Nurusu Kimi

Moments after Shu disappeared inside,
a cutting wind lashed against Sean’s face as he stood at the threshold of the ruins. A thin drizzle hung in the air like mist, painting the twilight sky in shades of gray. His instincts flared, muscles tightening in readiness. He snapped his gaze over his shoulder, eyes narrowing as they pierced through the gently swaying trees.

“…Contamination?” he muttered, brow furrowing.

No.
This… wasn’t the same.

The air around the ruins had grown heavier, as though saturated with something unseen—thick, oppressive, suffocating. The familiar stench of corrupted mana still lingered, but now it was mingled with something far fouler… something older… something infinitely more dangerous. That aura—it didn’t feel like the feral malice of ordinary contamination beasts. It felt like a will to kill, etched into existence by some ancient, malevolent force.

“Damn it…”

Shu’s image flashed sharply in his mind. That reckless boy, eager to prove himself, had just wandered into this place unprotected, inexperienced. He wasn’t facing mere contamination anymore. No—what waited inside was far, far worse.

Without wasting another second, Sean leapt into the ruins. His leather boots struck the cold stone floor with a sharp crack, the sound echoing down the shadowed corridors. His breath misted in the frigid air as his eyes narrowed, cutting into the gloom that swallowed every corner of the place.

His steps were swift, precise, honed by years of battlefield instinct. His right hand reached back, curling firmly around the hilt of the longsword hidden beneath his cloak. The cursed aura that pulsed through these halls gnawed at his nerves, setting his heartbeat on edge.

“What is this…? This isn’t contamination residue. It’s… something else,” he whispered, voice taut with unease—praying he wasn’t too late.

Meanwhile, inside the ruins—
Shu’s footsteps echoed against the cold, dim stone corridor. His heart pounded wildly, not only from fear… but from an unquenchable determination.

“This is it… I have to prove myself.”
To Sean.
And to himself.

He pressed forward, even as the biting sting of mana-laced air scraped against his skin like shards of glass.

CRRAAAKK!
A sharp crack split the silence. From behind a half-collapsed wall, two towering figures emerged—horned, their skin blackened like scorched charcoal. Lesser minotaurs—mutated contamination beasts, incomplete yet no less deadly.

Shu immediately drew his sword. His eyes sharpened, body tensed. A faint stream of aura seeped from his pores.

“Two against one… I can win.”
At least, he wanted to believe so.

One of the minotaurs bellowed and swung its massive axe downward at him. The strike cleaved the air like thunder, the force enough to shatter a man’s body in a single blow.

CRAAASSHH!!

“Ah—!”

His mind didn’t have time to react. His body moved on its own, slipping to the side in a burst of instinct.

Wild Step.
A primal reflex—uncontrolled yet precise. His body spun, sliding across the dust-slick stone floor. The axe smashed into where he’d been standing a second earlier, exploding the ground into jagged shards.

“Hah—!”

His body rebounded forward, twisting sharply. His eyes locked onto the beast’s gaze. His grip tightened around his sword.

Counter Slash α.

With a short, sharp breath, Shu lunged. His blade tore across the minotaur’s neck—the exposed seam where hardened skin failed to cover straining muscle.

Black blood spurted, thick and reeking of rust mixed with rot.

“Graaaagh—!!”

Shu retreated in an instant, his breath ragged. His entire body trembled, caught between adrenaline and fear barely restrained. Sweat dripped down his chin, spattering onto the cold stone beneath him.

“Hah… hah… I did it?”

His eyes fixed on the two fallen minotaurs, their lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground. But victory wasn’t what rooted him to the spot.

It was the sword in his hand.

The blade glimmered faintly, a wavering violet glow flickering along its edge like a dying flame. Crystalline veins of light crawled across the steel, pulsing softly.

“What… is this…?”

Shu’s hand shook. His breath hitched.

The sword—the one he had discovered in the ruins of the Ansi Valley—had changed when he unleashed Counter Slash. It hadn’t just amplified his strike—it had drained nearly all of his strength in an instant.

“That technique… it always failed in training. But just now, it felt like my attack exploded out of me.”

His body jolted.

Now his muscles were limp. His knees struggled to hold his weight. Every step forward felt like dragging chains of iron.

