Hanato's Perspective — Hirito
The furious roar of the Razorblade Monster echoed throughout Tokyo.
The steel framework of Tokyo Tower trembled as the gigantic creature stood atop one of its observation platforms, its crimson eyes burning with hatred.
Below, the city had fallen into complete silence.
The police officers who had just regained their humanity slowly looked upward.
Reporters continued broadcasting the confrontation live.
Television helicopters circled overhead.
Across Tokyo, millions of people watched with bated breath.
The monster glared directly at us.
Its claws dug into the steel beams beneath its feet.
Its tail lashed violently from side to side.
It had lost its entire army.
Now...
It had nothing left except itself.
Shina stepped forward beside me.
The white-haired guardian looked up toward the towering monster.
Her blue eyes reflected unwavering determination.
"Hirito!!"
Her voice rang across the battlefield.
The moment she called my name—
I understood exactly what she meant.
We couldn't allow the battle to drag on.
Every second increased the chance that more innocent people would be hurt.
This...
Had to end now.
I nodded firmly.
"...Right."
I lowered my stance.
Dark shadows gathered around my feet once again.
Behind me, my three Phantom Images mirrored every movement perfectly.
Ryuhou's calm voice echoed inside my mind.
"Master."
"Now is your chance."
"I know."
I clenched my fists.
"We finish this together."
The four of us burst forward simultaneously.
The pavement cracked beneath our feet as we sprinted toward Tokyo Tower.
The surrounding air howled around us.
Our scarves streamed behind us like flowing shadows.
The monster watched our approach.
Then it roared once more.
Metallic scales rattled across its back.
I narrowed my eyes.
"It's preparing another attack."
Without slowing down, I shouted,
"Now!"
My three Phantom Images immediately changed formation.
The first clone crouched low.
The second climbed onto the first.
The third stood atop both of them.
A living staircase of shadows.
I leaped.
The first Phantom Image launched me upward with both hands.
The second immediately boosted me even higher.
Then—
The third clone delivered the final push.
BOOM!!
The force propelled me high above the surrounding buildings.
The wind exploded around me.
For several breathtaking seconds...
I was flying.
Tokyo spread beneath my feet.
The monster's enormous face rapidly grew closer.
Its glowing crimson eyes widened.
It hadn't expected me to reach this height.
Then—
WHOOSH!!
Its massive bladed tail swept toward me.
The attack was impossibly fast.
It would have crushed an ordinary person instantly.
"Phantom Sneak."
Dark shadows wrapped around my body.
The world blurred.
The bladed tail passed harmlessly through me as though striking empty darkness.
The attack missed completely.
The Razorblade Monster's eyes widened.
"...Now!"
I extended my arm.
"Phantom Manipulation!"
A massive shadow whip erupted from my hand.
The living darkness shot through the air before wrapping tightly around the monster's enormous body.
Its arms.
Its torso.
Its legs.
The whip coiled around every part of it.
The monster struggled violently.
It roared in fury.
Too late.
I twisted my body.
Using the monster's own momentum against it, I spun through the air.
The enormous creature lost its balance.
For something so massive...
It was surprisingly easy to throw once gravity joined the fight.
"HYAAAH!!"
The whip tightened.
The monster was ripped away from Tokyo Tower.
For a brief moment—
Its enormous body floated weightlessly through the sky.
Then—
CRAAAAASH!!!
The Razorblade Monster slammed into the street below.
The impact shook the entire district.
Chunks of asphalt erupted into the air.
Dust engulfed the surrounding buildings.
Before the monster could recover—
Three familiar voices shouted simultaneously.
"Phantom Manipulation!"
My Phantom Images extended their arms.
Three additional shadow whips burst from the darkness.
Each whip wrapped tightly around one of the monster's limbs.
The first restrained its right arm.
The second restrained its left.
The third wrapped around its legs and torso.
The four shadow whips pulled in opposite directions.
The Razorblade Monster strained with all its might.
Its muscles bulged.
Its claws dug deep into the pavement.
But it couldn't move.
Not even an inch.
I landed several meters away.
Breathing heavily.
Every muscle in my body burned.
Maintaining four simultaneous restraints consumed enormous amounts of Essence energy.
