….
A transfer student and the class rep - of course it looked like the opening to a romance manga.
The perfect cliché.
Jin-Ho sighed through his nose, heading for the vending machine near the stairwell.
A few coins clinked in, and a can dropping echoed.
Jin-Ho bent down, picked it up, and cracked it open - but instead of returning to class, he headed to the stairs leading to the rooftop.
The door was locked, of course.
He glanced around, empty hallway. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he pulled something from his system:
An ornate red-and-black mask with an obsidian surface and its carved features - sharp, angular, distinctly ninja - appearing almost alive in the shadows.
He placed the mask over his face.
The transformation was always disorienting as the world shifted from color to shades of gray and black, as he could suddenly see through the floors below.
But more than that, he could feel the Shadow Khan realm, that pocket dimension where the ninja warriors waited.
His ninja warrior.
◤-----------------------◥
[Activate the Rairakku's Mask Power]
[Y/N]
◤-----------------------◥
Jin-Ho paused, reading the prompt.
The Oni mask had two abilities.
One was summoning.
The other was... boost to strength, agility, and speed.
He had tried activating the boost yesterday - it would be incredibly useful in battle.
For now, he clicked [N].
For summoning, activation wasn't required. The mask worked passively in that regard.
Another screen appeared, expanding with detailed information.
◤-------------------------------------------◥
[Artifact: Oni Mask - Rairakku's Mask]
Type: Legendary Artifact (Cursed)
Origin: Ancient Japan
Current Status: InActive
….
[Lore] ▼
Long ago, Tarakudo, King of the Oni, and his nine generals ruled Japan from the shadows. Their reign was one of terror, darkness spreading across the land like a plague.
To stop them, ancient Chi Wizards forged nine enchanted masks, each one sealing a different Oni general within.
These masks were scattered across the world, hidden in places of power, ensuring that Tarakudo and his army could never rise again.
A tenth mask was created for Tarakudo himself, but he seized it before the wizards could complete the sealing ritual. He hid it deep within the Shadow Realm, where it remains to this day.
….
[Abilities] ▼
| [Summon Shadowkhan - Ninja Khan Tribe] ▼
A race of shadow-born warriors from the Shadow Realm, divided into nine tribes. Each tribe is tied to one of the nine Oni Generals sealed within the masks. Silent, deadly, and loyal only to their summoner, they serve as extensions of the mask's will.
Current Summon Limit: 1 (Ninja Khan Tribe)
| [Reverse Summoning]
| [Physical Enhancement] ▼
When fully activated, the mask grants the wearer superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
….
[WARNING - CRITICAL] ▼
Prolonged activation corrupts the wearer's chi. The demon's spirit gradually consumes the host's consciousness until nothing remains but the Oni's will.
If the mask attaches directly to a wearer's face (not just worn, but bonded), it can only be removed through a Chi Removal Spell. Without the spell, the mask becomes permanent, and possession is inevitable.
If all nine Oni Masks are brought together in one place, their seals will break - releasing the Oni Generals and reviving Tarakudo's army.
◣-------------------------------------------◢
Jin-Ho skimmed through the information, then flicked the window away with a thought.
As for the critical warning - yeah, he had studied it.
At first, it worried him.
But when he tested the feature at a safe place, nothing happened, not even a mild headache.
So, for now, he decided to ignore it.
Still… he would keep an eye on it before letting anyone else touch it.
…and finally bringing all the nine masks to one place, that is something he doesn't have to worry about for now.
With that, still the mask on, he commanded through it mentally–
"Heh, I should soon come up with a cool phrase like 'Arise' right?"
In any case, even without a proper command, the Shadow already began pooling at his feet, coalescing upward like smoke given form.
The Ninja Khan materialized in seconds - six feet of lean, deadly precision wrapped in black gi and armor that seemed woven from darkness itself.
Red eyes glowed behind a mask identical to the one Jin-Ho wore, and when it kneeled, the movement was perfectly silent.
Ninja Khan.
One of the Shadowkhan tribes bound to Rairakku's mask.
The warrior remained perfectly still, awaiting orders, not even the sound of breathing.
"Pass through it." He gestured toward the locked door.
The summoned Khan kneeled, its form rippling like ink before sliding toward the door. Flattening itself into a thin sheet of shadow, it slipped through the narrow gap beneath and reappeared on the other side.
