something.
"Looks like we found it," I whispered to him.
He gave the faintest nod. "Keep it between us."
After a first day in Haru, it already felt like a living hell. I didn't trust this place. Not anymore.
An hour later, the sun dipped low, and night settled over the rooftops. We stayed inside, restless, preparing for bed. In the dim quiet, Eqihr pulled me aside.
"If Manny is captured, the Yin spirit can be taken out of him," he said grimly. "It isn't a difficult task. And it won't just be Nazo—anyone who knows how can do it."
My chest tightened. "But Manny's strong. He'd be impossible to capture."
Eqihr shook his head. "Not impossible. Unlikely, yes—but against a scaled sword user? Entirely possible."
I swallowed hard. "And the man with darkness?"
"Nazo's ally," Eqihr replied. "Yes. He's dangerous. Today, he wasn't even fully attuned to his power. Next time…" He trailed off.
His warning pressed on me like iron chains. He had always been the one we could trust—guiding Manny and me, helping us survive this war. But his next words chilled me.
"If the spirits are removed, fragments of power linger in the host. But the new user must kill the host to claim it fully."
My breath caught. "You mean… if Manny or I lose the spirits, we could die?"
Eqihr nodded grimly.
I clenched my fists. "Manny's hurting. He thinks all he does is destroy. If it came to it, I'd give him my spirit. He could come back."
"No," Eqihr said firmly. "Then you'd die, and Manny would only spiral further. If you leave him like that, he'll be lost. You'll both be lost."
I didn't answer. Deep down, I knew he was right. But the weight of it crushed me.
I sighed. "Sometimes I think Manny just wants to go home."
Eqihr's eyes softened, but his words cut deep. "I wasn't talking about Manny. Or Amoi."
I froze, glaring at him. "What are you talking about?"
His expression shifted. "I know about your twin brother. The one who was murdered."
Fury surged through me. I pointed at him, voice like a blade. "Don't you dare speak about him."
Eqihr faltered, visibly shaken by my tone. "—I-I'm sorry. That was out of line."
I turned away, storming into the nearest room. Alone, I stood at the window, watching Haru's citizens retreat into their homes as rain began to fall in soft sheets.
The door creaked open behind me. Light footsteps padded across the floor.
"I said I don't want to be bothered, Eqihr," I muttered.
"I'm not Eqihr, Goshi."
Mai's voice.
She stepped to my side. "It's dinner time. I was worried about you."
She hesitated before speaking again. "I heard what happened earlier. You've become more defensive than I've ever seen you." Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around me. "Forgive Eqihr. He's only trying to help."
I swallowed hard, my voice low. "When my twin died… I was lost. He was like the Yin to my Yang."
Mai's embrace loosened. She stepped back, her tone quiet but steady.
She turned and walked away. I stared after her, heart aching, and from where I stood, I could still feel the weight of her emotions echoing against my own.