Kaito’s last memory was of the chaotic sky. Not the clear, welcoming stretch of blue that most would picture, but a sky torn open—a violent swirl of fire, ash, and the very heavens themselves cracking apart as though they were nothing more than brittle glass. The earth had trembled beneath him, and the scream of a dying world echoed in the distance. His friends had been there—he remembered their faces, their voices—but then… nothing. Silence.

  The weight of that silence clung to him now as he tried to pull himself from the depths of a suffocating haze. His mind felt like it was drowning in fog, everything distant, unreal. Only heat. Only fire. Blood. When Kaito opened his eyes, he expected to see destruction, to feel the weight of that burning world still pressing against his chest. Instead, all he saw was white.

  A hospital room. The machines were silent now, the beeping having long since stopped. The sterile walls seemed to mock him with their blankness, while the chairs scattered around the room stood empty, as if the world outside had simply forgotten that they ever existed. Time didn’t feel real anymore. It was as if the world had snapped into a standstill.

  Kaito shifted, but the pain in his body was sharp and overwhelming. Muscles ached, joints screamed in protest, and his hands… His hands trembled, fingers twitching as though they had a life of their own. As he looked down at them, Kaito noticed the veins under his skin—deep crimson, almost glowing.

  Something was wrong.

  And as he tried to push himself up from the cracked bed, the sensation of heat and fire rose up within him again, rushing through his chest, leaving him gasping.

  “Where are they?” Kaito muttered to himself, confusion thick in his throat. He didn’t remember how he got here. He didn’t remember where his friends had gone. He couldn’t remember much of anything.

  That’s when he felt it—the presence. The cold, alien sensation prickling at the back of his mind. It was almost familiar, but not quite. It wasn’t his.

  A voice echoed through his thoughts—not his own.

  You are not alone.

  The words felt intrusive, as though they had been carved into his skull. A chill crawled up his spine as Kaito’s heart raced, the room growing unnaturally colder. His breath quickened. No. It couldn’t be.

  The voice came again, more insistent this time. You are mine now. We are one.

  The words felt like they were being spoken directly into his mind. Kaito clutched his head, trying to block out the voice, but it was as if it had burrowed too deep, too far inside. The presence was overwhelming. It wasn’t a mere thought—it was him, wrapping around Kaito’s very soul.

  His skin prickled, his body ached, and the more he focused, the more he realized: It was in him. The demon was inside of him, buried deep within his chest, twisting with each breath he took.

  You can feel it now, can't you? the voice purred, a dark and malevolent presence curling through his thoughts. The fire inside you. The hunger. You are not the same as you were.

  Kaito’s hands shot to his chest, the heat flaring up again, an intense burning sensation coursing through his veins. His vision swam, and for a moment, the sterile room before him seemed to melt away, revealing something far darker, a landscape of shadow and flame.

  He gasped, blinking away the mirage, and the image of the demon, towering and grotesque, flickered before his eyes. He could see it—just a shadow of it, an echo of its presence, but the power behind it was unmistakable. The twisted horns, the glowing blue eyes, the form of something ancient and far older than him. It was inside him, and yet, it was not entirely him.

  “You... You’re here,” Kaito whispered, voice shaking.

  I never left, the voice responded, chuckling with dark amusement. You cannot escape me. You will never escape me.

  His body trembled as the force of the connection surged through him, the pain of it almost unbearable. But even as the demon’s presence threatened to overwhelm him, Kaito could feel the power within him, too. The fire. The strength.

  “Where are they?” Kaito choked out, his chest constricting with the weight of unanswered questions. “My friends. What happened to them?”

  They are gone, the voice replied. The world you knew is dead. They will not return.

  A sharp pain twisted in Kaito’s chest as the words hit him like a physical blow. Gone. His friends. The city. The life he had known. All of it, swept away.

  But... there is a chance, the voice continued, for something more. Something greater than what you once were.

