Chapter 9: "The Hunter of the Depths"
Only a few days had passed since that terrible night at the academy.
Ryūjin had regained consciousness, Tensei had healed his wounds, but a sense of unease still lingered within everyone.
It felt like a storm was brewing.
At the training grounds, Riku and Ren had resumed their training.
Riku was trying to control his wolf technique,
Ren was still trying to hear the bear's voice echoing within him.
Ren: "I still can't hear that voice clearly… just like an echo…"
Riku: "So it's being summoned, but you can't hear it. Perhaps it's trying to test you."
Ren: "Test?"
Riku: "Animal spirits don't accept easily. You must first break their fears."
Just then, a strange vibration rose from the lower part of the academy.
The floor shook slightly.
Suddenly, water began to leak from the walls.
Taro: "What's this!? Is the building vomiting water!?"
Haru: "No… this isn't water… this is energy!"
The water's scent was strange. It was cold, metallic, and vibrant.
Then a tall, pale-skinned, gray-eyed man walked out of the darkness.
He wore a dark blue jacket, his hair flowing like water.
??? "What a peaceful place… I had to break this silence."
Tensei quickly stepped in front of the students.
Tensei: "You… Shira Gengetsu… they locked you in an undersea prison!"
Shira (smiling): "Doors don't work well underwater, you know."
🦈 Shira Gengetsu – Shark Spirit (Same no Reikon)
Rank: Unknown (formerly Kōrō-sha)
Techniques:
"Shark Fang Slash": Transforms air pressure into waves of sharp teeth.
"Blood Sense": Locks on to the scent of blood, never losing its target.
"Tidal Dominion": Moves invisibly wherever there is water.
Shira moved suddenly.
A pressure wave from the water shattered the wall.
Riku and Ren were thrown to the ground.
Taro: "So fast I couldn't see it!"
Haru: "This… isn't a normal person!"
Tensei immediately summoned his Phoenix energy, flames streaming from his wings.
But Shira only smiled.
Shira: "Flame drowns in water, Phoenix."
A massive shark form suddenly emerged from the water, engulfing the flames.
Tensei was stunned, and Ryūjin immediately rushed forward.
Ryūjin: "Riku, Ren, retreat!"
Riku stood up, his eyes glowing.
Riku: "No! We won't run anymore!"
He summoned his wolf spirit.
His energy turned silver.
Riku: "Ōkami no Tsume!!"
Ren heard his inner voice clearly for the first time:
Bear Spirit: "Rise… draw your strength not from fear, not from anger, but from protection…"
Ren's hands shook, then a massive brown energy coat enveloped his body.
His eyes turned crimson.
Ren: "Bear Spirit… KUMA NO KEN!!!"
For the first time, Ren's power had awakened.
Riku and Ren attacked Shira together, piercing through the energy within the water.
But Shira vanished at the last moment—emerging from the water and slamming them both to the ground.
Shira: "Little fish… can't swim against the current."
Tensei gathered his flames, Ryūjin roared.
The two attacked simultaneously, but Shira's energy dispersed like water in all directions.
Tensei's fire and Ryūjin's roar shook the sky.
Finally, Shira retreated, laughing.
Shira: "Enough. I have seen your power. But this is only the beginning… The depths will soon swallow everyone."
And he disappeared into the water.
The battle was over, but everyone's eyes were dim.
Tensei sank to the ground, holding his breath:
Tensei: "That man… is no ordinary enemy.
The shark's spirit has fully awakened…"
Riku clenched his fists.
Riku: "No matter how powerful he is… one day I will defeat him."
Ren looked silently at his hands,
the echo of his bear spirit still ringing in his heart.
Ren: "And on that day… I will not be afraid."