Shadows writhed violently at Laine's feet, stretching like black, living tendrils toward Airi. The jungle itself seemed to recoil, the leaves quivering as if sensing the darkness emanating from him. His crimson eye glowed violently, veins of black spiderwebbing across his face, pulsating with unnatural hunger. His breath came in ragged, guttural bursts, each inhale tearing at his chest, each exhale rattling the air around them. Every heartbeat threatened to tear him apart from within.
Airi froze, her small body trembling, yet she didn't step back. Fear pooled in her eyes, but determination shone through the tremble. "Brother… please… don't do this," she whispered, her hands stretching for his chest, pressing gently as if trying to tether him to reality.
Laine convulsed violently, his body trembling as though multiple wills battled within him. His muscles locked, teeth clenched, and the Berserker Sword quivered in his hands, humming as though alive, resonating with the storm raging inside his mind. The mask hissed furiously, whispering like a chorus of serpents: "Feed… become… devour… stronger…"
"No… not her… I… won't…" Laine rasped, his own voice barely audible under the monstrous roar clawing at his mind.
Airi stepped closer despite the knot of fear tightening in her stomach. Her small hands pressed against his chest, feeling the unnatural heat radiating from beneath the mask. "Brother… I'm here. You're still you… come back to me."
The shadows paused. They twitched, coiled, hesitated—as though sensing her words and questioning the hunger that drove them.
Laine's fists clenched, knuckles white, his head shaking violently. Veins black as tar pulsed across his face like living threads. "I… can't… hurt her…" he whispered, each word a razor-thin shard of human will piercing through the mask's monstrous roar.
The mask's whispers grew louder, a storm of insidious temptation: "Devour… take… power… stronger… destroy… obey…"
Shadows surged, licking at the ground, crawling toward Airi like hungry serpents. Every primal instinct screamed at him: feed, kill, consume, become the power itself.
Airi's voice cut through the chaos, small but unwavering: "Brother… please… don't let it take you. I… I need you… you're stronger than this… come back to me!"
The mask shrieked in fury, a storm of whispers clawing at his mind, trying to drown him in its voice. Laine's knees buckled; sweat and blood dripped down his face as he fell forward. His body shook violently, the shadows around him pulsing tighter, reacting to his faltering will.
"No… I'm… me!" he growled, voice jagged, broken, yet trembling with determination.
The shadows recoiled slightly, tendrils twitching like wounded snakes. His crimson eye flickered erratically, the black veins quivering in protest. Growls tore from his throat, guttural and inhuman, yet within them, a thread of his humanity clawed its way through.
Airi stepped closer, her hands wrapping around his wrists, holding him still. Tears streaked down her face, but her gaze did not falter. "Brother… please… I know you're still in there. Fight it… I'm not letting you go," she whispered, pressing herself into his chest.
Her words struck deep, resonating within him. The mask screamed, fury shaking the very air. Shadows writhed, claws snapping, tendrils lashing—but Laine held them at bay, the thinnest thread of human will keeping the storm contained.
"I… I won't… hurt her…" he rasped, choking on his own voice, voice cracking but firm.
The shadows shrank back, some retracting into the jungle floor, hesitant, unsure. The mask hissed angrily, thrumming with restrained power, yet Laine's will, bolstered by Airi's unwavering faith, grew stronger.
Airi pressed into him, leaning against his chest, whispering with conviction: "Brother… listen to me… you are stronger than this… stronger than it. You are you… not that thing."
A tremor ran through Laine. His hands clenched around the hilt of the Berserker Sword, the hum of the blade matching the heartbeat of the mask. Yet, he forced his own rhythm against it, grounding himself in reality.
"No… I… control… me!" His voice ripped through the monstrous roar, ragged but resolute, pulling his consciousness back inch by inch.
The shadows quivered, recoiling, twisting violently as if aware their master was fighting back. The black veins on his face began to fade, the crimson eye flickering weaker. The mask hissed, furious, screaming in protest inside his skull—but Laine's human will surged stronger.
He sank to his knees, gripping the sword for balance, chest heaving, sweat and blood dripping, mingling with the dirt beneath him. "Thank… you…" he whispered, hoarse and broken. "You… saved me…"
Airi's tears fell freely, but she smiled faintly, pressing her hands to his chest. "I never doubted you… never. I knew you'd fight it."
The shadows shrank further, finally retracting completely into the jungle floor. The mask pulsed faintly, a whisper of its presence, but its hunger had been denied.
Laine lifted his head slowly. His human eyes returned; the crimson was gone. His breathing was ragged but steady. He reached up, gently patting Airi's head, holding her close. "I… I owe you… you kept me grounded… kept me human…"
Airi hugged him tightly. "Brother… I'm here… always… I'll never let go."
The jungle seemed to exhale, mist curling softly through the trees. Echoes of the battle faded, leaving only faint traces of power, a reminder of how close he had come to losing himself completely.
Laine's gaze fell to the soldier's bag lying partially hidden in the mud. He bent down, examining it carefully, gold coins, silver, and supplies glinting in the faint sunlight. His lips curved faintly. Resources for the journey ahead, yes—but also a reminder that survival never came free.
City… that was their next stop. Laine secured the bag and took Airi's hand gently. Together, they stepped toward the fog, leaving the jungle behind, though the faint pulse of the mask reminded him: the shadows were not gone.
And as the mist swallowed their footprints, the glint of gold and silver coins in the bag reflected the soft sunlight, hinting at the trials and opportunities waiting in the city beyond.