They moved through the shadows of the night. Amaya made a light leap and faced Selina, blocking the shot from her rifle granted by her card.
"If she uses that all the time… doesn't she run out of ether? Strange…"
With an indifferent attitude, Amaya positioned her wrist, raising her sword to strike at the shoulder—
Selina shifted slightly to the side, evading the katana with a calm expression that turned into a faint laugh she couldn't quite hide.
"Attacking nonstop won't get you anywhere…"
To Selina's left, Calius appeared; to her right, Kaede—both launching their blue cards simultaneously toward Amaya, who made her katana glow with a deep purple full of ether to confront them.
A powerful explosion from the clash forced the three of them back—but Selina pushed forward.
—"Why can't I land a hit?!" Kaede muttered in quiet frustration, taking the initiative toward Amaya—
—but Selina, attentive to everything, instinctively raised her palm to stop her.
—"N-no, Kaede, wait—!"
Amaya moved instantly toward Kaede without hesitation, about to thrust her sword brutally—
—but suddenly, a thread filled with purple ether wrapped around her.
—"…Huh?" Amaya said with slight surprise, her tone carrying a faint melancholy.
The thread yanked her sharply to the side. Shiro raised his other hand and invoked Alma Rigel's card.
—"You… you're the strange one here…"
Amaya murmured. Ignoring the restraint, she activated her sword—
The sky began to roar with thunder, one after another, until a bolt started descending at terrifying speed.
Shiro could only look up—he had no time to react.
Heavy, rapid footsteps sounded beside him.
Kaede stepped in front of Shiro, raising her right hand while gripping her wrist with the other. Her expression was serious, though strained as her brows furrowed. She invoked her card.
Calius tried to approach—then, in a final push, he let himself fall, summoning his card and releasing it carefully alongside Kaede's before hitting the ground.
The two cards collided with the lightning—
A monstrous clash that refused to stop. The bolt split apart, striking down to both sides.
Shiro took small steps back, trying not to trip as he avoided the sparks, confusion filling his face.
When one spark was about to hit him, Kaede lunged toward him—they rolled together as the lightning struck the rooftop, destroying part of it.
All around them, hundreds of sparks rained down while the cards continued holding back the lightning.
Selina moved side to side, leaping and evading Amaya's sword strikes.
"These kids… why do they keep getting in my way…?"
Amaya thrust the tip of her katana toward Selina's chest—
Selina slid to her left and, with practiced precision, raised her rifle with her left hand.
—"Ruby Impact…"
she whispered to herself.
The rifle began to glow with a powerful pink light, releasing a bullet filled with ether.
But Amaya, with minimal effort, placed her katana in front of her and blocked it.
—"Honestly… how pointle—"
Before she could finish—
The bullet's force multiplied several times in an instant, resulting in a small explosion that sent Amaya rolling across the rooftop.
Still, she recovered quickly.
By the time she stood up, Kaede, Calius, and Selina were already surrounding her, ready to attack.
"…The countdown has begun. Live or die… at this point, there's already a winner on the other side."
—"I have no idea what you're talking about, but if I were you, I wouldn't get distracted," Selina muttered with a confident smile.
Amaya raised her sword.
Time itself seemed to slow around her as multiple bolts of lightning began descending again from the now-clouded sky—
far larger than any before.
Calius and Selina retreated quickly together, trying to find an opening, instinctive movements beginning to take over.
The first thing Kaede did was look around, searching for Shiro—
but suddenly, she felt a thread wrap around her waist.
—"W-what—?!"
She let out a small cry as she was suddenly pulled—
Shiro was about to leap off the building, grabbing her in his arms—
[…]
The three purple lightning bolts filled with ether were about to collide with them—
There was no time to react. They could already feel the electricity coursing through their bodies.
The building would be destroyed the moment the bolts struck.
—"I'm late… I hope it doesn't happen again."
A calm, warm male voice resonated behind them.
All four turned instinctively, their eyes widening at the presence.
A white jacket with red embroidery and black coattails reaching the knees. Tight sleeves with golden flame-like details. White pants lined with red patterns.
His right hand was raised toward the sky, wearing gloves blending red and black—
He summoned a simple black card glowing with bright orange, drawing in all the surrounding ether.
Just the presence of his card diverted the energy of the lightning.
Glancing slightly back—
Akira Hinokami had arrived, shining in the face of danger.
—"Count on me."
he said seriously.
The lightning vanished.
Selina took a few steps back—the presence of a Hinokami could unsettle anyone, her eyes narrowing.
Beside her, Calius observed him calmly.
On the other side, Kaede smiled and raised her hand in greeting.
Akira glanced at her and returned the gesture with a calm smile.
Meanwhile, Amaya slowly stepped back, her gaze unfocused.
—"…Impossible…"
She let herself fall backward, dropping toward the streets between the glowing buildings—
And without hesitation, Akira leapt after her.