  Kaito felt the air shift. The presence inside him shifted, as if it was sensing something—something outside of the room. He wasn’t alone anymore.

  Footsteps. Kaito could hear them, faint but growing louder. The door to the room creaked open, and two familiar faces appeared in the doorway. His friends.

  “No way…” Kaito whispered in disbelief. His heart stuttered as he saw them again—his comrades, his brothers and sisters in arms. They weren’t gone after all.

  “Kaito?” Rei’s voice trembled as he stepped forward. “What happened? Where did the—”

  The demon’s voice cut through his mind. They do not understand yet. They do not know what you have become.

  Kaito’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at them. His friends, the ones who had fought beside him, were staring at him in shock. They could see it now—his skin was darker, veins pulsing with an unnatural crimson glow, his eyes tinged with a faint, unsettling blue.

  He reached out, but his hands—his hands, now alien and unfamiliar—betrayed him as they trembled uncontrollably.

  “What happened to you?” Rei asked, his voice breaking.

  They will not accept you, the demon whispered. Not yet. They will fear you.

  Kaito’s gaze turned to the floor, then back to his friends. His chest tightened, a deep ache settling inside him as the truth began to sink in.

  His friends—his family—could never look at him the same way again.

  But the demon inside him... it wasn’t a curse. It was power. And it was his now.

  Kaito’s voice was steady, though the trembling in his hands betrayed him. “I’m still me,” he said, though even he wasn’t sure he believed it. “But I’m not the same anymore.”

  His friends stayed silent for a long moment, but in that silence, Kaito could hear the demon’s words echoing in his mind.

  You are mine now, Kaito. And together, we will reshape this broken world.

  The words seemed to stretch out into eternity, and Kaito realized with a chill that there was no going back. Whatever had happened, whatever this new life was, it was only just beginning. And his world... it had already ended...

  Kaito’s breath came in uneven gasps as he tried to steady himself. His eyes never left his friends, their faces a mixture of disbelief, fear, and something he couldn’t quite place—concern, perhaps, or the faintest hint of pity. They were standing there at the door, motionless, caught in the same space between recognition and denial, struggling to comprehend what had happened to him.

  Rei was the first to speak, his voice rough and low, as though the words were foreign to him. "Kaito... What is this?" His eyes were wide, locked on the way Kaito's white hair and elongated horns, as well as veins that pulsed with unnatural crimson light beneath his skin, the way his once tan features were now a ghastly pale, and the eerie blue glow that lingered in Kaito’s irises and markings on his skin. "What happened to you? You look—"

  They won’t understand, Kaito. They’ll only fear you, the demon’s voice echoed in his mind, the words slithering through the cracks of his consciousness. It was a constant companion now, haunting every thought, every moment, as though it were a part of him, inseparable. Kaito’s lips pressed together in a thin line. He wanted to speak—to reassure them, to make them understand—but the words felt wrong in his mouth. Instead, he merely shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts racing through his mind.

  "I—" He started, but his voice faltered. His throat felt dry, raw. What was he supposed to say? How could he explain what had happened to him, when even he didn’t fully understand it?

  His gaze shifted to Rei, then to Ayumi and Kaoru, who were both standing at the threshold, frozen in place. They had always been the strong ones, the ones who kept the group grounded, but now, they were silent. The weight of his transformation hung between them, suffocating the air around them.

  Ayumi finally spoke, her voice tentative. "Kaito... You’re not... yourself." She stepped forward cautiously, her eyes flickering to his glowing veins and the strange aura surrounding him.

  Kaito swallowed hard, his chest tightening as the demon’s influence seemed to stir again, its presence coiling in his mind like a living thing, urging him to take control. Tell them. Show them what you’ve become.

  His mind was a battlefield, torn between his friends, who he loved and trusted, and the demon, whose voice now had a tight grip on his soul. He could feel its hunger, its thirst for power, pulling him further into its embrace. But part of him—the part that was still Kaito—wanted to protect them, to shield them from whatever it was he had become.

