YOSUKE ■ ■ ■ ■
Where am I?
I staggered to my feet, staring at the strange city around me. It wasn't large—more like a village—but the sky above… it burned crimson, an endless red canvas.
Before I could even take a step, it hit me.
A crushing presence, insane and overwhelming, wrapped around me like invisible chains. My knees buckled. I hit the ground, unable to breathe, unable to resist. It felt like something vast and ancient was watching me—judging me.
Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.
I gasped for air and forced myself upright. My vision swam, blurry at first, then slowly sharpening. That's when I saw it.
A blue star—small, faint, but burning—fell from the blood-red sky.
No… it wasn't just falling. It was descending. Drawn toward the earth like fate itself had chosen its path.
And it was heading straight for a home nearby.
Without hesitation, I sprinted. If it hit… No, I didn't even let myself finish the thought.
I activated Shadow Step—and in the next heartbeat, I was on the roof of the house. My pulse hammered in my ears. I pulled stone from the earth below, shaping it into a gauntlet that wrapped around my right arm.
I bent low, muscles screaming with tension. Every ounce of strength flowed into my legs as I leapt upward—straight toward the falling star.
For a split second, I considered infusing my gauntlet with fire and wind, but I clenched my teeth. I didn't know where I was. I couldn't afford to expose everything.
Instead, I activated my Third Generation Ability—amplifying my power. The air itself bent around me, compressed into raw force. My gauntlet blazed with invisible pressure.
"RRRAAAHHH!"
I slammed my fist into the star.
The explosion rattled my bones. Light and force tore through the sky. The impact hurled me thirty feet backwards, crashing me down into the dirt. My vision dimmed.
I forced myself to rise, legs trembling, chest heaving. I stumbled forward—toward the house I had just saved—but each step grew heavier.
Ten feet away. Five feet.
And then, nothing. My body gave out. Darkness swallowed me whole.
SAI SHINU
"Is that you—" I began.
"Yes, I am—" the figure answered, but his voice was cut short.
A demonic pressure crashed down on us. My lungs seized. My knees slammed into the floor.
It wasn't just weight—it was dominance, the kind that forces you to bow. As if an absolute god demanded submission.
I clawed at the ground, teeth gritted, trying to rise. Impossible. I was pinned.
Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished.
I gasped, staggering upright, though the dizziness lingered. My head spun from the impact of that… thing.
But the figure—Sai—was gone.
"Over here," his voice echoed.
I spun around. The room was empty.
"I'm in your head now," he said.
My grip on the katana tightened. "How? A minute ago you were right in front of me."
"You're right," he replied calmly. "But I'm not flesh and blood. I'm… something else. A shadow of you. A soul that never found rest. I don't know what I am. But I'm bound to you."
I said nothing, my silence heavier than any words.
"You'd better go outside," he urged. "You need to see this."
Reluctantly, I picked up my sword and pushed open the door.
The night greeted me. Above, the sky was black, scattered with stars—but one thing stole my breath.
A crimson light.
Not just falling—drifting. A massive red star dragged itself down from the heavens, pulled earthward by gravity like a noose tightening.
Its trajectory was clear.
It was heading straight for me.
My heart raced. I had no idea what it was—but instinct screamed at me. This wasn't just an object. It was a message. A weapon. A curse.
I started weighing my options, desperate for an answer—
but then the voice inside my head spoke.
And what Sai told me was something I never expected.