The starry abyss pulsed like a living heart. Chains of light and shadow wove across the sky, forming a prison of memory. Kento and Furi stood together, the ground beneath their feet nothing more than fragments of shattered constellations.
Above them, the Shadow spread its colossal wings, now resembling a dark angel torn from the heavens. Its voice boomed, echoing through every star.
"You betrayed the vow. You abandoned the third. You will drown in your broken promise."
Kento clenched his fists, sparks igniting around him.
"Then tell us who they are! Show us their face!"
The Shadow laughed. "If you can withstand the fall of the stars… perhaps you'll remember."
It raised its arms. At once, the constellations shattered, each star collapsing into burning shards. A storm of meteors rained down, turning the battlefield into a sea of fire.
"Furi, move!" Kento shouted. He leapt forward, his body cloaked in blazing light, striking away the falling stars. Each impact scorched his skin, yet he refused to falter.
Furi hesitated for a heartbeat, then roared, unleashing his own energy. His chains—once a symbol of his weakness—now blazed with radiance. He swung them like whips, tearing apart meteors mid-flight.
The Shadow descended, wielding a blade formed from starlight tainted in darkness. Its strike cleaved through the void, forcing both Kento and Furi to brace together. Their combined shield cracked under the blow.
"Pathetic," the Shadow hissed. "You couldn't protect then… and you cannot protect now."
Kento spat blood but grinned defiantly.
"Maybe we failed once. But this time… we're not standing alone."
Furi's eyes glowed, finally steady. "I won't run. Not from you. Not from the truth."
Together, they surged forward. Their lights intertwined, forming a spear of pure resolve. With a cry, they hurled it into the Shadow's chest.
The Shadow screamed, fragments of darkness scattering into the cosmos. But instead of dying, its form warped—revealing the outline of a small figure within its core.
A child's voice whispered, fragile yet filled with sorrow.
"…Why did you forget me?"
Kento and Furi froze, the spear dissolving in their hands.
The battlefield stilled. The storm of meteors faded. All that remained was the echo of that single, heart-piercing question.
(To be continued…)