Blaze In The Rising Darkness

Present Day, Earth

I'm Takumi Hinoyama. Seventeen, just your average guy trying to make the most of every day. School's nothing too exciting, but it's good enough. Friends, laughs, the usual stuff. I guess I'm lucky in that way. Still, sometimes I get this feeling, like there's something more to life. Like I'm standing at the edge of something, but I can't quite see it yet. Maybe I'm just overthinking it...

But there's more to me than just school and fun. I've got these... strange abilities that I don't fully understand. Sometimes, when things go wrong and creatures like the Oscuros show up, I end up using them without thinking.

The Oscuros are scary creatures that look like tall, dark shadows. They have skin that's almost like ink, and their eyes glow red. They have long, bony arms with sharp claws, and they move slowly but powerfully, like zombies. These creatures come from another realm, a dark and scary place, and sometimes they come into our world to cause trouble.

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, making the classroom feel like a giant, boring box. Tanaka-sensei was talking and talking about some old Japanese stuff, but I wasn't paying attention at all. My mind was wandering. I was thinking about… well, I wasn't really thinking about anything. Just staring out the window, watching the clouds drift by.

The bell finally rang. I stretched, a big smile on my face. Freedom! Tanaka-sensei's voice faded away as I gathered my books. "Hinoyama-kun!" Hana-chan was waiting for me. "You seemed out of it in class," she said. "Are you okay?" I shrugged, "Just a little tired, I guess." Even though I felt a little weird inside, I gave her a big smile. Hana-chan was always so cheerful, it was hard to be anything but happy around her.

"So, what do you want to do after school?" Hana-chan asked. "Maybe we could get some ice cream? Or go to the park?" I was about to suggest the arcade when a deafening ROAR shook the whole school. Looking out the window, we saw something that made our blood run cold. An Oscuro, easily ten times taller than any human, was smashing the school wall! It looked unlike any Oscuro we had ever seen before – more like a giant, hulking serpentine with inky black skin and burning red eyes. It was terrifying.

An Oscuro? Here? I whispered, shock gripping me. Hana-chan's face was white. "What do we do?" she gasped. "Can you handle it, Hinoyama-kun?" she asked, her voice trembling. I was a Vorixa, yes, but facing this giant monster… it was daunting.

The Vorixas were humans with special abilities. They were like superheroes, protecting ordinary people from the Oscuros. Everyone respected the Vorixas, knowing they were the only thing standing between them and the terrifying creatures of the shadows. I was one of them, a young Vorixa still learning to control his own powers.

The wind hit my face as I jumped out the window. The giant monster roared, and the ground shook. My heart pounded, but I knew I had to do this. I was a Vorixa. I had to fight. Just a moment ago everything was calm but look at this now. What a mess.

The Oscuro roared again, a sound that shook the ground. It reared back its huge head and then lunged at me. I barely had time to jump back, barely escaping the crushing force of its attack. This was unlike any Oscuro I had ever faced – faster, stronger, more terrifying. I was mid-air when its tail whipped through, slamming me back into the ground. Before I could recover, it charged again. I braced myself for the impact, but at the last second, I lashed out with my fists, somehow managing to stop it in its tracks. With a desperate surge of adrenaline, I channeled fire into my other hand and smashed a fist into its face.

I heard cheering from the school – my classmates, I realized. It gave me a surge of motivation. The Oscuro growled, its eyes burning with rage. I grinned, a feral grin that surprised even myself. This was it. I channeled fire into both my fists, a burning heat radiating from my hands. Then, I charged towards the monster, aiming for its face.

I punched the monster in the face with a blast of fire. But the Oscuro barely flinched. It shook its head and looked at me. It wasn't attacking wildly anymore. It was looking at me like it was playing with its food. I knew I was in trouble. I was utterly overwhelmed. I should call for help. That's the first thought that came in my mind. But I can not leave the things here as of now. I have to restrain this thing.

"En Seishin... Enzai!"

I yelled, blasting the monster with a stream of fire. Flames licked at its black skin, making it hiss and roar in pain. But the monster was tough. It shook its head and lunged at me again, faster than before. I had to do something, and fast.

The relentless attacks were so overwhelming for me to handle. I struggled to stay on my feet, pain radiating through my body. I can't keep up... My flames flickered weakly.

I felt really weak at the moment.

I gritted my teeth, trying to push past the doubt. I can't give up... But the more I fought, the more I felt my strength draining away. The fire inside me felt distant, like it didn't belong to me anymore.

I've always believed that if I keep pushing, if I keep fighting, I'll find a way. I know I'm not alone, and I won't let this monster take everything from me. My flames are weak, but they're still burning. As long as I can stand, I'll fight.

I've got to protect them.

I can't keep running from this... The Oscuro is closing in, but I still have one last shot. My body's on the brink of collapse, and my flames are barely more than a spark, but I won't go down without a fight. I can feel the power inside me, just waiting to break free.

This is it. My final option.

It takes time to charge, time I don't have, but I have no choice. I start focusing, pushing everything I have left into the attack, gathering the fire, focusing it, even as the pain surges through me. I won't let it control me. Not now.

I've come too far to quit.

But...It's too late.

The attack isn't ready. The Oscuro's strike is almost here. I can't move fast enough.

And the next moment, when I thought it was all for nothing, an intense strike of lightning protected me from the attacking Oscuro.

Hayato Shō, a young vorixa, just like me. Just on time. "Shō! Where the hell were you?" I yelled out of frustration. "Shoot it."

He calmly said.

"I'd do that without you telling me to."

The heat rose in my chest, building until I couldn't hold it back anymore. "Let's end this," I muttered.

"En Seishin...Shinenryū no Hōkō."

I thrust my hand forward, and the dragon burst out—a roaring blaze of gold and crimson fire. The air shimmered from the heat as it tore through everything in its way. "This is the roar of the divine blazing dragon."

The flames were too much to handle. My hands burned, the searing heat cutting through my skin as I forced the attack forward. I never wanted to use this power... but there was no choice. This was the only way.

The attack hit the Oscuro hard. Flames wrapped around its serpentine body, burning its dark scales. The creature hissed and thrashed, but the fire kept spreading, forcing it back. For a moment, it seemed to weaken, its form crumbling at the edges.

"Let's get this over with." Hayato said, gripping his thundering sword, ready to strike. I did my job, now it's his turn to add fuel to the fire.

"Raiden Seishin...Raigeki."

With a swift movement, he swung his sword, unleashing a powerful thundrous attack. The lightning shot out, a blinding bolt that pierced through the burning creature. The Oscuro's roar turned into a scream, its body disintegrating under the force of the strike. In a final flash of light, the giant serpent got shattered to pieces, defeated.

"That's how it's done." He looked at me and said.

"Hey! Don't act all high and mighty! If it weren't for my attack, you'd have ended up in a same state as me."

"Don't bother with all that now and get those injuries taken care of." Saying that, he left the scene in a flash. He sure is fast.

Hayato Shō is a fellow student. He is also the captain of the Kendo club. The guy never reacts, always in control, and his sword skills are insane. It's hard not to feel a bit jealous of how effortlessly he handles everything, but I can't deny the respect I have for him as a fellow Vorixa. He's the kind of guy you can trust in a fight, even if I don't quite get how he stays so calm all the time.

"Hinoyama-kun! Are you okay!?" Hana-chan rushed over and asked. "Yeah...nothing serious, just my palms are all scorched. I should probably take care of them." I said, eyeing my palms.

"It looks horrible. I don't think the school infirmary is capable of healing it."

"Don't worry. I know someone who can take care of such injuries effortlessly."

"Someone from your clan?"

"Yup."