Hina's Perspective
The sky filled with blades.
Dozens of glowing crimson spikes tore free from Razorblade's back and launched outward in every direction like a violent storm. The air screamed as they sliced across the battlefield, leaving glowing red trails behind them.
My heart skipped.
"There's too many—!"
I shot upward, twisting through the air as several blades whizzed past me.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The spikes slammed into the shattered highway and the surrounding wreckage, detonating in bursts of metal and sparks.
But then—
Something worse happened.
Several of the spikes missed us entirely.
They flew past the battlefield.
Past the burning cars.
Past the cracked pavement.
And struck the police line.
A spike tore straight through the door of a police vehicle.
Another slammed into the concrete barrier where several officers had taken cover.
One of the officers cried out.
"Agh—!"
The moment the spikes made contact—
They shattered.
Fragments of glowing metal scattered across the ground like shrapnel.
For a split second, everything went still.
Then the officers began screaming.
Their bodies jerked violently as a strange red energy crawled across their skin.
One officer fell to his knees.
"W-what's happening to me—?!"
His voice distorted mid-sentence.
Dark metal scales began spreading across his arms.
His fingers twisted unnaturally.
Another officer staggered backward as jagged blades burst from his shoulders.
His scream turned into a distorted roar.
Across the battlefield, people watching through news cameras gasped in horror.
The live broadcast helicopters hovered farther away now, zooming their cameras toward the horrifying transformation.
"Dear god…" a reporter's voice echoed faintly from one of the nearby news vans.
"The officers are— they're transforming—!"
More spikes detonated across the barricades.
More screams followed.
Bodies twisted.
Bones cracked.
Within seconds—
The fallen officers began changing.
Their bodies shrank and warped, their limbs becoming jagged metal structures covered in small blade-like scales.
Their glowing red eyes flickered open.
Miniature versions of Razorblade.
Dozens of them.
The small creatures growled as they rose from the broken road.
Their bodies were about the size of large dogs, but their shapes were monstrous— twisted metal claws, jagged spikes, and glowing red eyes burning with chaotic energy.
My stomach tightened.
"Oh no…"
Ryuna gasped softly beside me.
"The corruption is spreading!"
The newly created creatures turned their glowing eyes toward us.
One of them screeched.
Then they charged.
Metal claws scraped against the asphalt as the swarm rushed forward.
Behind me, the shadow fighter stepped out of the darkness again.
"…You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.
The first creature leapt toward me.
I reacted instantly.
Light gathered in my palm and I swung my arm.
A burst of radiant energy struck the creature midair.
BOOM.
The small monster flew backward and slammed into a wrecked car.
But two more replaced it instantly.
One lunged for my leg.
I jumped backward as its claws scraped sparks off the pavement.
Another creature charged from the side.
Across the battlefield, the shadow fighter vanished again, reappearing behind several of the monsters.
Dark energy wrapped around his leg as he kicked.
CRASH.
Two creatures were sent skidding across the road.
But more kept coming.
Five.
Ten.
Then dozens.
They surrounded us.
Metal claws scraped against the asphalt as the swarm formed a loose circle.
Their glowing red eyes reflected the burning fires around the highway.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Ryuna's voice was urgent now.
"Young miss, listen carefully!"
I dodged another attack as one of the creatures leapt toward me.
"What?!"
She pointed toward the massive figure of Razorblade rising again in the distance.
"This creature cannot be destroyed by force!"
Another mini Razorblade lunged at me.
I fired a quick burst of light, knocking it away.
"Then how do we stop it?!"
Ryuna's voice became serious.
"The Vessel of Chaos carries a curse mark within its body."
"A mark created when chaos corrupts a human heart."
My eyes widened slightly.
"A curse mark?"
"Yes," she said.
"If you locate that mark… the Essence of Light can purify it."
Across the battlefield, the shadow fighter smashed another creature into the pavement with a burst of shadow energy.
But more monsters rushed forward to replace it.
"This swarm will keep growing," Ryuna continued.
"The corruption spreads through negative emotion."
The small creatures snarled as they circled us.
"And the curse mark?" I asked.
"It will appear somewhere on the monster's body," she said.
"A glowing symbol where the chaos energy gathers."
Behind the swarm, Razorblade slowly rose from the rubble again.
The giant monster towered above the battlefield, red energy surging violently across its body.
Its glowing eyes burned with unstable fury.
The swarm screeched again.
Then they attacked all at once.
Across from me, the shadow fighter cracked his knuckles.
"Well," he said calmly.
"Looks like we've got a crowd."
I clenched my fists as light gathered around my hands again.
"…Then we fight through them."
Because somewhere on that monster's body—
Was the curse that started all of this.
And I had to find it before the chaos spread any further.
Hina's Perspective
The swarm attacked all at once.
Dozens of miniature Razorblades lunged forward, their metal claws scraping across the broken highway like a storm of knives. The sound alone was enough to send chills down my spine.
One leapt toward my face.
I twisted sideways and slammed my palm forward.
A burst of radiant light exploded from my hand.
BOOM.
The creature was blasted backward into a wrecked police car, denting the metal door as it collapsed into the rubble.
But two more immediately replaced it.
Another creature rushed toward my legs, its blade-like claws slashing across the asphalt.
I jumped backward, my boots sliding across the cracked road.
Behind me, Ryuna's wings fluttered rapidly as she hovered beside my shoulder.
"Young miss, be careful! The corruption is spreading faster!"
I could see that clearly.
More of the miniature monsters were forming near the police barricades where the spikes had landed earlier.
