Part 1: The Invisible Shadow
As the sun began to set, casting long, orange shadows across the city, Takuto, Ayano, and Kaori walked home alongside Hana and Aoi. To an outsider, they looked like a typical group of students, but Aoi felt a chilling tension in the air.
Her Void Oculus was already at Level 1 (Shadow Affinity). Faint, dark-blue swirls danced within her irises. She could sense a mysterious energy tailing them—unlike Hana's raw, predatory aura, this one felt like a flickering mirage, elusive and cold.
(Aoi's Thoughts): 'Someone is watching us. No, they are targeting me. This presence is freezing and deceptive.'
Aoi glanced at Takuto, who was chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the looming threat. She refused to drag him into this danger.
When they reached the front door, Aoi stepped closer to Hana and gently squeezed her hand. She looked directly into Hana's eyes, allowing a flash of blue light to flicker in her gaze. Hana, who had been suspicious since they left school, understood immediately.
"Nee-chan..." Aoi whispered, barely audible. "Someone is following us. They're on the roof right now."
Hana nodded subtly, a flash of lupine bloodlust crossing her eyes for a split second. "I know, Aoi-chan. They want to follow us inside."
"I'll lure them out," Aoi suggested. "Let's keep Nii-san and the others inside. I don't want them involved in this."
After the group entered the house, Hana and Aoi quickly changed and prepared to head back out.
"Nii-san! We forgot to buy a textbook. We're going to run to the store real quick!" Aoi called out.
Takuto looked up from the sofa, surprised. "Huh? Can't it wait until tomorrow? Want me to come with you?"
"It's okay, Onii-chan! The shop is just around the corner. Plus, we have some girl talk to catch up on. We'll be quick!" Hana added with a wink.
Takuto started to protest, but seeing the firm determination in Aoi's eyes, he simply nodded. As he watched them leave, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.
Once outside, Aoi led the way toward an old, deserted park. She allowed her blue ocular energy to glow brighter, effectively sending a signal: "I'm right here. Come and get me."
At a desolate intersection where the streetlights flickered, they stopped. The world felt unnervingly silent.
"Aoi-chan, you head that way. I'll go to the bookstore from the other side," Hana said loudly.
"Okay, Nee-chan. See you at the park in a bit!"
The two split up intentionally. Aoi walked calmly toward the center of the dark playground. She could feel the shadow behind her closing in. She stopped in the middle of the park, near the rusted swings.
"Aren't you tired of hiding in the dark? Come out..." Aoi's voice was hauntingly calm.
Suddenly, the air rippled with pale violet light, and Lyra materialized in mid-air. She looked down at Aoi with a condescending smirk.
"You have sharp senses, little girl," Lyra sneered. "But do you think knowing I'm here is enough? Splitting up from your wolf-sister was your biggest mistake."
Lyra activated her Phantom Eye, her pupils swirling with illusions. "What a waste for the Void Oculus to be in the hands of a child. Before you can even blink, your soul will be lost in my illusions. Capturing you will be child's play."
Aoi didn't flinch. She kept her head down, her long hair shadowing her face, but her fists were clenched tight.
"I may be a child," Aoi whispered. "But you're wrong about one thing. Splitting up wasn't a mistake. It was the bait for the trap we set for you."
She slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were no longer just blue—they were a deep, abyssal sapphire, glowing with terrifying intensity.
Part 2: The Calm Before the Storm
Lyra burst into laughter. "A trap? Little girl, in front of my Phantom Eye, your plans are nothing but toys."
With a flick of her fingers, the air vibrated, and dozens of illusory attackers surrounded Aoi. But Aoi remained unmoved. She closed her eyes and took a breath that seemed to turn the surrounding air to ice.
"Then... it's time to correct your arrogance."
When Aoi's eyes snapped open, her entire iris had turned pitch black-blue. Ancient Demon Runes glowed in vivid blue beneath her eyes. Dark shadows began to emanate from her hair like a shroud.
Lyra instinctively recoiled. "This... what is this pressure?" She quickly recovered and screamed, "You're just a kid! Your body can't handle this much power!"
Lyra lunged forward, striking with phantom daggers. Aoi shifted her stance slightly, effortlessly dodging every strike with fluid, ghostly movements. Before Lyra could react, Aoi was suddenly in her face.
Aoi pressed her palm against Lyra's chest. The contact was slow, but the impact was like being hit by a mountain.
BOOM!
Lyra was sent flying, crashing violently into a metal pole. She coughed up blood, gasping for air. "Impossible... how are you..."
Aoi walked toward her with cold, steady steps. "During the last battle, I was too weak. I could only watch as Nii-san suffered. Since that day, I promised myself... I would change to protect the ones I love."
Dark shadows began to coil around Aoi's arms like chains.
"I've been training in secret with Kaori-san," Aoi revealed. "Now, you will regret underestimating me!"
"Regret? You're too late!" Lyra shrieked, her voice trembling. "You can't do anything if you can't see me!"
Lyra vanished into thin air, using the full power of her Phantom Eye to erase her presence and aura. The park went silent.
