Kaito's eyes snapped open. Darkness clung to him, tendrils of black aura spiraling around his body like living shadows. His lungs burned as if fire was rising from within, and yet… he smiled. He didn't understand why. It was involuntary, almost cruel, like the world itself had twisted his mind before twisting his body.
The memories of the capsule surged back—his confinement, the crack in the vantablack and unbilium shell, the energy he had barely restrained. But there was more than that. He felt her presence. The girl, the embodiment of his despair, hatred, and anger, flickered in the edges of his consciousness. Maybe it was her doing. Maybe she had guided his awakening, letting him slip out of the black prison in one violent, exultant moment.
And then he saw his father.
Sui Hiroshi, standing a few meters away, bruised and sweat-covered, eyes wide with panic as he tried to assist Alexander from the relentless assault by the masked skull figure—56—and Andreo and Michael. Alexander was bleeding, muscles tensed, every strike leaving him battered, every dodge leaving a bruise, but he was relentless. The masked man's blue sword flashed with lethal precision, cutting arcs in the air that could sever bone as easily as paper.
Kaito's pulse quickened—not in fear, but anticipation. He stepped forward, and the black aura pulsing around him seemed to push back the very air, a pressure that made the walls of the tunnel shudder. He looked at the masked figure and, for reasons he didn't understand, called out:
"Hey… Skull Mask!. You look strong. What's your name?"
The figure's eyes gleamed from the mask. "I am 56," he replied calmly, voice like steel. And the clash continued.
Kaito's body felt impossibly light. The lingering agony of the capsule seemed replaced with raw, unbridled energy. His limbs moved almost on their own, carrying the momentum of darkness itself. He lunged forward.
Sinon and Billish had been caught off guard by the surge of power. Kaito's punch connected, and in a single strike, he sent them flying across the tunnel. Concrete shattered beneath them, dust exploded into the air, and streaks of blood followed their arcs. Their cries echoed as Kaito's body pulsed again, black aura flowing outward like waves of pure malevolence.
Everyone froze, stunned. Even Alexander, mid-battle, flinched at the force. Kuro's expression remained inscrutable, but his hand tightened on the neutralizer's grip. The entire battlefield seemed to bend around Kaito's energy, gravity itself bending to accommodate the weight of his unleashed power.
But then—pain hit.
It started in his chest, a violent, burning agony that shot through every nerve. Kaito's vision blurred. He tried to lift his limbs, to strike again, to continue, but the strength in his arms faltered. His lungs screamed in protest. Blood erupted from his mouth and nose, splattering the ground, soaking his uniform. Pain tore through him, rending his muscles, twisting them like rope around iron spikes.
He collapsed, his knees hitting the cold, cracked concrete. Cries escaped his throat involuntarily—raw, guttural, unrelenting screams of agony. His black aura flickered, coiling around him protectively, but even it could not mask the intensity of the pain wracking him from within.
In that haze of torment, he saw her. The girl. Purple hair, one eye covered, the other burning with calm indifference.
"Did I die?" he croaked, voice hoarse, trembling. Blood dripped from his lips, and every inhale sent spasms of pain through his ribs.
"Yes," she said, softly, almost tenderly. "But that is not the end. You will live again."
A wave of comprehension hit him. The eclipse power. The thousands of deaths. The unbearable agony that had been waiting for him from the very start. He had survived, yes—but he had yet to endure 999 more times.
"999… times remaining…" he whispered, voice cracking, tears forming despite the black aura cloaking him.
His body screamed in protest. Every cell seemed to rupture, bones vibrating under the strain, sinews stretching, blood flowing faster than the mind could comprehend. He tried to cry out, to scream, but the sound wouldn't come. His vocal cords convulsed uselessly against the torrent of pain.
And through it all, he saw his father. Sui Hiroshi's face was pale, streaked with sweat and grime. His hands shook, trying to step forward but frozen by the sheer horror of what he witnessed. Tears streamed down his cheeks, unrestrained. He had no words. He could only watch. Watch as his son—his boy—was consumed by agony beyond human comprehension, yet somehow alive, somehow struggling to hold onto life.
