YOSUKE SHIN
I could've ended him right then. One strike, and Akira Shin would fall. But no—death was too easy. He had to suffer. He had to feel the same helpless terror that me and Mother endured.
And this time, the whole village would witness his downfall.
The child version of me had said my powers were an evolution of the old ones. I had to test it.
I clenched my fist, summoning fire. It bent instantly to my will, forming a blazing sword. My lips curled into a grim smile. So it's true. I can evolve them all.
"You'd better be ready, brother," Akira sneered. "You're about to face Akira Shin."
In an instant, he vanished. Shadow Step.
I spun, just in time to block his punch—his fist wrapped in hardened earth. The collision burned across my left hand, the heat searing me as the fire clashed with stone.
I shadow-stepped back across the river, clutching my scorched palm. My other hand was unharmed—the handle of the sword shielding me. So only the blade burns… interesting.
I tried to reinforce myself with earth, when suddenly—
The flames of my sword shifted. Blue.
The air around me hissed with heat. My chest tightened. This… this is what the child meant. Evolution.
No time to savor it. I shadow-stepped behind him, swinging the blue flame for his throat. But Akira caught it with gauntlets of stone. His smirk didn't falter. He gripped my blade, forced me to release it, and hammered a fist into my chest.
The world blurred. My body slammed into the river. Water choked my lungs, vision flickering.
I forced myself to think. Fire became blue flame. What about water?
A sudden nip at my finger. A tiny fish bit me. The cold spread through the water around my hand, sharper, purer. Of course…
I pulled, bending the river's flow into my palm. The bite's chill exploded outward. The water froze.
Ice.
My lips split into a grin. That's the key.
I shot upward, blasting myself into the air with a torrent. Ice shimmered across my arm, strength flowing through me.
Akira didn't move. He stood below, watching, waiting for me to strike.
At the peak of my ascent, gravity seized me. I plummeted. At the last second, I snapped the earth upward, trapping his legs. Twin swords of frozen water formed in my grip—I was ready to strike—
But he was faster.
His shadow step was sharper than mine. In a blink, he was behind me mid-air. His boot, coated in earth, slammed into my back.
CRASH.
I smashed into the ground. Dust and fog erupted around me, the impact rattling my bones. I bent the air just in time to dull the blow, but pain still shot through every nerve.
My vision swam. Through the haze, I saw him. Akira, calm, unshaken, those empty black eyes locked on me.
The weight of the village bore down on my shoulders. I couldn't falter. I wouldn't.
I staggered to my feet, chest heaving. My powers weren't enough—nowhere near his level. But I had no choice but to keep standing.
He approached slowly, like a predator savoring its kill. The fog curled around him, but his eyes glowed through it, cold and merciless.
He reached me. His hand snapped around my throat, lifting me off the ground with terrifying ease. My lungs screamed, my vision narrowed.
From the earth, he forged a jagged blade, pressing it close enough for me to feel the vibration of its edge.
"You," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain, "are a fucking disappointment."