4 Unleashed Fury

Hikaru had no time to react when a massive boom came from deep inside the headquarters and a chilling roar followed. The noise was untamed and fierce enough to send a shiver down his spine.

"Stick with me," Takumi commanded urgency taking over his calm voice.

The hall's atmosphere turned heavy filled with a pressing force that made it hard for Hikaru to breathe. Up ahead, the echo of thick chains could be heard, their sound increasing in volume every second.

"Takumi... what's going on?" Hikaru's voice was a murmur.

Takumi squinted peering down the lit hallway. "Something we should've kept locked up got free."

Before Hikaru had the chance to dig for more info, a huge monster showed up. This thing was massive, a freaky mix of rippling muscles and sharp bone spurs sticking out. It had its arms tied up in heavy old chains that it dragged along carving out deep marks in the rock. And its head? Kind of like ours, but the face was split right down the center packed with sharp teeth dripping with drool.

Hikaru reeled backward, his cursed mark sparking up as though it acknowledged the monster's massive strength. "What's that?"

"It's a caged Manifestation," Takumi answered with a dark look. "Something that should've stayed hidden from the sun."

Another roar from the creature shook the room, heaps of dust and rubble tumbled from above. Its eyes shone a creepy yellow as they fixed on Hikaru, and with scary quickness, it charged clanking its chains.

Hikaru stood rooted, his brain yelling at him to get going, yet his limbs were as heavy as iron.

"Get it together, kid!" yelled Takumi, darting in front of Hikaru to face the monster.

The second those claws got too close, Takumi's sword popped out shining bright. He knocked aside that attack real smooth, sparks flying everywhere like crazy.

That monster stumbled back all , but Takumi didn't even pause. He slashed super quick busting through whatever the thing tried defending with. Boom down it went turning into this puff of dark smoke sinking into the sky.

There's Takumi just standing there chill, like that whole scrap was just a bother. He wheels around to Hikaru with this face you can't read at all.

He pointed his sword at Hikaru and told him, "That's what you're gonna be up against from now.

Hikaru's throat tightened as he tried to make sense of the fear and confusion swirling in his head. He was about to say something when he heard footsteps coming closer.

A few figures in robes stepped out of the shadows, lanterns in their hands throwing weird light all over the place.

"What's gone down here?" one asked with a sharp tone sounding pretty accusing.

"Cool it," Takumi shot back sliding his sword away with a sound of metal. "Just sorting out some trouble. You should be thanking me."

"Look, this Manifestation wasn't just any regular type," a person chimed in moving closer to inspect the charred marks all over the ground. "The creature had old seals keeping it in check. So, if it got loose..."

"That means someone was messing with it," Takumi cut in sounding serious. "Any ideas who?"

Those folks in robes just swapped worried looks, but they kept their mouths shut.

Hikaru's eyes were bouncing around the lot of them feeling his heartbeat like crazy. "Hold on, messed with it? You're telling me someone let that monster loose on purpose?"

Takumi paused before responding. He eyed Hikaru with seriousness that was a departure from his lighthearted nature. "You know, there's heaps about this place that's still a mystery to you kid. And trust me, not everyone's your buddy here."

Hikaru's spine tingled with a cold sensation. "What're you getting at?"

Takumi was about to go into detail when one of the cloaked dudes interrupted with a throat clear. "Leave the rest to us. The Council's gotta hear all the deets about what went down."

"Yeah, sure," Takumi grumbled brushing them off. "But dang, see to it that this doesn't go down again. Got too much going on to play nursemaid to your guard system."

The robed bunch got busy doodling symbols on the ground and murmuring spells to make the space all clean. Takumi plopped his hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"Let's bounce," he murmured kinda gentle-like. "You've had your fill of crazy for the day."

All fuzzy-headed, Hikaru just bobbed his head following Takumi as they zigzagged through the twisty halls. His brain was bursting with questions he couldn't answer and a creepy feeling that kept growing.

"Takumi..." he mumbled kinda unsure. "You reckon this was no fluke, huh?"

Takumi shot a quick look his way, the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smirk. "Kid, you'll catch on quick. In our business, we don't do accidents," he said.

The pungent scent of burnt stone lingered as Takumi tweaked his gloves; his fingertips no longer glowed with power. A weak glimmer revealed the chaos surrounding them: snapped chains, scorch traces embedded in the walls, and claw scratches that seemed made by some old ravenous beast.

Grasping his arm, Hikaru felt the earlier crash's sting keep him alert. His eyes jumped to the broken chains, their complex seals reduced to blackened bits. The creature once imprisoned had fled, and this idea caused a squeeze in his heart.

Takumi did a stretch popping his neck like the intense fight was just a warm-up exercise. He flashed a smirk at Hikaru and said, "Well, that was a good time right?"

