Anari
I still can't believe it.
It was the day after the trial, and it was already evening time. With Kaiten's help, Zara had transported Nikai and some of her functioning equipment from the lab to her house. And since they were both suspended, Yvira offered to stay as an assistant. Helped to have an extra set of familiar eyes on Nikai. He needed to avoid public appearances at all costs.
We found ourselves meeting in the living room, lounging on charcoal-black couches and hidden from sunlight by blackout curtains. Zara had them draped over the windows and even across the ceiling. All we could do was talk failing strategy.
"Agh, so what am I supposed to do? Just hide out forever? I can't go outside; I can't let anyone see my face, and I don't know how to control my curse! What if I lose it again!? I haven't checked up on my brother in days-"
"Good lord- calm down, Nikai." Zara paced back and forth, her hands at her hips. "You need to stay put for now. You saw the footage of Kozuna's trial, right? You wanna get imprisoned over something you can't control? Or, worse, do you wanna end up transforming in your brother's face?"
"No…"
"I thought so. Try to relax. Yvira and Anari are close with your brother, correct?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Then one of them can drop in on him. You should focus on helping yourself right now. We need to figure out how to at least conceal your curse."
"It's not the s-same." Nikai twitched in place. "The voice- it's telling me to go."
"Voice? What voice?"
"H-huh?" Sweating, Nikai shook his head violently. Forehead veins bulged a bit as he shot suspicious glances around the room. "What'd you say?"
"Quit screwing around." Zara peeked past the curtains briefly. "Kaiten, have you got any news? Any bargaining chips to free Kozuna?"
Kaiten opened his mouth, pausing before saying a word. "Nothing, yet. I'm working on it. But there is other news. This morning, I visited the office and met with Helix." Kaiten shut his eyelids, slowly inhaling quietly. "There was a run-in with some Bahsin near Crescent Canyon. Reports are trickling in. The Bahsin Clan is mobilizing for a much larger-scale battle than these small skirmishes in the field. And we still have no idea when Nazun and Orion will make their next move."
I forgot all about the Bahsin. Shit.
"Helix called for a meeting with a few other high-ranking members of the military. I hate to say it, but this Kozuna-Nikai situation is in your hands, everyone. You guys work on the internal issues; I'll handle the external."
Zara folded her arms. She spoke flatly and sarcastically, "How convenient."
Kaiten rolled his eyes. He gave us the honor of a quick bow before departing. We heard the popping sounds of his buggy firing up moments later. Zara pursed her lips and remained silent, listening to Kaiten's vehicle growing quieter in the distance.
"Droppin' all these damn problems on me," Zara muttered, rubbing her face in a failed attempt to compose herself. "Right, how do we prove Kozuna's innocence?"
"What if he isn't innocent?" Yvira's hushed voice trailed off. "What if he did kill his parents?"
Everyone in the room suddenly glared over at Yvira. Of all the people I'd known, I'd never have expected her to even entertain the idea.
"Yvira, are you serious right now?" I jumped out of my seat and almost stomped over to her. "You really believe those lies!?"
"No, I don't. What I mean is- what if he killed them unintentionally? Like what happened with Nikai."
"He wouldn't hide his seal from us! And weren't you there when it awakened?"
"Kozuna always wears gloves! He could've had that seal for years, and we would've never known! I don't know- if it was me, I don't think I would've told anyone! Who would I trust!? The whole clan CHEERED when he got locked up!"
"Even if he did, curses are impossible to control." Nikai stared at his shaky, battered hands. "When they first awaken, you can't even handle the power. The raw energy. Everything coursing through you. It's like nothing you could ever imagine. Nothing of this world. All these new sensations come at once. Your nerves feel pinched, but more open than ever. Your skin burns and sizzles, but it's frigid-cold, too. Your body feels like it's splitting in every direction imaginable and more."
Yvira and I glanced back at one another. She paused before saying, "Um, okay, let's restart from the top. What if we investigate the orphanage?"
Zara shook her head. "Wouldn't be the best idea. Izanai and the council clearly forged evidence to create a story. Investigating the orphanage would be suspicious, and if we try to question or pressure anyone into talking, it'll only make things worse. We've got two options: catch Izanai and the council in their corrupt acts and either expose them to the public, or blackmail them into submission."
I slammed my fist into my open palm. "Best thing I've heard all day. You three should be lying low, but I can still free-roam and gather evidence. I'll take them down before they know what's coming!"
