Scene 1: Clash in the Dark
Haruto froze the moment his eyes landed on the Demon. Not frozen like ice—he simply stood rooted, unable to react, his body locked in place as he stared at the monstrous figure.
The Demon grinned with both of its heads, stretching out a long arm toward Haruto. Its elongated fingers curled slowly, reaching to grab him.
Without a word, Haruto placed his hand on the scabbard of his sword and drew the blade. His expression twisted from blankness into rage. As the steel came free, the edge tore across the Demon's chest—SLASH!—and in the same motion, he angled the blade down, hacking into its forearm, right between the elbow and wrist.
SHRRKK! Blood sprayed as the severed hand hit the ground.
Haruto's face burned with fury as he roared,
"You Demons! I will never spare you!!"
He gripped his sword with both hands, spun his body, and cut across the Demon's ribs. The blade had already traced a path—from slicing past the Demon's chest, dragging downward to the space just in front of its knees—then, with a sharp rotation of his wrists, Haruto's slash tore across its ribs and cut all the way forward past its shoulders.
He pulled the blade back and swung again, aiming low toward the Demon's shin. But before his strike landed, the monster's second hand shot out and clamped down brutally on Haruto's head.
CRACK! The force of the squeeze made Haruto's skull creak under the Demon's grip.
Meanwhile, the wounds across its chest and ribs began to seal. The severed hand on the ground crumbled, scattering into particles that vanished into the air, while fresh flesh already started to sprout where the limb had been cut.
Though the Demon lacked nails, its fingers pierced into Haruto's scalp, tearing skin. Warm blood trickled down his face.
"Eghhhhkkhh!!" Haruto screamed as pain ripped through him.
The more those fingers sank inward, the more Haruto's body weakened. His grip slackened, his arms fell loose, and his eyes rolled upward, turning white.
The Demon opened one of its mouths wide and hoisted Haruto upward, preparing to devour him whole.
Haruto's fading thoughts screamed inside his head "N-No… not yet! Not now… I can't… not yet!"
The Demon's jaws closed in—but a thin beam of light burst from Haruto's palm. ZAAAAP!
The laser seared across the Demon's cheek. Howling, the monster hurled Haruto down onto the ground— THUD!—then clutched its face.
"GYAAAAARRHHHHHHHH!!" Both heads shrieked together, the sound like a wild beast's cry. The Demon crouched in a squat, clutching both cheeks with its long hands, screaming in agony.
Haruto groaned as he hit the earth, rolled, and pushed his hands against the dirt to rise. Blood streamed from his wounded head, but he forced himself up. His voice shook, low and bitter.
"I underestimated the Demons… that was my mistake. I'm still so weak… I can't even defeat a low-rank Demon. Then how can I ever face the Devils… or the Devil King Yamara?"
He staggered upright, planting his feet and gripping his sword tight. His brows furrowed, his voice rising into a roar.
"No, no, no, no, no, NO! No matter what it takes… I will erase this Demon, and the Devil King who spawns these filthy creatures. That is my promise, Mom!"
The Demon straightened and, snarling like a savage beast, charged at him.
Haruto's gaze hardened. He sprinted forward as well, both racing to collide.
The Demon swung its long arms down at him, fingers clawing for his body. Haruto twisted aside at the last instant, dodging the swipe. In the same motion, he slashed across its shin. SHRRKK! Flesh tore, and half the Demon's leg split open.
It stumbled, snarling, then swiped again—but Haruto slipped behind it, keeping distance.
The Demon's shin began to regenerate, bone knitting beneath torn flesh, and despite limping it lunged once more.
Haruto stood waiting, sword clenched in silence.
As the Demon reached for his face, Haruto dropped low, slammed his palm to the ground, and shouted,
"Stone Wall!"
RUMBLE! A stone wall shot up in an instant, shoving the Demon's hand back with sheer force.
The Demon roared and smashed through the wall with both arms. Its body lurched forward from the momentum, unable to stop. Haruto seized the moment.
SHIING! His blade carved through one of the Demon's necks, severing the head clean. The swing carried on, leaving a deep gash across the second neck.
The severed head thudded to the ground, blood pouring freely from the stump. This time, the wound did not regenerate.
Haruto stepped back, thrust out his palm, and shouted,
"Stone Element: Earth Spike!"
CRAAACK! A massive spike of stone erupted upward, impaling the Demon through the chest and lifting its writhing body into the air.
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "I thought Demons were supposed to be powerful… but this one can barely put up a fight."
The Demon clawed and kicked against the spike, forcing itself backward. Inch by inch, it slid off the stone's point until it dropped, THUMP, onto the ground. Its torso began to regenerate, but the missing head still did not return.
Haruto's thoughts sharpened. "Maybe… if I sever the other head, this Demon will finally die."
He slid his sword back into the scabbard, dashed up the spike, and leapt high toward the Demon.
Roots burst from the soil, twining up his arm and forming into a hardened vine-whip. Determination flared in his eyes.
Haruto vaulted behind the Demon, wrapped the whip around its torso, and shouted,
"Root Fang Bind!"
