Hina's Perspective
The city felt wrong.
The streets that were usually filled with people, traffic, and noise now seemed strangely empty. Storefront windows were shattered. Several vehicles had been abandoned in the middle of the road. Smoke drifted upward from somewhere in the distance, darkening the evening sky.
The screams had stopped.
And somehow, that silence was even more terrifying.
My shoes pounded against the pavement as I sprinted through a narrow alleyway.
Please be okay.
Please be okay.
The moment I lost sight of Yuki and Shouji, my heart had been pounding nonstop. Every horrible possibility imaginable had crossed my mind.
What if they were attacked?
What if they got hurt?
What if I was too late?
I pushed those thoughts aside and ran faster.
Then I saw them.
"Yuki!"
My eyes widened.
At the far end of the alley, Yuki and Shouji stood backed against a wall.
And surrounding them—
Six Mini Razorblade Monsters.
The creatures growled as their sharp scales scraped against the concrete ground. Their crimson eyes glowed menacingly as they slowly closed in on the two frightened students.
Yuki looked terrified.
Shouji had positioned himself in front of her despite the fact that he was visibly shaking.
Neither of them stood a chance.
Without thinking—
Without planning—
Without even considering how stupid the decision was—
I charged forward.
"HAAAAAH!"
The nearest monster turned toward me just as I launched myself at it.
My shoulder slammed into its body.
The creature was sent tumbling across the alley before crashing into a pile of garbage bags.
I landed awkwardly and nearly lost my balance.
Wait.
Why did I do that?
I didn't have any combat abilities.
I couldn't even fight.
Yet somehow my body had moved on its own.
The remaining monsters immediately shifted their attention toward me.
Their growls echoed throughout the alley.
Six pairs of glowing eyes locked onto me.
And suddenly I realized something very important.
"...Oh."
I swallowed.
"This might have been a bad idea."
The monsters lunged.
Then a shadow flashed past me.
BOOM.
One of the monsters was sent flying into a brick wall.
The impact shattered the surrounding concrete.
My eyes widened.
A familiar black-haired boy landed beside me.
The same rude, annoying, arrogant idiot I had met earlier.
The same boy who had called me heavy.
For a moment, I simply stared at him.
He glanced sideways.
"You okay?"
"..."
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
Was this really happening?
The boy I assaulted earlier was helping me?
The world truly had gone crazy.
Before I could respond, he cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
"Let's deal with these things first."
I hated how cool that sounded.
The monsters attacked simultaneously.
The alley instantly became a battlefield.
One creature leaped from the left.
Another charged from the front.
The black-haired boy vanished.
No.
He moved so quickly that my eyes couldn't keep up.
A blur of darkness streaked through the alley.
CRASH!
One monster smashed through a wooden fence.
BOOM!
Another crashed into a nearby dumpster.
I wasn't completely useless either.
Although I couldn't fight directly, Ryuna guided me through using small bursts of essence energy to shield Yuki and Shouji from stray attacks.
The battle only lasted a few minutes.
But to me, it felt much longer.
Eventually, the final Mini Razorblade Monster collapsed unconscious onto the pavement.
Silence returned.
The only sounds remaining were our heavy breaths.
The black-haired boy dusted off his uniform.
"That should take care of them."
Yuki immediately ran toward us.
"Hina!"
"I'm okay."
I smiled weakly.
Then I remembered.
Our identities.
Neither of us could reveal who we really were.
The black-haired boy crossed his arms and looked toward Yuki and Shouji.
"You shouldn't stay here."
His voice became serious.
"It's dangerous to be out on the streets."
Yuki lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
She looked genuinely guilty.
"We promise we'll go home."
Then her eyes brightened.
"But before that..."
She pointed toward us.
"Can I get your names?"
My body froze.
Names?
Oh no.
No no no no no.
I couldn't use Hina.
That would be incredibly stupid.
I needed a secret identity.
A cool one.
A mysterious one.
Something heroic.
Something unforgettable.
Something that definitely didn't sound suspicious.
My brain immediately stopped working.
Beside me, the black-haired boy spoke first.
"My hero name is Hirito."
He struck a dramatic pose.
"Please go back home now for your safety."
I stared at him.
Hirito?
Seriously?
That was the best name he could think of?
Still...
It was oddly fitting.
Annoyingly fitting.
Yuki smiled.
"Hirito."
She nodded.
Then turned toward me.
"How about you?"
The pressure immediately shifted onto my shoulders.
My heart nearly exploded.
Think, Hina.
Think!
Anything!
Literally anything!
"My hero name..."
I began.
My mind was completely blank.
"...is..."
Why was this so difficult?
"...ugh..."
Come on.
Anything.
"...Shina."
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
The moment I heard it—
I wanted to bury myself alive.
What kind of secret identity was that?!
It was literally one letter away from my actual name!
I was an idiot.
An absolute idiot.
Yuki, thankfully, didn't seem suspicious.
Instead she smiled brightly.
"I see!"
She grabbed Shouji's arm.
"Thank you for saving me, Shina and Hirito!"
