NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: Rebellion Against Heaven - Part 2
Chapter 2: Moving Shadows
(2018, Tokyo. Three years have passed since the covenant with Death.)
The city shone with its artificial splendor. Neon lights, towering skyscrapers, and a starless black sky. Tokyo never slept, but beneath its apparent normality, something was brewing in the shadows.
On one side of a luxurious financial building, Ryuusei watched from above. His dark cloak fluttered in the night wind. By 17, his body had changed: taller, stronger, scarred that told stories of battle. He held firmly his warhammers, weapons that had claimed the lives of countless enemies. His sharp gaze swept across the scene before he spoke.
"Aiko, you're ready.
From the shadow of an antenna, Aiko nodded. At the age of 12, his gaze had lost its childlike innocence. He was holding his Black Herald sword, a weapon that vibrated with dark energy. Ryuusei knew that she had changed too. She was no longer a helpless child, but a warrior.
"Come on. His voice was a whisper.
They leapt from the rooftop, falling like ghosts into the shadows. Their target: a warehouse of a corrupt corporation. Death had entrusted them with the mission of recovering documents, but the reality was different. He and Aiko were not mere pawns.
(Three years ago)
From the day they signed the pact, Death granted them power and missions. Some were simple, such as obtaining information or stealing money. Others, on the other hand, were cruel: eliminating those who had fulfilled their "purpose" in life. However, what set Ryuusei and Aiko apart from the other heralds was their reluctance to murder senselessly.
Others did not share that morality. Daichi, Kenta, and Haru, his former allies, reveled in the chaos. Each with their own deadly weapons and abilities:
-Daichi (20 years old): Bearer of the Spear of Judgment
-Kenta (18 years old): Master of the Twin Scythes of the Eclipse
-Haru (19 years old): Lethal with the Crimson Void Bow
The three of them had become Death fanatics. They did not question his orders, they enjoyed the massacre. As Ryuusei and Aiko grew stronger to defy fate, Daichi and his group sank deeper into darkness.
(Present)
The warehouse was quiet. Inside, armed guards patrolled the hallways. Ryuusei and Aiko moved like shadows. The guards never saw them coming.
Ryuusei moved first, unleashing his teleportation daggers. In an instant, he appeared behind a guard and knocked him out. Aiko did the same, slipping through the shadows with a speed that left enemies with no chance to react.
They arrived at the target: a safe with documents about illegal transactions of the company. Ryuusei prepared a device to open it when he felt something... a change in the air.
"They found us. Aiko whispered.
The lights flickered. A familiar figure emerged from the darkness.
"Ryuusei... Daichi's voice was a deep echo. "I knew they would end up betraying us.
Behind him, Kenta and Haru appeared. Tension filled the air.
"We're not here to fight. Ryuusei took a firm stand. "We just want the documents.
Daichi smiled. "Oh, but that's what makes the betrayal so interesting. It doesn't matter what you want, it matters what we decide to do with you.
Haru raised his bow. Kenta turned his scythes. The battle was inevitable.
Ryuusei and Aiko braced themselves. They knew that this confrontation was only the beginning. The war against Death had begun, and in the darkness of Tokyo, the shadows were in motion.