The Masked Oni

Masa's leg twitches as the club comes towards him, but he doesn't dodge it. Somewhere deep inside, his true self wants this madness to stop. The watery club smashes into his side, sending him staggering a few steps, his grip on Kajiwara loosening.

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding. "Masa, listen to me! This isn't you! You're not a killer!"

Kajiwara drops to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. He scrambles away from Masa, terror written all over his face.

Masa stands there, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. The dark aura around him flickers, as if uncertain. For a moment, it feels like the old Masa is fighting to break through the darkness.

Masa's eyes, one still glowing red but a lighter shade than before, meet mine. There's a flicker of recognition, a plea for help. "Aimi... I don't want to be this way..." he whispers, his voice trembling.

Tears well up in my eyes. "Then fight it, Masa! You're stronger than this darkness. You're not alone."

Masa then lifts up his hand shakily, forms a fist, and aims it towards himself. With a deep breath, he hurtles it towards his own jaw. The impact makes him stagger and fall on his side, knocking himself out.

I feel his menacing dark aura slowly fading away and his eye color returning to its original amber hue.

"Masa!" I yell, running towards him.

-Masa's Perspective-

I blink awake to the sound of distant birdsong and the soft rustle of leaves outside the window. The room is dimly lit by the orange glow of the setting sun. I try to sit up, but a ache in my jaw makes me wince, reminding me of my fight with Kajiwara and how Aimi stopped it.

As I adjust to my surroundings, my eyes fall on a figure sitting beside my bed. Kajiwara. His expression is unreadable, but there's no sign of the terror that was there before. Instead, he looks... concerned?

"Kajiwara," I croak, my voice rough. "I'm... I'm so sorry."

He raises a hand, silencing me. "You don't have to explain, Masa. I saw it in your eyes. That wasn't you."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "But I almost... I could have killed you."

Kajiwara leans forward, his expression softening. "But you didn't. You fought it. I was the one who tormented you until your breaking point"

I swallow hard, the weight of his words sinking in. "How can you forgive me so easily?"

He shrugs, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "We've all got our demons, Masa. What matters is how we fight them. And you... you did everything you could to protect me from yours." He pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You know, I think I was battling my own demons of jealousy. Seeing how you captivated Aimi with your determination and kindness... I guess I just wanted to be like you."

I smile at Kajiwara wise and kind words and give my hand for a handshake

Kajiwara then extends his hand towards me, offering a handshake. "You know, Masa, you're incredibly strong. That dark power... it doesn't suit the person you are, but I understand that we don't get to choose the magic we're born with."

I smile at his wise and kind words, feeling a sense of acceptance wash over me. Grasping his hand firmly, I shake it, sealing our newfound friendship.

I rise from the bed, my legs still trembling from the recent battle. They gradually steady themselves as I prepare to leave the infirmary. I give Kajiwara a final wave, and he nods in response before settling back into his rest.

Just as I'm about to step out, a figure sprints towards me at full speed, catching my attention. I squint to make out the form, and as it nears, I realize it's Aimi.

"Masa!!! Thank heavens you're okay!" she calls out, relief evident in her voice.

In her rush, Aimi trips and lands flat on her face. I can't help but chuckle. "Clumsy as ever," I tease, extending a hand to help her up.

Aimi brushes off my offer and quickly gets to her feet on her own. Without missing a beat, she draws her wand and bonks me on the head with it. "Masa, what on earth did you do earlier? You nearly got Kajiwara killed! And what's with that ominous power? Your eyes were glowing red—"

She observes closely at my eyes, noting their normal color. "—but now they're back to normal. What's going on?"

I let out a deep sigh, knowing I can't keep this hidden any longer. "I need to tell you the truth," I begin, my voice heavy with resignation. "I was granted these magical powers by Kurayami, The Reaper." I pull out the orb tied around my neck, which had been hidden under my school uniform. I let it hang openly for Aimi to see. The orb's dark surface catches the light, reflecting a glimmer of its unsettling power.

"I made a grave mistake," I continue, my gaze dropping to the floor. "I tried to wield the power immediately without understanding its true nature. It took advantage upon my darkest desires and almost consumed my soul, along with Kajiwara's."

Aimi's eyes widen in shock. "B-b-but how is that even possible?" Her voice quakes, and she seems momentarily lost in thought before snapping back to focus. "I remember reading about the five Abyssal Creatures 1when I was younger. The Reaper is one of them. He was infamous for doing others' dirty work in exchange for human souls."