Moments later, it melted into the ground like a puddle of black water.
"...alright, my turn–
"Reverse Summoning."
Jin-Ho glanced down as the same darkness began spreading beneath his feet.
The shadows swallowed him whole, and in the next instant, he emerged soundlessly on the other side of the door.
"It works similar to Jin-Woo's Shadow Exchange. But for me, it's not exactly an exchange… more like a temporary portal."
"Good work."
Jin-Ho nodded praisingly at Shadow Khan who stood silently beside him now, patiently waiting for the next command.
He also removed his mask and put it back into the system storage but the Ninja Khan was still there. He only needed it during the summoning and it wouldn't disappear until he told him to do so.
"Now that I think about it….
"I wonder how they are doing?"
News of his disappearance had spread far - all the way back to his home country.
And, naturally, word of his appearance traveled just as fast.
His phone lit up yesterday in the morning with two messages.
Both short and distinct.
===
[Jin-Woo] | You are alive.
[Jin-Ho] | Still alive, and good-looking.
===
He added a 'Thubsup' just to annoy him a little more and put the phone down.
===
[Cha Hae-In] | We heard you went missing!
[Cha Hae-In] | Are you okay?
===
'At least she sounded a little concerned.' He immediately replied.
===
[Jin-Ho] | Yeah. I am fine. Don't worry too much, no scratches this time.
[Jin-Ho] | Sorry for making you worry."
===
"...Guess, that should do for now, but enough drama for one day."
Crossing the rooftop, Jin-Ho found a quiet corner near the railing - the breeze was cool, the sky painfully blue.
"Perfect spot."
He lay down flat, one arm tucked under his head, coke in the other - luckily it had a straw.
Beside him, Ninja Khan stood like a silent sentinel.
Then, without being told, its arm twisted and unfurled into a broad black umbrella, shading Jin-Ho from the sunlight.
He squinted up at the sudden shadow over his face. "Did I tell you to do that?"
The demon tilted its head slightly, eyes dimming - almost sheepish.
"Fine, fine. Don't sulk. I hate it when you do that."
With that, he took a sip, the carbonation stinging his throat.
A day since he had come back.
Yesterday, he had spent testing the mask, checking what else he could summon.
Today, he had returned to school - already regretting it.
◤-----------------------◥
「INVENTRY:」
[Artifact: Rairakku's Mask] Legendary Artifact
| Current Status: In Active
| Abilities
-> [Shadowkhan - Ninja Khan Tribe]
-> [Physical Enhancement]
-> [Reverse Summing]
| Current Summon Limit: 1 (Ninja Khan Tribe)
| Reverse Summing (Cool down: 23 : 58 : 09)
◣-----------------------◢
"24 hours? The cool down sure is… such a debuff."
He wondered. "Should I give you a name?"
The Ninja Khan froze mid-step, head tilting up sharply. Its red eyes glowed brighter - almost hopeful.
Jin-Ho blinked. "Wait… don't look at me like that."
The Khan's glowing eyes shimmered like a puppy seeing food for the first time.
"Hold your horses, dude. You all look the same." He said, scratching his head. "Even if I name you, how the hell am I supposed to recognize you later?"
The demon tilted its head again, then slowly pointed to its chest - or maybe its mask? There was a faint mark, a strange sigil glowing so subtly that no normal eye would have caught it.
He leaned closer, squinting. "…that's your way of saying you look different?"
The Khan nodded proudly.
He sighed. "Great. You have got the personality of a golden retriever trapped in a shadow demon's body."
The Khan didn't react - just waited, eyes gleaming, like it really wanted a name.
"…Fine." He gave in. "You are–
"Blacky."
The glow in the Khan's eyes pulsed once, bright and satisfied.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get too happy about it." He waved dismissively. "Now that I think about it, you are the only one I can summon right now anyway, so I guess you earned it."
As if acknowledging that, the shadows around the Khan's feet rippled faintly - an instinctive response to his authority.
Jin-Ho leaned back again, finally able to have a sip of his Coke.
He already tested the Shadow Khan's strength yesterday. And he would be somewhere around–
"D-Rank assassin type–
"High agility, decent reaction speed. And exceptional infiltration skills."
He smirked faintly, swirling the Coke in his hand.
"Umm, guess you will do good for now."
….
As time passed, the rooftop became quiet.
