The next morning.
As the first light of dawn breaks through the trees, Kasumi and Shiku stir from their slumber, their eyes widening in surprise.
Suddenly, with a crackling surge of energy, Houki leaves a void portal and teleports back to camp with an air of mystique that sparks curiosity and excitement.
"Where have you been, Houki?" Kasumi asks, her brow furrows with worry as she studies the troubled expression on his face.
"Just… checking the perimeter," he replies, keeping the night's encounter to himself.
The words barely leave his mouth when a low growl echoes through the clearing, making all three turn sharply toward the forest's edge.
The air seems to thicken with tension, every animal in the forest scattering as if fleeing from a predator no one could yet see. The light of dawn dims unnaturally, and the shadows cast by the trees grow long and twisted.
In the oppressive stillness, a figure emerges from the dark woods—a towering silhouette with eyes that glowed like embers.
Its presence exudes a foreboding aura, and as it stepped into the clearing, the ground trembled beneath his feet, the grass wilting.
Shiku's fists ignite instinctively, flickers of fire dancing along his knuckles. "Whatever it is, it's coming straight for us."
Houki steps forward, his expression grave. "Get ready."
A pulse—a heartbeat made of mana—thudded through the earth, reverberating in their bones. Leaves tremble. Then silence.
And then—
A figure emerges.
Slender, unnaturally tall, its presence warped the very space around it. Its tattered cloak drags along the ground, and its face, if it could be called that, was hidden behind a cracked, bone-white mask and long thick horns protruding from his head. Hollow red eyes glowed beneath it.
Asmoth has arrived.
The name itself hasn't been spoken, but the sheer pressure he exudes tells them everything they needed to know. This isn't a beast, or a rogue spirit-user. This was something worse—something ancient.
Kasumi's breath hitches, her voice low. "That… that isn't human."
Houki narrows his eyes, gripping the edge of his jacket as void energy coils around his arms like restless smoke. "No. It's not."
The masked figure raises his head slightly, and though no mouth moved, a voice echoes inside all of their minds—smooth, unhurried, and layered with malice.
"So. These are the ones fate holds dear?"
Shiku growls and takes a step forward, fire erupting from both fists now, crackling with intensity. "You wanna talk or you wanna fight?!"
Asmoth tilts his head slightly, the cracked mask making the gesture look almost… curious.
"Impatience. So typical of lowly humans."
Asmoth's words echo in their minds like a whisper carried on a storm, chilling yet clear. The air around him bends and trembles with each breath he takes, mana surging like crashing waves barely held back by an invisible dam.
The ground beneath their feet vibrates, pebbles skittering as if in fear of the impending battle.
Houki takes a stance, the void energy sparking with anticipation of battle, but hesitates, eyes briefly meeting Kasumi's.
Kasumi nods, already reading his unspoken thought: this isn't a battle they can win—but they may not have a choice.
Shiku burns brighter, his flames fueled by instinct and defiance. "Bring it on, then! " he roars, channeling his power into a blazing beacon of defiance against the encroaching dread.
Asmoth steps forward, and with every footfall, the forest seems to recoil. The pressure increases—not just magical, but spiritual, like their very cores were being squeezed by some invisible force.
"Your spirits are loud," Asmoth muses, his voice still echoing inside their heads. "But undeveloped. Unworthy. The First would be ashamed. And yet…"
His gaze shifts toward Shiku and Houki.
"…you two bear a scent I recognize."
Houki's brows tighten. "What do you mean?"
Asmoth doesn't respond. Instead, he simply says.
"Nullshade: Black Veil."
He raises a hand—and the world darkens.
A dome of oppressive darkness magic swells outward like a stormcloud, casting the battlefield in complete blackness.
The trio cast anxious glances in every direction, straining to catch a glimpse or a sound from one another. The silence envelopes them, thick and palpable, as they search for any sign of each other amidst the darkness.
The only illumination comes from the flickering glow of the fire, dancing in the palms and soles of Shiku, casting playful shadows that weave through the darkness.
In an instant, Asmoth materializes right in front of Kasumi, his presence electrifying the air around them. With a fierce determination, he launches a swift punch, connecting directly with her face, sending shockwaves through the tension that crackles between them.
Kasumi soars through the air, her body twisting in an uncontrolled tumble before crashing onto her back. A sharp jolt of pain surges through her, electrifying her nerves as she struggles to catch her breath.
Kasumi's body skids across the forest floor, carving a shallow trench in the earth before coming to a stop. Blood trickles from her lip. Her vision blurs.
She groans, forcing herself up onto shaking elbows.
"Too fast…" she thinks, heart pounding. "I couldn't even see him move."
Before anyone can realize what happened to her, Asmoth vanishes again.
He reappears behind Houki.