  ] "There was the explosion. I... I don’t remember everything." He glanced down at his hands again, his fingers curling into fists. “But I remember the pain. I remember the fire. And now... I’m not the same. I feel like I’m being consumed, like there’s something inside me. Something powerful, something dark."

  Ayumi's expression softened slightly, but she still couldn’t bring herself to step any closer. "Kaito, you’re... different. This... this isn’t you." She shook her head, her voice wavering. "We don’t know what’s happened to you, but we can help. We can find a way to fix this."

  Kaoru, standing next to Ayumi, clenched his fists at his sides, his eyes narrowed. "We can’t just stand here and pretend nothing’s changed. Whatever you are now, Kaito, you’re still our friend. We won’t let this monster—" He faltered, seeing the pain in Kaito’s eyes. "We’ll find a way to help you. We will."

  The demon’s laughter filled Kaito’s mind, sharp and mocking. They will try, Kaito. They will try to save you from yourself. But you are mine now. And they will not stop us. Not once you embrace your true power.

  Kaito winced, the words searing through his mind, drowning out his friends’ voices. He pressed his hands to his temples, trying to block out the growing pressure. He had to focus. He had to keep his thoughts clear.

  "I'm not sure if it’s possible to fix me,” Kaito said, voice barely a whisper. "I can feel it inside me. It’s taking over. I don’t know if I can fight it."

  Rei’s face hardened, his usual calm demeanor replaced by something Kaito hadn’t seen before: determination. "You are still you, Kaito," Rei said, taking a step closer. "This thing inside you... it doesn’t define who you are. We’ll help you fight it. You don’t have to do this alone."

  But Kaito could feel the truth crawling under his skin, as though the demon had already branded him. They do not understand, it hissed. They will never accept you.

  “I don’t think you can help me," Kaito replied, shaking his head slowly, feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on him. “This... whatever this is, it’s not something we can fix. It’s a part of me now. And I don’t know if I can get rid of it."

  There was a long silence before Ayumi spoke again, her voice soft, though it trembled with uncertainty. "You don’t have to face this alone, Kaito. We’re with you, no matter what.."

  Kaito’s heart clenched at her words, but the demon’s grip on him only tightened. It wanted him to break, to give in—to become what it had always intended for him to be.

  Join me, Kaito. You cannot fight this. You are mine. We will burn this world together.

  Kaito closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the cold fire inside him rise. He could feel it now, every moment of it—the raw, undeniable power that coursed through him, pulling at his soul. He had never felt anything like it before. It was too much, too overwhelming. But it was also intoxicating.

  "Kaito?" Rei’s voice was softer now, worried by his intensity. "Please, say something."

  Kaito's eyes opened, and for a moment, they were his own—deep brown and full of the uncertainty that had once defined him. But just as quickly, they were consumed by the blue light, and something colder, darker, flickered behind his gaze.

  "I don’t know if I can fight it," Kaito repeated. "But I’ll try."

  The demon inside him recoiled, but it did not retreat. You cannot escape me, Kaito.

  As the words filled his mind once more, Kaito’s resolve hardened. He didn’t know what the future held. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep the demon at bay. But one thing was certain—he wasn’t going to let go of his humanity without a fight.

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  With a shaky breath, he nodded at his friends. "Let’s figure this out," he said, the faintest tremor of hope in his voice.

  The room was silent as they looked at him, unsure of what to say next. The weight of the moment hung between them, fragile and uncertain. And yet, for the first time since his transformation, Kaito felt a small flicker of the person he used to be—the person who had fought alongside them.

  He didn’t know how much longer that person would last.

  But he would fight for them, no matter what.

  The hospital’s walls groaned under the weight of the destruction. Kaito’s fingers twitched, the familiar warmth of life pulsing through his veins, but it was tainted. Alien. Unfamiliar. He could feel it, the dark power coiling beneath his skin, like a serpent waiting for its moment to strike. His eyes—if they could still be called his—stared blankly at the ceiling, the sterile white tiles now stained with blood and ash. They didn’t look right, as though the world itself was out of focus. The air felt heavier now, thick with the smell of burnt wood and ozone, a constant reminder that nothing would ever be the same again.