Kaito's vision wavered. Shadows pooled at the edges of his consciousness. He could see his previous self, the silent boy who rarely spoke, who had borne every hardship alone. He could feel the despair girl whispering in his mind, cold and gentle, almost soothing in a way that contrasted horribly with his physical agony.
"You will endure," she said, her voice echoing in his skull. "Every pain, every death—it is mine to channel. Every tear, every scream—it feeds me. But through it, you will become more than a boy. You will become something… absolute."
Kaito's lips quivered in a smile again—not of happiness, but of dark recognition. He had no control over this feeling. His body and mind were both screaming in unison, yet something deep inside him… exulted.
The world became a blur of crimson, black, and the harsh fluorescent light from the subway tunnel. The pain surged through him again, bones twisting in unnatural ways, muscles tearing, blood spilling in rivers. And still, he did not die. Still, he did not yield.
His cries, muted by the intensity, were like distant thunder. Each pulse of his aura sent vibrations that rattled the steel and concrete, forcing everyone around him to stumble, to brace against the oppressive weight of his energy.
Even as Alexander fought, bruised and bleeding against three foes, and Kuro's team adjusted to this new threat, the focus remained on Kaito. The boy in the black aura, screaming in agony, yet somehow smiling through the pain.
Alexander moved fluidly, each strike measured, each step calculated. The metallic clang of 56's sword echoed through the tunnel, reverberating against the walls. Sparks flew, dust swirled, and every attack carried lethal intent.
This person… strong. Very strong. Alexander thought, assessing mid-combat. Every movement was precise, every blow efficient, every feint calculated. But… not full power. Neither am I. Not yet.
His eyes flicked toward the shadows behind 56, scanning for the boy—the target, the real reason he was here. I just want that boy, Kaito. I don't want to waste energy engaging for nothing.
He blocked a diagonal slash, pivoting on his heel, feeling the force reverberate through his forearm. Why is he holding back? Other two are using their full power.The question lingered in his mind, even as his body moved on instinct. Every parry, every counter, every shift of weight was precise. Is he testing me? Probing? Or conserving for something bigger?
He felt his body collapse further, hitting the ground, unable to move. Limbs refused to obey, every nerve and sinew aflame. The pain was unbearable, the agony absolute. And yet… somewhere in the center of the storm within him, a small, imperceptible spark of determination flickered.
He would endure. He must. The eclipse power demanded it. He would die a thousand times if he had to. And in that cycle of endless pain, Kaito Hiroshi would emerge—stronger, darker, unstoppable.
And Sui Hiroshi? His tears did not stop. He fell to his knees, unable to do anything but cry for the son he could not reach, whose pain he could not alleviate. The world around him—the fight, the enemies, the chaos—blurred into irrelevance. All that existed was Kaito, lying broken, screaming, yet very much alive, beneath the cruel, consuming black aura of the eclipse.
---
Samuel's hands trembled as he stared down at the small vial in his palm. The pill—his last resort, the culmination of countless experiments, the ultimate gamble. Its existence alone was terrifying: a 10% chance of success, 90% chance of complete failure. A single misstep, and the consequences could be irreversible.
He pressed the pill between his fingers, watching it glint under the harsh fluorescent lights of the subway tunnel. The black aura of Kaito's body pulsed nearby, rippling through the air like a storm. Every surge, every scream of agony from the boy, made Samuel's heart hammer faster. He knew what was coming.
"Should I…" he muttered under his breath, uncertainty slicing through him. "Should I feed him this? Force it into him… end him? He's no longer a boy. He's a monster… a danger beyond measure. Maybe… maybe this is the only way."
The thought of taking such a drastic step made Samuel's stomach churn. Every instinct screamed against it, but his rational mind—the part trained in logic and science—kept whispering: this is the only chance.
