The Clash of Shadows (Part A)
The Shadow World's air grew heavier as Mori and his companions pressed deeper into the territory marked by the mission frame. The oppressive atmosphere clung to their skin like damp ash, and every step carried an unnatural weight.
"...This is different," Renji muttered, his sharp eyes narrowing as he scanned the jagged terrain ahead. "It's not just the usual shadow presence. It's denser... almost suffocating."
Kaida Ren walked at the front, his broad shoulders tense. He pressed a hand against the rough stone wall of a cliff that loomed over their path, feeling the vibrations that hummed faintly beneath it. "Something massive is moving," he said grimly. "More than one."
The glowing "mission frame" still hovered faintly in the air, translucent and otherworldly:
> "Mission Objective: Eliminate Three (3) S-Rank Beasts"
> "Location: Northern Ravine of Duskfang Hollow"
> "Difficulty: Extreme"
> "Participants: Kaien Mori (E-Rank) and Team"
> "Reward: Rank Advancement (Varies)"
Even though Mori had stared at the frame for several minutes earlier, his heart still refused to accept the words. Three S-Rank beasts. Just one could easily annihilate them. And yet here it was, branded into reality itself.
Haruka exhaled softly, her hands tightening around the glowing staff she conjured with her light ability. "This mission… it's almost like suicide."
"Which is exactly why it showed up for us," Kenta growled, flames already simmering faintly at his fists. "The damn system loves throwing us into the fire."
Mori trailed at the back, his breath unsteady. 'S-Rank beasts…' Even after all the explanations about ranks, he still barely understood what that meant in practice. All he knew was that E-Rank—his rank—was at the bottom of the ladder. He was dead weight compared to the others.
But still… he clenched his fists. 'I can't back down. Not now.'
---
> The Ravine
The group finally emerged onto the lip of a ravine, the landscape yawning before them like a torn wound in the earth. Jagged rocks jutted like broken teeth, and shadows pooled unnaturally at the base, writhing faintly as if alive.
But what made everyone freeze wasn't the terrain.
It was the battle already taking place inside.
"...Wait," Miya whispered, her lightning aura flickering faintly along her arms. "Are those… people?"
At the base of the ravine, three figures fought with ferocious intensity against hulking abominations. They looked human—completely human. Flesh and bone, not shadow or mist. And yet they wielded their powers with a raw, unrestrained ferocity that shook the ground.
One of them, a tall man with long dark hair, slammed his fist into the earth. Spires of stone erupted upward, smashing into one of the beasts with thunderous force. His aura burned with the strength of raw power.
Beside him, a woman with crimson eyes danced with terrifying grace. Blades of shadow-forged steel whirled around her, slicing into the beasts again and again, her movements fluid and deadly.
And the third, slightly smaller figure, raised glowing chains of energy, binding a beast's leg in mid-motion, straining with effort but holding firm.
"Humans…" Haruka whispered, her voice trembling. "There are humans here."
"No way," Renji muttered, his bow half-raised. "That's impossible. Everyone says we're the only ones dragged into this place."
"But look at them," Daichi said softly, his voice a low rumble. "They're real. Not illusions. And they're… strong."
Mori's breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he forgot about the mission, the danger, everything. All he could see was the fact that these people—real people—were surviving in this cursed world. 'So it's possible… people can live here.'
Takuro, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke in a low tone. "Whether they're from here or not… doesn't matter right now. Look at what they're fighting."
---
> The Beasts
All eyes shifted toward the monsters that towered in the ravine.
The first was a "Duskfang Serpent", its body covered in obsidian scales that shimmered with crimson veins. Its head split open into four jaws, each lined with jagged, mismatched fangs. As it struck, it let out a piercing screech that echoed like steel scraping against glass.
The second was a "Hollow Warg", a wolf-like beast the size of a house. Its fur was made of shadow flames, and its eyes glowed an unnatural, burning blue. Every movement left trails of flickering afterimages, as if it existed in several places at once.