  He pushed himself up from the cold bed, his body trembling as he stood. His legs felt weaker than they should, the familiar ache of muscle exhaustion replaced by something else. A foreign presence. It was there, coiled inside of him, like a parasite. Azazel, the fallen archangel, had not just taken residence in his mind—no, he had merged with Kaito’s very soul. It wasn’t just a voice in his head anymore. It was something other, something real. Every thought Kaito had was tinged with the dark whispers of the demon.

  "You should embrace it, Kaito. Let go. Let me show you what true power feels like."

  The voice rumbled through his skull, sending a pulse of heat racing through his veins. He flinched, feeling the burn in his chest, but he didn’t dare look down. Not yet. Not until he could no longer ignore the changes.

  “What in the hell actually happened to you?” Ayane’s voice was still thick with suspicion, but there was a flicker of concern beneath it.

  Kaito opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. His voice came out rough, like sandpaper scraping against his throat. “I… don’t know.”

  And it was the truth. He didn’t know. How could he explain this? How could he tell them that he was no longer just a man, that his body—his soul—was no longer his own?

  “Something… inside me. It’s not gone. It’s still here.” His voice was trembling now, though not from fear. No, it was the presence inside him, the relentless force of Azazel that pressed against his ribs, pushing, prodding. Begging him to break.

  Ayane’s eyes flicked over him again, scanning his form, and for a moment, Kaito thought she might understand. Maybe she could see the battle within him, the struggle between the man he used to be and the demon clawing at his soul.

  But then her eyes hardened, and she reached for the dagger at her belt. “You’re not yourself anymore, Kaito.”

  He flinched at her words, at the coldness in her voice. But he didn’t blame her. How could she understand? How could anyone understand the terror, the power, the hunger that raged inside him? Azazel’s presence pressed against his thoughts, urging him to fight back, to show them what he had become.

  “Fight them. Show them what you are.”

  His muscles coiled, ready to snap, but a hand shot out—firm, steady, not from Ayane. It was Riku, a tall, quiet man with dark hair and a heavy sense of responsibility in his eyes. His grip on Kaito’s arm was firm but not forceful, grounding, as if trying to bring him back from the edge. “Don’t listen to it,” Riku said, his voice low but urgent. “We need you, Kaito. You’re still one of us.”

  Kaito’s breath came in short gasps, his heart pounding in his chest. The demon inside him screamed, but there was something else there too. Hope. A glimmer of something that wasn’t darkness.

  “Please…” Kaito whispered, the word barely audible. “I need help.”

  Riku nodded, his grip tightening as he pulled Kaito toward him, away from the edge, away from the demon’s influence.

  Ayane didn’t lower her dagger, but her eyes softened. “We’ll figure this out, Kaito. But we can’t do it if you let the demon inside you take control.”

  Kaito nodded, but inside, the battle was just beginning. He wasn’t sure he could win it. Not anymore.

  As they moved through the broken hallways, Kaito couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking a path from which there was no return. The demon inside him whispered of power, of a new world to build. The voice was becoming louder. Stronger. Kaito wasn’t sure how much longer he could resist.

  And in that moment, Kaito understood something fundamental: The war inside him had just begun.

  feel the weight of the demon’s influence pressing on him, but he also felt the warmth of his friends’ words, the faintest flicker of hope that perhaps, even now, he didn’t have to surrender completely.

  “No,” he whispered to himself, his voice hoarse but steady. “I won’t let it control me. Not completely.”

  The demon’s laughter echoed in his mind, mocking his resolve, but there was a part of Kaito that refused to give in. The fire inside him might burn with a dark power, but it didn’t have to consume him entirely. Not yet.