Above ground, Arthur watched the chaos with mounting anxiety. He had been forced to stay back with Alia initially, but as the scene below unfolded, his patience and fear combined into reckless determination.
He saw Samuel crouched near the capsule, hands shaking over the pill. His mind raced—he couldn't allow this. Not Samuel. Not the boy he considered his friend, nor Kaito.
Without a second thought, Arthur sprinted across the fractured tunnel entrance, leaping into the hole that led to the main confrontation.
"Arthur! Don't go!" Alia screamed, panic cracking her voice. Her butterflies flitted frantically in response, but fatigue weighed her down, and she knew they wouldn't reach in time.
Arthur didn't stop. He landed near Samuel, whose eyes were locked on the pill. Samuel's lips moved silently, whispering to himself about the risk, calculating the ratio of survival and failure. "The ratio… dying is 9:1… if I use this… it's the only chance."
Arthur's heartbeat thundered in his ears. "No! You can't!" he shouted as he lunged forward, slamming into Samuel and attempting to grab the vial. But Samuel's reflexes were honed by years of careful practice. Stronger than Arthur expected, he twisted, wrapping his hands around Arthur's wrists, pinning him to the cold concrete.
Tension filled the air like electricity. Arthur struggled, trying to wrench his hands free, but Samuel's grip was iron. Every second felt stretched into eternity, and the weight of Kaito's pulsing aura above them made the situation feel apocalyptic.
Samuel's eyes narrowed. "If I'm going to use this… someone has to take the first step." His hand tightened around the vial. He raised it toward Arthur's mouth, whispering coldly, "You… you will die first."
Arthur's struggles intensified, but it was futile. Samuel forced the pill into his mouth. Arthur gagged, choked, and tried to spit it out, but Samuel held him fast. The metallic taste of chemicals flooded his tongue, and in an instant, Arthur's body reacted violently. His limbs stiffened. His muscles contracted and then ceased to respond entirely.
He froze. His heartbeat slowed, then faltered. Blood drained from his face. All his instincts, all his motion, all his life-force seemed to pause, as if the pill had snuffed out the very spark that had kept him alive.
Alia's eyes widened in horror. She tried desperately to launch her crimson butterflies, but her body was exhausted. The energy to activate them fully wasn't there. A few fluttered weakly, sputtering and fizzing against the air, useless against the tragedy unfolding before her.
Arthur lay there, rigid, his chest barely moving. Alia's knees buckled, tears welling in her eyes. "Why… why did you have to come here?" she whispered, voice trembling. Her hands hovered helplessly over him, unable to reverse the damage. She felt rage, despair, and guilt swirl within her like a storm, the taste of helplessness bitter and metallic.
Samuel, realizing his action had succeeded, didn't linger. He let go of Arthur, retreating back into the shadows. His face was pale, his hands still trembling. The pill had done its work, and yet… his mind churned with doubt and fear. Did he just cross a line that could never be uncrossed?
Alia's sobs broke through the silence. Her body shook, but she forced herself to look up, catching Samuel's retreating form. Rage flared. "How could you? How could you do this?" she screamed, but Samuel didn't stop to answer.
Arthur's chest rose and fell weakly, but the pill had almost completely shut down his internal functions. One wrong chemical ratio, and this could have been irreversible. The weight of what had just happened settled like a boulder on her chest.
The tunnel felt impossibly silent after Samuel's escape. The only sound was the faint echo of Arthur's shallow breath and the distant pulse of Kaito's black aura. It was a darkness that pressed on Alia's chest, a reminder of how fragile life had become in this battle.
Arthur's eyes flickered slightly, barely perceptible, but it was enough to let her know he was still alive. A fragile, trembling spark of hope amidst devastation.
Alia sank to the ground, chest heaving. Her hands were covered in dust and debris, her gloves torn. "I… I can't…" she whispered, voice breaking. She wanted to scream, to cry, to do something, anything, but her body betrayed her. The weight of fear, exhaustion, and helplessness pinned her in place.
