Hina's Perspective
The light faded.
Not all at once—but slowly, gently, like the world itself was exhaling after holding its breath for too long.
The overwhelming radiance that had burst from my hand dissolved into countless particles, drifting through the air like glowing snow. Each fragment shimmered briefly before vanishing into nothing.
Silence followed.
A deep, unnatural silence.
No roaring.
No explosions.
No chaos.
Just the faint crackle of distant flames and the soft hum of energy dispersing into the night.
My arm trembled as I lowered it.
The place where the curse mark had been…
Was empty.
Gone.
I stared at it, my chest rising and falling unevenly.
…Did I…?
A sharp sound interrupted my thoughts.
Crack.
My eyes snapped upward.
Razorblade's body—no, what remained of it—was breaking apart.
Thin lines of brilliant white spread across its metallic form, like fractures forming across glass under pressure. The jagged armor that once seemed indestructible began to shift, groan, and splinter.
Then—
CRACK.
A piece broke off.
Then another.
Then dozens.
The massive structure of steel and chaos began collapsing inward, its towering form unraveling piece by piece. Each fragment dissolved into light before touching the ground, as if the corruption itself was being erased from existence.
It's… ending…
The giant fell apart.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
But quietly.
Like something that had already lost the will to exist.
And then—
A body dropped.
Small.
Human.
Falling.
My heart skipped.
I moved instantly.
My feet barely touched the ground as I launched forward, catching him before he could hit the broken asphalt.
The impact was soft.
Too soft.
I lowered him carefully, kneeling as I placed him down.
A boy.
Unconscious.
His breathing was shallow—but steady.
Alive.
Relief flooded through me so suddenly it almost made me dizzy.
"…He's alive…"
Yes, Ryuna's voice echoed gently within my mind.
Not spoken.
Not heard.
Felt.
The purification was successful.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
We did it…
But then—
A strange sound spread across the battlefield.
Clattering.
Cracking.
Dozens of them.
My head turned sharply.
The miniature Razorblade monsters…
Had stopped moving.
Their twisted metal bodies froze mid-motion, claws still raised, red eyes flickering like dying embers.
Then—
CRACK.
One of them split apart.
But instead of collapsing into lifeless metal—
A human body fell from within.
A police officer.
Unconscious.
Breathing.
"…What…?"
Another creature cracked open.
Then another.
And another.
All across the shattered highway, the swarm collapsed.
Metal shells shattered.
And beneath them—
People emerged.
Police.
Civilians.
Every single one of them freed from the corruption.
Gasps spread through the area.
"They're turning back—!"
"They're human again!"
Officers rushed forward, dropping their guard entirely as they ran toward their fallen comrades.
"He's alive!"
"Get the medics here—now!"
Paramedics surged past the barricades, checking pulses, lifting bodies, shouting over one another in urgent coordination.
The battlefield transformed.
From chaos—
To rescue.
From destruction—
To relief.
I slowly stood.
My legs felt weak.
But my heart felt… lighter.
Across from me, the other one emerged from the fading darkness.
His presence was calm.
Controlled.
Like the storm had never touched him.
"…Looks like that worked," he said.
I glanced at him.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…Thanks."
He didn't respond right away.
"…Don't mention it."
We stood there.
Strangers.
No names.
No faces.
Just two figures in the aftermath of something impossible.
Then—
Reality crashed back in.
Footsteps.
Voices.
A lot of them.
Police approached cautiously, not raising weapons—but not fully relaxed either.
And behind them—
Cameras.
Microphones.
Reporters rushing forward like a flood breaking through a dam.
"Over here!"
"Get closer!"
"Are those the ones who stopped it?!"
Bright lights hit us.
My eyes widened slightly.
Too many…
A reporter stepped forward, breathless with excitement, microphone already raised.
"You two! You saved everyone—who are you?!"
My brain froze.
…What?
You must respond, Ryuna's voice echoed inside my mind.
The people are watching.
I don't know what to say!
The reporter leaned in.
"Your names! Please—what should we call you?!"
My heart started racing again.
Not from battle.
From panic.
Name?!
Why didn't I think of that?!
Beside me, the shadow user spoke without hesitation.
"…Call me Hirito."
I turned slightly toward him.
He just made that up.
The reporter immediately shifted toward me.
"And you?!"
Every camera pointed.
Every light burned.
My thoughts scrambled.
Say something.
Anything.
"MynameisShina—!"
The words came out too fast.
Accidentally telling them my real name.
The reporter blinked.
"…Sorry?"
I felt my face heat up instantly, but a sigh of relief internally that they didn't heard it.
"…Shina," I said, quieter this time.
The reporter lit up.
"Shina and Hirito!"
Cheers began to rise—
But then—
The air changed.
Cold.
Heavy.
My body tensed instantly.
Something's wrong, Ryuna whispered in my mind.
The sky darkened unnaturally fast.
Clouds swallowed the stars.
A pressure settled over everything.
Every screen flickered.
The cameras.
The news vans.
The massive digital displays on nearby buildings.
Then—
They all went black.
A collective gasp spread across the crowd.
"…What's happening?"
Then—
They turned back on.
But not to the news.
A figure appeared.
Still.