Only the wind spoke - brushing past Jin-Ho's hair as he leaned lazily against the railing, half-empty coke can dangling from his hand.
He didn't know it, but the moment he had slipped on the Oni Mask earlier - the same mask he had tested last night at home, something deep within it had stirred.
Beneath that smooth, dark surface of lacquered crimson… something had woken up.
A prisoner bound within.
A general long forgotten by time.
….
[Shadow Realm]
Inside the darkened prison, a pulse rippled through the void like a heartbeat - the void's silence broke under the sound of heavy chains straining.
A growl, low and guttural, rumbled from the shadows.
"Twice… twice now I have felt his chi."
The voice rose, deep and rasping, carrying both venom and pride.
The air shimmered, and Rairakku, the Oni General, materialized - muscles like carved stone, skin a dark shade of crimson, a mane of tangled green hair, and two yellow horns curving from his skull like blades.
His eyes blazed molten red, burning with restrained fury and purpose.
He looked down at his hands, then clenched them, feeling the faint, living connection to the world beyond the Shadow Realm.
"After centuries of silence… the gate cracks open again."
His lips curled into a savage grin, fangs glinting.
"Hmph… strong will!!"
Rairakku muttered, grinning with sharp teeth. "Too strong to control."
A low, amused chuckle escaped him.
"But strong will or not - strength still bends, once greed begins to take over."
He raised a clawed finger, tracing a burning symbol in the air - a glowing sigil of the Oni tribe that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"Every time you wear my mask, every time you reach for my soldiers of Shadow Realm… you let me deeper into your flesh.
"And one day, this mortal… you will stop drawing on my strength, and start feeding mine."
He exhaled, laughter rumbling through the sealed chamber.
"When that day comes, Tarakudo-sama will have his army again. His shadows will rise, and I, Rairakku, will lead them once more."
His grin softened - not cruelly, but with the strange pride of a soldier remembering his king.
"You should be honored, mortal. The blood of the Oni King will soon run through your veins."
The laughter echoed, slow and thunderous, reverberating through the cracks of the mask.
….
[Back to Jin-Ho]
!??Suddenly - he felt chill and the faintest warmth brushed the back of his neck.
"Weird…" He glanced around. "It felt like someone just breathed on me."
He shrugged, tossing his empty can aside.
The rooftop breeze felt cooler now.
Blacky lifted its head, sensing the faint vibration Jin-Ho couldn't.
Far away, in his storage, the Oni Mask pulsed once - a faint glimmer of red sliding across its surface before fading.
Still and silent again.
For now.
….
Jin-Ho stretched, back popping as he sat up from the rooftop floor.
The coke can beside him was empty, the sky above had gone a softer orange - meaning he had wasted enough time.
"Alright…" He brushed dust off his jacket. "Break time is over."
He walked toward the rooftop door - then froze mid-step.
"...Damn. The cooldown, I totally forgot about it."
◤-----------------------◥
[Cool Down: 21H |52M | 59S]
◣-----------------------◢
He stared at the glowing digits like they personally offended him.
"Guess I should wait until school is done–
"...and just jump off the building when no one is looking?"
He tapped his chin. "Huh. Or Blacky can go get someone?"
He shook his head. "....yeah, unless I want to freak someone to death."
His eyes flicked toward the lock. "Stealing the keys?"
He shook his head again. "No go…"
As Jin-Ho continued mumbling through bad ideas, Blacky stood silently in the corner - its inky form slightly tilted, watching him with blank curiosity.
After a long pause, the shadow creature slowly waddled toward the door.
It looked left.
Then right.
Then, very simply-
Click
The door swung open.
Silence.
Jin-Ho blinked.
Blacky blinked back.
"…It wasn't even locked?" Jin-Ho muttered.
Apparently, it had only been locked from the other side - a perfectly normal door.
"...." - "...." the two just stared at each other for a good two seconds.
Then Jin-Ho's face slowly turned red. "Don't look at me like that."
Blacky, chest puffed, waited proudly - twitching for praise.
Jin-Ho brushed past, refusing to look back. "Let's just go."
He made it halfway down the stairwell before sighing.
"...Yeah, good job again."
Behind him, Blacky made a satisfied rumble - the kind that sounded way too smug for a shadow.
It disappeared into Jin-Ho's shadow.
But suddenly it struck him.
"So I used up the Reverse Summoning for nothing?"
….
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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