Volume 1:The Prophecy
Chapter 10: The Man Behind the Glass
The air was heavy. No—thick. Smoke clung to the cracked tiles, the shattered mirrors, and the corpses of cursed shades scattered across the hall.
Chains rattled faintly. Itsuki stood in the center, chest heaving. Blood streaked down his cheek, dripping onto the blackened floor. His spiked bat glowed dimly, a mixture of red, green, and black aura sputtering around it like dying embers.
Twenty-four mirror demons lay in pieces around him. Their twisted limbs twitched once, then vanished into black mist. Even as they dissolved, the faint sound of clawed feet echoed from the shadows.
Another wave. Itsuki gritted his teeth. "…Still coming?" His voice was flat, eyes half-lidded, their faint glow flickering.
The last standing demon—the one that hadn't charged—tilted its head from the darkness. Taller than the others, with elongated arms and cracks along its glassy face pulsing faint red.
"Not bad," it rumbled, like glass grinding against glass.
Itsuki narrowed his eyes. "You're still here?"
The demon stepped closer, claws clicking lazily on the tiles. "You are… interesting. A little flame pretending to burn the world."
Itsuki's grip on the bat trembled. "You talk too much," he muttered.
The demon ignored him, its cracked mouth curling in a jagged grin. "Flames like yours burn bright… but they never last. Perhaps I'll take care of you someday. Or not. You amuse me enough to live—for now."
Itsuki exhaled slowly, his knees nearly buckling as he leaned against the cracked wall.
A faint hiss drew his attention. A flash of silver arced from the side corridor—a knife, fast and precise.
The demon didn't flinch. "Ah… looks like playtime's over."
Its form shimmered like a broken reflection, then vanished. CLANG! The knife embedded itself in the tiles where it had stood.
Itsuki stared blankly. His fingers curled around the hilt, lifting it slowly. The polished metal reflected his blood- and ash-streaked face, almost like a stranger staring back.
A bitter laugh escaped him. "…What a bullshit me."
He sank back against the wall, the knife across his knees, as the last flicker of aura died from his bracelet.
Meanwhile—
Airi's boots skidded across the cracked floor as she dragged Rei and Yuki to a safer corner. Yuki barely stirred, pale and blood-soaked; Rei's arm hung limply at his side.
"Damn it… hold on, you two…" she muttered.
Her eyes caught a faint glow beneath the floor tiles. It pulsed softly, almost calling to her. She moved closer, helping Rei and Yuki sit against the wall.
She gripped her katana tighter, boots crunching over shards of glass. As her fingers reached for the light—
The floor cracked. Black smoke and shards of greenish glass erupted upward, twisting into a humanoid shape. The glow from below bathed the hall in a dim, eerie light.
A figure emerged, his body a strange mix of green glass fragments and shadows. Shards shifted along his neck and shoulders like trembling veins. His form was humanoid—tall, lithe, and deliberate—every movement controlled.
One glowing red eye fixed on Airi. He smirked faintly. "Ah… the little swordswoman. So eager to approach the artifact."
Airi stumbled back a step, blade raised. "Who… what are you?"
He straightened, shadows and glass settling into place. "I am your opponent. You may have thought breaking these artifacts would solve your problems… but these objects are just tools. One of my powers among many."
His voice was calm, confident, yet carried the weight of danger. "And now… you face me."
Back in the hallway, Itsuki sat slumped against the wall. The mirror demons had melted into mist entirely, leaving only silence. He breathed sharply, trembling. He didn't have enough left for another fight.
Airi's voice echoed faintly down the corridor. "Stay down, Itsuki. I'll handle this."
The figure's grin widened, shards of green glass along his body shifting like living veins. Black tendrils coiled around his wrists, poised to strike.
Airi tightened her grip on her katana, stance low. Her eyes locked on him, unwavering.