Cloud’s fist landed with a loud, crashing crack against the phantom's spine, the impact sending shockwaves through its skeletal frame. A deafening screech tore through the air, raw and shrill, as the creature spasmed violently. Its elongated arms swung back instinctively, and before Cloud could react, a powerful strike sent him flying. His body tumbled through the air, limbs flailing before he crashed into the sturdy trunk of a palm tree, the impact knocking loose a flurry of sand and dead fronds.

Gritting his teeth, Cloud forced himself up, shaking sand from his hair. The blue glow of his foxfire flickered across his mask as he raised his fists again, his stance solid, unwavering.

"That was weaker than I expected."

The phantoms stirred. Their grotesque bodies straightened as they regained their balance, their smooth, gray skin shifting eerily in the dim light. All at once, they turned their hollow black eyes toward him. Sand clung to their gaunt frames as they shook themselves off, their maws parting slightly to reveal jagged, uneven teeth.

Cloud raised a brow beneath his mask. ‘They want to eat me, huh? Well, I’m here to eat too—just not your flesh.’

In a split second, the creatures lunged. Their elongated limbs lashed out, their grotesque figures moving with unnatural agility. But Cloud was faster. He pivoted to the side, his movements sharp and fluid. Midair, his fist slammed into the nearest phantom’s jaw with a sickening crunch. The force sent the creature sprawling, dark ichor spraying into the air before splattering onto the sand.

The phantom’s lower jaw hung at an unnatural angle, loosely attached by torn flesh. Its body twitched, unmoving—whether unconscious or conscious, Cloud couldn’t tell. A piercing screech erupted from another phantom as it rushed toward him, but Cloud remained still, his muscles coiled like steel wires.

The creature lunged.

Cloud exhaled sharply, and this time, his punch had better form—more precision, more power. His fist tore through the phantom’s skull, sinking through flesh and bone as though it were paper. Time slowed. His arm was buried wrist-deep inside the creature’s head, its warped features frozen in shock.

Cloud’s eyes widened. Not in fear, but in surprise.

He had expected to defeat them—but to have a phantom’s head wrapped around his arm like a shattered vase? That was something else entirely.

Something else stirred within him.

Slowly, carefully, he placed a hand on the phantom’s chest and pushed. The body slid off his arm, collapsing into the sand with a dull thud.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

A weight settled on his chest. A guilt so heavy it momentarily dulled his senses. No matter how monstrous they looked, phantoms were once human. Lost souls, trapped in suffering. He clenched his fists. That guilt wouldn’t stop him—he knew that exorcising them was the only mercy he could grant.

The remaining three phantoms hesitated, their skeletal fingers twitching. Then, without warning, they turned and fled, their lanky bodies retreating on all fours across the dunes.

Cloud watched them go.

‘They left? That’s unfortunate. I could’ve exorcised them and set them free.’

A sigh escaped him as he knelt in the sand between the two fallen creatures. His hands still flickered with electric-blue foxfire, casting eerie shadows on their still bodies.

“This is it, I suppose,” he murmured. “The first step to growing stronger…”

His gaze lifted to the sky, to the lone moon hanging above the cursed realm, its glow haunting yet strangely peaceful.

The Night Before Takahiro’s Departure

Cloud and Takahiro lay on opposite ends of the sleeping mat in the quiet living room, the faint creak of wood and the rustling of the night breeze the only sounds around them.

“Sensei, are you still awake?”

Takahiro exhaled heavily, his eyes still closed. “Unfortunately.”

Cloud cracked one eye open, staring at the ceiling. “Where do phantoms go after they’re exorcised?”

Takahiro’s eyes fluttered open at the question. “Why do you think happens when we exorcise phantoms?”

“I’m not sure… I would answer ‘for their foxfire,’ but that feels selfish… I like to think there’s a deeper meaning behind it.”

Takahiro sighed, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “And there is. Phantoms were once human. Humans who couldn’t find peace after their deaths. They are burdened with vengeance and hatred, with a will to justify an injustice, yet they can’t do it. They exist in another realm, unable to achieve what they want… We exorcise phantoms to free them from this burden and letting their souls be at peace… I don’t know where they go after they’re exorcised but I don’t think it matters… as long as they have been freed from their terrible fate… I don’t if my answer satisfied your curiosity but hopefully, it helped.”

Cloud smiled faintly, closing his eyes again. “It does… Thank you. Good night, Sensei.”

“Good night, Cloud.”

Present Time

Cloud plunged his flaming palm into the phantom's chest.

A violent surge of electric-blue flames roared around his entire body, flickering like a living storm. The phantom convulsed, its body writhing as black foxfire erupted from within, twisting and clawing like a sinister force trying to escape.

The two fires clashed—blue against black, light against darkness. Sparks crackled as they fought for dominance, the air thick with searing heat and oppressive energy.

Cloud's breath hitched as he watched, his body slowly becoming enveloped in the phantom's black flames. The dark fire slithered over his arms, creeping toward his torso, smothering his own foxfire…

‘No…’

A guttural scream tore from his throat.

"Nooo!!"

With his defiance, his foxfire erupted in a brilliant explosion, violently consuming the darkness. The black fire withered and shrieked, and the phantom's grotesque form crumbled, reduced to dust. The wind carried away the remains, scattering them into nothingness.

Cloud staggered, his foxfire slowly withdrawing into his body. His breath was ragged, his limbs trembling.

Then, a voice—barely more than a whisper.

“Thank you.”

His eyes widened. He whirled around, searching—but no one was there.

‘Was that the phantom I just exorcised?’

A lingering silence answered him.

Cloud exhaled sharply, shaking off the last remnants of hesitation. He could already feel it—his foxfire was stronger now. He turned his gaze to the other phantom lying in the sand… He exorcised it much more easily than the previous one and let its soul rest…

Cloud pushed himself off the sand with a groan and looked to up at to the one moon.

‘Well, I guess I shouldn’t waste any more time.’

Reaching up, he placed a hand on his mask and slowly removed it, bowing his head.