SHRRKK! SHRRKK! Tiny spikes erupted from the whip, piercing deep into the Demon's flesh. Poison spread instantly through its veins.
Haruto gritted his teeth. "Now you'll die for sure." He tightened his grip on the whip. "You Demons poisoned my mother to death… now taste the same fate yourselves!"
The Demon screamed, its cries echoing across the empty field. "GYAAAAAARGHHHH!"
Haruto released the whip and stepped back. The Demon ripped the vine apart with brute force, shattering it to pieces, then grabbed a huge boulder from the ground and hurled it at Haruto.
Haruto sprinted aside as the rock CRASHED down, shards flying. The Demon, still with only one head, charged at him like a mad beast.
Fear flashed in Haruto's eyes. He raised a hand and chanted,
"Stone Element: Groundbreaker!"
RUMBLLEE! A massive stone column erupted from the earth, blocking the Demon's path.
But the Demon ignored it, racing straight ahead. The towering pillar tipped forward— KRRRKKK… BOOOOM!—and crashed down atop the monster. Dust and dirt exploded outward, coating the battlefield. Blood splattered as the Demon's torso was crushed beneath the massive weight.
Pinned, the Demon writhed, clawing at the ground, its limbs thrashing. Haruto shielded his eyes, trying to see through the choking dust.
Slowly, the Demon pressed both palms to the ground. With sickening force, it pushed upward, splitting its own chest from its stomach. Blood gushed, but the creature propped its upper body upright using only its arms.
Step by step, dragging itself forward like a crawling horror, it passed through the pillar's edge toward its severed lower body. With a grotesque lunge, it sank its teeth into its own legs. CHOMP! CHOMP!
The dust cleared. Haruto's breath caught, his skin slick with cold sweat.
"W-What?? He… he tore his own body apart… and he's eating his lower half!?"
As the Demon devoured its own flesh, veins bulged and its stomach began to regenerate. Its second head also started reforming—first the jagged teeth, then bone, then slowly the rest.
It dropped the mangled remains of its lower body, turned its half-formed heads toward Haruto, and grinned.
Haruto trembled, sweat streaming down his temples. His knees quivered as the Demon staggered closer, walking on half-regenerated bone legs, flesh crawling back over them piece by piece.
"No… why won't this thing die? It's even regenerating its head… I thought cutting off both would be enough… but I was wrong."
Panic surged inside him. "Should I just run from he—?"
He clenched the front of his clothes, shaking his head. A shaky, fearful smile tugged at his lips.
"Nah… I won't die without avenging my mom! I'll kill this Demon!"
Throwing his hand forward, he roared,
"Nature Element: Root Bind Magic!"
CRACKLE! Roots erupted, snaking across the ground toward the Demon. They twisted like serpents, ready to coil around it. Haruto smirked—until the roots suddenly froze in place, then shrank back into the earth.
"Aaagghhhhhh!!" Haruto's scream tore from his lungs as the Nature Mark on his right cheek began to lose its glow, the lime green hues draining away until it turned faint and transparent, as though its power was being pulled back. He writhed, clutching his face as the pain ripped through him. The Demon marched forward unhindered, its grin wider than ever.
Haruto collapsed to his knees. His breath broke into gasps.
"No! No, no, no! The pain… I forgot the Mark can disappear too! This power… it was only temporary, given by the environment. I left the jungle… I was careless. And I'm still trying to use Nature Magic…"
The Demon loomed before him, shadow falling across his body.
Haruto tried to rise, but the mark on his cheek had already lost nearly all its color. Only a faint outline shimmered weakly, breaking apart into tiny particles that drifted into the air. His voice cracked.
"No! I can't even move my body… before this mark disappears, this Demon will already devour me!"
The Demon extended its hand, fingers unfurling to seize him.
Haruto squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his lips as if locking the pain inside, bracing for the end.
The Demon's hand descended—
Suddenly—a fierce gust of wind swept through.
SHRRKK! SHRRKK! SHRRKK!
Three razor-thin slashes ripped across the air in an instant. Flesh and bone split apart—the Demon's second head toppled away, its right arm severed clean, and a narrow cut tore across its left shoulder and chest.
It dropped to its knees before Haruto, blood pouring freely. For a heartbeat it looked intact—then, as its body collapsed fully, the severed head and arm rolled loose across the ground, lifeless.
Haruto's breath faltered. His eyes widened in shock, his face pale. Slowly, almost in disbelief, he lifted his gaze.
There—partially hidden in the drifting smoke—stood a lone figure. His clothes swayed with the night wind, carrying an aura so heavy it seemed to weigh on the very air. In one hand, he slid a gleaming katana back into its saya (scabbard) with a sharp, echoing shhnkk! The metallic note rang out, cutting through the silence like thunder stretched in slow motion.
Haruto's chest tightened. Confusion, fear, and awe tangled across his expression as he stared at the figure. His voice shook as he whispered directly to him, "W-Who… who are you?"
The figure turned at last, his presence radiating raw, unshakable power even in the shadows. His tone was calm and steady, yet heavy enough to silence the night.
"I am Renzaki KazeKami," he said, his eyes narrowing on Haruto. "Who told you to wander outside at night, Haruto?"