Chapter 3

The three of us had finally reunited.

Rin smiled—a soft, relieved expression on her face—as she saw us back together once more, just like how we used to be. Years had passed since she fought alone, carrying burdens we never truly understood. Despite the weight of it all, she never let it show. And even though I can’t do anything right now, they don’t seem to care. In fact… they looked even more excited, as if they’d been waiting for this moment too.

I was still sitting down, my back pressed against the wall of the crumbling station, still trembling after staring death straight in the eye. But somehow, I survived. Somehow, this time… I was safe.

Deep down, I knew it would come to this. I couldn’t keep up. I had nothing to offer—only slowing Rin down, just like before. But… to them, it wasn’t like that at all.

“That was close, Touka,” Rin said, her voice steady but her gaze still locked on the cloaked enemy in front of her. “If you didn’t arrive when you did, I wouldn’t have been able to save him.”

“I had to deal with the enemies on the train first,” Touka replied, stepping forward, his tone calm but urgent. “Otherwise, I would’ve been here sooner.”

“Alright,” Rin nodded. “But help me finish this guy first. He’s… different from the others. And be careful—his attack is invisible.”

Rin’s eyes never left her opponent. She knew the danger well. The enemy’s projectiles were fast—too fast to be seen clearly—and powerful enough to dent the steel frame of the train behind us. She stayed alert, waiting for the next volley.

But she’d forgotten something.

“You can use that now,” Touka reminded her with a glance, his hand moving in a protective gesture over me. “I’ll cast a barrier on Hideki. He won’t get caught in your attacks.”

A solid dome of shimmering light materialized around me—glowing faintly, like a sphere of pure resolve.

Rin looked back at him, then down at her own hands. Her expression changed. A slight smirk appeared on her lips, her eyes glinting with new confidence.

“…I see.”

She drew in a breath, raised her katana, and with one graceful motion, slashed the air. The wind around her shifted—cutting through the silence.

It was the first time I saw her like this. Not just as Rin, the girl we once knew. But as someone far beyond that now.

I hadn’t seen her train. I hadn’t seen any of it. And now I was finally witnessing the result of those years. It was… overwhelming.

“Alright,” Touka said, stepping back, “that’s enough of a touching reunion.”

More projectiles came flying—faster, angrier this time. The cloaked figure seemed irritated, as if our calm demeanor had provoked him.

But Rin didn’t flinch.

She moved like a phantom, her katana dancing in the air, parrying each invisible attack with precision. Every slash was like poetry in motion. Sparks flew, and shockwaves rattled the ground beneath her feet.

“No way,” I whispered, stunned.

“Huh?” the cloaked man muttered, equally surprised.

She was only using one katana. But the power behind each movement… she was far stronger than I remembered.

Then came a heavy thud behind me—another enemy, large and brutish, slammed into the ground after being launched away by Touka.

Without hesitation, Touka stepped around me, his eyes locked on the new threat.

“What an annoying move you just pulled,” the brute growled, rising slowly and stomping forward.

“I’ll end this quickly,” Touka replied.

“Blood Dragon Technique: Blood Veil.”

In that moment, the wind screamed. Electricity sparked across Touka’s arms. Wind and crimson light wrapped around his body, forming an aura that roared with power.

The Blood Veil.

It was a forbidden technique—a power-up based on Rin’s own clan’s signature style. Only those with a certain bloodline could withstand it, and even then, using it meant paying a price. Blood was drained as fuel. Too much, and it would mean death.

But Touka didn’t hesitate. Blood-red particles shimmered in the air, floating around Rin’s body as well. Despite the ominous aura, she looked fine—almost like she welcomed the side effect.

The enemy cloaked man unleashed another wave of projectiles—stronger than before. A barrage of invisible death.

Rin dashed forward, slicing through them with calculated grace. Her movements became even sharper, faster. Behind her, Touka and the brute clashed fists with a thunderous shockwave. The impact distorted the air, sending a ripple strong enough to rattle even my barrier.

“I’ll crush you right here!” the brute bellowed.

Touka said nothing. His silence was louder than any threat.

Watching them—Rin and Touka—I felt something inside me crumble. A mix of awe… and shame.

They had grown stronger. So much stronger than they were two years ago. And I—Hideki—had stayed behind, cowering inside my home. Once upon a time, I stood beside them as an equal. But now…

Now I couldn’t even stand.

Rin had learned forbidden techniques. Touka could clash head-on with monsters twice his size. And I…

I couldn’t even move without help.

Maybe I had changed. Maybe the fear had sunk too deep. But seeing them fight with such resolve stirred something in me. A flicker. A whisper of the strength I once had.

Maybe it wasn’t too late.

Maybe I could still rise again.

While the battle continued around me, the world around me faded away again. My consciousness was slipping, like the last time… but something felt different.

The dreamscape reappeared.

Same quiet, grassy field.

Same endless sky.

Same old man… standing in the same spot as before, watching me with that familiar gaze. Calm. Patient. Mysterious.