"Good time?" Hikaru's voice broke filled with disbelief and weariness. "We could've gotten offed by that thing. What was that even? And why did it seem like—it didn't belong here one bit?"

Takumi's grin chilled out a bit as he peered at the busted chains. "This thing was never meant to pop up here. not in this way." Squatting by the debris, he stroked the seal's leftovers. "These chains got messed with—they didn't just snap."

Hikaru's eyes went wide, his insides knotting up. "Messed with? Does that mean... somebody did this on purpose?"

Standing up, Takumi dusted his palms and had a joking kind of sound in his voice, but you could tell he wasn't just kidding around. "Buckle up, rookie. You're gonna figure out that in our game, there are no flukes."

Heavy footsteps came down the hallway before Hikaru got a chance to say anything. A bunch of folks walked in taking over the place. They had on these dark jackets with shiny snake-like designs wrapped around swords on them—The Council, no less.

Hikaru got all stiff when they got closer. The head honcho, some guy standing way tall with a nose like a bird of prey and looking like he meant business, took a good look around with keen eyes. He says, "Takumi," real sharp-like, with a voice that reminded you of a knife on a whetstone. "Wanna tell me how you let a top-tier Manifestation slip away on your shift?"

Takumi, with his hands chill in his pockets just shrugged. "Well, I'd toss out the idea that someone's kinda playing with the rules too much around these parts."

The Councilman's mouth got all tight. "You've brought enough trouble with your wild ways before. This mess—"

"—ain't my fault," Takumi cut in, his voice getting as sharp as a knife. "It's not like I hang around busting seals and letting loose beasts for kicks."

Electric with tension, the air in the room seemed to buzz. Hikaru fidgeted trying real hard to just blend into the background while the two guys had their stare-off.

The Councilman faced the others . "Go check out the seals. I need a complete rundown before the sun sets." His eyes then fell on Hikaru with a chill sharp edge. "Oh, and make sure the newbie steers clear of any messes. This is serious business, not kid stuff."

Hikaru felt a surge of frustration but swallowed any snappy comebacks. As the Council folks scattered to scope out the wreck, Takumi gave Hikaru's shoulder a reassuring pat nudging him to the door.

"Just ignore them," Takumi offered in a light tone. "They're all bent out of shape because they're too uptight."

Hikaru cut in with a quiet voice. "Takumi, what's it mean for us if the seals got messed with? And for this place?"

The smirk on Takumi's face vanished turning into serious looks you don't see often. "It's a signal someone's after chaos. And messing with seals? It's just the beginning for them."

As they strolled through the lit hallway, a bunch of questions raced through Hikaru's head. That weird buzz of cursed energy was still in the air making his skin tingle. He tried to dismiss the creepy feeling but couldn't shake off the Councilman's stare or Takumi's words – something felt off.

Hikaru stopped cold as they turned a corner. Ahead in the shadows, two figures were whispering .

"—won't catch on if we're sneaky. The big guns are too busy with the cover-up," one hissed.

"What about the youngster?" the other one questioned. "What if he catches on?"

Hikaru's heart hammered. Could they be chatting about… him?

He couldn't quite figure it out when Takumi yanked his arm urging him forward. "Let's go, don't dawdle in the corridors. You're just gonna land in hotter water."

Hikaru looked behind him, but those figures had vanished into the dark. Uneasiness ballooned in his heart, and stepping into the chilly night, he was gripped by the sensation this was just the start.

Propped up on the doorframe, Takumi flicked his lighter to life and took a drag on his smoke, breathing out with a lazy swirl. "Things will go downhill from this point, kiddo. Brace yourself."

The dim light from Takumi's cigarette caught Hikaru's eye, and the seriousness of his comment pressed down on him.

The evening breeze was heavier than usual laced with a weird tinny taste of cursed power sticking to Hikaru's skin. He perched on the stone steps outside the main building fixated on his hand. Under his sleeve, the cursed symbol kept glowing , a stubborn small fire that wouldn't go out.

Leaning on a pillar close by, Takumi was puffing on his smoke like a pro. The little fire on its end lit up strong with every puff making a stark show against the dark spots that were gathering around. "You're not saying much, are you, kid?" Takumi remarked blowing out a stream of smoke.

Hikaru made a fist hard, his fingernails pressing into his hand. "Gotta wrap my head around this."

"Takumi nodded, his voice was now more playful. "Yep, that's how it is. Most folks start slow in this biz dealing with easy targets. But you? You're rolling with a deity in your limb and a talent to pull in mayhem. Talk about good fortune."

Hikaru kept quiet, his mind swarmed by images of shattered chains harsh words from the Council, and shadowy whispers he caught. The discomfort in him didn't fade; it got stronger.

He whispered looking at his hand, "Takumi, do you believe this was no accident? That someone shattered the seal?"