“Stupid… why did I use that technique with this sword…?”

His grip tightened desperately, fighting to stay conscious. But cold sweat poured freely down his face. His heartbeat was erratic. The aura around the sword gnawed at him, leeching the last scraps of life-force from his veins.

“Damn it… this sword isn’t normal.”

And then—

GROOOOOAAAARRRR!!!

The roar split the air. The floor trembled. The mist that clung to the corridors thickened, merging with poisonous mana and a suffocating pressure that reeked of the deepest pits of hell.

Shu froze.

“—An Alpha-Class monster…?”

That wasn’t the cry of an ordinary beast. His instincts screamed—the thing ahead was far stronger than the minotaurs he had barely survived.

If he were at full strength, maybe he could fight. But now?

His body barely obeyed him. His aura was nearly gone. And his cursed sword was still devouring the scraps that remained.

“I… can’t… even move…”

BOOOOM!!!

An explosion thundered from the eastern corridor. Stone shattered, fragments scattering. A flash of light seared the darkness.

Shu’s head snapped up.

“That sound… a battle!”

Someone was fighting ahead. And if it was Sean—then he wasn’t alone.

But if it wasn’t… then someone was dying. Someone who needed help.

He didn’t have time to think.

“I… I can’t back down now!”

With what little strength remained, Shu clenched his teeth and forced his legs forward.

Abandoned Mine Ruins – Deepest Sector

The stench of blood hung in the air.
Thick. Fresh. Warm.

Amidst the shattered debris and the faint glow of fractured mana veins, a colossal figure towered above the ruins. Nine meters tall, its horns curved backward like scythes, and its entire body pulsed with a suffocating black aura—throbbing like the heartbeat of some ancient giant. Two burning crimson eyes pierced through the gloom from its beastly face.

A Corrupted Minotaur—a high-class monster, resurrected after death… only far stronger than before.

BRAAAK!!
One savage swing of its massive axe shattered a stone wall in a single blow. Cracks spread outward like lightning tearing across the earth.

“Uhh…” A faint gasp slipped from a woman crouched behind a collapsed pillar, her trembling body hidden in the shadows. “How… how did it come to this…”

She bit her lip, blood trickling from her forehead, cold sweat matting her temple.

“We already defeated it… but then suddenly it came back… and its aura— it doubled in strength.”

Her chest heaved with uneven breaths. The memory of her comrades—now lifeless corpses—danced in her mind like phantoms. Their laughter, their cries, their death screams still echoed through these endless halls.

“Am I… going to die here too…?”

GGRRRRRRR—

Her entire body froze.
That low growl reverberated above her. Slowly, she lifted her gaze—only to meet it.

The Minotaur loomed directly over her, raising its enormous axe high. Saliva dripped from its open jaws, its crimson eyes blazing like hellfire.

The woman shut her eyes tight. Her hands shook, her body slumped against the broken stone.

“If this really is my end… please… let it be quick.”

GROOOAAAAARRRRR!!!

The beast roared thunderously—yet no pain followed.

The strike never landed.

Her breath caught. Slowly, hesitantly, she opened her eyes.

The Minotaur’s massive frame was turned away from her.

“Why… did it stop…?”

Shaking, she slid back and peeked around the rubble. Her eyes widened.

In the distance, illuminated by the faint glow of the mana veins above, stood the silhouette of a young man. A long sword in hand. His figure was dwarfed by the monster’s colossal size, yet his stance was unwavering… utterly fearless.

“…Who… is that?”

From behind the stone, she watched with trembling breath as the mysterious swordsman faced the towering beast.

TRINK!
The clash of steel rang out through the ruins. Shu was thrown backward after barely deflecting the raging Minotaur’s colossal axe. His body slammed into broken stone, kicking up a cloud of dust as pain shot through every nerve.

“Ugh… n-no way…”

His right hand trembled violently, barely able to hold on to the mysterious sword. The faint violet glow still pulsed along its blade, like a heartbeat—hungry, thirsty for blood.

“This sword… ever since I picked it up, it’s been draining my energy little by little… Damn it—this isn’t the time to think about that!”

