Destiny in Light and shadow

Raizen, Mizuki, and Kuragane ventured into the mountains.The cold wind cut against their cheeks, and the path was steep—but the silence between them ran deeper than any abyss.They had been through much, but the mountain tested not only their bodies—it tested their hearts.
The fire crackled.Raizen sat poking a stick at something strange he was roasting.Mizuki frowned, arms crossed, while Kuragane meditated—one eye slightly open, always alert.
“Did you two find anything edible in this cursed forest?” Raizen muttered, his face drawn with exhaustion and hunger. “I think I just fished up... a tiny demon.”
“That’s not a fish. It has horns,” Mizuki replied, eyeing it suspiciously.
“It gets crispy over high flame!” Raizen said, practically drooling.
“You just roasted a fire salamander,” Kuragane said calmly. “Those can explode.”
“You're joking... right?” Raizen’s eyes widened as he stared at Kuragane.
The salamander began to swell, its skin pulsing faintly orange.
“YOU IDIOT! THROW IT AWAY!” Mizuki shouted, jumping to her feet.
Raizen flung the salamander into the air, and it exploded in a burst of tiny fireworks.
“Look, free fireworks! I told you I had talent!”
“Maybe for the circus,” Kuragane said dryly. “Not for battle.”
“If we survive this, you’re next on my list!” Mizuki snapped, her face smudged with ash.
“Good! That means you care,” Raizen said, laughing at her.
Some time later, with her back turned to the others, Mizuki whispered softly:Some time later, with her back still turned to the others, Mizuki spoke softly:
“…Before I met you, I didn’t think I could trust anyone again. But now… when I look at you… I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.”
Raizen stayed silent for a few moments.He stared into the fire—but the flames seemed to burn something deeper inside him.
“Maybe we met by chance,” he said in a calm voice. “But what we do together… that’s not chance. That’s choice. And I choose to stay with you.”
“Bonds are forged in battle,” Kuragane added with a faint smile. “You two are my family now.”
A few days later, they spotted a massive castle rising from a rocky plateau.Around it, a small town lay shrouded in mist.
As they stepped into the village, everything felt surreal.The people stared at them with suspicion—empty eyes and whispering voices.No one smiled. No one greeted them.
“What’s with this place? Feels like we walked into a nightmare…” Raizen murmured.
They stopped in front of an ancient well.By chance, a graceful girl with golden hair and clouded eyes bumped into Kuragane.
“I’m so sorry! You… you’re not under control?” she asked, startled.
The three exchanged quick glances.“Who are you?” they all shouted in unison. “And what’s going on with this strange village?”
“I’m Misaki, the king’s daughter,” the girl said with quiet resolve. “Demons have taken the castle.My father… is being held prisoner. And their leader—he’s posing as a nobleman.He’s hosting a grand ball in a week… but behind the masks… something terrifying is hiding.”
“We’ll infiltrate the ball. We’ll defeat him. We promise,” Kuragane spoke seriously.
“Thank you, but it’s more dangerous than you think. This demon... he’s not like the others. He can read souls,” Misaki said, her voice filled with fear.“You’ll have to dance. Do you know how?”
“Dance?! I can barely keep from stepping on my own sword!” Raizen exclaimed in panic.
“Then… learn. For once, listen to me without complaining! I’ll have you working so hard, you won’t feel your legs anymore,” Mizuki said with a wicked tone.
“If you step on my feet, I’ll cut off your leg and put it in the soup,” Raizen shot back.
“I don’t think I agree, but I won’t stop you either,” Raizen mumbled, his lips trembling.
“It’s funny how dancing creates more tension than a battle with demons,” Kuragane said, grinning from ear to ear.
“You… have cold hands,” Raizen reacted.
“And you have... too warm ones. What’s wrong with you? Are you broken?” Mizuki said, her tone unsettling.“Or maybe my heart just beats faster when I hold you like this,” Raizen dreamt as he danced.
“You missed a step,” Mizuki said, stepping intentionally on his foot.
Mizuki and Raizen danced in circles on a makeshift floor in the forest.Little by little, their steps grew smoother. In a quiet moment, Raizen took her hand, his usual teasing gone.
“You know… I haven’t said this before, but when you’re close… I forget about the demons, the wars… but I feel like a prisoner on a cross, caught by Chiron,” Raizen said seriously, though he smiled to the side.
“Raizen… I… I feel the same. I’ve felt that way for a long time. Let me punch you in the head with all my might,” Mizuki said softly.
“Ow, everything hurts inside me. How am I supposed to keep dancing now?” Raizen groaned, rubbing the bump on his head.
She moved closer. A moment of silence. Then, Mizuki, sulking, stood to the side and said:
“You’re an idiot. But… my idiot.”