Sweat rolled down my forehead.
My vision blurred slightly.
Ryuhou's voice sounded strained.
"Our energy..."
"...is dropping quickly."
"I know."
I gritted my teeth.
"We only need a few more seconds."
I looked toward Shina.
Then shouted with every bit of strength I had left.
"SHINA!!"
"NOW!!!"
Hina's Perspective — Shina
He really was incredible.
Watching Hirito fight up close was completely different from seeing him battle the Mini Razorblade Monsters earlier.
Every movement was deliberate.
Every attack flowed naturally into the next.
He wasn't simply relying on strength.
He was thinking several moves ahead.
Even while fighting a creature several times larger than himself...
He never panicked.
I couldn't help smiling.
"He's amazing..."
Ryuna laughed softly.
"I told you."
"The Essence of Shadow was chosen for a reason."
The monster struggled desperately against the shadow restraints.
It wouldn't remain trapped forever.
This was our only chance.
Without hesitation—
I ran.
The white aura surrounding my body intensified once more.
The distance between me and the restrained monster vanished in an instant.
Its furious crimson eyes locked onto me.
For the first time...
I saw it clearly.
Hidden beneath layers of corruption...
A small symbol glowed on its right cheek.
A twisted purple mark.
The Curse Mark.
Ryuna spoke urgently.
"That's it!"
"Destroy it!"
I nodded.
"This ends now."
Rather than striking with my fist...
I gently placed my left hand against the glowing mark.
The instant my palm made contact—
The Curse Mark cracked.
Thin lines of brilliant white light spread across its surface.
The purple symbol trembled violently.
Then—
SHATTER!!
The Curse Mark exploded into countless particles of violet light.
The corruption surrounding the monster immediately began weakening.
The creature let out one final agonized roar.
Then...
Its voice changed.
Less monstrous.
More human.
Ryuna smiled.
"The corruption has been purified."
I closed my eyes.
Then raised both hands toward the sky.
"Celestial Restoration."
The world answered.
A magnificent magic circle appeared beneath my feet.
Its intricate patterns stretched across the battlefield, glowing with radiant white light.
Ancient symbols rotated slowly around its edges.
The air itself shimmered.
Warmth spread throughout the entire district.
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
A brilliant pillar of light rose from the center of the magic circle, piercing the evening sky like a second sunrise.
The dazzling radiance illuminated every nearby building.
The surrounding darkness vanished.
The injured police officers felt their wounds begin to heal.
Broken concrete mended itself.
Shattered police barricades slowly reformed.
Damaged vehicles affected by the battle gradually returned to their original condition.
The corrupted energy lingering throughout the area dissolved into countless glowing particles.
Gentle white lights drifted across the city like snowflakes.
Wherever those lights touched the former Mini Razorblade Monsters, the last traces of corruption disappeared completely.
Then...
The enormous Razorblade Monster itself began glowing.
Its metallic scales dissolved into streams of white light.
Its massive claws shrank.
Its monstrous tail disappeared.
The towering body grew smaller and smaller.
Until finally—
A teenage boy collapsed gently onto the restored pavement.
His white hair was messy.
His school uniform was torn.
Tears streamed silently from his closed eyes.
"...Reno."
He was human again.
Complete silence fell over Tokyo Tower.
No cheers.
No applause.
Only relief.
The nightmare was finally over.
Above us, the fading rays of sunlight broke through the clouds once more.
The first battle between the Essences...
Had come to an end.
Hanato's Perspective — Hirito
We did it.
The realization didn't truly sink in until the deafening roar of the battle faded into the distance.
The Razorblade Monster had been purified.
The civilians were safe.
The police officers who had been transformed into monsters had returned to normal.
Tokyo Tower still stood proudly against the evening sky, its steel frame glowing beneath the orange rays of the setting sun. Around us, emergency sirens continued to echo through the city, but this time they sounded less like cries of despair and more like confirmation that the nightmare had finally come to an end.
I slowly released a deep breath.
"...We actually saved everyone."
A small chuckle escaped my lips before I looked toward the white-haired girl standing several meters away.
Shina.
She had become the center of attention almost immediately.