The smirk on Takumi's face vanished turning into something more cautious. As he knocked off ash from his smoke, he just shrugged. "Guess my thoughts aren't that big a deal, huh? You're here now, and that's what counts. Stuff's about to get way messier."

Hikaru's brows furrowed together. "You ain't telling me what I wanna hear."

"I'm hitting the nail on the head with what you need to hear," Takumi fired back, his gaze sharp and catching the faint light. "Here's a piece of advice: chasing down what everyone else is after is a waste of time. Keep yourself in one piece long enough to dig up the dirt that's worth digging for."

The words hurt, and Hikaru had no comeback. He let out a sigh and brushed his hair back with his hand. "Everything's just so... crazy. I was mopping floors yesterday. And now, I'm—"

Takumi cut in before Hikaru could finish. Takumi's voice got brighter kinda teasing. "You're now in the middle of something way bigger," he said, his voice dripping with a touch of sarcasm. "You should feel proud."

But Hikaru just frowned. "That's not what I was tryin' to—"

He couldn't get his words out because a sudden sharp ache hit his arm. He grimaced and grabbed his arm where the cursed mark lay feeling it throb under his sleeve. Heat raced through his bloodstream burning and overwhelming.

"Back so soon?" Kagutsuchi's tone sneaked into his thoughts, slick and teasing. "Starting to question yourself? That's a letdown."

Hikaru tensed his jaw, his breathing grew short. He whispered , "Leave my head alone."

Takumi's brow went up. "Are ya babbling to yourself? Seems like a positive thing."

"Be quiet," Hikaru mumbled but was paying attention to something different. The symbol flared with more heat and Kagutsuchi's chuckles rang with more volume.

"Reckon you got what it takes to make it here without flinching?" the kagutsuchi mocked. "Check them out—your beloved Boundary Keepers. Tough as nails disciplined to the core. But for real, kid… think you're cut out for this?"

"Enough!" Hikaru's shout grew louder, and that nasty cursed sign blazed up throwing a soft red light on the steps made of stone.

Takumi stood taller, his face getting all intense. "Hikaru," he stated, voice solid like a rock. "Keep it together. You can't let that thing run the show."

Hikaru's eyes shut tight. Sweat covered him and he panted for breath. His hands shook as he shoved the voice away. His arm's warmth spiked and then went away.

"You sure are tough to beat," Kagutsuchi said, his sound growing fainter. "Wonder how long you can keep it up."

Hikaru's eyes flicked open to see Takumi giving him a look. "This is gonna happen more, huh?" he rasped out.

"Looks like it," Takumi said nodding. "You gotta hold it down, or it takes over. Believe me, that's bad news."

Hikaru felt a heavy lump in his throat as Takumi's words hit him hard. "How's someone like me meant to handle this?"

Takumi cracked a half-smile that didn't quite light up his eyes. "You gotta take it step by step, newbie. And speaking on that..." He pointed toward the headquarters entrance. "Let's get you started with a quick lesson. Let's go."

Now walking into the Boundary Keepers' base, things seemed different to Hikaru. Couldn't figure if it was from the fight vibes sticking around or him getting a clue about the cursed world, but each artifact, rune, and passageway seemed buzzing with some old and powerful life force.

Takumi showed him the way past rooms where exorcists trained clashing with weapons that shone . They moved with sharp well-thought-out steps. In a different part of the building, Hikaru peeked at rooms full of glowing sigils that trapped items buzzing with bad mojo.

Takumi swept his hand and said, "This whole place is put together to stop the world from breaking. Weird happenings stray vibes old hexes—whatever it is, we deal with it here."

Hikaru's eyes stuck on some exorcists huddled around a huge artifact etched with runes that kept changing. "So what's the plan if you guys can't deal with it?"

Takumi looked at him with a face that gave nothing away. "Well, that's when folks end up not making it."

Hikaru shuddered when he got the straight-up response. He glanced at the accursed mark on his arm, its dim shine still peeking out from under his shirt. "And about me? How do I fit into the picture?"

"It's all on you," Takumi threw back at him. "You're packing some serious heat, like it or not. So what's your plan for it?"

Hikaru was stumped, no comeback ready.

They were walking through a more hush-hush part of the base when Hikaru got this weird tug in his arm. His cursed symbol gave a soft throb, and he stiffened scanning his surroundings.

"Something up?" Takumi questioned, his vibe all careful-like.

"Im not sure," Hikaru blurted sounding kinda anxious. "Kinda feels like... something's creeping on me."

Takumi's brow furrowed, and his hand was ready by his sword. "You ain't making this up. Keep your eyes peeled, youngster."

The heavy quiet got thicker, and Hikaru just couldn't lose the sense that something—or someone—was hiding barely out of view.