Silent.
Wrapped in a deep purple hood.
Its face hidden completely.
Only—
Two glowing red eyes stared out from the darkness.
My breath caught.
Even through a screen—
That presence felt… wrong.
"…People of Tokyo."
His voice echoed everywhere.
Smooth.
Cold.
Unnatural.
"This disaster…"
A pause.
"…was their fault."
The cameras shifted.
Toward us.
My chest tightened.
"…What…?"
"They awakened the Essence," the figure continued.
"And brought imbalance into this world."
My fists clenched.
"That's not true!"
Beside me, Hirito stepped forward.
"You're the one who did this," he said calmly.
"You corrupted them."
A quiet chuckle echoed through every speaker.
"…Ah."
"So you can speak."
The red eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Good."
"You may call me… Vetrex."
The name echoed.
Across buildings.
Across streets.
Across every person watching.
A chill ran down my spine.
He's dangerous, Ryuna whispered.
"If you do not surrender your Essences…"
Vetrex continued.
"I will corrupt every person in this city."
Gasps.
Fear.
Tension.
"…Just as you witnessed today."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Crushing.
My heart pounded.
Fear tried to creep in.
But something pushed back.
Stronger.
I stepped forward.
Then—
I laughed.
"…Wow."
I clapped slowly.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The sound echoed sharply.
Everyone stared.
Even Hirito.
I walked toward the nearest camera.
Each step steady.
Even if my hands trembled slightly.
I stopped.
Looked straight into the lens.
Into the entire city.
"You want them to blame us?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"…Fine."
My eyes sharpened.
"But listen carefully."
"We're not handing anything over."
Behind me, Hirito crossed his arms.
"And we're not running."
I stepped closer.
"To everyone watching—"
Elsewhere – A Café with all the customers watching at the tv skill
Selena and all the students stood frozen in front of the TV.
Watching the live broadcast
"…That's…" Yuki eyes widened in excitement.
"She's so beautiful, I wanna know her name" Yuki said staring at the girl in white, unknowingly it was none other than her best friend Hina.
Back to Hina
The world felt frozen.
Every screen.
Every camera.
Every pair of eyes.
Watching.
Waiting.
My heart pounded hard against my chest, each beat echoing louder than the last.
…I'm scared, I admitted silently.
That is natural, Ryuna's voice answered gently within my mind.But you are not alone.
I slowly lifted my gaze.
The camera stood in front of me—small, lifeless.
Yet beyond it…
An entire city was listening.
People who had just witnessed fear.
People who didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
People who needed something.
Someone.
I stepped forward.
The ground beneath my boots felt steady.
Even if my hands trembled slightly—
My voice didn't.
"People of Tokyo…"
It came out soft.
But clear.
"I know you're scared."
A pause.
"I am too."
The admission hung in the air, raw and honest.
"I don't understand everything that's happening yet…"
My eyes shifted briefly toward the darkened screens where that figure had appeared.
"…and I don't know how far this will go."
I clenched my fist slightly.
"But I do know this."
The faint glow of light began to gather around me again.
Gentle.
Warm.
Steady.
I took another step forward.
"People of Tokyo… let me make this promise to you."
The air itself felt like it had stopped moving.
"If that person—if anyone—ever tries to threaten this city again…"
My voice grew stronger.
Not louder.
But filled with conviction.
"…if they try to hurt you, scare you, or turn your lives into something like today…"
I shook my head slightly.
"…then don't give in to that fear."
My eyes met the camera directly.
"Don't lose hope."
I extended my hand slightly—not as a gesture of power.
But as something human.
"Believe in us."
Behind me, I felt it—
A presence shifting.
Hirito stepped forward.
Not interrupting.
Not overshadowing.
Just… standing there.
With me.
Two unknown figures.
Side by side.
"If darkness comes again…"
My voice steadied completely.
"…then we will stand against it."
"No matter how many times it happens."
"No matter how strong it becomes."
The light around me brightened faintly.
"And if he tries to threaten Tokyo with his schemes again…"
My hand slowly clenched into a fist.
"…then trust us."
"Because we won't run."
"We won't hide."
I took one final step closer to the camera.
"And we won't let anyone else suffer like that again."
A breath.
Then—
The promise.
"As long as we're here…"
"Shina…"
I said it clearly this time.
Firm.
Certain.
"…and Hirito…"
I glanced slightly to the side—just enough to acknowledge him.
"…will protect you."
Silence followed.
Deep.
Powerful.
Then—
A single clap.
Then another.
Then many.
Cheers erupted across the distance.
Not forced.
Not desperate.
But real.
Police officers straightened.
Civilians wiped tears from their eyes.
Some smiled.
Some laughed in relief.
And across the city—
People who had been afraid just moments ago…
Now had something to hold onto.
Hope.
Silence.
Then—
Clap.
Another.
Then many.
Cheers erupted.
Loud.
Hopeful.
Alive.
Selena smiled softly.
Students cheered.
Yuki jumped excitedly.
The city responded.
Together.
On every screen—
Vetrex laughed.
Low.
Dark.
"…Very well."
His glowing eyes burned.
"Then it is war."
The screens went black.
The sky remained dark.
And the war—
Had begun.