Above, Kaito's aura continued to pulse in the distance, indifferent to the human agony that Samuel had inflicted. The boy's awakening, the monstrous power he now wielded, dwarfed everything else. Even the near-death of Arthur was but a ripple in the storm that Kaito would soon unleash.
Alia's gaze hardened. She wiped her tears, gritting her teeth. "No… I can't let this end here," she whispered. "I won't… I won't let him… hurt… Arthur…"
Even in her fatigue, her butterflies flickered weakly at her side, their form more symbolic than practical, a reminder of her own limitations in the face of overwhelming force. But it was enough—enough to mark her resolve, enough to promise that she would fight, even against the impossible odds, even when the darkness seemed endless.
And Samuel? He vanished into the shadows, his intentions and mind unreadable. But somewhere deep, a flicker of doubt gnawed at him. Had he done the right thing, or had he merely forced the first domino in a cascade of destruction?
Arthur's body lay limp, yet breathing. Alia's hands shook as she hovered near him. The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, silent except for the faint hum of Kaito's aura pulsing like a heartbeat. The darkness seemed to anticipate the coming storm, waiting for the inevitable clash between the awakened eclipse power and the fragile human lives caught in its path.
The scene ended with Alia, almost broken, staring at Arthur's prone form. Samuel was gone. Kaito's power surged unseen above. And the air felt charged with the promise of violence, pain, and the unknown.
---
Arthur's vision was nothingness. White. Endless, blinding white. At first, he didn't feel anything—no pain, no fatigue, no weight, no temperature. His body was weightless, suspended in the middle of a void, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he felt… nothing.
He tried to move. Nothing happened. No sensation of muscles, of bones, of sinew. He blinked—or tried to—but even that felt meaningless. Time had no weight here, and he was neither alive nor dead. His mind hovered, detached, like a spectator to a dream he had no control over.
Minutes, or hours, or maybe seconds passed. He couldn't tell. Numbness seeped into him, a cold, empty certainty that there was no escape, no struggle, no end. And then—something stirred. A flicker in his mind, a faint pulse that he felt rather than heard.
He woke. Not gradually, not gently, but like being thrown from a cliff into a storm. His body slammed into awareness. Pain? No. Nothing. Nothing at all, and yet every cell in him screamed with light—warmth, power, energy, radiating from deep inside.
Arthur opened his eyes and saw the white room. Endless, sterile, clean—but it was no longer neutral. It hummed with life, with energy. His body floated, suspended, and yet he felt… different. Stronger. Amplified.
The pill.
The memory struck him with a clarity that was almost painful. Samuel. The pill. Alia's desperate face, tears streaking down her cheeks. And now… the effect. His sun affinity had not just survived the chemical—it had awakened. Consolidated. Evolved. The warmth in his core wasn't just light; it was absolute, a golden radiance coiling through his veins, through his sinews, into every fiber of his being.
Arthur's gaze dropped, and he saw her. Alia. Tears still glimmered in her eyes, even here, even though the white void should have erased everything. Her small, trembling form was the only anchor to the world he had left behind, and instinctively, he moved.
"Alia…" His voice was calm, yet resonant, carrying a warmth that seemed to reach through the void. He drifted closer and gathered her gently into his arms. He felt the fragility of her sobbing body against his chest. "Shh… don't cry," he whispered. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."
Her tears stained his shirt, but he felt nothing but certainty. He could hold her forever, and the light that now coursed through him made him invulnerable—not just in body, but in will.
But balance eluded him. The power was too vast, too raw. Even in this white void, his body swayed, lurching as if the gravity of light itself had weight. He felt the sun in his veins, a burning radiance that wanted release, and yet there was only one thing that mattered.
"Kaito needs me," he said, finally letting go of Alia, setting her down gently but firmly. Her gaze met his, and she nodded, understanding. She didn't speak. She couldn't. All that remained was resolve and faith.
Arthur stood, legs trembling as if supporting a weight far beyond his physical body. The sunlight within him surged, coalescing into the edges of his form. And then—he dashed. Forward, through the void, through the nothingness, propelled by instinct, by loyalty, by the necessity to reach the boy who had been through a thousand agonies and yet survived.
