Chapter 4- The First Strike

The situation outside is dire. Oscuros are rampaging across the city, leaving only destruction in their wake. Crimson's threat is looming over us all—the blood moon is approaching, and with it, more horrors.

I can't let this go on. I can't let them win.

The president is gone, and there is no time to mourn. The city needs us. I need to act.

The words Crimson spoke echo in my mind—more Oscuros tonight, when the blood moon rises. If I don't act now, everything will fall apart.

I take a deep breath. I need to destroy the Oscuros before that happens. No matter the cost.

Shizuka-san's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "Takumi-kun, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I say, though I ain't sure if I believed it myself. I look over at Kaito-san. "We need to stop the Oscuros. They won't stop until they've destroyed everything."

Kaito-san's face is serious. "But we can't rush in without a plan. We need to be smart about this."

Smart... I'm not sure how much planning can help at this point. Time is slipping away. "I'm going," I say, turning toward the door. "We can plan on the move."

We leave the headquarters. It is quiet out here, but I know it won't stay that way for long.

Suddenly, I sense a shift in the air, something off nearby. "An Oscuro."

Kaito-san nods, looking around. "Stay sharp."

Shizuka-san, usually full of energy, is quiet now. Her usual smile is gone, replaced by focus. "Let's get there quickly."

We reach the city center, and there it is—an Oscuro. Its massive, scorpion-like body is deep, oily black, with spikes along its back and tail that is glinting in the dim light. Its red eyes are glowing menacingly as it lashes out, sending people fleeing in panic. The ground is trembling with each of its massive steps, and the air smells like burning and decay. It is destroying everything in its path, leaving only chaos.

"It's even bigger than the one I fought at school," I mutter.

Kaito-san looks at it with a calculating gaze. "So they can be this big," he say. "This one's definitely a different breed."

"Are we sure we're not just getting stronger? I don't think we can just punch our way through that." Shizuka-san mutters.

I smirk slightly. "Well, I'll take the lead. You two just stay out of my way."

Kaito-san gives me a sideways glance. "You sure about that?" He smirks.

I tighten my fists, feeling the heat in my palms. "I'll be fine. Just don't make me wait too long." With that, I drop into a fighting stance. My eyes lock on the Oscuro.

And the fight begins..,

The Oscuro lunges forward with its massive claws. Its movement is certainly fast. The claws are coming down like a heavy blade.

Without hesitation, I step forward, raising my hand and focusing. My flames ignite, and in an instant, I block the claws with a wall of fire. The intense heat has stopped the attack.

"You're not getting through me," I say. "I'm taking you down."

I can feel the power welling up inside me. This is it. No more running. No more hesitation. I am ready.

I leap forward. My fists slam into the Oscuro with fiery force. Each punch is sending a surge of heat and the flames are wrapping around its body. It staggers back, but I don't stop. I move fast and relentlessly, determined to keep it from getting back on its feet.

This one's slower than that snake I fought. Its large form is sluggish compared to the serpentine creature. Good. It gives me a slight advantage.

Kaito-san is standing aside, watching the battle with a hint of approval. "He has improved since the last time I saw him fight."

Shizuka-san raises an eyebrow. "You think so?"

He smirks slightly. "I do. His speed and control are much better now."

Shizuka-san node. "I can see that too. He's getting stronger."

"Let's just hope it's enough for what's coming."

He then points toward the center of the Oscuro's massive body. "Go for its Orca. That's where its life energy is stored—its weak spot. It's located near the area where our hearts are."

Shizuka-san adds, "If you hit there, it'll be easier to bring it down."

Nodding, I tighten my grip. "Got it. I'll aim for the heart."

"En Seishin... Enzai!"

Spirit of Fire... Flames of False Judgement.

I aim the attack straight for its chest, but just as the flames reach it, the Oscuro swipes its claw and stops the strike just on time. Damn it. The flames were unable to break through its defenses.

The next moment, opening its scorpion claws, the Oscuro fires a dark beam. Wha—? It is an eerie black light cutting through the air with deadly precision. I barely manage to escape it. And now I'm froze for a moment—this is the first time I've seen an Oscuro use an attack like that. Usually, they attack using their physical body and rely on their sheer strength.

"So this is what they call an Oxyno." Kaito-san whispers to himself. "What the heck is that?" Shizuka-san asks shockingly. He glances at her. "This is the Oxyno, an attack used by higher-level Oscuros. It's a dark beam of pure destructive energy, piercing through anything in its path. We've gotten intel on it, but seeing it firsthand... it's much more dangerous than we imagined."