“Mizuki, this dance has more steps than a demonic incantation!” Raizen said, exasperated.
“It’s a simple step! Right, left, spin... what’s so hard?!” Mizuki huffed in frustration.
“Spin? I’m a fighter, not a top!” Raizen retorted.
Kuragane entered with a hood on his head and a makeshift mask.
“Good evening, honorable guests. I wish to dance with... the little girl with the magic bow!” Kuragane entered, his tone wicked.
“Take off the hood, you oaf!” Mizuki said seriously.
Misaki brought them elegant clothes. Raizen received an extravagant suit.
“Tell me honestly, do I look like a prince… or a living curtain?” Raizen asked, striking a princely pose.
“A curtain. An expensive one,” Kuragane said seriously.
“That’s true, but you’ll be the most beautiful curtain at the ball,” Mizuki teased, laughing.
The night of the ball.The hall was lit by hundreds of floating chandeliers. The music was sweet, but in the background, a heavy tension lingered. Mysterious guests. False smiles. Demons hidden beneath human faces.
Raizen steps forward first, with a defiant confidence. His suit is matte black with blood-red inserts, embroidered with flame patterns and subtly hidden demonic symbols. He wears a deep red shirt, and the collar of his black cloak falls loosely over his shoulders. Around his neck hangs an old amulet, a discreet talisman that pulses faintly. His hair is loosely tied at the back, but a few rebellious strands cover his left eye, giving him a mysterious and dangerous aura. An arrogant smile plays on his lips.
Mizuki enters on his arm, and the hall seems to freeze for a moment. She wears an elegant evening gown in royal blue, with silver accents that reflect the light like snowflakes. The back of her dress is slightly cut, and a fine, transparent cloak flutters gently as she walks. Her hair is styled in an elaborate bun, but a few loose strands frame her face, highlighting her ice-blue eyes. Despite her elegance, a magical dagger is discreetly tucked at her thigh, just in case. Her step is graceful, but her eyes remain vigilant.
Kuragane closes the trio with an imposing aura. His outfit is simple yet exceptionally elegant: a white tunic with golden trim, black trousers, and a deep blue cape draped over his shoulders, fastened with a sacred symbol—the Seal of Light. He wears fine leather gloves, and his hair is tied back in a low ponytail, like a samurai. Though silent, his presence radiates authority and balance. His stern gaze seems to pierce the soul of anyone who stares too long.
The guests murmur quietly, watching:
— “Who are… they?”— “They don’t look like nobles… but they have an air of power…”— “She… looks like a real princess.”
From the grand balcony of the ballroom, the demon known as Zaki watches them. A tall figure, his fiery eyes hidden behind a black mask.
“I smell betrayal… and blood,” Zaki whispered in a deep voice.
The chandelier lights flicker. The music halts abruptly. The masked demon—Zaki—dressed in regal black and a glossy white mask, rises from his makeshift throne at the far end of the hall. A tense silence falls over the crowd.
“I was wondering when the curtain would finally fall on this charade…” Zaki spoke with a low, calm tone.
“The curtain falls when we say it does. Or… when you fall along with that fake throne of yours,” Raizen replied with a smug grin.
Zaki snaps his fingers. The floor cracks open, and the ballroom morphs into an illusory battlefield: the ground now appears to be made of glass, with shadows pulsing underneath.
“Welcome to the Realm of Mirrors. Here, every wrong step… is your last,” Zaki declared with a chilling, clear voice.
Raizen activates his demonic power. A reddish aura surrounds him, but he remains composed.
“Is it just me, or are you a bit too dramatic for a clown in a mask?” Raizen said as he stared him down.
“You're fighting yourself, not me. What will you do?” Zaki said with a mocking laugh.
Raizen (serious for the first time):“I know who I am. You can’t shatter me with reflections.”
He begins destroying the mirrors one by one, each strike echoing a line that reflects his past.
As the mirrors break one after another, Raizen breathes heavily. His aura flickers. Around him, the shards float in the air like shattered stars.
Zaki:“You managed… to face your reflections. But you haven't defeated me… yet.”
He raises his hand. From the floating shards, a long blade forms—black as glass.
A crack splits part of his mask.
Raizen (desperate):“You keep throwing mirrors and illusions at me. Have you ever thought about just being… yourself?”
Zaki (bitter with pain):“I used to be someone. A protector. A royal knight. I was betrayed. Look at me… now I’m nothing but an empty shell filled with hatred.”
Raizen (serious):“I know what that’s like. There was a part of me that wanted to burn everything too. But I had someone who pulled me back.”
Zaki (looking at the glass shards, voice filled with sorrow):“No one ever came for me. So I chose the mask. It's easier to be feared… than to be hurt again.”