Aoi didn't panic. She knelt and pressed her palm against the ground. She closed her eyes, and her Stella Flow spread beneath the earth like blue electric veins, covering a 30-meter radius.
(Aoi's Thoughts): 'No matter where you hide... as long as your feet touch the ground, you cannot escape my senses.'
Lyra crept closer in the silence, intending to end it with one strike from behind. She still believed she was undetected. But as soon as she stepped into the 30-meter circle, Aoi's eyes snapped open.
"Got you!"
CRACK!
Dozens of pitch-black Shadow Chains erupted from the ground like striking cobras. Lyra tried to dodge, but the chains were too fast, coiling tightly around her wrists, ankles, and waist. Her illusion shattered, leaving her dangling in mid-air.
"How?! I completely erased my aura!" Lyra screamed, struggling.
"You can hide your image," Aoi said coldly. "But you can't hide the vibrations of your footsteps or your Stella Flow. Now... all your power belongs to my chains."
The chains began to glow, siphoning the Stella Flow directly out of Lyra. Her face turned pale instantly. Aoi waved her right hand, and the shadows solidified into a beautiful, frigid Shadow Sword.
"This ends here..."
Aoi raised the sword, aiming for Lyra's heart. There was no hesitation in her eyes—only the cold resolve of a protector.
Facing certain death, Lyra gathered the last scraps of her Stella Flow for one final trick.
"Look... it's Takuto!" Lyra screamed.
Suddenly, a phantom of Takuto appeared beside Aoi, covered in blood and collapsing. It was so vivid, including the sound of his pained moans, that Aoi's heart skipped a beat. Her sword stopped in mid-air for exactly 1.3 seconds as her focus shifted.
"Nii-san?!"
That split second was all Lyra needed. She smashed a Smoke Crystal onto the ground.
BOOM!
A massive cloud of purple smoke erupted. As Aoi's concentration broke, the Shadow Chains dissolved. Under the cover of the smoke, a heavily wounded Lyra scrambled away into a dark alley.
Part 3: The Predator in the Dark
Lyra stumbled into a pitch-black alleyway, clutching her wounded side. Her breath was ragged, but she felt a surge of relief for having escaped Aoi. Little did she know, the path she chose was a dead end—the jaws of death itself.
At the end of the alley, leaning against a lamp post, a figure waited in silence.
"Oh... you look quite pathetic."
The voice was icy and mocking. Lyra looked up, and her blood ran cold. It was Himura Hana. But this wasn't the sweet, cheerful girl from school.
Hana was casually spinning a short blade in her hand. Her eyes were a brilliant, predatory gold—the Wolf Eye. The bloodlust radiating from her was so thick it felt like the alleyway had frozen over.
"Himura... Hana..." Lyra tried to back away, but her back hit the cold brick wall. "What... what are you doing here?"
Hana walked forward, each footstep sounding like a death knell.
"I was waiting for you. My little sister is far too kind; I was worried she wouldn't finish the job," Hana said with a beautiful, yet terrifying smile. It wasn't a human smile—it was the look of a wolf about to devour its prey.
"What... what kind of person are you? Does Takuto know you're like this?" Lyra gasped.
Hana stopped in front of her and used the tip of her blade to tilt Lyra's chin up.
"Onii-chan will always see me as his innocent little sister. And I will do anything to keep it that way. Trash like you doesn't deserve to get my sister's hands dirty. More importantly... you should learn what I do to people who touch my precious family."
Hana's golden eyes flared in the dark, and the sheer weight of her aura forced Lyra to her knees.
"Now... let's not waste time." Hana calmly sliced Lyra's cheek with her blade.
As blood dripped down, Hana's expression remained unchanged. She began questioning Lyra about Fallen Eclipse's plans, Kage's location, and their next targets. Under the terrifying pressure of the Wolf Eye and the physical pain, Lyra confessed everything she knew, desperate to survive.
When Hana finally sheathed her blade, Lyra gasped for air, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "You're... you're going to let me go, right? I told you everything..."
Hana smiled. But the smile only made the air colder. She leaned in close, whispering into Lyra's ear.
"I don't think I ever said I'd let you go... Lyra."
Before Lyra could react, Hana's fingers transformed into long, razor-sharp Wolf Claws.
"For deceiving my sister... you can spend the rest of eternity regretting it in hell."
SHREK!
In a flash, Hana's claws tore through Lyra's throat. Lyra couldn't even scream. She collapsed in the alley, the light in her Phantom Eye fading forever.
As Hana calmly wiped the blood from her hands, a footstep echoed from the deepest shadow of the alley. A 17-year-old boy with white hair and piercing red eyes emerged, carrying a backpack. It was Ryu.
"You really... keep giving me more work, Hana," Ryu sighed heavily.
Hana reverted to her sweet persona and smiled. "Ah, Ryu! You're here. Sorry, could you help me clean up the mess again? We can't let Onii-chan find out."
Ryu looked at Lyra's body and shook his head, but his red eyes held more understanding than annoyance.
"Aoi is looking for you. Her senses are getting sharper than you think. You'd better act natural when you get home."
Hana nodded and slipped out of the alley. Ryu remained in the darkness, beginning his task of "clearing the shadows."
[END OF CHAPTER 27]