Ever since Crescent Canyon, I feel like I haven't done anything but sit on my ass. The others have all contributed, even if things haven't gone well. I need to do my part too. I'm still the leader of Solus Squad.
"But… picking a fight with the council?"
"Yes, Yvira. I need this. And the council needs to be exposed for all their lies and trickery."
"Do you even have a plan? Where would you begin?"
My lips sealed shut as I gazed away.
Where would I begin?
Yvira's voice pitched higher. "See, you don't even know!"
"And I suppose you have an idea, Yvira?"
"I do, actually! I can't stop you, but I can at least inform you. Livian basically leads the council- you gotta stay away from him. Isakai's tech-savvy. I wouldn't be surprised if he had countermeasures in place for people sneaking around. Gio handles private affairs. He's probably the one that forged all that dirt on Kozuna-"
"So Gio's my starting point, then."
He's the option with the greatest payoff.
"NO! He's likely the most accustomed to a life in the shadows! How would you get the drop on him?"
"I'll figure something out-"
"Figure that shit out later!"
Yvira and I twisted toward Nikai as he pointed at his face.
"Look, I don't mean to be that guy, but what about me? What's the plan for my curse?"
Everyone fell silent, including Zara. No one had an answer for Nikai, and that only made him steam even more.
He scoffed and laughed almost evilly. "Lemme guess, y'all're just gonna hide me here forever! No plan or nothin!' Kozuna's already locked up! He's not going ANYWHERE! But I still have my freedom to think about, though!"
Yvira took a seat beside Nikai and tried to elicit some small form of comfort, but he smacked her hand away immediately. She couldn't even manage half a hug.
"Look, Nikai, we know you're going through a stressful time, but we're gonna do everything we can. Just please have some patience."
Nikai sprang off the couch, huffing like he couldn't breathe. "Patience? PATIENCE? I have to go outside at SOME point! None of you even seem to CARE that I'm cursed! What happens if this shit just decides to pop off in here? Anyone think of that? I'd end up killing ALL of you! Why not prioritize the person in front of you? Kozuna's locked the FUCK up! He's NOT the one at risk of going on a rampage! I AM!"
Wisps of black energy howled out from Nikai's seal for a split second, but his facial muscles seemed to tense and forcibly pull those shadow flares back inside. Zara, Yvira, and I all noticed it and took steps back. But Nikai didn't waste any more breath speaking. He stormed out the door and almost slammed it off the hinges behind him.
Zara's head bobbed down with a sigh of exhaustion. "That fool doesn't realize the amount of stress we're ALSO under. Ugh, damn teenagers. Nikai needs to cool off, but not out in public! If someone sees him-"
Yvira nodded. She hurried to the door. "Let's bring him back. Maybe we can get him to understand. Nikai isn't unreasonable. Usually he's really relaxed. He just feels cooped up."
I scoffed, lightly pushing Yvira away from the door. "I'll retrieve Nikai. You two stay put. This won't take long anyway."
Before either of them could argue, I bolted outside.
That dumbass. What is he thinking?
***
It was already dark out. Nikai had disappeared into the night. But, given that Zara's home sat alone above a sandy plateau, things should've been at least somewhat more manageable. I jogged to the edge and peered over the city lit by warm street lights, but there was no silhouette to be made out in that darkness.
"AHHHHHH!"
My head swerved in the direction of a scream, and my thoughts panned to the worst scenario imaginable.
Who was that? What's happening?
The anguished cries only grew louder as I hurried down the sandy, hilly slope from Zara's home and onto the main, paved road. I rushed in the direction of the horrific wails. Chills ran through me as the winds picked up; I folded my arms and clenched them as tightly as I could. It didn't do much to mitigate the cold, though.
Damn… Really wish I was wearing something warmer right now.
The brisk winds seemed to cut into my skin, and before long, my eyelids were nearly forced to a tightening shut. It felt more like I was wandering around in the frigid darkness.
"Hhfffhhh."
My footsteps came to a sudden stop. Someone was lying on the ground, almost too easy to miss. One of their hands was up in the air, semi-obscured. I didn't even notice until a few seconds later- the enormous, smoky, black apparition looming over her.
Nikai!
"HEY!"
Transformed, Nikai turned toward me. He had grown in size like before, and I felt stuck in place. But it wasn't the same thing. Images of the previous slaughterfest cropped up in my brain, locking my wobbling legs and knees in place. An entirely different sensation than that of the induced paralysis.
Has his curse become stronger?