The world returned abruptly as he landed. The subway tunnel yawned beneath him, chaos everywhere, dust and blood and the acrid smell of concrete and sweat. And there he was. Kaito, broken, black aura pulsing in waves of darkness that made even Arthur's amplified light shrink back, lying in a pool of his own blood.
Kuro sat near him, oblivious to Arthur's sudden presence. He muttered to himself, voice low but audible: "My ability… it's useless in battle. I… I think I should escape with you."
Before Kuro could react further, Arthur struck. His foot connected with the side of Kuro's chest in a devastating kick, sending the man flying. He slammed into the steel beam of the tunnel wall, blood erupting from a gash on his head, dribbling down in thick crimson streaks. Kuro didn't get the chance to speak; the world itself had shifted before him.
Arthur landed gracefully, scanning the battlefield. Kaito's aura still pulsed violently, but the boy was conscious, exhausted, and alive. He knelt beside Kaito, gathering him carefully, letting the black aura lap at him harmlessly for the first time. Every wound, every cut, every bruise was visible—and yet, Arthur didn't hesitate.
"Stay with me, Kaito," he whispered. His hands, aglow with sun-affinity warmth, pressed against the boy's wounds. Pain, heat, and shadow fought violently, but Arthur's presence grounded the chaos, if only slightly.
Elsewhere, the chaos continued. 56's movements were precise, lethal, yet measured. Alexander fought valiantly, bruised and bleeding, against the relentless assault of Andreo and Michael. Each strike left its mark, but exhaustion dragged at their limbs, and the masked figure, 56, moved with an almost supernatural grace.
"Go to the car," 56 ordered, voice like steel. "I will hold Alexander, Regan No. 2."
Michael and Andreo didn't hesitate. They pressed a button, and the garage doors groaned open, revealing the subway road beyond. They shoved Bilish and Sinon into the car with them, barely able to move under the lingering effects of Kaito's assault. Their bodies trembled, bruises and blood marring them, but survival demanded haste.
"Speed… Orion Form 1," 56 whispered. In an instant, he vanished, appearing inside the car. Samuel and Kuro were there, and the masked figure took the driver's seat. The car roared, tires screaming against concrete as the garage doors slammed shut behind them.
From the back seat, Kuro's head protruded, bloodied and beaten, and he spat venom. "I will come again for you, Eclipse boy." His words were a promise, a curse, a warning—but the car moved too fast, and the white noise of speed drowned them out.
Back in the tunnel, Arthur adjusted Kaito, making him sit upright despite the boy's exhaustion. Blood coated his uniform, his face pale, his breathing ragged. He was alive, yes, but barely. Every inch of him screamed with the aftermath of the eclipse power.
Alexander stood nearby, surveying the scene with indifferent fatigue. His body was battered, his spirit taxed, but he made no move to stop 56 or Samuel. The fight, for him, had ended—not with surrender, but with acknowledgment of the cost.
Sui Hiroshi, Kaito's father, exhaled shakily, relief washing over his bruised features. Alia sat nearby, exhausted, hands trembling as she wiped blood and dust from her cheeks. The weight of the moment pressed down, yet there was solace in survival, in the fact that Kaito had endured, that Arthur had returned him to some semblance of safety.
Arthur's gaze lingered on Kaito, chest heaving, black aura flickering like a dying star. The boy's power, his suffering, the endless cycle of agony—everything was still there, waiting—but for now, the storm had calmed.
"Rest, Kaito," Arthur murmured. "You've survived today. That's what matters."
Alia, still tearful, reached out, brushing her fingers against Kaito's bloodied arm. "Thank… thank you, Arthur," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, fragile, yet filled with unspoken gratitude.
Arthur nodded, his own body still humming with energy, sunlight radiating faintly against the darkness of Kaito's aura. He didn't allow himself relief—not yet—but he allowed a single moment of calm. The battlefield was silent, the remaining fighters retreated or incapacitated, and the immediate threat was gone.