GRRAAAHH!!
The beast’s furious roar shook the air. The Minotaur advanced again, each step quaking the broken floor. Its crimson eyes blazed with wrath, as though nothing would satisfy it short of total destruction.

Shu tried to rise, but his knees nearly buckled. His breath caught. His head pounded. His vision blurred.

“If this keeps up… I’ll be the one who dies…”

And in that crushing fear, in that suffocating despair—something inside him stirred.

ZRAAASH!!

Without warning, a storm of silvery-gray aura burst forth from his body. Stones were blasted aside, dust scattered, and the very air grew heavy—oppressive, as if unseen weight pressed down from Shu himself.

“Wh-what… is this…?” he whispered, voice quivering.

His eyes flew wide—not in terror, but in shock. His muscles tensed, his fading strength surged back. His wounds felt lighter, his heartbeat pounded stronger.

“Why… does my body feel so light all of a sudden…?”

Unknowingly, Shu had awakened a hidden power—Resolve Burst, a force that manifested only when its wielder stood at the brink of life and death, born of the will to survive.

But Shu didn’t know that. All he knew was one thing:
His body was moving—on its own.

“Graaaa!!”

The Minotaur lunged, axe cleaving down with brutal force. But this time, Shu didn’t just block.

“Counter Slash!!”

With startling speed, he spun and slashed diagonally.

CRAAAASH!!

A massive wound tore across the Minotaur’s shoulder. The beast bellowed in pain, staggering backward. But Shu didn’t stop.

“What is this… whose strength is this…?”

His grip tightened around the sword—but again, a stabbing pain throbbed deep inside.

“The sword… it’s still draining me…!?”

Even with Resolve Burst fueling him, the blade demanded more, drinking greedily from the power he had just awakened.

“Damn it… you really are a demon, aren’t you, sword…”

GRROOOOAAARRR!!!
The Minotaur roared again, black blood dripping from its wound. Its eyes burned hotter, no longer just feral—now filled with pure rage.

It charged. Shu met every swing. Blow after blow, steel screamed against steel, stone shattered, sparks and dust flying.

For five relentless minutes, the battle raged, until Shu’s breaths came ragged and broken. The silver aura that had cloaked him weakened, fading like mist scattered by the wind.

“D-damn… my legs are… giving out… air… can’t breathe…” he rasped.

His hands shook. His grip on the cursed sword faltered. His energy was nearly gone. Yet still, the blade drank from him, hungering even as his strength dwindled.

And the Minotaur gave no pause.

DUARRRR!!

With a thunderous stomp, the monster leapt high into the air, raising its massive axe. The weapon glowed, shrouded in thick black aura like poisonous smoke.

Shu’s eyes widened. His lungs froze. His body refused to move.

“I can’t dodge this…!!”

The Minotaur’s shadow swallowed him whole. The sound of air splitting tore at his ears as the axe plummeted down like the hammer of doom.

“Arghh—!!”

BRUKK!!

The impact thundered. The ground split wide where he stood. Shu’s vision spun. His consciousness wavered under exhaustion and the cursed sword’s draining grip.

But before he could understand what happened—

“W-what—!?”

Arms suddenly wrapped around him, yanking him aside.

In the blink of an eye, the Minotaur’s axe slammed into the spot he had been standing, splitting the stone floor in two.

Shu crashed onto the ground, gasping, heart hammering against his chest.

Beside him, a young woman with long, disheveled hair grimaced as she clutched her swollen ankle.

“M-My leg… it’s sprained…” she panted, her voice faint yet laced with determination.

Shu pushed himself halfway up, staring at her in shock and confusion.
“Y-You… who are you?”

The woman furrowed her brow, her eyes never leaving the Minotaur now preparing to strike again.
“Does that matter right now? You’d better focus on figuring out how we’re getting out of this alive.”

Shu nodded awkwardly. Though his body felt heavy, his grip on the sword tightened.

“Uh… thank you. You saved me…” he muttered quickly.

“Then don’t waste it.”

But before either of them could stand or retreat, a thunderous rumble shook the ruins.

“What…!?” Shu gasped.

The Minotaur swung its axe once more. Dark aura gathered around the massive weapon, forming a wave of energy ready to be unleashed.

“Damn it… he’s preparing another killing blow!”

