Chapter 9: Crimson Moon, Silent Bonds
Haru's POV
The night air was heavy, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and burning lantern oil. We sat on the hillside again, the one place that felt like ours. Aina leaned against the tree trunk, clutching her stuffed toy, while I worked at shaping the shadow energy in my palm.
The jagged dagger of darkness flickered in and out, like a flame refusing to be steady.
"Still unstable…" I muttered, sweat dripping down my forehead.
Aina's golden eyes softened as she watched me. "You're forcing it again, Haru. Shadows aren't blades because you want them to be. They're reflections. You have to guide them with your intent… not your anger."
I sighed, collapsing the dagger into smoke. "…Easier said than done."
She giggled faintly, hugging her toy closer. "That's what I'm here for."
For a moment, it felt normal. Almost like the quiet evenings back in Japan, when life wasn't about assassins and cursed powers. Except now, I had a girl with horns sitting beside me, her gaze filled with an unspoken sadness I couldn't ignore.
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Aina's POV
Haru didn't know the truth. Not yet.
The goddess who summoned him—my sister—wasn't just choosing a hero. She was binding our fates together. The shadows he struggled with weren't his alone. They were the other half of me… a reminder of what I had lost.
I lowered my gaze to the grass.
"…Haru," I whispered, "do you ever miss your world?"
He blinked, caught off guard. "…Of course. My family. My friends. But—" He hesitated, then smiled faintly. "If I wasn't brought here, I wouldn't have met you."
My chest tightened. Foolish boy. You didn't know how cruel destiny really was.
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The Next Day – Training Ground
We weren't alone anymore. A woman in shrine maiden robes stood at the edge of the clearing, her long black hair tied with a crimson ribbon.
"Takemura Haru," she called softly, her voice steady. "I am Shizuka Ayame. A messenger of the goddess Amateruna. My duty is to observe… and protect the link between you and Aina."
Aina stiffened beside me. "Shizuka… why are you here? Did sister send you?"
Ayame nodded. "The assassin will not stop. Renji moves under a crimson moon, and his blade hungers for your shadow." Her gaze shifted to me, unreadable. "If you are to survive, Haru, you must awaken the true essence of your gift."
"True essence?" I asked, confused.
Ayame raised her hand, and faint talismans burned with spiritual light. "Shadows are not merely weapons. They are memory, emotion, and resolve. To master them… you must bare your soul to Aina."
"…Bare my soul?" I repeated, heat rising to my cheeks.
Aina turned just as red. "W-Wait, what exactly does that mean?"
Ayame only smiled faintly. "You will learn, in time."
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Later That Night
The crimson moon rose, painting the sky in bloodlight. Something in the air shifted — heavier, colder. My instincts screamed.
He's here.
"Stay close to me," I told Aina, pulling her hand as we stood beneath the tree. The shadows stretched unnaturally, twisting like living things.
From the darkness, a figure emerged.
Black cloak. Pale eyes gleaming. And in his hand, a blade that seemed to devour the moonlight.
"Takemura Haru," he said, his voice like ice. "You survived longer than I expected. How amusing."
Aina's grip on my sleeve tightened. "Renji…"
Kurotsuki Renji — the assassin who had marked me since the night I arrived.
"What do you want from us?" I demanded, summoning the unstable dagger of shadows in my hand.
He smiled thinly. "I want nothing from you. The goddess sent you here as a pawn. But she—" his blade pointed toward Aina, "—is the true prize. Return her, and I might let you live."
"Not a chance."
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The Battle Begins
Renji moved like smoke — one blink, and he was already before me. Our blades clashed, sparks flying. My shadow dagger cracked under the weight of his cursed steel, but I forced it back with raw will.
"Too slow," he sneered, kicking me across the clearing. My back slammed against the tree, knocking the wind out of me.
"Haru!" Aina cried, rushing toward me.
Renji lunged at her.
Something inside me snapped.
I grabbed her hand mid-reach, forcing the shadows around me to surge. They spiraled upward, wrapping around both of us like a cocoon.
And for an instant—our hearts overlapped.
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Vision
Darkness… and golden light.
I stood in an endless void, Aina before me. Her horns glowed faintly, her body trembling.
"Haru…" she whispered, "…this is my curse. The shadows that cling to you… they're mine. I was once meant to ascend as a goddess, but instead I fell. Sister saved me, sealed my corruption inside herself. And then… she summoned you."
My chest ached as I reached for her. "So that's why… my power feels incomplete."
She nodded, tears in her eyes. "You're my other half. That's why sister chose you."
I pulled her into my arms. "Then we'll fight together. I don't care if it's fate or curse—Aina, you're not alone anymore."
Her trembling eased. "Haru…"
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Reality
The cocoon shattered. I stood with Aina, our hands clasped, shadows swirling around us like a storm. The dagger in my grip no longer cracked — it burned with a dark brilliance, stable and sharp.
Renji froze, his eyes narrowing. "…Impossible. You've already synchronized."
"Guess you underestimated us," I said, smirking despite the blood dripping from my lip.
Aina stepped forward, her golden light merging with my shadows. Together, they formed a luminous-black blade that hummed with divine resonance.
Renji tightened his grip on his sword, then smirked. "Interesting. Very well… show me, pawn of the goddess. Show me if you can survive the Crimson Moon."
And with that, the true battle began.
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End of Chapter 9