The Beast That Hunts Veins
Akarui's legs refused to move.
He stood in the middle of the shattered graveyard, his breath sharp in his throat, watching as the Murei Beast crawled out from the earth.
It wasn't like the smaller shadow creatures he'd seen before—those were mindless things that hunted leftover Vein energy from corpses. This one was different.
Its body was made of twisting black smoke, but parts of it looked solid. Sharp bone-like claws scratched at the ground. Its eyes glowed a dull red, as if burning coals were buried deep inside its shadowy skull.
And worst of all—its mouth was open wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth that dripped with Vein mist.
The mercenaries scattered, yelling.
"Retreat! That's not a regular Murei!"
"What the hell is that thing?!"
Akarui heard them, but his focus stayed locked on the creature.
The beast wasn't chasing the mercenaries. It was looking at him.
"Akarui, listen carefully," Kaguro's voice whispered in his mind again. "This is a Vein Hunter Murei. It smells the awakened Shadow-Light Vein inside you. If you don't fight back, it will rip your veins out and eat your soul."
Akarui's throat went dry. His hands shook.
"I don't—I don't know how to fight this thing!" he whispered back.
"You don't need to know. Just survive."
The beast lunged.
Its claws sliced through the air like black lightning, aiming straight for Akarui's chest. He barely dodged, rolling across the broken stones. His ribs slammed into a cracked gravestone, knocking the wind out of him.
Pain shot through his side, but he forced himself to stand.
The Murei was fast—faster than any human.
It moved like shadow smoke, shifting shapes, vanishing and reappearing closer each time.
"Damn it!" Akarui hissed, eyes darting left and right for something—anything—that could help him.
His gaze landed on the broken Vein Blade dropped by one of the mercenaries. It lay halfway buried in the dirt, humming faintly with leftover lightning energy.
He sprinted for it.
The Murei twisted through the air, claws grazing his back. Akarui grabbed the blade, spinning just in time to slash upward.
Sparks flew.
For a moment, the Vein Blade cut into the beast's shadow body, and the creature screeched—a horrible, echoing sound that rattled his bones.
But the Murei didn't fall.
Its body reformed like smoke pulling back together, the cut sealing instantly.
"Normal weapons won't kill it," Kaguro warned. "You need to use your own Vein Arts!"
"I don't know any!" Akarui shouted, backing away, sweat dripping down his face.
"That's a lie."
"What?!"
"Your veins are already open. You just don't know how to unlock the door."
The beast lunged again.
Akarui ducked under its claws and thrust the Vein Blade into the ground, using it to push himself into a backflip. His feet barely touched the stone before the creature's shadowy tail smashed the spot where he had been standing.
Dust exploded around him.
Akarui coughed, eyes stinging.
"Focus, boy!" Kaguro's voice snapped. "Use the first art of the Shadow-Light Lineage: Vein Pulse Release."
"I don't know how!"
"Then copy me. Say the words."
Akarui clenched his teeth, heart racing. His hands were shaking, but he squeezed them into fists.
"V—Vein Pulse Release!" he yelled.
Nothing happened.
The Murei crept closer, its claws dragging along the stone floor, sparks flying.
Akarui's mind raced. Fear was squeezing his lungs shut, but then he remembered Kaguro's words from before:
"Your Veins are not ordinary. You are both Shadow and Light."
Maybe he was saying it wrong. Maybe he needed to do more than just shout the words.
Akarui slammed his hand against his chest, right over the Black Crest birthmark.
"I'm done running," he whispered, eyes narrowing.
The moment his palm pressed into the crest, a shockwave burst through his body.
Black and white veins lit up under his skin, wrapping his arms like glowing tattoos. His shadow stretched long and sharp beneath him—but this time, he wasn't afraid of it.
He let it happen.
His body moved on instinct, like something ancient was guiding him. His right hand glowed black. His left hand glowed white.
When he slammed both fists together, a surge of raw power exploded outward—a pulse that tore through the air in rings of light and darkness.
The Murei screeched.
Its shadowy form buckled, splitting in half as the pulse slammed into it. For a moment, Akarui could see its Vein Core—a small, glowing sphere buried deep inside its chest.
The voice of Kaguro whispered quickly:
"That's its weakness. Destroy the Vein Core, and you kill the beast."
Akarui didn't hesitate.
He dashed forward, both hands glowing brighter, the black and white Veins in his arms burning hotter than fire. He reached out, his fingers cutting through the smoke-like flesh of the Murei until they wrapped around the core.
"Go back to the shadows," he whispered.
With one sharp pull, he yanked the core out.
The beast let out one final roar—a sound that made the gravestones shake—then dissolved into mist, leaving behind nothing but silence.
Akarui fell to his knees, breathing hard, the Vein Core still pulsing in his hand.
His heart pounded.
Sweat dripped down his face, mixing with dirt and blood.
But he was alive.
For the first time, he had used his Vein power.
And now everything was different.
Behind him, the remaining mercenaries were watching from the shadows, terrified.
One of them whispered to the others, "That boy… he's got Shadow-Light Veins. He's not supposed to exist."
Another mercenary's hand trembled as he reached for his communicator crystal.
"We need to tell the Seven Warlords," he said, voice shaking. "A Shadow-Light user has awakened in Kagetsu Village."
Akarui stood up slowly, staring at the Vein Core in his hand.
"What now?" he asked aloud.
Kaguro's voice answered softly.
"Now, you run. Because they'll all come for you, Akarui. The Guild, the Warlords, the Hunters, even the Murei Kings. You've just become the most wanted person in Kyokai."
Akarui closed his fist around the core.
His shadow flickered behind him, alive.
And in the distance, the sky cracked open with thunder, as if the world itself had just noticed what he'd done.