As Houki attempts to teleport backward, hoping to evade the incoming attack, he miscalculates the distance. Before he could fully process his misstep, Asmoth unleashes a powerful punch that lands squarely on his face, catching him off guard. The impact resonating like thunder, leaving Houki reeling and scrambling.
Houki flies back, smashing through a tree with a crash that shakes the entire clearing. He grits his teeth as he hits the ground, skidding to a stop on his feet.
Houki stumbles but stays upright, panting. A line of blood drips from the corner of his mouth as his void energy coils wildly around him, flickering with instability.
Then.
Shiku's eyes flare with fury. "Show yourself, you bastard!"
Without hesitation, he rockets forward, flames bursting from his heels as he blindly launches a fiery punch.
Shiku's punch cuts through the darkness like a comet—blazing, furious, defiant.
For a moment, it seems he hit.
But Asmoth catches his flaming fist stopping all Shiku's momentum.
Shiku's eyes widen. "What the—?!"
"Reckless. Predictable." Asmoth's voice fills Shiku's ears.
Asmoth twists his arm and throws Shiku across the clearing like a ragdoll. He slams into a boulder, cracking it in half before rolling across the dirt.
❧
The veil of darkness still clings to the clearing, swallowing every inch of light. The sound of labored breathing and the rustle of disturbed earth are the only signs the three are barely conscious.
Houki, bloodied but defiant, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Void energy whirls violently around him now, responding to his rising fury. "He's playing with us…"
From the broken boulder, Shiku slowly gets to his feet, his face smeared with dirt and blood. Despite the pain wracking his body, his eyes burn like wildfire. "I'm not done yet…"
As the last remnants of pain fade away, Kasumi takes a deep breath, feeling the warmth of renews strength coursing through her veins.
Asmoth looks at her angrily, "A healer. How… annoying." he says charging at her.
Kasumi narrows her eyes, gathering her focus.
Green energy spirals around her hands her body steady now, stance unwavering. The soft hum of healing magic turns sharp—focused not just on restoration, but defense. Her aura glows brighter, defiant.
Asmoth lunges, his movement instant—like the world skips a frame.
But Kasumi is ready.
With a quick motion, preparing for his strike she envelops herself in a transparent aura.
With a fierce determination in her voice, she cries out, "Surge Veil!"
The moment the words leave her lips, a vibrant green barrier pulses around Kasumi's body, forming a dome of translucent energy that crackles with life. Asmoth's clawed strike collides with the veil—and for the first time, he's stopped.
The impact of the attack sends her skidding through the darkness. But she stands tall almost unscathed besides the cuts and rips to her clothing from the tree branches she flew through.
His eyes narrow behind the cracked mask. "Hmph."
Kasumi grits her teeth, her knees buckling slightly under the pressure, but she doesn't fall.
"Is that all you've got?" she taunts, the defiance unyielding in her stare even as fatigue creeps into her limbs.
Stumbling through the consuming darkness, both boys find themselves drawn—by instinct or fate—back to Kasumi's side. As an angry Asmoth stands at a distance, assessing his next move, the allies regroup.
Together, bruised but unbroken, the trio stands beneath the Black Veil—ready for round two.
The three of them stand back to back in a tight circle, their bodies tense and ready. They waited with bated breath for Asmoth to make his next move, each one acutely aware of the intensity of the moment. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, and they exchanged glances, silently gauging their readiness for whatever might come next. Every sound seemed amplified as they held their ground, united in their resolve to face the challenge ahead.
Houki knows they have to escape the darkness looming around them; it feels suffocating and inescapable. "We have to find a way out of this darkness if we want any chance of getting out of this alive," he thinks to himself, determined to overcome the oppressive situation. As he contemplates their next move, a glimmer of hope emerges in his mind. "Hopefully this will work," he continues, steeling himself for the challenges ahead.
"Void Step!"
Houki vanishes into the void pulling Shiku and Kasumi in with him. The three appear on the outside of the black veil breathing in the fresh air with relief. The oppressive force surrounding them dissipates, giving rise to a new landscape, filled with possibilities.
As soon as they touch down beyond the veil, bodies trembling from exertion.
Kasumi, breath still ragged, quickly pulls her torn shirt together. Houki notices and wordlessly shrugs off his jacket, tossing it to her. She nods once in thanks, eyes never leaving the growing shadows.
The forest beyond the dome is still. Six ominous black spears shoot out from the shadows, hurtling toward them with deadly precision.
The three of them jump in different directions to dodge the flying spears.
Then suddenly.
The dome of darkness began to swell ominously, and a chilling, sinister laugh echoes from within, sending shivers down their spines.
"Did you really believe you could slip away so effortlessly?" Asmoth taunted, slightly tilting his head back.
❧