A battle of mind and body begins. Zaki creates a mental space — "The Room Without Reflections."Everything turns white, without shadows. Raizen is pulled into a battle of the mind, where Zaki attempts to erase his memories.
Zaki:“If I take your past, I take everything. What are you without memories?”
Raizen:“A beginning. I... am more than what’s happened to me.”
With each word, memories return: laughter with Mizuki, conflicts with Kuragane. Raizen falls silent for a moment.
Raizen:“You didn’t lose everything, Zaki. You lost hope.”
Zaki (hesitant):“It’s too late...”
Raizen (desperate):“It’s not. But the choice... I can’t make it for you.”
Zaki begins to let go of control. His mask falls — his face is young, with tired eyes. But from the back of the hall, a demonic voice screams:
Demonic Voice:“WEAKNESS!”
A wave of black energy crashes into Zaki. He is forcefully possessed, and his body transforms into a monster of shattered crystal and smoke.
Raizen (resolute):“I can’t save what’s left of him… but I can set him free.”
The ballroom—now a void of broken mirrors, blue light, and shadows dancing around the two.
Zaki’s mask is completely cracked, yet still clings to his face.
Zaki:“You’re still standing? Incredible. But even the most stubborn... eventually break.”
Raizen (panting, down on one knee):“Exhaustion is... temporary. But the reason you fight… that’s what keeps you on your feet.”
Zaki:“You fought for others. I only fought for myself… and look at what I became.”
Raizen (shouting):“No. You still don’t get it. It’s because you fought only for yourself... that you collapsed alone!”
Zaki launches into his final form.
From his body, black crystal blades erupt like wings. Each step on the ground leaves trails of ice. His eyes glow red. He moves faster than ever before.
Zaki (coldly):“Then let’s see what your determination is worth!”
Zaki vanishes—then reappears behind Raizen, slashing him in the chest. Raizen is thrown through a wall of glass and crashes down hard.
Raizen lies on the ground—blood on his lips, his hands trembling.
Raizen’s inner voice, in thought:"My body won’t respond... even breathing is hard. If I stand up now, it’s only because... I can’t let anyone live in fear."
As Zaki approaches, Raizen grabs a shard of broken mirror.
Raizen (bitter smile):"You know, you got one thing wrong."
Zaki:"Oh? And what’s that?"
Raizen:"These mirrors... they’re not just mine. They’re yours too. And you know what I see in them?"
He tosses the shard into the air—the reflected light reveals an image: Zaki before his fall, the King’s protector, smiling with pride and honor.
Raizen (softly):"You’re just a fallen version of yourself. But deep down... you're still human."
Zaki hesitates. Just for a second. A single heartbeat.
Raizen’s strategy – “Forbidden Memory Flame.”
Raizen clenches his fist. He stretches his hand back and summons a dark crimson energy. Flames begin to burn his skin, but he welcomes the pain.
Raizen (with deep resolve):"This is the technique I swore I’d never use... because it destroys everything around it. But now... I no longer have a choice."
Zaki:"You're destroying yourself?!"
Raizen (eyes blazing):"If that's what it takes... then I’ll burn with your past."
Raizen charges at Zaki. Behind him, silhouettes of fire begin to form—memories, friends, laughter, battles. Everything that defines him.
Raizen (shouting):"The fire of those I care about... can’t be extinguished!"
He strikes with everything he has. The flames consume his arms, but his blow reaches Zaki’s corrupted heart. In a scream of agony, Zaki falls, his mask shattering into dust.
Raizen falls to his knees. Silence settles over the battlefield. Around him—ruins. The fire has died down. Slowly, light returns.
Zaki (fading voice):"You burned away my scream... but gave me peace. Thank you... demon with a human soul."
Zaki dissolves into light.
Raizen (whispering):"Rest now, knight... you're no longer alone."
He collapses, but with a faint smile. He won not through power... but through understanding, pain, and will.
Ashera:"A girl with ice wings and repressed emotions... how predictable. Did you come to the ball without a heart?"
Mizuki (raising her bow):"I came with more than just a heart. I came with purpose."
Ashera conjures an illusory mist in which Mizuki hears inner voices—her fears, doubts, and a younger version of herself asking:"Are you good enough?"
Mizuki:"Shut up. I don’t need your approval."
She fires the Amatsuki Arrow—an invisible arrow aimed directly at the source of the illusion.
Ashera (looking around, confused):"What? Where did you—?"
A shiver runs through her. The arrow, though unseen, strikes a hidden point in reality—the core of the illusion. Mirrors crack, the mist dissolves, the voices vanish.
Mizuki (calmly):"You don’t get it… I don’t fight my fears. I carry them—with every arrow I fire."
Ashera (grinning):"How poetic. But what will you do without illusions? My magic isn’t just mist… it’s poison too."
