Chapter 5- Beneath The Crimson Eclipse

It was already evening, and the blood moon was creeping closer to the horizon. We were just moments away from the arising eclipse. The city once full of life, was now a battlefield. Blood stained the streets and the lifeless bodies were scattered everywhere. There was no time to mourn.

The survivors had been evacuated to safety, thanks to the help of other Vorixas and the clans. Most of the giant Oscuros had been taken down. For the moment, things seemed under control, but the silence felt heavier than ever. We all knew this uneasy peace wouldn't last long. The real fight was just beginning.

I was exhausted. But I couldn't afford to let it stop me now. The danger that was coming—whatever it was—was too much to ignore. Kaito-san was on the ground, being healed by Shizuka-san after a fierce battle we fought against an Oscuro earlier.

As for Shizuka-san, she wasn't doing much better. She had been healing everyone non-stop with no rest at all. Sure, she could instantly heal her wounds and regenerate stamina, but even she had her limits. She was slumping, barely staying conscious, her eyes half-lidded as if any moment, she might collapse.

We were joined by Hayato Shō, a peer from my school. He was a Vorixa that didn't belong to any clan. He was another one of us who wielded power, and like us, he fought alone to keep the peace. Despite his calm demeanor, his presence brought an unspoken confidence to our team. He was definitely a force to count on.

We all had our roles, and I couldn't let them down now.

Soon enough, the night finally took over, with the sky slowly darkening. A crescent moon began to rise from the horizon. It casted a faint red glow over the city. The storm after the calm had arrived. There was a heavy feeling in the air—like the earth itself was holding its breath.

The city seemed to darken more as the moon rose higher. It casted long shadows everywhere. It felt like something was about to happen. And then it happened.

Suddenly, the air grew heavier. Numerous dark, round portals appeared out of nowhere, each about the size of a human. From them, countless smaller Oscuros—the ones we were familiar with—began to flood the streets. It was as if they were being summoned, teleported from one realm to another.

Kaito-san glanced at the portals. "So, this is what Crimson meant," he said with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Well, isn't this just perfect. So Crimson's prophecy was spot on after all. What a surprise." Shizuka-san spoke.

"We've got to be careful. This might just be the beginning. We don't know how many more of these things are going to pop up."

"Great. Because fighting one of these is such a walk in the park. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I'm up for a repeat performance," I said.

"None of us are, but we don't really have a choice now, do we?"

"Time to move," Hayato said, pointing toward the swarm of Oscuros gathering in the distance. He unsheathed his sword, ready for the fight.

"Right." I glanced at Shizuka-san. "Take it easy, Shizuka-san. We'll handle things from here," I said, making sure she could recover. "Take care," she smiled.

And with that the three of us charged forward. I unleashed flames from my hands and sent a barrage of fiery blasts through the swarm. Kaito-san followed suit, his magical projectiles flew fast and knocked out enemies from a distance. Hayato moved like lightning with his sword crackling with electricity. He cut through them with the blade with each swing precise, quick and powerful. Together, we tore through the swarm, taking down Oscuros one by one.

But the more we took down, the more they kept pouring out. No matter how fast we fought, the spawning rate was way higher than the rate they were going down. It felt endless. Like every swing, every blast, was barely putting a dent in their numbers. The portals kept opening, one after another. It was like a never-ending wave of shadows.

"At this rate, we'll never finish them off," I said, dodging another attack. "We need to slow down the portals somehow."

Kaito-san's eyes flickered as he fired another set of projectiles. "If only we could find the source... But we're getting swarmed too fast."

I clenched my fists. "We keep fighting, one step at a time. We can do this."

As we fought, I sensed an overwhelming presence suddenly loom above us. "What the—?" We looked up, and there he was.

Crimson appeared, a dark figure silhouetted against the haunting red of the blood moon. He had large shadowy wings spread wide, black as the void. They shimmered with an scarlet, ethereal glow. It felt like he was wrapped in an aura of darkness. He hovered gracefully in the air, as though the moon itself had given him life, casting a blood-red halo around his form. The air thickened with tension as his eyes gleamed, reflecting the crimson glow.

We stopped in our tracks, staring up. "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered. Kaito-san adjusted his glasses. "Well, that's... unsettling." Hayato glanced up with a firm grip on his sword. "Interesting," he said.

Seeing his inhuman presence, "He's certainly not human... or maybe a human twisted into something else," Kaito-san said but with a hint of doubt in his voice. "Almost feels like he's a humanoid Oscuro."

"A humanoid Oscuro? Well, after seeing so many Oscuros in all sorts of forms, I guess a humanoid Oscuro is totally possible now."

"A humanoid Oscuro would be no joke," Kaito-san said in a serious tone. "They'd have a human mind with a body of an Oscuro. That mix would make them way more dangerous than anything we've faced. They'd think like us, fight like them... a real nightmare combo."

"My dear earthlings," Crimson's voice echoed with an distorted tone. "It seems the moment has finally come. The beginning of the end, as you would say. You might've noticed, I've already sent swarms of Oscuros across your quint little planet. Quite a sight, isn't it? And oh, the effort you Vorixas have shown—commendable, truly. But alas, playtime is over. You've had your fun, now I shall begin mine. Please sit back and enjoy the show. You won't be around long enough to regret it."

And in an enchanting voice, we heard

"Aeternus Eclipsa Lunaris"