The night air in Shibuya was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning concrete. The streets were no longer recognizable; cars lay overturned, streetlights flickered weakly, and a thick red haze cast an unearthly glow across the city. Civilians moved like frightened ants, darting into alleys or hiding behind debris. Every shadow threatened a curse, every echo carried the possibility of death.
Raphaël stood on the roof of a partially collapsed building, surveying the battlefield with a hawk-like gaze. His power hummed beneath the surface, the threads of fate stretching out before him like invisible filaments connecting every life, every curse, every collapsing structure. He had already altered countless outcomes tonight, but the night was young, and the threats were multiplying faster than he could anticipate.
A sudden tremor rattled the rooftop. Raphaël's gaze shifted instantly to the source. Emerging from the swirling mass of curses was a figure draped in black, moving with unnerving confidence: Suguru Geto. His eyes glinted with cruel amusement, and a host of minor curses swirled around him like a living barrier. Behind him, an aura of malevolence pulsed rhythmically, the unmistakable presence of a cursed soul that had evolved beyond human comprehension.
Raphaël's jaw tightened. Geto's arrival meant only one thing: Mahito would not be far behind. And wherever Mahito appeared, carnage followed.
"Raphaël," a voice called from below. Yuji and Nobara had caught up, moving cautiously over the rubble. Yuji's fists were clenched, his body poised for battle. "We… we can handle this together, right?"
Raphaël looked down at them, his expression unreadable. "For now," he said. "But remember, every second wasted could cost lives. Follow my lead, and don't hesitate when the moment comes. You must trust me completely—or you will die."
Nobara's eyes narrowed, her nails tapping lightly against her hammer. "We trust you because we have no choice," she said sharply, but there was no fear in her voice, only determination. Raphaël allowed himself a fraction of acknowledgment—she understood the stakes.
Without warning, Geto raised a hand, and a swarm of curses surged forward, their forms grotesque and writhing, each one screaming in high-pitched agony. The swarm moved faster than the eye could track, intent on obliterating the humans before them.
Raphaël's body moved before his mind fully processed the scenario. He extended his hands, fingers slicing through the air as he tapped into the threads of fate. In the span of a heartbeat, the trajectory of every curse was subtly altered. One minor misstep, one delayed movement, and he could have been caught in the swarm himself.
A curse lunged at Yuji, massive claws extended, but Raphaël's intervention was instantaneous. Time seemed to stutter, the creature frozen midair. Raphaël stepped in, delivering a precise strike to its center of mass, and the curse imploded in a dark flash. Yuji barely had time to blink before another cursed form lunged at him, which Raphaël redirected with a subtle motion of his hand.
Yet even as he saved them, Raphaël felt the toll of his power. Every manipulation of fate frayed his mental energy, and each outcome had consequences. The city itself seemed to respond to his interference—cracks in the asphalt widened, glass shattered unpredictably, and fires leapt toward them like living predators.
Mahito appeared in a swirl of malevolent energy, his form twisted and inhuman. He grinned at the group, eyes reflecting the pure chaos of the night. "Ah… humans, and one more visitor," he purred, tilting his head toward Raphaël. "You meddle in things far beyond your understanding."
Raphaël's gaze locked on Mahito, a spark of defiance igniting in his dark eyes. "I understand perfectly," he replied calmly. "You kill indiscriminately, and I correct the outcomes. Tonight, you will not take innocent lives—not if I can prevent it."
Mahito's laughter was like shattered glass. "Ah, I like you already. Let's see if you survive." He lunged, elongating his body unnaturally, his cursed energy distorting reality around him. The air warped as he moved, stretching space in ways that made ordinary attacks ineffective.
Raphaël's body reacted instinctively. He pushed into the flow of fate, perceiving the exact moment of Mahito's next strike, altering probabilities to create openings. He struck, faster than light—or so it seemed—landing multiple blows that sent shockwaves through the cursed energy. Mahito staggered, but his grin remained, unshaken.
Yuji and Nobara, emboldened by Raphaël's precision, attacked simultaneously. Yuji's brute strength and Raphaël's calculated manipulations created deadly synergy, while Nobara used her acrobatics and cursed nails to disrupt Mahito's rhythm. The fight became a whirlwind of light and shadows, a ballet where death and survival collided with every motion.
Yet even as they fought, Raphaël knew this was only the beginning. Geto's influence spread through the city like a virus, each curse multiplying, each strike becoming more lethal. His mind raced through probabilities, calculating outcomes, sacrifices, and the narrowest margins for survival. He had to make choices—save the civilians trapped nearby, attack Mahito directly, or prevent the incoming curses from overwhelming Yuji and Nobara.
Time slowed as he made his decision. With a subtle wave of his hand, he redirected the trajectory of a collapsing billboard, sending it toward a group of advancing curses, crushing them instantly. He then pivoted, intercepting a strike aimed at Nobara, his body moving through the air with precision and grace.
The toll was immediate. Pain shot through his chest, vision blurring as the strain of manipulating reality took hold. He stumbled slightly, and for the first time tonight, uncertainty flickered in his eyes. Mahito noticed. "Ah… finally, fear," he said, his voice silky and cruel.
Raphaël forced himself to focus. Fear was not an option. Every heartbeat, every breath, every motion was a calculated decision. He pushed beyond his limits, striking Mahito with a technique that blended pure physical force with the subtle manipulation of probability. The world around them distorted violently, curses colliding, debris flying, and for a moment, it seemed as though even time itself bent to his will.
Mahito fell back, momentarily caught off guard, giving Yuji and Nobara a critical opening. Yuji's fist struck with explosive power, and Nobara's nails shattered a nearby cursed barrier, forcing Mahito to retreat slightly. The trio had survived, but the battle was far from over.
Raphaël breathed heavily, the strain etched across his features. He glanced at Yuji and Nobara. "This is Shibuya," he said, voice low. "And it will not forgive mistakes. Remember this night—it will shape you in ways you cannot yet understand."
As the neon lights flickered over the ruined city, shadows stretched long and ominous. In the distance, more curses advanced, and Mahito and Geto regrouped, their malevolent presence radiating over the battlefield. Raphaël knew that the coming hours would demand more than skill—they would demand courage, sacrifice, and the willingness to confront the darkness within themselves.
The night had only begun. And in its shadow, Raphaël's reckoning had truly begun.