Shirogane watched Kaito closely as the wind rose suddenly, whipping tiny grains of sand off the concrete. The air tasted metallic, like the calm before a storm.

“Yume, so he’s the boy they’ve been talking about?” Shirogane asked, amusement in his tone.

The girl looked up hesitantly. “Y-yes… it’s him,” she whispered.

Kaito, meanwhile, scanned the scene warily. “Who are you?” he asked, voice steady.

The figure on the roof vanished in an instant; a gust of wind hit Kaito. A cold hand landed on his shoulder—there hadn’t even been the sound of a landing.

“Shirogane. Remember that name.”

The fist came like a bullet: a dry, precise strike. Kaito flew, smashing through a tree dozens of meters from the warehouse. Splinters and leaves rained down around him like black rain.

Yume held her breath. “D-did you kill him?”

Shirogane lowered his arm and smiled, ice in his expression. “Something tells me no.”

Kaito rose from the dust. Standing.

(What are those…?) Yume thought, watching the boy’s hands clench around something tight.

Kaito had drawn his blades. Blood trickled from his brow, but his eyes never left his opponent.

“Shirogane, there’s no need to kill him—let’s go,” Yume said, her voice threaded with worry.

Shirogane fixed her with an implacable stare. “Have you already forgotten who makes the decisions here? And don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did.” He spoke low and cutting, as if every word were a blade.

“What do you want from me?” a distant voice interrupted.

Kaito stepped forward slowly. Shirogane regarded him with bored interest. “From you? Nothing. My men said you were skilled—I thought you might be useful.” He paused, then shook his head. “But you’re nothing special…”

Kaito narrowed his eyes, then glanced at Yume. “…And you? Are you working with him?”

She lowered her gaze and remained silent.

Kaito tightened his jaw. “Fine.” The next instant he was gone.

A heartbeat. A flash.

He was already on Shirogane. The blade aimed at his throat; Shirogane barely dodged. A second thrust grazed his side, a third nicked his arm.

“Kuh…” Kaito didn’t slow.

Shirogane wasted no time and countered with a string of precise blows. They moved with astonishing speed—an interweaving of blades and strikes.

Kaito barely managed to avoid a kick, folding his body. Taking advantage of the opening, Shirogane struck him with a thrust straight to the chest. Kaito realigned almost immediately, aware he was facing a superior opponent.

(Could he be a possessor?) he wondered.

They locked eyes for a moment, then Shirogane laughed. “Maybe you’re not so boring after all.”

Kaito looked at him with contempt; for an instant his gaze flicked to Yume, but he knew he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

“Tell me—are you a spirit-bearer?” Shirogane demanded.

Kaito kept his tone steady. “I’m not.”

Long ago, a thousand years before, a bloody war between humans and spirits had given rise to the spirit-bearers. To win the conflict, humanity sealed spirits within their bodies. Generation after generation those entities were inherited; those who could use them were called spirit-bearers.

“You don’t have a spirit? Don’t joke with me—you couldn’t have hurt me without one,” Shirogane said with that blend of arrogance and certainty that can unnerve even the staunchest person.

Yume stood frozen, eyes wide. “That can’t be,” she whispered in disbelief at the boy’s revelation.

Kaito launched himself again; his blades sliced the air and flashed in Shirogane’s eyes. Shirogane dodged and retaliated with a powerful uppercut that lifted Kaito; he hit the ground hard. Blood spilled from his lips, yet his chest rose and fell.

“How are you still standing? A blow like that should’ve taken anyone’s head off,” Shirogane said, anger obvious on his face.

“Maybe you overestimate yourself,” Kaito rasped, pushing himself up with effort.

Shirogane’s frustration grew. “Let’s see if you keep talking big!” he shouted.

From his shadow emerged two pale arms, then a whole figure: round red eyes, translucent skin, long black hair, a lean body in a pitch-black garment. His spirit had taken form.

The creature stepped out of the shadow, looked around, and spoke in a voice both gentle and unnerving: “Why did you summon me in a place like this?”

“Don’t complain, Kuroyami. Kill him,” Shirogane replied without pity.

Kaito studied the manifested figure. “So she’s your spirit, huh?” he asked, still hurting.

“Consider yourself honored I was called forth,” Shirogane said.

Kuroyami replied, “I have no objection to killing him.”

Kaito drew a breath. “Fine. Neither do I.” In the next instant, Shirogane and Kuroyami struck together. Kaito was driven against the warehouse wall; he absorbed the impact with his blades, but the force was tremendous.

“Kuroyami, begin… kage no itsuwari!” ordered Shirogane.

Kaito paused, but nothing happened. (It didn’t work?) he thought.

When he tried to move, he couldn’t. (My legs… they won’t move!)

Shirogane closed in with a cruel grin. Kuroyami remained still while its master continued to batter Kaito. Blood spread across the concrete; a damaged section of the warehouse wall collapsed under the shockwaves.

This time even his blades couldn’t keep him safe. Kaito had a single thought: (I have no choice… I have to use that.) His body trembled beneath the onslaught.

Shirogane’s fist tore into Kaito’s lower abdomen.

“Kaito!” Yume cried, hands flying to her mouth as the girl began to tremble.

Shirogane paused, certain he had won. “You give up, huh?” he asked, menacing.

Kaito, staggering, whispered, “You’re wrong… it’s just… that now… you’re within my range.” His blades began to glow a deep blue.

“Spirit Slayer!” A slash of light ripped through the air and struck Shirogane, hoisting him into the air and collapsing a section of the warehouse roof. A deafening boom shattered the silence; a thick haze rose.

Kaito, breathing shallowly and burning with wounds, watched the spot the blow had hit. “I-I hit him… he should be—okay,” he murmured, clutching his blades as if to convince himself first.

A voice cut through the haze; Shirogane roared in fury. “He’s still alive!..”

He lunged at Kaito and grabbed his face, hurling him toward the nearby grove. The two shot through the trees at high speed, uprooting twenty or so and leaving a crater in the earth.

“Kuroyami… power… kage no itsuwari knight!” The spirit reappeared. From Kaito’s shadow something moved: his own shadow separated and took shape as a knight—helmet, armor, boots—all forged from pure shadow.

Kaito watched the new adversary. He landed a backward bound and tried to stand, but a searing pain forced him down again: his right arm was broken from the impact.

“Knight, hold him still,” Shirogane ordered in a firm voice.

The puppet obeyed immediately. “Kuroyami, kage no ken!” A sword emerged from Shirogane’s shadow.

Kaito struggled to regain control of his body, but his vision began to blur. For him, at that moment, there was less and less left to do.