Darkness.
For a moment, there was nothing but the black void that swallowed Akira whole. No pain. No sound. No monsters.
Just the thrum of power — Zeir — coursing around him.
It wasn't like the weak flickers he'd forced through his limbs before. This was different. Alive. Massive.
The shadows parted. In the illusion of his mind, he stood in a field of nothingness. Zeir twisted and shimmered in the air like golden dust carried by wind. It surrounded him. Welcomed him.
And then it moved.
A trail of storming Zeir curved like a path through the dark.
"Where… is this?" Akira whispered.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
The Zeir thickened, flooding his senses. The pressure made his chest tighten, but he pressed on. And then — at the end of the path — he saw it.
A mass of pulsing Zeir. A core. Brilliant. Unrefined. Powerful beyond words.
But as he reached out to touch it, something pulled him back.
A deafening roar.
A flash of sharp pain.
Back to reality.
The monster's claw was already descending toward his chest — a killing blow.
"IS THIS HOW I'M GONNA DIE?!" Akira's mind screamed.
His life flashed: his mother's final words before giving birth to Yuna. Her smile. Their dad's laughter, even in a hospital bed. Yuna's quiet "onii-chan" when she'd fallen asleep waiting for him to come home.
He wasn't ready to die.
Not yet.
Not like this.
Akira didn't think. He acted.
"INVENTORY!!!"
A blast of smoke burst from nowhere — thick, unnatural, swallowing the battlefield.
The beast shrieked. Its massive claw, once poised to impale, twisted backward unnaturally. It split in two as if cut by unseen force.
From within the mist… Akira emerged.
His breathing ragged.
His stance, bloodied.
But in both hands… weapons shimmered.
Not average blades. These were forged of a rare blackened silver, etched with ancient symbols glowing faintly with Zeir. The edges glowed a cold violet hue. Lightweight, perfect for speed. Yet dense enough to cleave bone.
Each sword was slightly curved — like a hybrid of short katana and hunting knife. The handle wrapped with threads that adjusted to his grip, as though built just for him.
Akira's face was cast in shadow. But his eyes — lit with fury and flickers of gold Zeir — burned through the smoke.
"You messed with the wrong weakling," he growled.
Then he charged.
The monster lashed out, roaring through its mangled arm. It towered three times his height, with spiked legs and acid dripping from its teeth.
Akira didn't care.
He moved with reckless precision.
One slash at the leg — tendon cut.
Roll.
Parry with the left blade — right arm up.
Zeir infused his next step, just enough to push higher than before.
"THIS IS FOR YUNA!"
A strike to the beast's throat. Flesh burned at the blade's contact.
"THIS IS FOR MY DAD!"
A twist, plunge, and pull — ribs cracked as the blade drove in deep.
"And THIS—!" he shouted as blood poured down his face, "—IS FOR ME!!"
He spun, both swords crossing mid-air — and with a final burst of Zeir, sliced through the monster's neck in a flash of light.
Its body slumped.
The Katana disappeared.
And silence returned.
Akira stood over it, panting. Every part of him burned. Cuts everywhere. Blood soaking his torn hoodie.
But he was alive.
Among the remains, he noticed something. A strange item buried in the monster's chest cavity. Diamond-shaped. Not glass — denser, with flickering veins of light sealed inside. Pale violet. Cold to the touch.
He picked it up.
"…I've never seen anything like this."
It pulsed faintly in his hand, but made no sound.
He kept it.
Packed the loot — Zeir shards, rare fangs, monster cores — and limped toward the exit. His legs shook, but his heart felt lighter.
As he emerged from the gate, morning sunlight hit his face.
He'd survived the night.
He'd surpassed himself.
---
Hours Later — City Streets, Kagaruu
Akira had changed. New black shirt, zip-up jacket, and jeans. He wore a cap to hide the bruises that hadn't faded yet. He'd sold most of the loot, and the payout had been massive compared to usual. Enough to cover hospital fees, groceries, and still have leftovers.
But the diamond-shaped item?
He didn't sell it.
It felt… important.
Special.
Maybe even connected to what happened in that void.
As he walked toward the school, he clutched the brown bag of groceries and tucked the item safely into his inner coat pocket.
---
It was time to get Yuna from School.
Yuna walked out of the school gate, a little smile on her face — until she saw him.
"Onii-chan."
Akira raised a hand. "Yo."
She paused. Then squinted.
"You're wearing a cap."
"Fashion," he said casually.
She marched closer.
And without warning — snatched it off.
"Akira!" she gasped.
Bruises. A cut near the temple. Swollen lip.
"I told you not to push yourself!" Her voice cracked. "Why are you doing this?! Why can't you just… be okay with a normal life?"
Akira looked away. Then knelt slightly to meet her gaze.
"I'm not doing this because I hate our life, Yuna."
"Then why?"
"…Because I want to make it better. For you. For Dad. For everything we've lost."
Yuna's eyes watered.
She didn't argue anymore.
---
Later – Hospital Lobby
With a small bouquet in one hand and grocery bags in the other, Akira and Yuna walked into the ward.
Their dad's voice could already be heard down the hall.
"Did you two bring snacks again?! You're trying to make me fat!"
Akira smiled.
For now… peace returned.
But the spark inside him hadn't faded.
And that diamond in his coat… still pulsed.