The night wasn't over yet.
Inside the abandoned building, the air still felt heavy, like something unseen was hanging around after Akira had left. The silence wasn't comforting. It felt watchful.
Yoru stood there with his body still tense, not fully relaxed even now. His posture had not dropped much, as if some part of him still expected another attack.
"I didn't like that guy," he said at last, breaking the silence.
Sairi didn't even turn toward him right away.
"Whether you like him or not doesn't matter," she said flatly.
"He's dangerous."
Yoru let out a short, dry laugh. "Who isn't dangerous here?"
This time, Sairi looked at him.
"Rei is dangerous because he's powerful."
She paused for a second.
"But Akira is dangerous because he understands."
Yoru's expression slowly changed.
"What do you mean?"
Sairi answered in a lower voice, "It means he looked at you and understood what you are... without even fighting you."
Yoru didn't say anything.
Akira's face flashed through his mind again. That calm expression. Those eyes.
They had felt wrong.
"Why was he watching us?" Yoru asked.
"Curiosity," Sairi said. "Or interest."
She gave a small pause.
"Both can be dangerous."
The room went quiet again.
Cold air slipped through the cracks in the broken wall. Somewhere far away, the city kept moving, but in here, everything felt still in a way that made the silence heavier.
"Let's keep training," Sairi said suddenly.
Yoru frowned. "Seriously? Right now?"
"Especially right now," she answered without hesitation.
"The faster you learn control, the better your chances of surviving."
Yoru took a slow breath.
He wanted to argue. He really did. But deep down, he knew she wasn't wrong.
"...Fine," he said after a moment. "What now?"
Sairi looked directly at him.
"This time, don't just feel your aura."
Yoru frowned. "Then what?"
"Give it shape."
He looked confused. "Shape?"
"Your power isn't just energy," Sairi explained. "It's something more than that. If you can control it properly, you can give it form."
Yoru stayed quiet for a moment.
Then he closed his eyes.
A deep breath.
Inside, there was only darkness.
And then that same voice came again.
So... you're trying again...
This time, Yoru didn't react right away.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "This time, I'm in control."
A faint chuckle echoed inside him.
We'll see...
In the real world, a black aura began to gather around his body.
This time, it was smoother. More stable. It didn't spread wildly like before. It stayed close, moving with him instead of fighting him.
Sairi watched carefully.
"Good," she said softly. "Now concentrate."
Yoru focused hard on one point.
His right hand.
The aura slowly gathered there.
At first, it looked like smoke.
Then it thickened.
Then it started taking shape.
But it was unstable.
It trembled.
"Steady," Sairi said.
Yoru clenched his teeth. His heartbeat was loud in his ears.
"Control..."
For a second, the aura flickered violently.
It felt like it might burst apart at any moment.
Then the voice came again.
Let go... I'll shape it for you...
"NO."
Yoru rejected it immediately.
"Not this time."
His breathing was rough now.
"This is my will."
The aura shuddered once.
Then it stabilized.
And around his hand, a shape slowly formed.
A claw.
Dark.
Sharp.
Almost alive.
Silence followed.
Yoru opened his eyes and stared at his hand.
"...This..."
His voice was low, almost disbelieving.
"I did this?"
Sairi's eyes widened a little, though her voice stayed calm.
"Your first weapon."
Yoru moved his hand slowly.
The claw moved with it, smooth and natural, like it had always been there.
"Try it," Sairi said.
Yoru looked toward the wall ahead.
He took a breath.
Then he moved.
A sharp slash cut through the concrete.
SHHK.
Dust fell from the wall.
Yoru froze.
"That powerful...?"
Sairi answered without much expression.
"That's why control matters."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Sairi's face changed.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yoru..."
"What now?" he asked.
"They're back."
Silence.
Yoru's body tensed at once.
"How many?"
Sairi closed her eyes for a second, sensing the movement outside.
"More this time."
Heavy footsteps echoed from outside the building.
Not random. Not careless.
Coordinated.
Yoru clenched his fist, and the claw around it became more solid.
"Good," he muttered.
"Then this is the real test."
CRASH!
The entrance was shattered as six Eclipse agents burst inside.
Black uniforms.
Weapons ready.
"Target located."
"Engage."
Yoru took his stance.
This time, he wasn't confused.
This time, his voice was steady.
"...Now," he said quietly.
"I'm ready."
The agents moved in.
Fast.
One came straight at him with a blade.
Yoru blocked it with his claw.
CLANG.
The impact was strong, but this time he didn't get pushed back.
His eyes sharpened.
"...Now I get it."
He countered immediately.
The slash sent the agent stumbling backward.
Another attacked from the side.
Yoru twisted out of the way and struck back without hesitation.
The fight picked up speed.
Sairi moved too, freezing one attack after another, creating openings at just the right moments.
Their coordination was sharp.
Clean.
But then Yoru noticed something.
One of the agents wasn't attacking.
He was just standing there.
Watching.
"Why isn't he moving?" Yoru asked.
The agent slowly raised a hand and removed his mask.
His face was emotionless.
He pulled out a small device.
"Report," he said calmly.
"Subject Yoru... rapid growth confirmed."
Yoru's expression darkened.
"These guys..."
The man pressed a button on the device.
"Next phase ready."
And then the air changed.
Energy rose around him.
Dark.
Unstable.
His body started to distort.
The transformation wasn't clean. It looked painful.
Bones shifted.
His form changed.
His voice cracked as he spoke.
"Experiment... begin."
Yoru tightened his claw.
A red glow deepened in his eyes.
"A monster again..."
For a brief second, everything went still.
Then the transformed agent lunged at him with terrifying speed.
And this time, the fight was about to become something else entirely.