Nikai turned and menacingly trudged toward. His shadowy claws grew larger, showing no signs of stopping. My facial expression tightened, and my clenched teeth threatened to crack. I shut my eyes for a second, shook my head, and then balled my fists tight.
I took a single step back and patted my thigh, quickly coming to the realization that my gun wasn't at my hip.
Shit. On my own and with no weapon!?
My gaze swapped between Nikai's chest and the civilian. I could only breathe heavier with every weighted, eternal second that passed. The rest of the world appeared to freeze. Nikai was the only thing mobile.
Can't afford to freeze. I need to move!
Nikai was mere inches away when my heartbeat finally kicked my entire body into a similar, pounding gear. I stomped backward and lifted my fists.
"Wanna attack someone? Bring it! I'm right here!"
I'll keep Nikai's focus on me, and I'll find a way to subdue him!
***
Nikai roared at the top of his curse-empowered lungs, more than loud enough for all of The Primary to hear. He flung his claws backward, firing jets of black energy from his fingertips and feet as he crouched and pounced!
So fast!
I slid back, pressing my hand against the sand just in time to push away. I moved into a quick backflip, probably half a second before Nikai's claw sliced through the air where my throat had been.
No control over himself. Just like before.
I hit the ground hard, but it didn't last long. Nikai shadow-stepped like the last time he transformed, but right beside me. My gaze barely met the contour of his shadowy jaw.Nikai's heavy, oversized arm whacked into me like a wrecking ball. I barely managed to throw up an arm and still went flying into a nearby building.
It was worse than when the man-beast fucking threw me. I didn't have anyone to take Nikai's attention away when I fell to the floor, coughing hard and watching blood spew from my lips. New cuts and wounds swiftly opened up in my recently-recovered body, and my hands had already torn the fuck open!
A-all that damage from one backhanded hit?
I started seeing double for a second, but the one thing I saw for sure was Nikai lunging at me again! I couldn't even feel the pain as I forced myself to move and leap the hell outta the way. My heart was racing way too quickly!
Gotta get him away from civilian quarters! That's the only thing I can do right now!
"Go, get outta here!" I called to the woman, stumbling to my own feet. "Get to safety!"
Nikai hadn't slowed for a second. He teleported from shadow to shadow like a beast in the night. It wasn't long before he was right in front of me, swirling a sphere of dripping-wet, reddish-purple energy in the center of his palm. I ducked away before he even released it, and glancing over my shoulder gave me a brief glimpse of the destruction left behind.
The orb of energy widened into a far-reaching beam that boom-blasted down the road, incinerating anything caught in its path. It seared a long, jagged indentation in the pavement, with excess embers to boot.
He's already reaching Nazun's level of destruction!
That small attention shift was too much. I felt chilling breath bellowing down my skin and turned forward to find Nikai ominously looming over me. My body began tingling, and only then did he reach for my throat with a bone-crushing claw straight from hell. I couldn't move in time.
How do I beat him? Is there even a way?
The instant Nikai grabbed me by the throat, my eyes struggled to stay open. But in the dark of night, I caught a glimmer of shining silver out of the corner of my eye.
Quicker than I could've thought, someone leaped from a rooftop, blade in hand. They slashed into Nikai's wrist and nearly sliced his hand off the bone, earning a pained, roaring shriek from him.
Nikai staggered back for a few seconds, while I fell to the floor, still coughing like crazy. My vision barely returned enough for me to recognize my beautiful, flowing-haired savior.
Is that?
"Sh-Shin?"
"Finally got to repay you for saving me." Shin glanced back at me with a smirk. "Surprised?"
Knighted in fancy-ass silver greaves, gauntlets, and a chestplate, Shin threw up his rounded shield and got in front of me. Nikai had already fired another devastating blast-beam of energy. But Shin dug deep rather than dodging. And the moment the energy came into contact with the shield, it curved beyond the edges and blew past us, creating a small pocket of safety within the beam's path. The sheer force pushed Shin back a little, but neither of us got vaporized.
His equipment can withstand Nikai's attacks? And do damage? Did Zara create them for this purpose?
Nikai screeched. He rushed after Shin like a wild beast, only to be firmly shield-bashed in the head. And hard enough to break Nikai's animalistic concentration, it seemed. Shin followed up with a quick slice to the chest, turned, and fucking scooped me up as he dashed down the road!
"Wait- put me down!"
I wasn't used to being carried, and I couldn't decide whether it was something I enjoyed, but there were more important matters! I watched Nikai's claws hover over the cuts in his shadow cloak. He replenished them with energy!