  His gaze turned back to his friends, their faces a mixture of worry and determination. Despite the fear in their eyes, they were still here. They hadn’t turned away. And they still believed in him.

  “I’m still me,” Kaito repeated, more firmly this time, though the words felt like a fragile promise. “I don’t know how long I can hold on, but I’m not... I’m not just this thing inside me. I’m Kaito.”

  The demon’s voice flared in fury at his defiance, but Kaito shut it out as best as he could. The power inside him might be overwhelming, but he wouldn’t let it be his only identity. Not yet.

  Rei stepped forward, his eyes fierce with resolve. “Then we’ll fight it together,” he said, his voice steady. “We’ll find a way to stop this, Kaito. You’re not alone.”

  Ayumi nodded, her eyes soft but filled with determination. “We’ll help you. No matter what happens, we’ll be with you.”

  Kaito swallowed hard, the weight of their words grounding him in the chaos. The demon inside him raged, but Kaito refused to let it claim his soul.

  “I don’t know how much longer I can hold it back,” Kaito said, his voice barely a whisper as he looked at his friends. “But I won’t give up..”

  The demon’s presence flared again, trying to drown him, to force him into submission, but Kaito gritted his teeth and stood taller. He wasn’t just a vessel for this dark power. He was Kaito. And for as long as he could, he would fight to keep his soul intact.

  The room was silent for a moment as his friends took in his words. Then, Rei stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure this out, Kaito. Together.”

  Kaito took a deep breath, trying to steady his shaking hands. His body felt foreign to him, like a shell that didn’t quite fit anymore. His friends were standing in the doorway, a mixture of confusion and determination in their eyes. But as much as they wanted to help, Kaito couldn’t shake the feeling that they had already lost him—that he was too far gone to be saved.

  The demon’s presence was like an uninvited guest in his mind, always there, always watching. Its voice slithered through his thoughts, coaxing him, urging him to embrace the power it offered. Kaito could feel the fire inside him, burning hotter with every passing second, but it was a fire that didn’t belong to him. It belonged to something far darker, something ancient and cruel.

  “They’re right,” Kaito whispered to himself, the words barely audible as he glanced at his friends. “I don’t have to face this alone.” His voice was strained, but there was a flicker of hope there—a glimmer that hadn’t been there before. If there was a chance to keep his humanity, to keep what was left of himself, he would have to fight.

  “I’m not giving up yet,” he muttered, barely believing the words as they left his lips.

  Rei, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward, his face filled with resolve. “You’re still Kaito,” he said, voice low and steady. “No matter what’s happened to you, you’re still our friend. We’re not leaving you behind.”

  Ayumi nodded, her eyes softening. “We’ll fight this. No matter what.”

  Kaito felt a flicker of gratitude for his friends, but the demon’s voice was growing louder in his mind. You cannot escape me, it sneered. You cannot hide from your true self. You are mine now.

  The words were suffocating, but Kaito clenched his fists, fighting against the pull. He couldn’t let the demon take control—not yet.

  “I won’t let you consume me,”

  But the demon only laughed, a deep, bone-chilling sound that echoed through his mind. You have no choice.

  The room seemed to tremble around them as Kaito felt the heat rise in his chest once more, his veins glowing brighter with every passing second. His friends could see it too now—the transformation that was taking place. His once-normal features were now twisted and unnatural, a reflection of the monster that lurked within him.

  “We need to leave,” Kaoru said abruptly, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. “This place is dead. The world outside is waiting, and we need to see it for ourselves.”

  “We’re not going anywhere without you,” Rei added, his voice firm.

  Kaito hesitated for a moment, the weight of the world pressing down on him. The demon’s presence was suffocating, but his friends were right. The world outside—whatever was left of it—was their only chance at finding answers, at finding a way to survive in a world that had been torn apart.

  With a final glance at his friends, Kaito nodded. “Let’s go. But… we need to be ready for anything.”