News reporters rushed toward her from every direction, their microphones extended as cameras struggled to capture the mysterious heroine responsible for restoring the city. Police officers quickly formed a protective circle around her to keep the crowd from getting too close, but that only seemed to encourage the reporters to ask even more questions.
Watching her surrounded by everyone, I couldn't help smiling.
"So this is the power of the Essence of Light..."
Ryuhou's voice echoed inside my mind.
"She truly is remarkable, Master."
"Yeah..."
I scratched the back of my head while watching her.
"I finally understand why she was chosen."
For a brief moment, the chaos around us faded into the background.
All I could see was her standing beneath the evening sky.
"...She's amazing."
I laughed quietly to myself.
"And... maybe she's the girl of my dreams."
Ryuhou immediately burst into laughter inside my head.
"You fell for her already?"
"W-What?!"
"You have known her for less than an hour."
"I-I didn't say I was in love!"
"You just called her the girl of your dreams."
"..."
"...Don't remind me."
Trying to ignore Ryuhou's teasing, I looked around the nearby park.
The battle had scattered debris everywhere, but somehow a small flower bed near the edge of the walkway had survived.
One bright yellow tulip still stood proudly among the damaged plants.
"...Perfect."
I carefully walked over before kneeling beside it.
"I just hope she isn't allergic."
Gently picking the flower, I brushed the dirt from its stem before making my way back toward the crowd.
By now the police cadets had completely surrounded Shina, pushing reporters several steps away while the Mayor and Police Chief approached to thank her personally.
I stopped in front of the police barricade.
One officer immediately raised his arm.
"Sorry, you can't—"
I pointed at myself with a confident grin.
"Excuse me!"
I raised my hand dramatically.
"Hero coming through!"
Several nearby officers exchanged confused looks before recognizing me as the boy who had fought alongside Shina only moments earlier.
"...Let him through."
The barricade opened.
I casually walked past the officers before stopping directly in front of the white-haired heroine.
She blinked.
I smiled.
Then I bowed politely while presenting the yellow tulip with both hands.
"For you..."
I lifted my head with the biggest smile I could manage.
"...my princess."
Hina's Perspective — Shina
"...P-Princess?!"
My entire body froze.
Did...
Did he really just call me that?
I could practically feel the heat rushing to my face.
Inside my mind, an unmistakable giggle echoed loudly.
Ryuna was laughing.
Not just laughing—
She was absolutely enjoying my embarrassment.
"Shina..."
"Pfft..."
"Princess?"
"Stop laughing!"
I mentally shouted.
"This isn't funny!"
Ryuna struggled to contain herself.
"You should accept the flower."
"W-Why should I?!"
I stared at Hirito, who was still smiling as though calling complete strangers "princess" was perfectly normal.
"He's rude."
"He's annoying."
"And..."
I crossed my arms.
"I don't even like him!"
Ryuna chuckled softly.
"Accepting a flower doesn't mean you like him."
She glanced toward the tulip.
"Besides... yellow symbolizes friendship."
I hesitated.
"...Friendship?"
"Exactly."
"..."
"...Fine."
I sighed dramatically before accepting the flower.
"Thanks..."
I looked directly into his eyes.
"But don't ever call me 'Princess' again."
His smile somehow grew even wider.
"No problem..."
He gave me a playful wink.
"Princess."
"..."
Why?!
Why couldn't this guy just listen for once?!
Seriously...
He reminded me way too much of Hanato.
Both of them loved teasing people.
Both of them were unbelievably annoying.
The only difference...
Hirito was somehow even worse because he openly flirted without the slightest bit of embarrassment.
Before I could scold him again, loud arguing erupted near the police barricade.
The familiar voice immediately made my heart sink.
I turned toward the commotion.
"What is she doing...?"
Standing outside the police line was none other than my best friend.
Yuki.
She was waving her phone in one hand while desperately trying to explain herself to the officer blocking her path.
"Please let me through!"
"I told you I'm here for an interview!"
The exhausted police officer sighed.
"I'm sorry, miss."
"I'm only doing my job."
Watching Yuki argue with a police officer while dozens of television cameras were still broadcasting live made me bury my face in one hand.
"I can't believe she'd risk coming all the way here... just to get an interview."
Even after everything that had happened today...
She was still thinking like a reporter.