Chapter 4- The First Strike

The situation outside was dire. Oscuros rampaged across the city, leaving destruction in their wake. Crimson's threat loomed over us all—the blood moon was approaching, and with it, more horrors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smart... I wasn't sure how much planning could help at this point. Time was slipping away. "I'm going," I said, turning toward the door. "We can plan on the move."

We left the headquarters. It was quiet out here, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

I felt a shift in the air, something off nearby. "An Oscuro," I said.

Kaito-san nodded, looking around calmly. "Stay sharp," he said.

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

We reached the city center, and there it was—an Oscuro. Its massive, scorpion-like body was a deep, oily black, with spikes along its back and tail that glinted in the dim light. Its red eyes glowed menacingly as it lashed out, sending people fleeing in panic. The ground trembled with each of its massive steps, and the air smelled like burning and decay. It was destroying everything in its path, leaving chaos in its wake.

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

Kaito-san, looked at it with a calculating gaze. "So they can be this big," he said. "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 muttered.

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

Kaito-san gave me a sideways glance. His lips curled into a half-smile. "You sure about that?"

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

The Oscuro lunged forward with its massive claws. Its movement was fast, and the claws came down like a heavy blade.

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

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

I could feel the power welling up inside me. This was it. No more running. No more hesitation. I was ready.

I leapt forwar. My fists slammed into the Oscuro with fiery force. Each punch sent a surge of heat and the flames wrapped around its body. It staggered back, but I didn't stop. I moved 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 was sluggish compared to the serpentine creature. It gave me a slight advantage.

Kaito-san watched the battle with a hint of approval. "He has improved since the last time I saw him fight."

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

Kaito-san smirked slightly. "I do. His speed and control are much better now."

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

"Let's just hope it's enough for what's coming," Kaito-san muttered.

He then pointed 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 added, "If you hit there, it'll be easier to bring it down."

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

"En Seishin... Enzai!"

I aimed the attack straight for its chest, but just as the flames reached it, the Oscuro swiped its claw and stopped the strike. The flames were unable to break through its defenses.

The next moment, opening its scorpion claws, the Oscuro fired a dark beam. It was an eerie black light cutting through the air with deadly precision. I barely escaped it and got froze for a moment—this was the first time I'd seen an Oscuro use an attack like that. Usually, they attacked using their physical body and relied on their sheer strength.

"So this is what they call an Oxyno." Kaito-san muttered to himself. "What the heck is that?" Shizuka-san asked shockingly. Kaito-san glanced at her. "This is 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 looked shocked. "Things were already bad, but now it's just getting worse." A hint of worry was in her voice as she glanced at the oscuro.

The oscuro fired the oxyno again, this time at Shizuka-san and Kaito-san. The dark light shot towards them quickly.

"Genshou Tenshiko!"

Shizuka-san shouted. A greenish translucent barrier of magic appeared around them, stopping the Oxyno. The beam hit the shield, but it held strong and protected them from the attack.

The distraction gave me an opening. I rushed in, targeting the orca. With a swift move, I landed a blazing punch right on it.

The moment my punch landed, I felt a rush of satisfaction. The heat from the strike made it clear it had connected, and for the first time in this battle, I felt like I was making progress. It was a small victory, but it felt good—like I was finally getting through.

Everyone expected the orca to break, but the punch only made a crack. The skin was tougher than anticipated. And duh...now, I was wide open.

The oscuro roared and swiped its claws. "Great, just what I needed," I groaned.

It landed a powerful hit on me. I was thrown back, crashing to the ground.

Shizuka-san hurried to my side. "Are you okay? Don't make me worry even more." She placed her hands over me with her healing energy flowing. Kaito-san on the other hand took off his glasses and dropped into a fighting stance.

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

Kaito-san smirked. "I'm not usually the fighter, but I've got a few tricks. Don't count me out just yet."

The Oscuro swung its claw at Kaito-san, but he dodged it effortlessly, a smirk forming on his face. "Nice try," he said.

Mid-air, Kaito-san clasped his hands together and chanted,

"Hōgeki Seishin... Seirei Ittō."

Magical arrows glowing with energy materialized around him. He aimed quickly and fired them at the Oscuro's eyes, blinding it and created an opening.

"And for the final touch," he continued.

"Hōgeki Seishin...Hikari no Yumi."

He raised his hands, summoning a glowing large bow with a shimmering gigantic arrow. The bow hummed with energy as he pulled back the string. The arrow grew brighter the longer it stayed drawn.

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

But, before he could release his glowing arrow, the oscuro regained its composure and unleashed its Oxyno aimed directly at him.

"Not yet… now's not the right time," Kaito-san thought to himself. The oxyno was getting closer, but he held steady. Just as the Oxyno was about to hit, he released the arrow. It pierced through the dark light, splitting it in two and struck the oscuro's orca region directly.

The arrow hit the orca right on target, and a bright explosion followed. The oscuro shook and its body started to collapse as the orca was destroyed. With a final roar, it fell, lifeless. This was the moment that signaled our victory and marked the end of the fight.

I let out a sigh, feeling like a weight had been lifted off our chest. "Well, that was a bit too much excitement," I muttered, 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 rushed over to Kaito-san. He was swaying and looked exhausted. "And I thought B-class moves were supposed to be easy..." He chuckled weakly, still catching his breath.

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

Kaito-san shrugged. "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 widened. "Wow, that's so cool!"

Kaito-san grinned, "Isn't it? But I'm still just getting started."

The tension felt 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.