And the third—perhaps the most horrifying—was the "Ashen Reaper Mantis". A towering insectoid creature with bladed arms longer than its body. Its exoskeleton shimmered with a dull gray, cracked like cooled magma, and its movements were too fast for the eye to follow.
Even from the ravine's edge, Mori could feel the suffocating pressure of their presence. His knees almost buckled. 'These… these are S-Rank?'
The Shadow World humans fought valiantly, but even their incredible power seemed strained under the assault of three at once. The ground shook with every clash. The air rippled with aura.
Miya grit her teeth. "If we don't help, they'll be torn apart."
Kenta smirked grimly. "Finally. Something worth burning."
But Mori… he couldn't move. His chest tightened with paralyzing fear.
'How… how can we fight something like that?'
---
> Joining the Battle
Kaida Ren turned back to the group, his expression firm. "We don't have a choice. This is our mission. If we don't join, we fail—and we die anyway."
Haruka stepped forward, her light already glowing at her fingertips. "Then we fight. Together."
Saki's eyes narrowed, her shadow sense flaring as she took in the battlefield. "Stay sharp. These beasts are beyond anything we've faced. And… watch those people too. Don't forget—we don't know if they're allies."
Daichi cracked his knuckles, his aura thickening like stone around him. "Doesn't matter. Right now, the enemy's clear."
Takumi adjusted his stance, water swirling around his arms like coiling serpents. "Then let's move."
Renji gave Mori a quick grin, though his eyes were serious. "Stick close, Mori. Don't freeze."
Mori swallowed hard and nodded, though his hands trembled. "R-Right…"
Kaida raised his hand, and with one commanding gesture, the team leapt down into the ravine.
The ground cracked under their landing, and for a split second, the Shadow World humans turned to look at them.
The dark-haired man frowned, his voice sharp. "More outsiders?"
The crimson-eyed woman smirked faintly, even in the chaos. "Hah. Brave or stupid?"
The chain-wielder, face pale with strain, shouted, "If you're here to help, then do it now!"
No more hesitation. The battle was already raging.
---
> The Clash Begins
The Hollow Warg lunged first, its body blurring as it reappeared mid-leap toward Mori's group.
"Move!" Kaida roared. He slammed his palms into the ground, raising a jagged wall of earth that intercepted the beast's claws. The impact shattered the wall instantly, but it bought just enough time for Renji's arrows of compressed wind to slice across its flank.
"Got your attention, mutt!" Renji shouted, leaping backward with agile speed.
The Duskfang Serpent shrieked, its four jaws opening wide as it lunged toward the Shadow World woman. She spun gracefully, her shadow blades carving into its scales, sparks flying as steel met stone-like flesh.
"Don't slack now!" she barked.
The Ashen Reaper Mantis loomed, its bladed arm descending toward the smaller chain-wielder. Before the blade could strike, Haruka's barrier of radiant light burst into existence, deflecting the blow with a shattering ripple.
"Stay standing!" Haruka yelled. "We're not letting anyone fall!"
Kenta surged forward, flames erupting wildly from his fists. He roared as he struck the mantis's leg, fire exploding in a violent burst that forced the creature back a step.
"Ha! Even you ugly bastards can feel heat!"
Miya darted beside him, lightning cracking along her arms. She slammed her palm against the same leg, electricity coursing through the chitin with a deafening crack. The beast shrieked, staggering.
For a moment, Mori could only stand frozen, watching as his friends unleashed their powers without hesitation. His chest tightened with shame.
'Why can't I move? Why can't I be like them?'
Takuro's calm voice suddenly cut through the chaos. He stepped close, his eyes unreadable. "Mori. Focus. Stay behind me if you have to, but don't lose yourself. Remember—we survive together."
Mori glanced at him, startled by the reassurance. And despite the chaos, he nodded weakly. "…Right."
---
The battlefield roared around them, a storm of power and shadows. The beasts howled, the ground cracked, and the air itself seemed to scream.
And Kaien Mori, though trembling, clenched his fists and forced his legs to move.
'Even if I'm weak… I have to fight.'
---