Chapter 12: The Final Second

An abandoned shrine stood at the edge of town, crumbling beneath the weight of time.

Moonlight leaked through the cracked wooden beams.

A faint, flickering dark aura pulsed in the air — thick, suffocating.

Reiji leaned against the shrine wall, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Tch... Damn those two..." he muttered, spitting blood onto the ground.

"This wasn't supposed to happen..."

He stared at the fractured pocket watch in his hand — a corrupted reflection of Haruto's.

It flickered and sparked, unstable.

Reiji's hands trembled.

But then, a dark grin split his face.

"But if I can just get a few more seconds..." he whispered.

"I'll turn their hope into ashes..."

---

Cut to — The Night Woods

Haruto and Airi ran silently through the woods, moonlight glinting off their forms.

Haruto's eyes glowed faintly — the watch on his wrist stronger now, empowered by his vow to protect, not misuse.

Beside him, Airi followed close, her silver ring shimmering with a warm, living light.

"I can feel it..." Haruto said quietly.

"He's here."

"He's weak," Airi replied, her voice steady.

"But dangerous.

We finish this, Haruto.

No hesitation."

They reached the shrine.

The doors creaked open.

A thick, dark mist surrounded the altar where Reiji slumped, his energy poisonous and sickly.

"So..." Reiji coughed weakly, smiling through cracked lips.

"The gods come to slay the cursed...

Fitting."

"You chose this path, Reiji," Haruto said firmly.

"You wanted destruction.

You hurt people who did nothing to you."

Airi stepped forward, her voice sharp as steel.

"You targeted us," she said.

"But more than that... you shattered lives.

This ends tonight."

Reiji chuckled darkly — and the shadows around him screamed.

The black mist fused into him.

His body twitched violently — then stood straight.

His eyes blazed a vile, furious red.

"THEN DIE WITH ME!" Reiji roared.

A massive wave of corrupted time energy exploded outward.

The air twisted violently.

Trees outside the shrine cracked and bent unnaturally.

Haruto gritted his teeth and activated the watch.

Time froze — but Reiji moved within the frozen world, forcing it to obey him.

"He's... forcing time to obey him!" Haruto shouted.

Airi's eyes glowed with fierce light.

"Then let's remind him," she said,

"who time really belongs to!"

Their powers synchronized.

The watch and the ring pulsed as one.

The air around them thrummed like a living heart.

Everything stilled.

Then they moved — together — in perfect, blinding sync.

Haruto dashed forward, striking with punches infused with divine light.

Airi channeled her ring's power, manipulating the frozen particles of time, pinning Reiji with beams of golden energy.

Reiji screamed, shadow energy exploding wildly around him — but it was unstable, tearing him apart from within.

"NO—THIS CAN'T BE—THE DARK GOD PROMISED ME—!!!" he shrieked.

With one final, synchronized blow —

Haruto's glowing fist.

Airi's blazing light arrow.

They pierced straight through Reiji's chest.

He exploded into a burst of black mist — which faded into golden particles, scattering into the wind.

Silence fell.

The shrine around them began to crumble.

---

Outside — Under the Starlit Sky

Haruto and Airi walked away from the ruin.

Their breathing was heavy, their steps slow, but their eyes were soft — steady.

A gentle breeze flowed past them.

"It's over..." Haruto said quietly, turning to her.

"For now..." Airi whispered back.

Haruto stopped walking.

His heart pounded — not from battle this time.

He turned fully toward Airi, standing there under the silver glow of the moon.

He took a deep breath.

"Airi... There's something I need to say," he said.

She blinked, a little surprised.

Haruto reached out gently, taking her hand in his.

The watch on his wrist glowed faintly.

The ring on her finger shone in reply.

"I may not remember who I was in the past..." Haruto said, his voice trembling slightly.

"And I don't know what we'll face in the future.

But I know how I feel now."

He leaned in slightly, his eyes locking onto hers.

"I love you, Airi," he said.

"I always have.

Not because of fate... but because you've always stood beside me — even when I couldn't stand myself."

Airi's eyes widened.

Her lips trembled slightly.

She opened her mouth to reply—

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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End of Vol 1: "The Boy Who Can Stop Time For 10 Seconds"