The fragments of red metal scattered across the ground were glowing faintly.
Every few seconds—
Another creature crawled out.
Like the battlefield itself was spawning monsters.
Across from me, the shadow fighter moved like a living phantom.
One of the creatures lunged toward him.
He vanished.
The monster slammed into empty air.
A ripple of darkness appeared behind it.
Then—
CRACK.
His fist struck the creature from behind, sending it skidding across the highway like a thrown blade.
Two more charged him from opposite sides.
He ducked low and swept his leg outward.
Dark energy burst from the motion.
The shockwave knocked both creatures away.
But even he was beginning to get surrounded.
The swarm was tightening its circle around us.
Claws scraping.
Metal bodies crouching low.
Red eyes glowing.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hunting.
I clenched my fists.
"This is getting ridiculous…"
Ryuna pointed toward the towering monster in the distance.
"Young miss, remember what I said!"
"The curse mark!"
Right.
I forced myself to look past the swarm.
Razorblade was moving again.
The giant creature stepped forward through the wreckage of vehicles and broken concrete, its massive claws dragging across the highway as red energy pulsed through its metallic body.
The spikes along its back were still glowing.
And they were still growing.
If this continued—
More spikes would launch.
More people would transform.
The swarm around us would double.
Maybe triple.
My chest tightened.
I had to find that mark.
But Razorblade's entire body was covered in jagged metal scales.
Where would something like that even appear?
Another creature screeched and leapt toward me.
I ducked under its claws and kicked it away.
Across the battlefield, the shadow fighter noticed my gaze shifting toward the giant monster.
"…Looking for something?" he called.
I dodged another attack and answered quickly.
"There's a curse mark somewhere on that thing!"
He blasted a creature away with a burst of shadow energy.
"…A what?"
"A symbol!" I said.
"If I can find it, I can purify the monster!"
For a moment he was silent.
Then he kicked another creature aside and sighed.
"Well that would've been useful information earlier."
I frowned.
"I just learned it!"
The swarm attacked again.
Three creatures lunged toward him simultaneously.
He vanished into shadow.
They collided with each other instead.
I blasted another monster away with a flash of light.
Then I looked back toward Razorblade again.
The monster was closer now.
Its massive body towered above the battlefield like a walking fortress of steel.
Red energy pulsed through the cracks between its scales.
Ryuna floated higher beside me, scanning the monster carefully.
"The curse mark will appear where the chaos energy gathers strongest."
"Where the corruption began."
I studied the creature's body.
The spikes.
The claws.
The chest.
Nothing looked like a symbol.
But then—
I noticed something.
Near the monster's neck.
Just beneath the jagged plates of metal armor covering its upper chest.
Something faintly glowing.
A strange pattern of red lines.
My eyes widened.
"There!"
The symbol flickered beneath the monster's scales.
A twisted mark shaped like intersecting blades.
Chaos energy pulsed from it like a beating heart.
Ryuna's voice sharpened.
"That is the curse mark!"
I pointed toward the monster.
"It's near the neck!"
Across the battlefield, the shadow fighter glanced up at the towering creature.
Then back at the swarm surrounding us.
"…That's pretty high up."
Another creature lunged toward him.
He kicked it aside.
Then looked back at me.
"You planning to climb that thing?"
I dodged a slashing claw.
"…I was hoping you had a better idea."
He stared at the monster for a moment.
Then sighed.
"…Fine."
Shadow energy began swirling around his body.
"I'll clear you a path."
The swarm suddenly rushed toward him.
He stepped forward.
Darkness exploded outward.
BOOM.
The shockwave blasted several creatures backward.
They skidded across the broken highway like scattered knives.
He pointed toward the giant monster.
"Go."
I didn't hesitate.
Light surged around my legs as I launched forward.
The swarm immediately reacted.
Half the creatures turned toward me.
They charged.
Claws scraping.
Metal bodies lunging.
But the shadow fighter moved again.
He vanished.
Reappearing in the middle of the swarm.
Dark energy exploded outward as he struck the ground.
CRASH.
The shockwave blasted the creatures away, opening a path through the battlefield.
"Move!" he shouted.
I ran.
The ground blurred beneath my feet as I sprinted toward the giant monster.
Behind me, the sounds of battle continued.
Metal claws scraping.
Creatures roaring.
Explosions of shadow energy shaking the highway.
The shadow fighter was holding them back.
Buying me time.
Ahead of me—
Razorblade noticed my approach.
The monster roared.
Its massive claw swung downward.
I jumped upward just before it struck.
BOOM.
The ground shattered beneath the impact.
Chunks of asphalt flew into the air.
I landed on the monster's arm and immediately started running upward along the jagged metal surface.
The creature roared again, shaking violently as it tried to throw me off.
But the magical leather suit clung to the metal scales easily.
Light energy surged around my hands as I climbed higher.
The curse mark glowed brighter with every step.
I could feel the chaos energy radiating from it.
Angry.
Unstable.
Painful.
The monster's tail swung toward me.
I jumped again, barely avoiding the massive blade.
Then I landed on the creature's shoulder.
The mark was right in front of me now.
The twisted red symbol pulsed violently beneath the metal scales.
Ryuna hovered beside me.
"Young miss!"
I raised my hand.
Light gathered in my palm.
Warm.
Bright.
Pure.
"This ends now."
But before I could touch the mark—
Razorblade roared again.
The spikes along its back ignited with blinding crimson light.
Behind me—
Hundreds of miniature Razorblades began climbing the monster's body.
Their glowing eyes locked onto me.
Protecting the mark.
The real fight—
Was just beginning.