Calius was the first to move to the edge of the building, looking down. The other three quickly joined him.
Amaya ran along the wall of the building across from them, then, propelled by a bolt of lightning, leapt onto a rooftop, landing at its center.
In an instant, Akira descended and positioned himself a few meters in front of her.
—"You… a Hinokami, right?"
Akira blinked, slightly confused.
—"…How do you know that?"
—"Well, you just confirmed it. But aside from that… I know your kind."
Akira's expression settled into calm seriousness, brushing his black hair slightly from his forehead.
—"Alright. Let's finish this quickly."
Amaya raised her sword toward him.
—"I was going to say the same, Hino—"
Before she could finish—
A dull burst of motion.
Akira moved instantly, appearing in front of her.
"Impossible…"
He struck her hard in the side with a kick, sending her flying like a launched stone—
She shattered glass, passed through walls—
The force didn't stop.
"Everything hurts…"
After crashing through the building, she took a deep breath and hit the ground as best as she could. The streets were empty, illuminated.
—"The ground isn't really my usual sty—"
From above, like a meteor—
Akira descended calmly.
—"How did he catch up so fast…?"
She raised her sword to the sky, summoning another lightning strike—
The purple bolt shattered like glass the moment it entered Akira's space.
She couldn't even tell when he deflected it.
—"I'm sure I put a lot of ether into that attack… I'll try ano—"
Akira landed in front of her.
The ground cracked from the impact, forcing her to step back. Instinctively, she positioned her katana to her side—
He spun mid-motion, his leg about to strike again.
"Good… I can block it. I can read him…"
But the moment his leg struck her blade—
The clash was overwhelmingly one-sided.
—"…What?" she muttered in disbelief—
She was launched upward instantly.
"What is this…? Can someone really be this strong? Trying to contain him is the last thing I should do…"
As she rose into the air, her expression returned to indifference.
She exhaled, focusing.
With a sound that seemed to tear through time, she spun midair—
A circular lightning strike exploded outward.
—"He surpasses me in strength, but…"
She emerged from the smoke—
Akira was already beside her, his calm gaze overwhelmingly imposing.
"…in speed, he only barely surpasses me… or so I want to believe."
Amaya forced herself to land on a rooftop among the countless buildings of Solarin and began running.
Within the shadows, she barely dodged Akira's strikes and kicks.
At the edge of the building, she steadied herself, gripping her katana, her gaze challenging him.
He slowly approached her.
—"You know how to fight. I'll admit that," Akira said, his tone calm but serious.
Amaya took a defensive stance, a faint smile forming.
—"Only now? That's disappointing…"
She looked up at the sky—
completely diverting her attention.
"I guess this is as far as I go… I did what I could."
"But… I won't leave without giving them a gift."
She let herself fall, releasing her sword. It disintegrated as it was stored back into her internal card.
The wind felt soothing.
Her back relaxed after being tense for so long.
She closed her eyes and began to murmur—
—"Come forth… those who were once my enemies… today, you will fight for me—and for him. Relive what you did a decade ago… what you failed to complete…"
Akira jumped after her, his expression serious, trying to anticipate her next move.
"If I could ask for one thing… it would be to see him one more time…"
She was about to hit the ground—
Time seemed to slow as memories flooded her mind.
Above her—
A figure descended elegantly in a knight's uniform.
He was made of shadows, taller than average.
A sword-wielding shadow.
He raised his greatsword, engulfing it in flames—
—"Wait… a shadow…?"
Akira summoned his card instantly—
Their weapons clashed.
A powerful impact that seemed evenly matched at first.
Amaya's eyes widened.
—"I-Ignis…?"
Below her, large hands caught her mid-fall.
A massive armored shadow held her. A shield nearly as large as its body rested on its back.
Amaya lifted herself slightly within those solid arms made of darkness.
—"…Gorath?!"
Beneath the armor, a sharp grin appeared—glowing green teeth before vanishing again.
—"W-wait… if you're here…"
Gorath pointed toward a tall building.
—"…he's there…?"
Without hesitation, Amaya summoned her sword again—
and shot upward like lightning.
—"…Are you… alive?" she whispered into the air.
Meanwhile, Akira was forced to evade as he moved back.
Ignis, the greatsword-wielding shadow, gave him no rest.
—"Shadows…? This can't be… this is a—"
—"…a necromancer…?" Shiro murmured, his expression slightly confused.
Beside him, Selina had a bead of sweat from the tension.
—"According to the books, it's someone allied with shadows—able to resurrect the dead and use them as servants. But those shadows down there… they're not normal…"
Calius said, standing to Selina's left.
Kaede stepped closer to Shiro, a hint of excitement in her tone.
—"Why are they different…?"
Selina sighed in annoyance, glancing at her.
—"Those shadows are as strong as us… or stronger."
The four of them stared downward—
where chaos was only just beginning.