The jungle was alive with whispers. The leaves trembled in the suffocating darkness, their rustling barely masking the low, guttural breathing that hung in the air—a deep, primal hunger.
Reika's pulse thudded in her ears, each beat a heavy reminder of how exhausted her body was, her fingers wrapped tightly around her nunchaku. Her knuckles were white from the strain, a sign of how much longer she could hold on. The fight had gone on for hours, and the pain… hell, it was unbearable. But she couldn't afford to stop—not now. Not when she was so close.
Across from her, the black panther prowled through the shadows, its massive form nearly invisible in the pitch-black night. But its eyes—those molten gold eyes—burned through the dark like fire. It hadn't eaten in days. Hell, maybe longer. And it was looking at her like she was its next meal.
Then it roared.
The sound hit her like a physical blow, rattling her ribs. Her breath hitched in her throat, and her heart skipped. The beast's fangs—like curved daggers—glinted in the moonlight, wet with hunger, ready to rip her apart.
Shit.
Ishigo stood beside her, his body relaxed like he didn't have a care in the world. But his eyes—they never stopped analyzing. Always sharp. Always calculating. Never missing a beat.
"Reika,"he said, his voice calm, almost too calm for the situation. "It knows our weak spots. It's been circling us for a reason."
Reika's jaw tightened. That explained everything. The damn thing had been testing them, trying to find an opening.
Then—like a goddamn blur, the panther lunged.
Move.
Reika didn't even think. Her body acted on instinct. She twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding the panther's claws as they slashed through the air where her throat had been a split second ago. Instead, the sharp tips grazed her shoulder.
Pain.
It burned like hell, and for a split second, she almost staggered. Almost. But not today. Not when she was this close.
Without hesitation, her nunchaku shot forward. The chain snapped with brutal force as it slammed into the beast's skull. The impact made the panther shudder, its massive body recoiling for just a moment.
It flinched.
"Ishigo!"Reika's voice was ragged, but it was steady. "I hit its head! It flinched! That's its weak spot!"
Ishigo's eyes flickered. He didn't need her to say anything else. His nunchaku were in motion the next second, the chain slicing through the air with lethal precision.
CRACK!
The panther staggered, its snarl turning into something guttural, a low cry of rage.
No hesitation. No fear. Reika didn't waste a second. She whirled forward, the nunchaku blurring as it slammed down again—right on the same spot. And again. And again.
Each strike was vicious, calculated. The sound of impact was sickening—each blow crashing against the panther's skull like the world was coming to an end.
The beast's body jerked violently, its legs buckling under the onslaught. With one final, sickening thud, it collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Reika stood over it, breath coming in ragged gasps, her hands trembling as she looked down at the beast's still form.
But then—something shifted.
The panther's body didn't just die. It… burned.
Flames erupted from its wounds, wild, twisting in unnatural blue fire. Reika stepped back, her heart racing as the beast's flesh melted away into ash, the fire devouring it like a cursed soul.
What the fuck?
Amid the burning remains, something gleamed—a small crystal, pulsing with violet light. The glow was faint at first, but as Reika bent down to pick it up, it seemed to grow brighter. The surface was smooth, almost fragile, like glass. But inside, the liquid swirled with an eerie, living fire.
Her fingers trembled as she held it up. She could feel the heat radiating off it, but it didn't burn her.
"Ishigo," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "This... this isn't normal."
Ishigo frowned, his gaze sharp. "Take it. It could be important."
Reika nodded, slipping the crystal into her pocket. She didn't have time to process what the hell was going on before—
Whip!
A sharp wire lashed out, wrapping around her leg.
What the hell?!
Reika's eyes shot wide. Her mind screamed, but her body was too slow—too fucking slow. The wire sliced through her boot, the sharp edge digging into her flesh. Blood surged up her leg, pain tearing through her body as she lost her balance.
No.
No, no, no—
Her heart slammed against her ribs as her eyes landed on the trap—rows of gleaming knives waiting below, ready to shred her to pieces.
A split second before she fell into the trap, Ishigo's hand shot out. His grip was firm around her wrist, pulling her back with all the strength he could muster.
"Gotcha!" he gritted out, his voice low but urgent.
Reika's breath hitched as she stumbled back, her vision spinning. God, if he'd been even a second later—she would've been dead.
Ishigo quickly knelt, cutting the wire from her leg with a sharp motion. His eyes never left her. "Booby trap," he muttered, his tone dark. "Damn near had you."
Reika's breath still hadn't steadied. Her leg was on fire, the blood seeping into the dirt below. "I'm… injured. I'll be disqualified," she murmured, her voice flat.
Shit.
She couldn't fail. Not now. Not when she was so damn close.
As if the universe was mocking her, the crystal in her pocket pulsed again, the faint light glowing brighter. Reika's fingers shook as she pulled it out, watching in disbelief as the violet glow spread, lighting up the entire area around them. The liquid inside shifted and swirled, as if alive. Then—
The liquid spilled out, spilling into the air like fire, but instead of burning her, it wrapped around her leg.
The pain vanished.
Reika's breath caught in her throat as she felt the wound begin to heal. Her leg… it was completely fine. No blood, no pain.
"What the fuck?" Ishigo said under his breath, staring at the crystal in awe. "That thing just healed you…"
Reika's eyes widened. "It's… the lifeblood of these beasts. The power they hold. This isn't just physical strength. It's survival of the mind, too."
Ishigo exhaled slowly, his eyes still on her leg, then on the crystal. "You're right. This training's way more fucked up than we thought."
Reika slowly stood up, her body aching in ways she couldn't even describe, but her mind was focused. The first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, casting a faint glow on the jungle around them.
A new day.
Another battle won.
But deep in her chest, something burned.
She would become Kageshiki. She would become a monster if that's what it took.
Even if it meant losing herself in the process.