Her gaze sharpens as she studies me. "Masa... don't tell me you sacrificed a soul?"

I quickly wave my hands in denial, shaking my head. "No, no. Nothing like that. I don't even understand why he's granting me his powers."

Aimi's eyes drift back to the orb hanging around my neck. "Summoning Orbs come in four distinct colors: white, green, blue, and red. White is the weakest, usually summoning something minor like a skeleton. Red is the strongest, capable of summoning grand creatures like the Sky Dragon, typically wielded by high-ranking royals."

She lightly touches the orb, her fingers brushing against its surface. "But I've never seen or heard of an orb like this—black. It doesn't fit into any known category." Her voice grows serious. "Masa, where did you get this from? And did you use your Reaper's power to save me that day?"

"I-I got it from the Magic Weapon Shop," I stammer, "where they sell summons, swords, armor, wands, and books to learn new spells." I pause, trying to steady my nerves before answering her second question. "No, I just ran away," I lie, not wanting her to know that the Reaper had actually descended upon our world.

Aimi's eyes narrow, and she looks at me skeptically. "Are you sure, Masa? This isn't something to hide." She pauses, then adds, "Have you met or seen the Reaper yet?"

I swallow hard, hoping my lie holds. "Yeah, I'm sure," I say, trying to sound convincing. "I've only heard his voice, that's all."

She sighs, still looking unconvinced. "Alright, We're dealing with something far dangerous beyond what we've ever faced before. We need to do more research into the origin of the Abyssal Creatures."

I nod in agreement. "Maybe we can start with our school libra—" Suddenly, a loud explosion echoes from the front of the school.

Aimi and I exchange worried glances before rushing towards the source of the explosion. We push through the dust cloud at the front doors, finding them completely shattered. The surrounding walls are cracked and destroyed, creating an irregular hole with bits of the wall hanging by a thread.

As the dust cloud settles, we see three masked figures, different from the ones who tried to kidnap Aimi. Each wears a neat, hooded black robe. Their ghostly white oni masks have intricate swirling patterns, two gleaming gold horns, and deep, shadowed eye sockets. The broad nose and sharply defined lines give a fierce expression, with a wide, grimacing mouth framed by large, tusk-like fangs, enhancing their intimidating presence.

All three of them turn towards us in unison. The one in the middle is the tallest, wielding a pair of nunchucks that he rests casually over his shoulder, as if carrying a dead animal. The other two, slightly shorter but of equal height, each hold a magic wand.

"Oh? No one mentioned we'd have a few stragglers after school hours," he says, his voice muffled by the mask.

"We can't waste any time on small fries. The artifact room is to the left and down the stairs," the one standing to his right says, her voice revealing her to be a girl.

The artifact room? That's where precious and powerful magical artifacts are stored for safekeeping and display. It's currently guarded by a twelve-foot tungsten door that only opens with the permission of school officials and closes two hours before the end of the school day.

"You two go on ahead. I'll keep these chumps busy," the nunchuck wielder says confidently. He steps forward into an attack position, one leg advanced, with one end of his nunchucks pointing towards us and the other end hanging down.

"Masa we mustn't let them reach that vault!" Aimi yells worriedly, reaching for her magic wand in pocket.

"Got it! We'll take him down." I say confidently replying.

"We'll see about that, kids," the nunchuck guy mocks. Seamlessly, he coats his nunchucks in fierce flames and, with a swift downward motion, hurls an arc of fire towards Aimi.

With little time to react, Aimi quickly chants, "Water Magic: Aqua Shieldus," conjuring a multilayered square shield of water in front of her.

The flaming arc pierces through the water shield effortlessly, causing the water to evaporate into a thick fog. A thud sounds behind me, and when I turn, I see Aimi's figure through the fog, hunched over on the ground with her wand dropped. She's gasping for air.

"NOO, AIMI!" I cry out, my voice echoing. Although she's alive, the water shield cushioned the impact of the flame arc.

Suddenly, I see another figure moving through the fog and towards me. As it gets closer, I recognize the nunchuck wielder.

With nothing left to defend myself, I attempt to release my Reaper magic, but nothing happens. Why isn't it working? I think, frustrated. I try again, focusing harder, but still nothing.

It's too late now. The guy is inches away, his menacing oni mask and the malice radiating from him clearly visible. The mask's twisted features and gleaming gold horns send a shiver down my spine, and his eyes, hidden in shadow, feel like they're staring right through me.

Please... Why the hell won't my power work?