The two of them quickly ran off.
I watched until they disappeared around the corner.
Hopefully they would make it home safely.
Only then did I release a long breath.
The city still wasn't safe.
Not even close.
And somehow...
I had a feeling things were only going to get worse.
Hirito's Perspective
Shina.
So that was her name.
Well...
Hero name.
Probably.
I glanced toward the silver-haired girl standing a few feet away.
She looked around my age.
Maybe a little younger.
Maybe not.
But one thing was obvious.
She wasn't exactly what I expected.
When Ryuhou first mentioned another Essence wielder existed, I imagined someone experienced.
Someone powerful.
Someone reliable.
Not a girl who looked ready to punch me every five minutes.
Ryuhou suddenly appeared beside my shoulder.
The tiny black dragon floated lazily in the air.
"Master."
I glanced at him.
"What?"
His expression became unusually serious.
"There is something you should know."
That immediately got my attention.
"Oh?"
I folded my arms.
"What do you want to tell me?"
Ryuhou looked toward Shina.
"There's more to her than you think."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
The dragon's golden eyes narrowed.
"You possess the power to stop the monsters created by the Vessel of Chaos."
I nodded.
That much I already knew.
"But you do not possess the power to restore the destruction they leave behind."
His words hit me like a truck.
My expression stiffened.
The broken buildings.
The damaged roads.
The injured civilians.
I couldn't fix any of it.
Ryuhou continued.
"Not only that."
His voice grew quieter.
"You also cannot purify the corruption marks left upon victims."
For several seconds I remained silent.
Then realization slowly dawned on me.
Shina wasn't just another Essence wielder.
She filled the gaps I couldn't.
If I was the sword—
She was the healer.
If I stopped the disaster—
She restored what was lost.
For the first time since gaining these powers, I understood why another wielder was necessary.
Then another realization hit me.
"...Oh no."
Ryuhou tilted his head.
"What?"
I groaned.
"I called her heavy."
The dragon stared at me.
"..."
"..."
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"You are an idiot."
"I know."
Shina's Perspective
I nearly fell over.
The rude idiot was apologizing.
Actually apologizing.
He even bowed.
A real bow.
A proper bow.
Did he hit his head during the fight?
Was this some kind of hallucination?
I glanced toward Ryuna.
The white dragon was giggling.
Actually giggling.
"It seems my other half finally talked some sense into him."
I blinked.
"Other half?"
Ryuna nodded.
"Like you, he possesses an Essence Spirit."
"I see..."
So that explained it.
There was another dragon.
Another spirit.
Another Essence wielder.
Everything suddenly made more sense.
Well.
Most things.
"I still don't forgive him."
Ryuna sighed.
"But Shina."
"No."
"You need his help."
I frowned.
"What?"
The white dragon floated closer.
"You possess restoration."
I nodded.
"And purification."
I nodded again.
"But you possess no combat abilities."
...
That hurt.
Mostly because it was true.
I crossed my arms.
"I can manage."
"No."
Ryuna shook her head.
"You cannot."
I opened my mouth to argue.
Then immediately stopped.
Because deep down—
I knew she was right.
The realization was frustrating.
Infuriating.
Humiliating.
Yet undeniable.
Without someone capable of fighting—
I couldn't stop the monsters.
Ryuna smiled gently.
"I know you dislike admitting it."
I flinched.
I forgot she could hear my thoughts.
This Essence Link thing was terrifying.
"You need him."
I sighed heavily.
"...Fine."
Only because she was right.
Not because I liked him.
Definitely not because I liked him.
When I looked up, Hirito was already staring awkwardly at me.
"So..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Shina, right?"
"Yes."
I folded my arms.
"What do you want?"
He visibly flinched.
Good.
"Look."
His voice softened.
"I'm sorry for being rude earlier."
His expression looked sincere.
"I'll do anything to make it up to you."
I remained silent.
"But first..."
His eyes became serious.
"I need your help."
I already knew where this was going.
"And what help do you need?"
"My Essence Spirit told me you can purify corruption marks."
I nodded slowly.
"I need your help defeating the Razorblade Monster."
The words hung between us.
Neither of us spoke.
Because we both already knew the truth.
We needed each other.
He could fight.
I could restore.
Separately, we were incomplete.
Together...
We might actually stand a chance.
I sighed.
"I'll help."
Relief appeared on his face.
"But."
I pointed at him.
"That doesn't mean I'm okay with your attitude."
He immediately nodded.
"Fair enough."
For once, he actually seemed reasonable.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
He wasn't completely hopeless.
Without another word, we leaped onto the rooftop of the nearest building.
The wind rushed past us.
Below, Tokyo stretched endlessly into the distance.
Damaged buildings.
Burning streets.
Pillars of smoke.
And somewhere out there—
The Razorblade Monster was waiting.
Hirito stepped forward.
I stood beside him.
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
Two strangers.
Two Essence wielders.
Two people who could barely stand each other.
Yet now our fates were connected.
The wind howled across the rooftops.
And together, we searched the city for the monster that threatened Tokyo.
The battle was about to begin.