Dawn and Kazu both stared off at the humanoid creature, which stood eerily idle.
"I say we come up with a plan. We don't know its strength and—"
Suddenly, as Kazu was talking, Dawn rushed in, his fist coated in Reiki as he aimed a punch at the creature.
The humanoid effortlessly dodged, turning around slowly to face Dawn. It hadn't even flinched from the attack, as if it saw Dawn as no threat. The creature simply stared.
Dawn attacked again, this time imbuing his legs with Reiki for extra speed.
"His reaction time is unbelievable. But… Dawn is holding back. Is he afraid to go all out… or can't he?" Kazu muttered from the sidelines.
Dawn threw another punch. Again, the creature dodged—even quicker than before. It raised its hatchet and swung, but Kazu intercepted just in time, his sword clashing with the creature's weapon.
Kazu pressed forward with a flurry of strikes, pushing the creature back. But in a sudden shift, the humanoid grabbed Kazu's arm and hurled him aside. Dawn watched in shock.
Kazu's insanely fast, but even he can't keep this up for long.
Kazu landed on his feet, but the creature had already closed the distance. Another hatchet swing.
Dawn, without hesitation, jumped in and blocked the strike with his Reiki-infused arm. The creature tried again, but Kazu slashed its arm, drawing a scream of pain.
It jumped back, quickly regenerating the wound. Both boys stared in disbelief.
"He can regenerate... but his Reiki hasn't dropped at all. How big are his reserves?" Kazu muttered, eyes wide with concern.
Dawn looked over and noticed blood staining Kazu's shirt.
"Kazu, are you—" "I'm fine."
Kazu clutched his wound, trying to hide his pain, but Dawn could see it clearly. Kazu attempted to rush forward but staggered, the pain too intense. The creature still stood idle.
"Aero! Can you help, or show me how to help him?"
A gust of wind spun into existence. Aero emerged, surrounding Kazu. Winded symbols appeared next to him. Dawn leaned in to read them, eyes widening.
"Kazu, place your hand on your stomach. Focus your Reiki there."
Through the pain, Kazu obeyed. Slowly, the wound began to heal. Dawn smiled, then turned to see the creature—still unmoving. Kazu stood again, the injury gone.
(Kazu's Reiki: 84% | Emotional Quota: Sane)
"Thanks, but... what is that thing?" Kazu asked, eyeing the wind with confusion.
"Not just a thing. It'll help us. But do you have any ideas? His Reiki doesn't seem to be draining."
Aero rushed to the creature and engulfed it. It didn't flinch. Dawn stepped forward, but Kazu stopped him with a hand.
Aero returned quickly.
"His Reiki... is unlimited... due to being... a summon of some kind," Aero said.
"Great. So we can't beat him unless we overpower him completely. And that's... not possible. But we can't run either."
Dawn turned, confused. "He's just standing there. There's an opening to escape. We could regroup. Come on, let's go—" "No! I'm not leaving."
Kazu's voice was heavy. Dawn saw sadness in his eyes. He realized Kazu didn't want to be stranded. This cave meant a lot more to him.
"I don't wanna be stranded when I just found shelter, not in a place like this. You don't know the weather, you don't know who's watching… or what they'll do if they think you're weaker. It's not just fear—it's knowing someone out there is stronger, faster, and they don't have to explain why they take something from you. Even when you think you've prepared... the world doesn't care," Kazu said, a tear sliding down his cheek.
Dawn understood. Kazu hadn't learned how to push aside fear the way he had.
Dawn stepped forward, Aero swirling behind him.
"Being alone is a curse forced on people in this world. I understand how you feel. It turned me into someone I hate. So I'll stay and fight with you."
Dawn remembered Joki's words about the Sakusei. A plan began to form, even if it scared him. He glanced back—Kazu stood, sword ready.
Suddenly, pressure filled the air. The creature unleashed a wave of Reiki.
"I am Arima the Bane. This cave does not belong to you. Leave."
Each word was heavy. Dawn and Kazu froze, fear rising.