  The group left the sterile hospital room behind, stepping into a world that had been ravaged by the very forces Kaito was now battling within himself. The sky was overcast, the air thick with the scent of ash and decay. The once-thriving city they had called home was now nothing more than a shattered ruin. The streets were eerily quiet, the only sound the distant rumble of thunder and the occasional screech of wind as it swept through the empty streets.

  “This is… it,” Ayumi whispered, her voice barely audible as she looked around. “Everything’s gone. The world is… dead.”

  Kaito’s chest tightened as he took in the desolation. This was the world that had been left behind. The world that he had failed to save. He could feel the demon stirring inside him, its influence growing stronger with every step he took. But as he looked at his friends, the weight of their determination settled over him. They weren’t giving up on him. Not yet.

  “We’ll make it,” Kaito said, his voice steady. “We have to.”

  The group began to move, making their way through the ruins of the city, searching for anything that could give them hope. But the further they ventured, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. There was something in the air—something dark and malevolent that seemed to follow them, just out of sight.

  They came across the remnants of a broken building, its walls cracked and crumbling, the windows shattered. It looked like a place that had once held life—a school, perhaps, or a place of worship—but now it was just a hollow shell. Kaito felt the demon’s presence grow stronger as they approached, a sickening pressure building in his chest.

  And then they saw it.

  An ominous figure dragging an axe—tall, hulking, and covered in shadows. It stood in the center of the ruined courtyard, its glowing eyes fixed on them as it let out a low growl.

  “A demon,” Kaoru muttered, his hand going to the sword at his side.

  The demon’s laughter filled the air, deep and rumbling, sending a chill down their spines. It was as though it was toying with them, savoring the moment before the inevitable battle.

  “I didn’t expect visitors,” the demon hissed in a mocking tone, its voice echoing like a hundred whispers in the wind. “But you’re too late. The world is already mine.”

  Kaito’s heart raced as he stepped forward, his hands trembling. He could feel the demon inside him, urging him to give in, to embrace the power it offered. The temptation was overwhelming, but Kaito fought it back, focusing on the presence of his friends—his comrades—who stood beside him.

  “We’re not here for your world,” Kaito said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. “We’re here to take it back.”

  The demon sneered, its form shifting, warping into something even more grotesque. Its axe scraped against the ground, leaving a deep gouge in the earth.

  “You think you can stop me?” the demon bellowed, its voice shaking the air around them. “You cannot fight what is already inside you.”

  Kaito clenched his fists, the fire inside him roaring to life. Fight, the demon urged. Let me out. You cannot defeat me with your weakness. You must embrace me.

  Kaito’s body burned with the heat of the demon’s power, but he forced it back, focusing on his friends, their faces, their hope.

  The demon’s form was a living nightmare, towering over them with a twisted, jagged body that rippled with dark energy. Its eyes, burning with an unnatural light, locked onto Kaito with malicious intent. The air around them vibrated with the oppressive weight of the demon’s presence, like a storm was brewing just beneath the surface. Kaito’s heart pounded in his chest, each beat a reminder of the battle that was about to unfold.

  “We can do this,” Rei whispered, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. “We’ve faced worse.”

  Kaito nodded, though he could feel the cold sweat dripping down his spine. His body was on the edge of something dangerous—something he wasn’t sure he could control. The demon was within him, a presence that threatened to overtake his every thought, his every movement. Its whispers crawled into his mind, urging him to unleash the fury that it offered, to let it consume him entirely.

  But he resisted.

  The ground beneath their feet trembled as the demon growled, its massive claws scraping against the earth. The air grew heavy with the scent of sulfur and ash. It was a beast born of darkness, a creature of the apocalypse, and it was waiting for them to make the first move.

  “We need to strike first,” Kaoru said, his eyes sharp with focus. “We don’t know how strong it is, but we can’t afford to wait.”

  Kaito’s hand trembled as he reached for the weapon at his side—a simple sword, nothing like the power that surged within him now. He felt the demon stirring, its influence creeping through his veins like fire, but he couldn’t let it take over. Not yet.

