In the pitch-black night, beneath a sky stitched with stars and silence, one of them lay wide-eyed—wondering how to fall asleep—while the other was already gathering dried leaves and grass, fashioning them into a makeshift bed.
"Aren't you going to collect some leaves and straw?" Lumino asked, glancing toward Kael.
Kael recoiled slightly, clearly appalled.
"How am I supposed to sleep on that? It's probably itchy as hell."
With a dramatic shiver, he took a step back.
"Inventory!" he declared, and with a flick of his wrist, summoned a lantern that softly illuminated the clearing, followed by a proper sleeping mat that unfurled on the ground with a satisfying thud.
Lumino blinked, visibly startled, eyes wide in quiet wonder.
Kael noticed the look and cleared his throat.
"It's tech from my world. Hunters have inventory slots—it's where my sword came from too."
Lumino gave a slow nod, as if they understood, though their puzzled expression didn't change.
With a sigh, Kael sat down cross-legged on the mat.
"Hunters are divided into three classes—monster hunters, mage hunters, and shadow hunters. I'm a shadow hunter."
To demonstrate, he summoned his long sword again. The blade gleamed in the lantern light, its dark edge pulsing faintly.
Lumino flinched.
"Don't panic, I'm not going to use it on you. Just showing that this thing isn't for show—it's one of the few weapons that can slice through a Shadow."
The sword vanished as swiftly as it appeared.
"As for the other classes, I'm not too familiar. But one thing's clear—I'm strong. So you don't need to worry."
Lumino swallowed, unsure if they were reassured or more intimidated.
"So… what exactly is a Shadow?"
Kael paused.
Was that… a serious question?
"Shadow creatures are living darkness. They feed on life essence—human, animal, plant, anything. They merge into any shadow they touch. They hide in the dark, and grow stronger at night. Normal weapons don't work. Normal mana doesn't work. You need either a shadow weapon, or a hunter trained to fight them."
Kael was about to continue when he noticed Lumino's eyes weren't focused on him.
They were staring past him.
"Is it… something like that behind you?" Lumino whispered.
Kael froze. He whipped his head around—And the Shadow struck.
A blast of unseen force slammed into him, throwing him forward across the ground.
"Kael!" Lumino shouted, rushing forward—but as they prepared to lunge, the crimson thread between them snapped taut, yanking them backward toward Kael again.
Not this again! Lumino twisted midair to avoid a full collision, landing clumsily beside him.
"Are you okay?" they asked.
Kael coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it… I let my guard down. I should've seen it coming."
Despite the pain, he smirked and spit the blood to the side. Without hesitation, he surged forward again, drawing his sword mid-flight and swinging it toward the Shadow.
But just before the blade connected, a force slammed into his back—he was yanked back again.
Straight into Lumino. They both stumbled, Kael scowling as he righted himself.
"Damn it, Lumino! Don't mess up the distance!"
"You're the one who didn't maintain spacing!" Lumino shot back, indignant.
With a frustrated growl, Kael lunged forward again—only to be blocked by Lumino stepping into the fray.
"Don't!" he barked. "Whatever you're planning won't work—you're not a shadow hunter!"
Lumino pushed his hand away.
"Just watch!"
With sharp movement, they brought both hands up, fingers forming a glowing triangle.
"LIGHT SHOCK!"
A brilliant blast of light fired from their hands, striking the Shadow directly.
But when the smoke cleared… the creature remained untouched.
"What…?" Lumino gasped, eyes wide.
The Shadow launched toward them.
Before the blow could land, the red thread pulled them violently back—right into Kael's arms. This time, Kael caught them, bracing the impact.
"Told you not to trust your little tricks," he muttered.
Lumino gave a crooked smile as they stood beside him.
"Fine. So what's the plan?"
Kael chuckled darkly, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Plan? Easy. Just watch me this time."
In a swift motion, he summoned his short blade. His silver eyes glinted as he stepped forward, shoulders squared.
"I'll show you how a real shadow hunter does it."
