Chapter 29 – Crimson vs. Shadow
Suzuya's POV
The streets burned. Smoke choked the night sky, the flames painting Yamiyo's smile in blood-red light. Monsters circled us like vultures, but they no longer mattered.
My eyes were fixed on him.
Suzuya: "This ends now."
Yamiyo's grin widened. He stepped forward, each stride deliberate, his aura pressing against me like a storm.
Yamiyo: "Finally, Suzuya… you're looking at me the way I want. Not with fear. Not with doubt. With hate."
The ground cracked under his heel as he drew his katana in one smooth motion. The steel shimmered in the firelight, yet the darkness around it seemed alive, whispering.
Kojiro spat blood, dragging himself to my side.
Kojiro: "Don't be stupid. He's not someone you can beat yet."
Suzuya: "If I don't fight him now, he'll kill them. I won't let that happen!"
Kojiro grabbed my collar, his eyes burning.
Kojiro: "Then let me buy you time. Trust me, Suzuya!"
Before I could stop him, Kojiro charged. His roar split the air as his blade clashed against Yamiyo's. Sparks erupted, the sound of steel echoing like thunder.
Yamiyo didn't even flinch. With one hand, he parried Kojiro's strike, his smile never fading.
Yamiyo: "Pathetic."
A single swing sent Kojiro crashing into the rubble, blood splattering against the ground. My chest tightened.
Suzuya: "KOJIRO!!"
Yamiyo turned to me, his blade dripping.
Yamiyo: "That's the fate of everyone who stands against me. Do you still want to fight?"
My rage ignited. Crimson Fang roared to life, swirling in my hands.
Suzuya: "I won't let you have your way. CRIMSON FANG!"
I unleashed a storm of crimson energy, the blast ripping through the monsters, shattering the pavement. It surged toward Yamiyo—
But he sliced through it with a single motion. The energy split apart, dissipating into sparks.
Yamiyo: "Is that all?"
My breath caught in my throat. That attack could tear through walls, yet he brushed it aside like dust.
Shadow stepped forward at last, his expression unreadable.
Shadow: "Suzuya, do you want to know why Yamiyo is untouchable?"
Suzuya: "Shut up—I don't care—"
Shadow: "It's because he's not fighting alone. He's not just Yamiyo… he's ME."
The words struck like lightning.
Yamiyo laughed, his voice overlapping with Shadow's for a moment—two tones, one soul.
Yamiyo: "That's right. I am the contractor. Shadow is my contract. My other half."
My blood ran cold.
Suzuya: "You… you're one being?!"
Shadow smirked, his form flickering with Yamiyo's aura.
Shadow: "Two sides of one coin. I guide him, he feeds me. That's why no blade can touch him. To kill Yamiyo… you'd have to kill me too."
The weight of it crushed me. All this time, I thought Shadow was my ally, a thread of hope. But he was Yamiyo's blade all along.
Suzuya: "Then… I've been walking into his trap since the start."
Yamiyo raised his katana, pointing it at me, his smile stretched wide.
Yamiyo: "So, Suzuya… will you cut down both of us? Or will you fall here, broken, like all the rest?"
My fists trembled, Crimson Fang flaring wildly, unstable from my rage.
Suzuya: "I don't care if I have to cut through hell itself… I'll save them! I'LL CUT YOU DOWN, YAMIYO!!"
I dashed forward, crimson light exploding beneath my feet. Yamiyo met me halfway, his blade singing through the smoke.
The clash was thunder. Sparks blinded us both, the ground shattered under our feet.
For a moment, I saw him—his eyes, not filled with madness, but something else. A flicker of pain. A shadow of loneliness.
Then his grin returned.
Yamiyo: "Good… GOOD! Show me more, Suzuya!"
Our blades clashed again, each strike heavier than the last. The monsters scattered, unable to endure the pressure radiating from us.
Kojiro, broken but not dead, forced himself up, his voice hoarse.
Kojiro: "Suzuya… listen! He wants your rage! Don't give it to him—fight with your heart!"
My chest clenched. Akari's voice echoed in my mind, her smile, her warmth. Akane's hand clutching mine. Mom's gentle words.
Not rage. Not hate.
I steadied my breath. Crimson Fang shifted, the unstable fury calming into a sharp, steady glow.
Suzuya: "I'm not fighting for hate. I'm fighting to protect them."
Yamiyo's eyes widened. For the first time, his smile faltered.
Our blades met again—this time, my strike didn't falter. Crimson light swallowed his shadowed aura, sparks exploding between us.
Yamiyo: "Tch—impossible—"
I pushed forward, roaring with everything I had.
Suzuya: "THIS ISN'T YOUR GAME, YAMIYO—IT'S MY RESOLVE!"
The clash sent a shockwave through the city, flames scattering into the night.
And for the first time… Yamiyo staggered back.
---
Yamiyo's POV
Blood dripped from my hand. I looked at it, then at him.
Yamiyo: He actually… cut me?
The boy stood tall, Crimson Fang blazing in his grip, his eyes not clouded with rage—but shining with resolve.
I laughed, the sound shaking the night.
Yamiyo: "Yes… YES! That's it, Suzuya! That's what I've been waiting for!"
But deep inside, a chill stirred.
For the first time in years… I felt fear.
---