Fear Makes the Blade Sharp

Demon Realm

Deep beneath the fractured crust of the demon kingdom, the throne hall thrummed with dark pulse. Columns twisted into cruel shapes that resembled skeletal wings, and a faint metallic scent drifted in the air, as if the walls themselves were bleeding.

One of the escaped demons knelt before the throne, its form flickering like a dying flame. “Your Highness… during the last attack… the Guardian… Aihana… we almost obtained her.” Its voice cracked under the weight of its own fear.

Prince Ravukaru lounged on his jagged throne, fingers drumming lazily on obsidian. His expression didn’t shift at first. Then he smiled, slow and predatory.

“Almost,” he repeated, letting the word carve the silence. “Do you think I reward failure dressed as progress?”

The demon shook harder. “We only require one more opportunity.”

Ravukaru rose with the fluidity of a serpent uncoiling. “Her energy is awakening. And while you grovel on my floors, my rivals gather strength.” His voice sharpened. “Aihana belongs to me.”

He stepped down from the throne, boots echoing loudly across the stone. Shadows parted around him as if afraid to touch his aura.

“She is the key between realms. With her power I can get the whole world under my control.” His eyes narrowed to crimson slits. “And you let her slip through your claws?”

Dark power flared from his hands, making the floor vibrate. The demon whimpered, dissolving into a puddle of shadow.

Ravukaru didn’t even look down.

“Get her,” he whispered, voice low and lethal. “At any cost.”

The command rippled through the dimension. Every demon felt it like ice on their spine. Every shadow twisted toward a single purpose.

Ravukaru turned back to his throne, cloak billowing behind him like living darkness.

Let the angels breathe tonight. Let the guardians think, they are safe.

He would break that illusion himself.

Soon.

Very soon.

A-Academy – Living Room

Warm light glowed from the lamps, softening the edges of the Academy living room. The contrast to the demon realm was almost absurd: blankets tossed over couches, the scent of tea lingering in the air, soft chatter between the girls as they recounted their fight.

Akihiro stood with arms crossed, leaning against the doorway like he needed the frame to keep himself upright. The calm atmosphere only made the memory of last battle sharper. Louder.

“We need to stay alert,” he said, voice steady but clipped. “Demons are adapting faster than expected. Ravukaru is getting stronger.”

The girls nodded, fatigue etched into their posture.

Aihana sat curled on the couch, blanket draped around her shoulders. She looked small, fragile even, but her eyes still held faint gold from the dome spell. Something inside Akihiro twisted at the sight.

Every few minutes he glanced at her again. In each glance, the same scene played behind his eyes:

The dome flickering.

Shadows reaching for her waist.

Her breath hitching in panic.

Her knees giving out.

His heart stopping for half a second.

His fingers flexed involuntarily, as if gripping a sword that wasn’t in the room.

Rei noticed.

He stepped closer, speaking in a low tone. “You’re replaying the battle.”

“Replaying?” Akihiro exhaled sharply. “I’m stuck inside it.”

Rei’s expression softened. “You pulled her out. You saved her.”

“It wasn’t enough.” Akihiro stared at the floor. “If that dome had broken one second earlier—”

Rei nudged him with an elbow. “It didn’t. And you’re allowed to be afraid, you know.”

Akihiro shot him a glare. “I’m not afraid.”

Rei raised a brow.

Akihiro looked away. “…Fine. Maybe I am.”

Rei clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. Fear makes you careful. Care makes you strong. Just don’t let it consume you.”

Aihana laughed softly at something Mizuki said. The sound cut through Akihiro’s tension like moonlight through mist.

He felt his chest loosen. Just a little.

For tonight, that was enough.

Next Morning – Training Grounds

The morning brought a thin veil of fog to the Academy’s training yard. The city beyond hummed with distant traffic, neon signs flickering even in daylight. A subtle reminder: danger didn’t sleep here.

Aihana stepped onto the training field first. The air tingled around her, reacting to her energy before she even summoned it.

Rei gathered wooden demon constructs created from enchanted materials. “We’ll start light,” he said. “Warm-up drills. Shield control. Offensive bursts.”

Aihana nodded, though her fists were already clenched. She didn’t feel light. She felt pressure coiling through her veins.

She positioned herself in the center. The constructs animated with a sudden twitch, eyes glowing a dull red.

Aihana inhaled, grounding herself.

I won’t freeze again.

I won’t let them touch me.

I won’t let anyone be hurt because of me.

She opened her palms. Golden sparks danced across her fingertips. A pulse of energy rippled outward, light bending around her in a protective shimmer.

The first construct charged.

Aihana moved faster than yesterday. She sidestepped, spun, and sliced her hand through the air. A whip-like arc of golden energy cracked across the construct and shattered it.

Rei raised his brows. “Nice.”

But Aihana didn’t hear. She was already shifting into another stance, feet gliding across the stone like she’d trained for years. The remaining constructs attacked with chaotic lunges.

She blocked two with a flickering dome shield that flared like liquid sunlight. The third lunged from behind. Aihana ducked, rolled forward, and thrust her hand upward. Energy erupted, blasting the construct into smoke.

Hikari watched from the sidelines, eyes wide. “She’s pushing herself too hard.”

“Let her,” Mizuki murmured. “She needs this.”

Wind stirred around Sora’s ankles as she whispered, “Or she’s afraid.”

“It’s both,” Rei said.

They all fell silent at that.

Aihana’s breathing deepened. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She spread her arms, summoning the dome again. This time it grew larger, brighter, pulsing in steady waves that resonated across the yard.

The light painted the fog gold.

She closed her eyes, teeth clenched. “Stronger… stronger…”

The dome compressed, then expanded again, forming a perfect sphere around her. 

Rei’s expression shifted from approval to awe.

“That’s not basic shielding anymore.”

Akihiro arrived just in time to witness the dome vibrate with raw power.

He froze.

For a split second the sight overlapped with last night’s memory: the dome flickering under demonic assault. The fear clawed up his throat, uninvited.

But then Aihana opened her eyes.

She looked steady.

Determined.

Unbroken.

The dome dissolved into soft sparks around her. She took a deep breath, chest rising and falling with controlled pace.

“I’m done,” she said quietly. “But I’m not finished.”

Rei smiled. “Good distinction.”

Aihana walked toward the group. Her legs shook, but her gaze held clarity she hadn’t shown before.

Mizuki slung an arm around her. “You’re getting scary strong, Aihana.”

Sora grinned. “We’re not letting you slack off now.”

Hikari nodded. “We’re in this together.”

A warmth spread across Aihana’s chest. A sense of belonging. A sense of power that wasn’t just hers.

Akihiro finally approached, steadying his breath.

“You did well,” he said softly.

She met his gaze for a heartbeat longer than necessary. “I’m trying.”

“I know,” he replied.

He didn’t add the rest.

I’m trying too.

To keep you safe.

To stay calm.

To not lose you.