All Alone

"This can't be happening," Hitsu said to himself in disbelief as the giant shadow stared down at him. However, he was wrong, this was happening. The screams of terror from the civilians below and the raining pieces of rock and dirt only confirmed that fact. Hitsu didn't have time to stay stunned as a hero was needed.

"Juno!" Hitsu said, "are you with me?"

He looked to his shoulder to see Juno had broken from her fearful trance and now looked angry and ready to fight. The small cat let out an affirmative meow that helped calm Hitsu's nerves slightly.

"Good," he said, "get down there and help people escape, I'm gonna hold this thing off."

Juno once again meowed in affirmation. With one last look at Hitsu, she lept from his shoulder down to the street below. As she fell from the building Juno transformed into her giant size with a flash of light. Hitsu watched as Juno landed gracefully and ran to a nearby elderly couple. She carefully but quickly helped the surprised couple onto her back before running towards safety.

"So..." Hitsu said as he turned his attention back to the colossal shadow before him, "...now I'm all alone."

The shadow hadn't moved since it first began staring at Hitsu. Its chest rose and fell with every breath it took but besides that, it stayed completely still. Its eyes lay on Hitsu and Hitsu's eyes on it. The shadow stared as if it was just as terrified as Hitsu, as if he was a great threat and the shadow wanted him to make the first move. Hitsu shivered as he realized this thing was studying him hoping to gather as much information as it could.

"Most shadows would just mindlessly attack," Hitsu thought, "I've gotta be careful."

Hitsu carefully took a step to his right. The shadow's eyes adjusted slightly to stay on Hitsu but it didn't move.

"Alright," Hitsu said aloud, "let's do this."

In a flash, Hitsu was shooting across the rooftops. The entire time Hitsu and the shadow had been staring the hero had been charging neon secretly. Underneath his hero suit, Hitsu's legs were surrounded with bright pink that was blocked from sight by his dark clothing. Hitsu used the burst of speed to rush from rooftop to rooftop as he attempted to get behind the giant shadow. Much to his surprised the shadow immediately retaliated. Its entire body spun sending debris flying into the air. Despite Hitsu's burst of speed the shadow had enough time to realize his plan and shut it down.

"What the hell?" Hitsu said surprised, "just how smart is this thing."

Hitsu stopped on a dime so quickly that the shadow couldn't stop its spinning in time. Hitsu held his hands together with his finger pointed at the shadow's chest. Neon energy surged around Hitsu's finger for a moment before firing like a bullet at the shadow. As the sharp pink shard flew towards the shadow its expression changed. Instead of stopping the shadow spun faster and harder causing more debris to fly into the air. As the bullet was about to strike the shadow a piece of the ground appeared between the two. The neon bullet truck the clump of rock and dirt and instantly a giant pink explosion filled the air. When it cleared Hitsu could see that the shadow had finished spinning and was facing him once again.

"It blocked it?" Hitsu said in disbelief, "but how? There's no way!"

It was only then when Hitsu realized where the shadows claw rest. The claws lay at the base of the building Hitsu currently stood at. The shadow waited until the exact moment Hitsu noticed to attack. With immense power, the shadow dug into the building and forced its claw upward. In a single second the entire building was in pieces and Hitsu was flying through the air amongst the rumble. Hitsu was only lightly injured psychically but was heavily damaged mentally. Thoughts raced through his mind as he soared through the air.

"What the hell?" Hitsu thought, "this is insane!"

Hitsu's thoughts continued as he watched the shadow's eyes lock onto him.

"It isn't common knowledge among civilians but most slayers know that shadows work like humans. The older they get the bigger, stronger, and wiser they get."

The shadow's claw that had swiped the building upward came to a stop in the air high above Hitsu.

"Despite this most shadows never gain any alarming intelligence. They may learn how to strategize against other shadows and animals but they never hold a candle against humans."

The giant looming claw then began its descent downwards. The back of the shadow's hand fell down upon Hitsu.

"But this is different! This isn't right! This intelligence is beyond that! Way too far beyond it!"

The dark claw blocked the little light that managed to sneak through the dark clouds causing Hitsu to be drowned in darkness as the claw grew only inches away from his defenseless body.

"This intelligence... It doesn't feel like I'm fighting a shadow..."

"...It's like I'm fighting a human..."

The giant claw struck Hitsu with more power than humanly possible. Hitsu was sent flying towards the ground at deadly speed. His body collided with the concrete below with a sickening thud as dirt and dust was sent flying into the air creating a giant cloud. The shadow had won.

Slowly the sounds of falling debris and terrified people began to fade as the giant shadow stood silently in place. It waited for a response from its opponent only to receive none. With nothing to stop it now its head turned as it scanned its surroundings. What would it do next? What would it find? What would it do? It could stop and think and plan all it wanted but in the end, it didn't change a thing. It could do whatever it wanted without resistance, without trouble, without opposition...

...Because nobody could stop it.

...

End of Episode 41