"Shin! We need to stop him before Nikai gets back to full strength!"
What is he even doing here? Did Zara call him out?
"I need to get you away from here, Anari!"
"We can't outrun him! LOOK!"
Slightly worried, Shin turned and realized Nikai was only a few feet away! Nikai ported from shadow to shadow! He was getting better and better!
The longer Nikai's under the influence of his curse, the more he seems to adapt!
Shin finally let go of me. He dug in again with his shield to protect us from another powerful blast of energy, but I snatched his blade away and prepared myself.
"Anari, what are you-"
Energy blasted past us, whipping the winds around viciously. I gripped Shin's shoulder and helped to stabilize him as he tucked his head low and tanked the beam.
"I guarantee I'm better with a blade than you are, Shin! We gotta work together!"
"Tch! Fine, whatever!"
Nikai appeared through the blast- he hadn't even waited for it to dissipate! Shin's eyes and mine both widened when rapid, shadow swipes cut through the energy and carved into the shield. Shin gritted his teeth, gripping that buckler with every last bit of might he could muster, just to ward off Nikai's assault. And to make matters worse, Nikai only seemed to be getting faster and stronger as things dragged on.
"A-Anari!" Shin grunted out, careful to avoid having his head ripped off. "Any day now!"
All ten of my fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of that sword. I stepped out from behind Shin and flashed forward, ducking beneath Nikai's hammer of an arm as he tried whacking me again. My short stature came in handy in times like those, but I had to move faster, injuries be damned! Had to see his moves and predict them!
I barely had to move much to drag that sword with a rising cutter, slicing Nikai's shadows open from waist to brain. I broke a thin veil, but it was enough to see a tiny portion of Nikai's human face underneath the darkness. With that, I backstepped to avoid a skull-crushing claw-pummel.
"Shin! Switch!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Shin interjected himself, lifting his shield with enough speed and strength to make sparks fly when it collided with Nikai's shadow claw.
Just what I need!
We were in perfect sync. I sprang onto Shin's shoulder, using him as a springboard to launch another slash through Nikai's shadow-shrouded neck. I put enough force into it to finally make Nikai's shadow cloak wane a bit by the time I landed. He stumbled back on his shadow-clawed feet. It almost looked like Nikai was thrown off balance.
But that was when I met a glimpse of his physical, human gaze. Eye contact with the person inside.
"R-run! Get away from me!" Nikai screamed out, as if in terror of himself. "The curse is g-getting stronger as the night goes on! And this voice- it's trying to make me kill! Forcing me to kill!"
What?
I went in for another blow, but energy erupted from the cavities I'd cut into Nikai's body. I covered my face as much as I could- it felt like blackened flames were searing my flesh off the bone! And while Shin hurried to protect me, the openings in Nikai's shadow shroud sealed shut.
He reverted to his previously undamaged state. As if all our work meant nothing.
"No- NO, DAMN IT!"
"Stronger as the night continues?" Shin grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me behind him. "He's talking about the moon! There's nothing between him and the moon! That's why he's so much stronger than before!"
Should've known from the start. His power is literal darkness. And we're just now finding out what that means.
Nikai suddenly disappeared. He teleported to another shadow down the road, where he promptly spread his claws to form a new, levitating orb of pure energy in between. It quickly expanded without even being released, and to the point of encompassing the entire road.
Droplets of energy escaped from the massive sphere, hitting the ground and sizzling away. Shin and I each watched in unrivaled shock. We had nowhere to run. Nikai's energy only grew more chaotic as he remained unsheltered from the moon.
"S-stay behind me, Anari!"
Is there even another option?
Shin shakily held up his shield, but I wasn't sure he could keep defending us. Not against Nikai's limitless power.
"I'll keep you safe!"
Nikai lifted the mass of energy far over his shoulder. But the moment he attempted to hurl it, a flicker of orange flashed in the way. All I could see was a dark silhouette surrounded by reddish-purple, performing some sort of hooked kick straight into Nikai's energy ball!
"Get a hold of yourself, Nikai!"
Instead of Shin and me being utterly obliterated, we watched Nikai's attack pretty much explode in his face. And the person who deflected it flipped backward, gracefully landing ahead of us. He glanced back at us with a slight smirk.
You've gotta be kidding me!
"Heh. That's twice now that I've saved you two from certain death. Anari, Shin, I didn't say it out loud before, so I'll be sure to this time. You guys should see the looks on your faces right now! You look like total losers!"
How are you here, Kozuna!?