Elements: Age of Creation

Finding His Strength

Hikaru stood on the rooftop, his breathing heavy but steady. The golden energy in his hands flickered, but this time–it wasn't wild or uncontrollable.

This time, he understood it.

Smokewraith, now visibly struggling, let out a guttural snarl. "This… this is impossible!"

Teshii cracked his knuckles. "Nah. It's called growth, buddy." He shot Hikaru a sideways grin. "Alright, Sunshine. You ready to finish this?"

Hikaru smirked, his confidence rising. "Let's do it."

Smokewraith, refusing to be defeated, formed a massive storm of smoke, creating a vortex that spiraled into the sky. The surrounding air grew suffocating, making it almost impossible to see.

Hikaru, however, wasn't afraid anymore.

Instead, he closed his eyes… and trusted the light inside him.

And just like that–his body move on its own.

The Final Strike

Teshii rushed forward first, weaving through the storm of smoke like it was nothing. He delivered a brutal flying knee to Smokewraith's face, sending the entity reeling backward.

"Now, Hikaru!"

Hikaru channeled all his power into his fist. His entire arm glowed like a sun, illuminating the fog with a brilliant golden light.

With a roar, he launched forward, fist colliding directly with Smokewraith's core.

The impact was massive–

A shockwave of pure light energy erupted, obliterating the fog entirely.

Smokewraith let out a final, distorted screech–before dispersing into nothingness.

The rooftop fell silent.

And then–

The sky cleared.

A Moment of Celebration

Hikaru and Teshii stood side by side, the golden glow in Hikaru's hands slowly fading.

Teshii let out a whistle. "Not bad, Sunshine."

Hikaru, for the first time, didn't mind the nickname. He smirked. "Not bad yourself."

Below them, the students on campus looked up in awe as the fog completely vanished.

Hikari, Aoi, Mei, and Yami were among them.

Hikari cheered. "They did it, I don't know how, but they did it!"

Mei clapped her hands together, relieved. "They're okay…"

Aoi exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "That was insane."

Yami, however, wasn't watching Hikaru.

He was watching Teshii.

A Shadow Lurking Behind the Light

Teshii, still standing on the rooftop, gazed downward–locking eyes with Yami.

For a split second, his usual carefree smirk faltered. Then, in his mind, a single thought echoed:

"Whenever there is light… there will always be darkness."

His gaze lingered on Yami for just a second longer before he finally smirked again.

Below, Yami stared up at him, his expression unreadable.

Something about Teshii's face… his features… they looked eerily familiar.

Where have I seen him before?

Teshii, noticing the suspicion in Yami's eyes, simply smiled down at him.

A knowing smile.

A challenging smile.

Yami's fingers t witched slightly, his mind racing.

Something about Teshii wasn't right.

But before he could say anything–

Teshii turned away.