Chapter 11: Under the Cracked Moon
The forest was eerily silent.
No rustle of leaves, no chirping of insects, not even the whisper of the night breeze. Only the echo of Renji's words lingered, poisonous and heavy.
> "You're just a pawn of the goddess."
I clenched my fists. My shadow blade had faded into smoke, leaving only bloodied hands and trembling arms.
Beside me, Aina held on tightly, refusing to let go. Her warmth was the only thing anchoring me.
Ayame, still catching her breath, stood before the flickering glow of the Crimson Moon. Her usually calm shrine maiden expression was strained.
"The seal… it's breaking faster than I feared," she murmured.
I forced myself to speak. "…What seal?"
Ayame's gaze flicked to me, unreadable. "The Crimson Moon isn't just a curse. It's a lock. Ages ago, the goddess who brought you here—Amaterasu's fragment—bound something beyond comprehension beneath this world. Tonight was the first fracture."
The words hit me like ice water.
A goddess.
The one who dragged me into this world.
Was I her chosen… or just her tool?
---
Aina's POV
Haru's shoulders stiffened, his eyes clouded again. He always tried to hide it, but I could feel it—the way Renji's words burrowed inside him.
I couldn't let him fall back into that darkness.
"Haru," I whispered, tugging gently at his sleeve. He looked down at me, startled, like he'd forgotten I was still holding him.
"You're thinking too much again," I said softly, forcing a small smile. "Don't let his poison stay inside you. You're not a pawn. You're… you."
For a moment, his eyes wavered—shadows of a boy who had been forgotten for far too long. Then he exhaled slowly and nodded.
"…Thanks, Aina. Really."
---
Back to Haru's POV
Ayame approached, her staff glowing faintly as she traced a protective circle around us. "We can't stay here. The disturbance will draw more than Renji. Lesser demons will swarm soon."
Before I could reply, a soft crunch echoed from the treeline.
All three of us froze.
From the shadows emerged a tall figure draped in white and black armor, her long raven hair tied into a flowing ribbon. A katana rested at her hip, its hilt marked with the crest of a crescent moon.
Her eyes—sharp, piercing, and painfully familiar.
"…You," she said, her voice low and smooth. "You're the one the goddess chose?"
---
The New Arrival
Ayame immediately stepped forward, staff raised. "Identify yourself!"
The woman ignored her. She looked only at me, her expression unreadable.
"My name is Kurogane Sayaka," she said finally. "And if you carry the goddess's shadow, then you and I… are bound by fate."
My pulse quickened. Something about her presence was overwhelming, yet not hostile. Like staring into a mirror that reflected strength I didn't yet have.
"…What do you mean by bound?" I asked cautiously.
Sayaka's gaze softened—just slightly. "Because before you, there was me. The goddess's previous chosen."
The world seemed to stop.
---
The Revelation
Ayame's eyes widened. "Impossible. The goddess only selects one across eras—"
"She lied," Sayaka interrupted flatly. "Or perhaps, she simply used me until I broke."
Her hand touched the scar that traced her jawline.
"I fought under the goddess's will. I believed I was saving this world. But in the end, I was nothing more than a sword that could be discarded. And now, she's chosen you."
My chest tightened. That same gnawing doubt clawed at me again.
Was that all I was too? A replacement for someone who failed?
Sayaka's eyes narrowed as if she could read my thoughts. "…If you don't want to end up like me, boy, you'd better decide quickly: are you living for yourself, or for her?"
---
Tension Breaks
Before I could answer, the ground shook violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the earth, glowing with crimson light.
Ayame cursed under her breath. "No. It's too soon—the seal is reacting to Renji's interference!"
From the fissures seeped a black mist, colder than death. Shapes slithered within it—eyes blinking open, claws scraping at reality.
Demons.
Sayaka drew her katana in one swift motion, her blade gleaming like moonlight. "You can question your purpose later. For now, fight."
---
The Battle — Haru's Struggle
The first wave of demons lunged, their forms grotesque and shifting. My shadows rose instinctively, forming a barrier. But unlike before, they trembled with my hesitation.
Renji's words. Sayaka's revelation. The goddess's shadow.
All of it swirled inside me, breaking my focus.
My barrier cracked. A claw tore through, nearly reaching Aina.
"Haru!" she cried.
I snapped back, shadows exploding outward to obliterate the demon in a spray of black mist. My chest heaved.
Sayaka glanced at me, unimpressed. "If you hesitate, you'll die. And worse—so will she."
Her blade flashed, cutting down three demons in a single motion. "Decide, boy. Are you her pawn, or her protector?"
---
The Choice
The world blurred around me. My breath burned in my lungs.
Pawn. Protector.
Replacement. Chosen.
Loner. Worthless.
No.
Not anymore.
I looked at Aina, her small hands clutching her toy, her golden eyes locked on me with absolute faith. The first person to ever make me feel seen.
"I'm not fighting for the goddess," I said, shadows swirling steadily now. My voice no longer shook. "I'm fighting for her."
Light burst from Aina, flowing into me once more. The bond between us solidified, brighter, sharper.
My shadow blade returned, its golden edge stronger than before.
---
Climax of the Chapter
Sayaka froze mid-swing, watching as my blade cut clean through a horde of demons in one arc. Her eyes widened—not with anger, but something like relief.
"…So that's your answer," she whispered.
The fissures began to close, Ayame's barrier sealing the cracks with divine chants. The last demon screeched before dissolving into ash.
At last, silence returned.
But not peace.
Because above us, the Crimson Moon pulsed once more—its surface cracking wider, like glass about to shatter.
And in the silence, a low, guttural growl rumbled from beyond the sky.
Something far greater than demons was awakening.
---
Aftermath
Sayaka sheathed her blade, her gaze still fixed on me. "…You might actually succeed where I failed."
She turned away, her figure dissolving into mist. "I'll be watching, boy. Don't disappoint me."
And just like that, she was gone.
Aina tugged my hand gently. "…Haru. You weren't nothing in your old world. You were just… waiting for the right world to see you."
Her words hit me deeper than any blade.
For the first time, I smiled without forcing it. "…Then I'll make sure this world never forgets me."
The Crimson Moon flickered above, its cracks glowing brighter.
The true battle had only just begun.
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End of Chapter 11