Kael stood tall, unwavering, eyes fixed on the creature before him. He let out a quiet breath, the ghost of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Fortunately, this one's only an E-Class Shadow," he muttered under his breath.
The beast roared and lunged forward in blind aggression. Kael sidestepped with precision, his body flowing like water through the shadows. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled his short blade into the air, letting it spin mid-flight—just enough to draw the creature's gaze upward.
As its attention shifted, Kael slipped left, ducking under the beast's arm, and drove his momentum into a clean slash—cleaving through the Shadow's arm in one brutal motion. The dismembered limb went flying, disintegrating midair into black smoke.
The Shadow shrieked, stumbling back, its remaining claw lashing wildly.
Kael raised his sword again, this time targeting the other arm—but the beast, more desperate now, swung wildly and struck him full force.
Or so it thought.
The Shadow froze. Its claw hung midair, slicing through empty space.
Kael was gone.
"Looking for me, grizzly shadow-bear?"
The voice came from behind.
The creature whipped around, just as Kael drove his blade through its back with perfect precision, the edge slicing through its dark, insubstantial body.
But it wasn't over.
From the skies above, a silhouette descended—light radiating from their form like a silent prayer.
The figure's voice echoed, solemn and full of fervor:
"I surrender and submit for the one that create—grant me strength and favor. Feel this—God's Ultimatum!"
Lumino's descent was swift, divine. They clutched Kael's second blade in both hands, driving it down with explosive force through the Shadow's skull.
The moment the steel pierced its head, the creature convulsed—then shattered into fragments of ash and fading echoes. The air trembled briefly before settling into a heavy, victorious silence.
Kael exhaled deeply.
It had worked.
Just as planned.
***************************************************************************************************
Earlier before:
"I'll show you what a Shadow Hunter can do," Kael had said, voice low and steady. "But you have to track my movements. Keep just enough distance to avoid the tether pulling us together."
Lumino had scowled, clearly unimpressed.
"You know how to wield a blade, right?" Kael added.
Then, during the heat of battle, Kael had tossed his short blade upward—their agreed-upon signal. And Lumino, ever perceptive, had responded instantly—teleporting to intercept it mid-air.
The rest unfolded in perfect motion.
"Still... your plan was reckless," Lumino said, brushing ash off their coat as they turned toward Kael.
Their hand reached out.
"By this grace, let the Creator heal."
A soft light spread from Lumino's palm, enveloping Kael in a warm, silvery glow.
He blinked as he felt the change. The pain vanished.
The torn muscles in his shoulder realigned. His ribs, once bruised, shifted back into place. The blood on his tongue was gone.
"You can… heal too?" Kael asked, stunned.
"Only through the Creator's blessing," Lumino replied softly.
Kael gave him a sideways look.
"That's rare. Most people can only do one role—either you fight, or you heal. But this… well, it saved my ass. Thanks."
Lumino held back a smile, clearly pleased.
"You're welcome. Without me, you might've died out here."
Kael scoffed.
"Without you, I'd still be alive. Always have been."
His expression turned unreadable—dark, distant. Something clouded his eyes that Lumino couldn't quite name.
But before Lumino could ask more, he straightened suddenly.
"Let's find another place to sleep. My leaves and straw were scattered in the fight," Lumino said, brushing himself off.
Kael raised a brow.
"That's what the mat's for."
Lumino glanced toward the sleeping mat.
"But there's only one."
"Take it. I'm not sleeping. Someone has to keep watch."
"But—"
Kael didn't let them finish. He stepped forward, firm but not harsh, placing a hand on Lumino's shoulder and gently guiding them toward the mat.
"Just lie down. I'll keep watch from here."
Lumino hesitated… then reluctantly complied, lowering themselves onto the mat.
"I slept here before… in this field of Wedelia. It was fine before, what happen?" they murmured, half to themselves.
Kael didn't respond.
His silver eyes stared ahead into the dark field, scanning, waiting.
Wherever I go... they follow. Shadows. They never stop.
His jaw clenched as the weight of that truth settled on him again.
But for now, he kept his back straight, his breath steady, his blade within reach—
And his gaze fixed on the darkness that lay beyond the light.