The woman tried to stand, but collapsed again. Her face was pale.

“My leg… I really can’t move it…”

She glanced at Shu, worry flickering across her expression—something she hadn’t shown before.

Brsshh…
The ground trembled. The Minotaur raised its weapon high with both hands, blood-red light erupting from the axe’s edge.

“Shit…!”

Shu planted himself in front of the woman, shielding her with his body. His frame trembled, but his gaze was steady.

“Come on then… if this is the end, I won’t run!”

He poured every ounce of his remaining energy into the sword. A faint glow wrapped around the blade, though his hand shook violently.

“It’s… over…” the young woman whispered from behind him. Her tangled hair fell loose, her eyes glistening, but no more tears would fall. Her face showed nothing but emptiness and resignation—like someone who had crossed beyond fear itself.

But then—

A voice cut through the air.

“Twilight Thrust.”

ZRRRRSSHH!!

A streak of bluish-black light ripped through the air like lightning across a stormy sky. In an instant, the Minotaur’s roar was drowned out by the shriek of rending space.

Shu’s head snapped to the side. His eyes widened.

Someone had stepped out from the shadows of the ruins.

His stride was firm, his mantle billowing in the cold wind of the collapsing chamber.

In his hand gleamed a black sword, shining faintly with violet twilight—like the last glow of sunset sinking into darkness. The sharp aura around it tore through the air itself.

He stood amidst the rubble, cutting the Minotaur’s magical radiance in two.

The attack meant for Shu—was gone in an instant, cleaved apart by a single thrust too fast for the naked eye to follow.

“Se… Sean…” Shu whispered in disbelief. His mouth opened, but words refused to form.

His blood surged—caught between awe, relief… and fear.

“Eh… who is he?” the young woman asked, her voice small and trembling, still unable to grasp the situation.

Shu drew a deep breath, then glanced at her with eyes filled with conviction.
“You’ll find out soon enough, miss. But one thing’s certain… we’re not going to die here.”

The woman looked toward the black-cloaked figure now standing defiantly before the Minotaur, as if daring it to strike.

“Uh, r-really…?” she muttered, still doubtful.

Shu nodded firmly.
“Yes… because he has arrived.”

The Minotaur’s roar thundered through the ruins again, this time steeped in fury. The beast stomped the ground, shaking the stone floor, its eyes blazing red like the embers of hell.

Sean stepped forward.
The air seemed to split around him. Faint moonlight glimmered coldly in his sharp eyes.

“You take care of the woman,” Sean said, his voice calm yet commanding.
“I’ll deal with this beast.”

That single line made Shu’s hair stand on end.

“Right, Sean! Come on, miss!” Shu shouted, grabbing the woman’s hand and pulling her toward the safety of the ruins.

Meanwhile, Sean advanced.

“ROOOAAARRR!!”

The Minotaur swung its massive weapon, sending a brutal wave of energy surging toward Sean. But the man did not flinch.

He raised his sword.

The wind halted.
Dust froze in the air.
And in the next instant, twilight flashed once more from his blade.

“Vertical Crescent Wave.”

ZRASSSHH!!

Five vertical slashes ripped through the air in the blink of an eye, leaving cracks in the very space around them, as if reality itself could not withstand such force. The strikes surged forward, slamming into the Minotaur with overwhelming power, forcing it back for the first time.

The faint afterglow of twilight energy shimmered at the tip of Sean’s sword. His eyes narrowed sharply.

“You!!” Sean’s voice boomed, laced with both fury and disbelief.

He stepped forward, his gaze burning.
“Weren’t you… the monster I killed three years ago?” he hissed, his voice trembling with restrained rage.

“Why… why are you still alive?”

Black aura swirled around the roaring Minotaur, shrouding the ruins in suffocating darkness like the mists of hell itself.

Sean clenched his jaw, lifting his sword high.
“This time… I’ll make sure you never rise again.”

The ruins became their battlefield. With unyielding steps, Sean charged, his blade slicing through the air.

Craaaakkk!

“Crescent Reaver Slash!”

A sweeping arc carved the air, the shockwave slamming into the Minotaur’s body—yet only enraging the beast further.

GROOOOAAARRR!!