Despite it, Dawn lunged. His punch missed, but he stomped the ground, creating a crater. Kazu barely dodged.
(Reiki: 80% | Emotional Quota: Sane)
He lost his footing—that small slip is a chance.
Kazu's sword flickered black. He dashed in, faster than Dawn could see. He slashed, but the wound was shallow. Before Arima countered, Dawn came down from above, punching him hard in the gut.
Kazu's head throbbed. (Reiki: 75% | Emotional Quota: Fraying Edge)
Aero appeared beside Dawn.
"Aero! We don't have time. What's taking so long?!"
"My... thinking speed... matches yours... and considering... you're not that bright... this will take... a while."
Kazu laughed.
"This isn't funny!"
Suddenly, Arima rocketed down, kicking Dawn in the gut. Dawn coughed up blood, flying back. Kazu stared, frozen. Arima loomed.
But Kazu's overconfidence in Fraying Edge surged.
Even before... I was faster than he could react. So this time—
Kazu's sword flickered again. Arima grabbed his neck, but Kazu sliced his arm off. Arima screamed, regenerating instantly.
Kazu's ability, Yin-Yang, let him swap strength and speed. Meanwhile, Dawn lay still, Aero above him.
"Method... found. Mimicking previous Sakusei activation."
Aero engulfed Dawn. Memories of Hopewell's facility rushed in. His body trembled. His eyes flickered yellow.
The ground exploded.
"Dawn!"
Kazu's cry distracted him. Arima slashed Kazu deeply. Kazu collapsed. Arima raised his hatchet—but Dawn was suddenly there, gripping Arima's arm.
He ripped it off and punched Arima hard, sending him flying. Shockwaves cracked the air.
Kazu attempted to heal again. But the deeper wound drained his Reiki rapidly, forcing his body to twitch. Giving him a inhuman look on his face.
(Reiki: 52% | Emotional Quota: Fraying Edge)
"Kazu, just breathe. I'll be back."
Arima reappeared, walking calmly. Dawn, unafraid, faced him.
His Reiki surged to 200%. Emotional Quota: Bliss.
Dawn blitzed. A brutal uppercut sent Arima skyward. Dawn swung again, firing a projectile shockwave through his gut. The shockwave sent a ripple throughout the entire city.
"You're done. Stay away."
He walked back to Kazu. His body felt heavy. The yellow glow faded.
Tears streamed down his face.
"No... no, I didn't mean to kill him. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He dropped to his knees, broken. In victory, he felt defeated.
Kazu, now healed but twitching from Reiki loss, knelt beside him.
"Dawn, you saved us. You're a hero."
Dawn stared.
"But... I killed him—"
"Killing in self-defense doesn't make you a monster, no matter what anyone says. If you hadn't, we'd be dead. You're young, still learning. You'll make mistakes. But this? This doesn't define you. You did what you had to do. That doesn't make you a bad person."
Dawn looked up, breathing steady. Arima's body faded.
"He wasn't even human. Maybe... you're right."
Kazu smiled. They stood together, laughing.
"So, you defeated the big bad monster. You two must be proud."
They froze. An unfamiliar voice. A man stood behind them, staring with menace.
Kashikoi.
"Run... run, Dawn!"
Kazu ran but was caught instantly. Kashikoi chopped his neck, knocking him out. Dawn didn't run.
"That's the spirit. No point exhausting yourself."
He approached. A lightning bolt struck Dawn. Pain exploded through him, yet he stayed on his feet.
Kashikoi blinked. "Why do you keep standing? You have no reason. No strength. Yet… you won't fall."
Dawn took a step.
"No motivation? That's bullshit. Every day since I got the chance to change, I swore I'd reclaim my humanity. To understand people. I didn't crawl through hell to forget why I started walking!"
Kashikoi didn't speak. But inside, something stirred. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to kill them.
Dawn collapsed. Kashikoi walked over, hoisted him up.
"You've got heart, kid. Even moved me. Learn to shut up next time, though."