The weight of everything—the blood, the exhaustion, the agony, the near-death—pressed down on him, yet it also reminded him of purpose. Kaito's survival was only the beginning. The eclipse power would rise again, and so would they need to rise alongside it.
For now, though… Arthur let the tension drain slightly from his shoulders. The tunnel smelled of iron and dust, of sweat and ozone, but in that moment, in the midst of broken bodies and lingering despair, there was a single, undeniable truth: they had survived.
Kaito's father exhaled once more, voice barely above a whisper. "He's… alive."
Alia nodded, tears finally falling freely, but no longer in panic—only relief.
Alexander looked on, silent, his own exhaustion mirrored in his eyes. The fight had ended—for now.
Arthur adjusted Kaito again, supporting him fully as they prepared to move. The boy's aura flickered weakly, but there was a pulse of life beneath it. It was fragile, and it was fleeting, but it was enough.
For a moment, all was still.
And then the world waited.
---
The subway tunnel had quieted. Dust floated lazily in the dim light, mingling with the lingering smell of blood and sweat. Kaito lay slumped against the wall, Arthur carefully supporting him, while Alia tended to his wounds as best she could. Sui Hiroshi's hands trembled as he adjusted Kaito's position, unable to stop glancing at his son's bruised, bloodied form. For the first time in hours, there was a fleeting sense of calm.
Alexander emerged from the shadows, silent, deliberate. His gaze was fixed, unreadable. No one noticed him approaching—not Arthur, not Alia, not even Kaito's father. The sense of calm was suddenly a lie.
In a blur of movement, Alexander struck. His hand, impossibly fast, came down on Kaito's neck, a precise chop that rendered him unconscious once more. Before anyone could react, Alexander hoisted Kaito onto his shoulders like he weighed nothing.
Arthur's eyes widened. "Where… where are you taking him?!" His voice cracked, filled with rage and disbelief.
Sui Hiroshi stepped forward, hands outstretched. "Alexander! What… what are you doing with my son?!"
Alexander's lips curved in a faint, almost cruel smile. "Oh… uncle, didn't I tell you?" His tone was chillingly calm. "You're not getting your son back. He's going to Fern Headquarters with me."
The words hit like ice. Alia's hands froze mid-motion, her butterflies fading weakly. Arthur's fists clenched, but the speed and precision of Alexander's movement left him immobilized, rage coiling like a serpent in his chest.
"Why… why, brother?" Alia's voice was barely a whisper, trembling with shock and fury.
Alexander's eyes narrowed. "Because it's an order from Fern. The eclipse boy's power is now known to the world. Every Regan unit has been informed. I'm here not because of your requests, or your emotions, or loyalty… but because it's my duty. My work."
A cold finality hung in the air. "I work for nothing else," he added, the words slicing through the small bubble of hope they'd just clung to.
Arthur lunged forward, aiming to strike him, to intercept him before he could escape. But Alexander was already gone. The space he occupied flickered like a distortion, and in the next instant, he had vanished—slipped through a small tunnel, a hidden hole in the wall, as if he had never been there at all.
"No!" Arthur screamed, fists pounding the empty air where Alexander had stood just moments before.
Sui Hiroshi sank to his knees, tears streaming freely. "Kaito… my son…" His voice broke, helpless, anguished.
Alia's hands covered her mouth, sobbing softly. Her mind raced, the shock almost too much to bear. "He… he just took him… they just took him!"
Arthur's screams echoed through the empty tunnel, raw and primal. "Alexander! Stop! Bring him back!" His voice shook, filled with fury, fear, and despair, but there was no reply.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Kaito remained unconscious, Alexander gone, and the weight of the world pressed down on those left behind. Their breaths came ragged, hearts hammering, and the realization settled like stone: the eclipse boy had been captured… and the storm was far from over.
Outside, the shadow of Fern's reach had grown, and the countdown to the next clash had already begun.