Its furious roar shook the ground beneath their feet.

“Tch… you’re far stronger than before,” Sean muttered, sweat running down his temple.

But his eyes held no hesitation. Instead, they blazed with unshakable resolve.

“But this… will be your end.”

Dark energy gathered at the tip of Sean’s blade. Violet-black light sparked violently, casting twisted shadows across the ruined walls.

“Twilight Thrust!!”

Sean shot forward like a thunderbolt cloaked in shadow, driving his sword straight into the Minotaur’s chest. A blinding flash swallowed the battlefield.

KRRAAKK!!

The beast’s chest armor shattered. Its roar of agony filled the air as it staggered back, cracks spreading across its massive body.

Ggghrrr…

And slowly—its form began to disintegrate. Black particles drifted into the air, vanishing like ashes swept away by the wind.

Sean stood motionless, his piercing eyes locked on the spot where the creature had fallen. His breaths came heavy, sweat dripping from his brow.

But it wasn’t exhaustion that weighed on him.
It was the gnawing, impossible truth twisting inside his mind.

“…Vanished?” he muttered under his breath, barely audible.

“Impossible…” he whispered. “Five years ago, the Minotaur’s body didn’t disappear.”

His grip on the sword hilt tightened. “Back then, its corpse was delivered to M.C.R.U.’s central headquarters in Alcestereon for study. Even now, its remains should still be stored in a sealed chamber.”

“Sean?” Shu’s voice called from behind a fallen pillar, emerging with the mysterious woman at his side. “You were incredible…”

But Sean didn’t answer right away. His eyes remained fixed on the place where the Minotaur had stood only moments ago.

“…This isn’t just ordinary contamination.” His voice was low, steady, heavy. “Someone… or something… is toying with death itself.”

Slowly, he turned, surveying the ruins around them. Wisps of black contamination still drifted faintly in the air.

Their footsteps echoed softly among the rubble, where dust and blood still lingered in the air. Rays of twilight seeped through the collapsed roof, casting dim silhouettes across Sean’s figure as he walked forward, sword slung across his back. His cloak rippled in the gentle evening wind, but his lips remained sealed.

“Hmph,” Sean murmured, barely tilting his head in acknowledgment. He continued walking, gaze fixed ahead, as though the battle just now had been nothing more than routine. Yet behind that cold demeanor and unreadable expression, something remained frozen—not from strength, but from memories that refused to fade.

Shu stood in silence, watching Sean’s back slowly disappear into the mist of the ruins. “He’s always like that,” he said quietly, half in a sigh. His eyes carried a pensive weight, as though staring at an unbreakable wall—the wall surrounding the man called Sean Akihito.

“Um, thank you for saving me,” the gentle voice of the woman broke the silence. Her gaze lingered on the ruins where they had nearly lost their lives. Her face was still pale, but her eyes carried genuine sincerity.

Shu turned to her with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. “Haha, I didn’t really do much. Sean was the one who actually saved us.”

“But… if you hadn’t shown up, I might have—” Her words faltered, her expression turning serious. “I owe you my life.”

“I’m Shu. Shu Sashiki,” he replied quickly, trying to lighten the heavy air. He awkwardly extended his hand.

“I’m Nurusu Kimi,” she answered, accepting his handshake. A soft smile touched her lips, her eyes shining with gratitude and quiet strength. “Just call me Nurusu.”

Shu nodded. “Nurusu, huh? Got it! But don’t forget—you should thank my friend, too.”

“Your friend? That man?” Nurusu asked in surprise, glancing toward the mist where Sean had vanished.

“Yeah. He might look cold and scary, but… he’s a good guy. He just doesn’t know how to show it,” Shu said with a warm grin.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you. Though… he probably won’t say much,” he added with an amused chuckle before confidently taking Nurusu’s hand.

She hesitated, but Shu’s steady steps pulled her along. For a moment, a faint smile bloomed on her lips as she looked at his back.

Ahead of them, Sean stood silently at the ruined gate, the fading twilight gleaming on his black blade. The wind carried the faint clink of steel and the weight of his footsteps.

Perhaps, that day marked the beginning of something far greater—
A meeting that not only saved their lives, but also began to intertwine their fates.