Shizuka-san looks shocked. "Things were already bad, but now it's just getting worse." A hint of worry is in her voice as she glanced at the Oscuro.

The Oscuro fires the oxyno again, but this time at aimed at Shizuka-san and Kaito-san. The dark light shoots towards them quickly.

"Genshou Tenshiko!"

Illusion of the Ancient Fortress.

Shizuka-san chants. And with it, a greenish translucent barrier of magic appears around them, stopping the Oxyno. The beam hits the shield, but it is holding strong and protecting them from the attack.

Yes. The distraction gives me an opening. I rush in, targeting the Orca. With a swift move, I land a blazing punch right on it.

The moment my punch lands, I feel a rush of satisfaction. The heat from the strike has made it clear that it has connected perfectly, and for the first time in this battle, I am feeling like I've made some progress. It is a small victory, but it feels good—like I am finally getting through.

But. Everyone expected the Orca to break, but the punch only made a crack. The hell?The skin is way tougher than anticipated. And duh...now, I am wide open.

The Oscuro roars and swipes its claws straight at vulnerable me. "Great, just what I needed." It lands a powerful hit on me. And now I am being thrown back, crashing to the ground.

"Ughhh."

Shizuka-san hurries to my side. "Are you okay? Don't make me worry even more." She places her hands over me with her healing energy flowing. Meanwhile, Kaito-san on the other hand is taking off his glasses and... dropping into a fighting stance?

Huh? Shizuka-san and I exchange a glance, both of us stunned. Kaito-san... fighting? It is new to us. He was always the strategist, the one who gathers intel, never one to rely on violence. Seeing him like this, ready to fight, is very unexpected.

He smirks. "I'm not usually the fighter, but I've got a few tricks. Don't count me out just yet."

The Oscuro swings its claw at aimed directly at Kaito-san, but his slim body dodges it effortlessly. "Nice try."

And then, mid-air, he clasps his hands together and chants,

"Hōgeki Seishin... Seirei Ittō."

Spirit of Projectile...The Spirit's Arrows.

And with that, magical arrows glowing with energy start to materialize around him. He aims quickly and fires them at the Oscuro's eyes, blinding it and creates an opening.

"And for the final touch," he continues,

"Hōgeki Seishin...Hikari no Yumi."

Spirit of Projectile...Bow of Light.

He raises his hands, summoning a glowing large bow with a shimmering gigantic arrow. The bow is humming with energy as he pulls back the string. And the arrow is growing brighter and brighter the longer it stays drawn.

"The longer the stretch, the stronger the punch."

But, before he could release his glowing arrow, the Oscuro regaine its composure and unleashes the Oxyno aimed directly at him.

"Not yet… now's not the right time," Kaito-san thinks to himself. The Oxyno is getting closer, but he is holding steady. What is he doing? Just as the Oxyno was about to hit, he releases the arrow. It pierces through the dark light, splitting it in two and strike the oscuro's Orca region directly.

Bull's eye!

The arrow hits the Orca right on target. And a bright explosion follows. The Oscuro shakes and its body is starting to collapse as the Orca is destroyed. With a final roar, it fells, lifeless. This is the moment that signals our victory and marks the end of the fight.

I let out a sigh, feeling like a weight has been lifted off our chest. "Well, that was a bit too much excitement," I say, wiping off some sweat. Guess it's true what they say—victory tastes sweet, but it's a relief when it's over.

Shizuka-san and I rush over to Kaito-san. He is swaying and looking exhausted. "And I thought B-class moves were supposed to be easy..." He chuckles weakly, still catching his breath.

"That was a B-class move?" I say. "Felt way stronger than that."

He shrugs. "It's a B-class move, but the power changes with the charge time. No charge? D-class. A little charge? C-class. What I used was B-class, but with more time, I could've gone A-class."

Shizuka-san's eyes widene from the fact. "Wow, that's so cool!"

He grins, "Isn't it? But I'm still just getting started."

The tension feels lighter.

After we took down the scorpion, the three of us moved from one oscuro sighting to the next, taking them out one by one. We didn't have to worry about our health or stamina because we had Shizuka-san with us. Kaito-san was our brain in the battle, and I was just... well, the muscle. Together, we made a solid balanced team.

That was untill the night approached and darkness started taking over the city.