The light that embraced Kento and Furi lingered, filling the void with a warmth neither had felt in years. Furi's form grew clearer—his chains fading, his expression softening.
But then… something else stirred.
A ripple spread across the void. The light bent unnaturally, as if a hidden presence was twisting its way through.
Furi's eyes widened. His lips trembled.
"No… it can't be…"
Kento turned sharply. "What's wrong?"
The ground beneath them cracked, and from the fissure seeped not the Astral Devourer's darkness, but something far heavier. It wasn't rage, or hunger—it was grief.
A second voice echoed.
"You promised… and yet you left me behind…"
The words hit Furi like a blade. He staggered, clutching his chest.
Kento reached for him. "Furi!"
But Furi's shadow detached itself from his feet—rising, taking form. It shaped into a mirror-image of Furi, but its eyes were empty, hollow, and full of sorrow.
"This is…" Furi whispered, trembling.
"…the part of me that never forgave the past."
The Shadow spoke again, its tone twisted with pain:
"You swore under the stars… that we would never be apart. Yet look what happened."
Kento felt the truth of it—the memory hidden inside Furi's heart, sealed away, now bleeding into reality.
"Furi… that's not you. That's the wound speaking!"
But the Shadow sneered.
"No… I am the promise. The one that was abandoned."
The void shook violently. Light fractured, and the Astral Devourer's distant laugh echoed—amused, feeding on the chaos.
Furi fell to his knees, caught between the warmth Kento gave him and the suffocating grief of his Shadow.
Kento clenched his fists, stepping forward.
"Then I'll fight for the real promise! The one that still lives inside you!"
The Shadow's eyes glowed crimson.
"Try, if you can… Kento."
And with that, the Shadow lunged—chains of grief twisting into weapons, striking down upon them.
The true battle had only just begun.
(To be continued…)
The light that embraced Kento and Furi lingered, filling the void with a warmth neither had felt in years. Furi's form grew clearer—his chains fading, his expression softening.
But then… something else stirred.
A ripple spread across the void. The light bent unnaturally, as if a hidden presence was twisting its way through.
Furi's eyes widened. His lips trembled.
"No… it can't be…"
Kento turned sharply. "What's wrong?"
The ground beneath them cracked, and from the fissure seeped not the Astral Devourer's darkness, but something far heavier. It wasn't rage, or hunger—it was grief.
A second voice echoed.
"You promised… and yet you left me behind…"
The words hit Furi like a blade. He staggered, clutching his chest.
Kento reached for him. "Furi!"
But Furi's shadow detached itself from his feet—rising, taking form. It shaped into a mirror-image of Furi, but its eyes were empty, hollow, and full of sorrow.
"This is…" Furi whispered, trembling.
"…the part of me that never forgave the past."
The Shadow spoke again, its tone twisted with pain:
"You swore under the stars… that we would never be apart. Yet look what happened."
Kento felt the truth of it—the memory hidden inside Furi's heart, sealed away, now bleeding into reality.
"Furi… that's not you. That's the wound speaking!"
But the Shadow sneered.
"No… I am the promise. The one that was abandoned."
The void shook violently. Light fractured, and the Astral Devourer's distant laugh echoed—amused, feeding on the chaos.
Furi fell to his knees, caught between the warmth Kento gave him and the suffocating grief of his Shadow.
Kento clenched his fists, stepping forward.
"Then I'll fight for the real promise! The one that still lives inside you!"
The Shadow's eyes glowed crimson.
"Try, if you can… Kento."
And with that, the Shadow lunged—chains of grief twisting into weapons, striking down upon them.
The true battle had only just begun.
(To be continued…)