Ashera lunges at Mizuki, her claws glowing violet. Mizuki dodges the initial strikes, but a scratch grazes her shoulder. Instantly, dizziness washes over her.
Mizuki (thinking):Mental poison... it weakens the will...
Ashera:"Feel it? Your thoughts are starting to fracture. The other Mizuki in your mind—the one who wants to give up—she’ll win."
Mizuki (on her knees):"No... you really think the voice telling me to give up is the enemy?"
Ashera:"Isn’t it?"
Mizuki (softly):"No. It's proof that I’m still fighting."
Mizuki closes her eyes. Her breathing slows. A vortex of pure, bluish-white ice forms around her. Behind her, a pair of translucent wings made of energy emerge—“Living Heart of Ice”—a manifestation of her mastery over her own pain.
Mizuki (remembering):"When I was a child, I hid behind sarcasm. That was my shield. But now... I’ve learned how to truly aim."
Her bow charges itself with radiant blue-white light. Mizuki fires one final arrow—“Setsuna”—an arrow that doesn’t freeze the body, but purifies the corruption in the soul.
Ashera (screaming, engulfed in light):"What is this?! What... are you doing?!"
Mizuki (softly):"I'm not destroying you. I'm setting you free. From everything that poisoned your mind."
Ashera falls to her knees. She begins to cry—not tears of pain, but of recognition. The corruption drains from her body in wisps of black smoke.
Ashera (weakly):"You were... stronger than me. But not because you had no fear... it’s because you embraced it."
Mizuki:"It’s the only way to be free."
Ashera dissolves into a shower of violet butterflies.
Mizuki is left alone in the hall. Her bow slowly reverts to its passive form. She leans against a wall, breathing heavily.
Mizuki (with a faint smile):"I hate balls... I hate butterflies... but... maybe... it wasn’t so bad after all."
She stands up, slings her bow across her back again, and starts walking toward the throne room. She knows Raizen and Kuragane are still fighting. But for the first time... she doesn’t feel like just a marksman. She feels like part of something greater.
The crypt beneath the castle — a vast circular chamber, its black walls covered in ancient writings. At the center, an altar burns with violet flames — the essence of Kurojin.
Enemy: Kurojin, the demon of twisted judgment, manipulator of souls and warped truths.
---
Kuragane’s Entrance
Kuragane descends alone into the crypt. His footsteps echo against the cold stone floor. The sacred symbols on his hands begin to pulse with light.
Kurojin (emerging from the shadows):"The executioner of angels has arrived... You, with hands stained in light."
Kuragane (calmly, with resolve):"I’m no executioner. I don’t judge souls. But today... I’ve come to stop you."
Kurojin (circling him):"Every soul you've saved paid a price. You're the one deciding who deserves life. How is that... justice?"
Kuragane draws his sacred blade — a white sword etched with glowing runes. Kurojin shapes his arms into spears of dark smoke.
Kurojin:"Let’s see how long your convictions hold."
He lunges forward. Kuragane is nearly overwhelmed by Kurojin’s speed but deflects each strike with disciplined precision.
Kuragane (focused):"Faith isn’t rigid... it’s alive. And it adapts."
With a sudden burst, he strikes with a beam of radiant light from the runes on his palms, forcing Kurojin back.
Kurojin stretches out a hand. Around them, ghostly figures form — people from Kuragane’s past. Those he couldn’t save: children, soldiers, villagers.
The Voices (whispering):"Where were you?""You abandoned us...""This is your fault."
Kuragane (brows furrowed):"I don’t hide from my failures."
Kurojin:"You’re no hero. You’re just a man... full of mistakes."
Kuragane (raising his voice):"Exactly. That’s why I fight. Not to be clean — but to give others a chance!"
He grips his sword with both hands. Light pulses around him as he releases “Living Judgment” — a technique that dispels illusions and reveals inner truth.
But Kurojin ensnares him with chains of shadow and hurls him against the wall. Kuragane crashes down. His sword clatters from his grasp.
Kurojin (looming over him):"I brought you down with your own regrets."
Kuragane (bleeding, yet smiling):"That’s true... but you forgot one thing."
Kurojin:"What...?"
Kuragane:"I don’t fight alone. I carry their prayers. Their tears. Their faith."
The sacred symbols on his hands begin to glow — not white, but gold.
The voices from the past shift into living echoes:
The Voices:"Thank you...""You saved us...""We forgive you."
Kuragane (rising from the ground):"It's time to deliver a real judgment, Kurojin. Not one born from hatred... but from truth."
He lifts his sword and speaks the final incantation:"Tenmei no Yaiba — The Blade of Destiny."The sword transforms, charged with radiant light, becoming a golden spear.
Kurojin (desperate):

"If you destroy me... the darker side of the world will rise in fury!"