The road ahead led to a city.
Raizen stood at the hilltop, looking down.
Lights filled the streets.
Voices echoed even from a distance.
Life.
Movement.
Noise.
It felt different from the forest.
"Why are we here?" Raizen asked.
The swordsman replied,
"Demons don't only hide in darkness."
A pause.
"They hide among people."
Raizen's gaze sharpened.
"…Inside the city?"
"Yes."
Entering the City
The gates were open.
People walked freely.
Merchants shouted.
Children ran through the streets.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Raizen's hand rested on his sword.
His instincts were uneasy.
"I can't feel anything," he said.
"That's the point," the swordsman replied.
"Some demons don't rely on strength."
Raizen looked around carefully.
"…Then how do we find it?"
The swordsman stopped walking.
"We wait."
The Disappearances
Night fell.
The city changed.
The streets grew quieter.
The shadows longer.
Raizen and the swordsman stood on a rooftop.
Watching.
"Three people disappeared this week," the swordsman said.
"No bodies found."
Raizen's eyes moved across the streets below.
"…So it's hunting at night."
"Yes."
A sudden scream cut through the silence.
Both of them reacted instantly.
"There."
The Alley
They reached the alley within seconds.
Empty.
But not clean.
Blood stained the ground.
Fresh.
Raizen's breathing slowed.
"…It was just here."
A faint sound echoed.
Behind them.
They turned—
A man stood there.
Normal clothes.
Calm expression.
"…You're too late," he said.
Raizen stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"You came looking for a demon, didn't you?"
His eyes shifted.
Red.
The Masked Demon
The man's face… cracked.
Like something underneath was trying to break free.
"Humans are interesting," he said.
"I lived among them for years."
Raizen tightened his grip.
"…You've been hiding."
"Not hiding."
A pause.
"Blending."
In an instant—
The demon vanished.
Raizen reacted—
But too late.
A sharp pain hit his side.
He staggered back.
Fast.
Silent.
Precise.
This demon was different.
Fight in the Dark
"Focus," the swordsman said.
"Don't chase him."
Raizen steadied himself.
The alley was quiet again.
No movement.
No sound.
Then—
A presence.
Left.
Raizen turned—
Blocked.
CLANG.
The attack was sudden.
Invisible until the last moment.
Raizen stepped back.
"…I can't see him properly."
"Then don't rely on sight."
Raizen paused.
"…What?"
"Feel the movement."
The world slowed.
Raizen closed his eyes.
Breathing steady.
In.
Out.
The air shifted.
A faint disturbance.
Behind him.
Raizen moved instantly.
Turned—
Struck.
SLASH.
A shallow cut landed.
The demon reappeared.
"…Impressive."
Raizen opened his eyes.
"I can feel you now."
Shadow Control
The demon lunged again.
Faster than before.
Raizen stepped forward.
No hesitation.
"Shadow Breathing—"
Darkness gathered around his blade.
"Second Form— Night Step."
He disappeared.
And reappeared—
Beside the demon.
A clean strike followed.
"Third Form— Black Crescent."
The demon staggered.
But didn't fall.
"…You've improved."
Its smile returned.
"But not enough."
It raised its hand—
Multiple shadows spread across the ground.
They moved.
Alive.
Raizen's eyes widened.
"…What is this?"
"A better version of your power."
The shadows attacked from all sides.
Raizen blocked—
Dodged—
Stepped back—
But one slipped through.
It cut his arm.
Blood dropped to the ground.
Turning Point
Raizen clenched his teeth.
"…No."
He focused.
The shadow around him responded.
This time—
Not wild.
Controlled.
He stepped forward.
"Your shadows…"
He raised his blade.
"…are still weaker than mine."
The air shifted.
Darkness spread outward.
Overriding the demon's control.
The shadows stopped.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
Final Strike
Raizen moved.
Fast.
Precise.
"Fourth Form— Shadow Execution."
One clean motion.
Silence.
The demon stood still.
Then—
Collapsed.
Turning to ash.
Aftermath
The alley returned to silence.
Raizen stood still.
Breathing steady.
The swordsman approached.
"You adapted."
Raizen looked at his blade.
"…I understood it."
A pause.
"The shadows…"
He closed his eyes briefly.
"They listen."
The swordsman watched him carefully.
"…That's what makes you dangerous."
Ending Line
In a world full of lies—
The deadliest monsters are the ones who look human.