"Back again already, huh?” he said, with a slight chuckle. “Didn’t take long."

I narrowed my eyes. “You again.”

“Well, I am the only one waiting for you here,” he replied with a shrug. “Though you could say you called me this time.”

I crossed my arms. “I didn’t call anyone. I’m just... here.”

He nodded slowly. “Your soul did. And besides... it’s time.”

“For what?” I asked, even though deep down, I had a feeling I already knew.

“To awaken,” he said simply. “To stop running. You’ve avoided the truth for too long.”

I clenched my fists. “I know that already. You told me that last time.”

“And yet you still hesitate,” he said, stepping forward now. “You’re afraid, Hideki. Not of dying—but of living without purpose.”

I looked away.

He wasn’t wrong.

“But why now?” I asked, almost whispering. “Why when they’re already fighting and I’m just… a burden?”

The old man raised a brow. “Is that what you think you are?”

“I know I am,” I snapped, louder than I intended. “Touka’s shielding me. Rin’s risking her life. And I’m here, having tea time in dreamland!”

He smiled faintly at my sarcasm. “You’re here because your soul is ready, not because it’s convenient.”

I felt something sting in my chest. The truth always hit harder in this place.

“Your power,” he continued, “has been locked away deep in your soul for a reason. It wasn’t ready. You weren’t ready.”

“But it’s too late now,” I muttered. “Even if I awaken it, I’ll just slow them down.”

The old man fell silent for a moment. Then, he said:

“Let me ask you something, Hideki—what will you do with the power once it’s awakened?”

I froze.

That question again.

My thoughts spun. My heart pounded.

“I… I don’t know,” I said, voice shaking. “I needed it two years ago. I needed it when everything fell apart. And now that it’s finally here… it feels meaningless.”

He watched me for a while, his expression unreadable.

“You feel late to your own story,” he said at last.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “Exactly that.”

The silence between us stretched out like a heavy curtain.

Then I bowed my head. “I’m sorry.”

His eyes softened.

“For what?”

“For… blaming you. For everything. For being weak. For giving up when I could’ve stood up. For not being there for them when they needed me.”

“And now?”

“I just want to protect them,” I said. “Rin… Touka… They’re more than friends. They’re family. I don’t want to be the reason they die.”

He chuckled again. “Now that… is a reason worth awakening for.”

I looked up.

“You’re not just a vessel for power, Hideki. You’re someone who chose to come back. That’s what makes you different. That’s what will make your flame burn brighter than anyone’s.”

“…Flame?”

“You’ll see,” he said, his voice dropping. “But before that, there’s something you must know.”

The field around us began to fade into darkness—until we were standing in what looked like a starry sky. Floating, infinite, surreal.

“What is this?” I asked, spinning around.

“My true dimension,” he said, calmly. “Here, time bends. Reality bends. And the truth can’t hide.”

He stepped toward me again, more serious now.

“There is another half of me in your world. The opposites of me. You’ll meet him—someday. But you must be careful. He’s not as gentle as I am.”

I swallowed hard. “Who… are you really?”

He paused, then smiled wistfully.

“Some have called me the Light. Others, the Sun. But really? I’m just a tired old man who’s watched too many souls waste their lives without knowing what they were capable of.”

I blinked. “So… you’re a god?”

“Call me what you like. Titles mean little here.”

He turned his back to me, looking out into the starlit void.

“You may not fully understand why I brought you here… but you will. Soon.”

The stars began to shimmer, and the void started pulling away—fading, like a dream slipping from memory.

“Wait—what do you mean by ‘soon’?!” I called out.

But his voice came from everywhere now, not from his mouth.

“Your body is in danger. Your time here is up.”

My eyes widened. I could feel it—the pain, the pressure outside this place.

“Your barrier’s breaking,” he said. “It’s now or never.”

And then everything shattered.

“Hideki, wake up!!” Touka’s voice cut through the air like lightning.

The sound of a punch. Cracking glass. Then—

Shatter.

The barrier broke.

The massive enemy loomed above me, his fist glowing with dark power, mid-swing.

“No!!” Rin shouted from afar, but the projectile orb was already in motion, hurtling toward me.

And then—

I opened my eyes.

Time slowed.

Everything around me turned quiet.

The energy in the air bent to my will.

My right hand moved on its own, engulfed in blinding flame.

A wave of heat surged from my core as I stepped forward, faster than anyone expected.

I caught the big man’s punch—with one hand.

“W-What?!” he gasped.

I clenched my other fist. Fire sparked to life.

The projectile? Vaporized in the air before it could touch me.

Touka’s eyes widened. “No way…”

Rin stopped mid-strike, staring.

“What… was that?”

I exhaled, stepping forward, both arms glowing now—one in flame, the other in radiant aura.

“Sorry for the wait,” I said quietly. “But I’m done running.”

I raised my right hand.

“Let me join the fight.”

With a snap, fire exploded from my palm, lighting the battlefield—my first flame, burning with all the weight of my regrets… and all the hope of what comes next.