  With a swift motion, Kaoru charged, his blade cutting through the air as he rushed at the demon. It reacted immediately, swiping its massive claws in an arc that would have obliterated any normal person. But Kaoru was fast, his reflexes honed by years of combat. He ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the demon’s strike.

  Rei wasn’t far behind, his own sword flashing as he took a different angle, aiming for the demon’s legs. The two worked together, a well-coordinated attack, but the demon was too powerful, its hulking form easily shrugging off their blows. It lashed out with incredible speed, knocking Kaoru to the ground with a single swipe, the force of the impact shaking the earth beneath them.

  Kaito felt his pulse quicken, the adrenaline surging through his veins as his friends fought to hold their ground. But something was wrong. The demon wasn’t just fighting back—it was toying with them, sensing their weaknesses and exploiting them at every turn. And as Kaito looked on, he felt a pull inside him, something deep within his core urging him to give in.

  Let me out, the demon’s voice whispered, its tone smooth and alluring. You are the vessel. You have the power to defeat it. All you need to do is accept it.

  Kaito staggered, feeling the weight of the demon’s presence pressing down on him. His vision blurred, the world around him flickering in and out of focus. His sword felt heavier in his grip, and his muscles burned with the strain of holding back.

  “Do it,” the demon urged. “Embrace me. And you will have the power to destroy them all.”

  But Kaito wasn’t listening. He couldn’t. His friends were depending on him. And deep down, he knew that this was his fight, not the demon’s.

  With a roar, Kaito lunged forward, his sword raised high. The demon swung again, but this time Kaito was ready. He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the blow, and drove his blade into the demon’s side. The creature howled in pain, a sound that echoed through the ruins of the city, shaking the very foundations of the earth.

  The demon snarled, its massive form shifting and changing as it writhed in agony. “You think this will stop me?” it hissed, its voice filled with rage. “You cannot defeat me."

  Kaito felt the power surge within him, the demon’s presence growing stronger, but something else began to stir inside him—something new. He closed his eyes, focusing on the bond he shared with his friends, on the determination that burned in their eyes. With a grunt of effort, Kaito forced the demon’s influence back, pushing through the heat in his chest, the fire that threatened to consume him.

  His body crackled with energy, and the sword in his hand began to glow with a fierce light. The demon hissed, recoiling as the light from Kaito’s weapon seared its flesh. But instead of retreating, Kaito pressed forward, forcing the demon back with every strike. The power within him was wild, untamed, but now it was his to control. And with every strike, he pushed the demon deeper into submission.

  The demon howled in fury, but Kaito didn’t flinch. His friends watched in awe as the battle raged on, as Kaito’s power seemed to surge in response to the demon’s resistance. It was as though the very essence of the demon was being pulled into Kaito, becoming a part of him—but not in the way it had hoped.

  With a final, defiant cry, the demon collapsed, its body dissolving into the air like smoke, leaving only the faintest trace of its dark energy behind.

  Kaito stood panting, his sword glowing faintly in the aftermath of the battle. His body trembled, but he didn’t collapse. He couldn’t. He had won—he had taken control of the power inside him, instead of letting it control him.

  His friends rushed to his side, their faces a mixture of relief and awe. Kaoru clapped him on the back, his expression filled with pride. “That was incredible,” he said. “You really did it.”

  Kaito’s chest tightened as he looked at them, the weight of everything he had just done settling in. It wasn’t over yet. The demon might be gone for now, but there was still a darkness inside him, a power that he could barely understand. But for the first time, he felt in control. And that, at least, was something.

  “Thank you,” Kaito said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Rei smiled. “We’re a team, Kaito. Always have been.”

  Kaito nodded, feeling the demon’s whispers fade away, but they weren’t gone completely. He knew that. It was only a matter of time before it would try again. But for now, he had won. And he had a long road ahead of him.

  “We need to move,” Kaito said, his voice steady. “This is just the beginning.”