"Kohane's voice, soft but desperate: 'You promised me you'd come back…'"
I woke up.
Where was I?
Cold, harsh light above me. My body strapped down tight, unable to move.
Another needle pierced my neck.
Then—darkness.
I woke again.
Same ceiling. Same cold light. Same restraints.
My body ached in places I couldn't name anymore. Muscles worn, spirit frayed. Voices returned, muffled behind glass.
"Subject is responding to neural stimulus. Begin phase seven."
Phase seven?
How many phases had there been?
How long had it been?
A screen blinked in the corner.
Day 32.
A month.
Thirty-two days of being poked, scanned, cut, revived, put under, brought back—again and again.
I clenched my teeth.
They were trying to turn me into something.
And I hadn't seen Kohane since.
I started to see flashes. It's like a memory, but not really mine.
There's a war — humans against demons.
And there's this figure, all dark and fast, moving like a shadow.
He just says, "Die." And people start falling.
The angels come down with their glowing swords, trying to stop him.
But he's too strong, too quick — like he's part shadow.
Then there's a bright light, like a seal, wrapping around him, locking him away.
A voice said something about the seal looking for a new host.
Is that... me?
My heart races when the shadows inside me move.
I don't remember any of this, but it feels like it's in my blood.
The restraints snapped.
Cracks echoed as the steel bent under my arms. Shadows curled up my skin like smoke. Cold. Alive.
A voice echoed in my mind.
"You are worthy of me."
The shadow took shape—armor forming across my body, claws at my fingertips, a dark helmet pulsing with lightless power.
But I didn't lose myself.
I was still me.
And I was pissed.
I roared.
My fist slammed into the glass. It shattered like it was paper.
The scientists screamed.
One by one, I struck.
"Why…?" "Why did you do this to me!?"
No one answered.
But then I grabbed one of them by the collar.
"Tell me. Why was I chosen?"
He trembled.
"T-The exam… You were marked zero. That's… the death mark…"
Death?
"Because I scored zero…?"
He nodded quickly.
"Everyone marked zero is labeled as having no purpose in society. No use. So they're erased—disposed of."
I froze.
Then—memories rushed in.
That exam room.
Everyone waiting, silent.
My paper. Empty.
They called my name last. "Kaito Sazaki... zero."
I was about to get killed.
But then... someone stopped it.
Someone high up.
"Give him to me."
They wiped my memory.
And brought me here.
Behind me, the doors creaked open.
Footsteps.
A calm voice spoke from behind.
"You've awakened."
I turned. A man in a dark coat stood, smiling.
The others went silent.
He stepped closer.
"Your question—what is this organization for?"
I didn't answer.
He did anyway.
"To bring back history. The demons that were banished long ago… We will finish what they started."
I clenched my fists.
"And you, Kaito…" "You carry the one thing we've been missing all this time."
He paused.
"The Dark Knight of Shadows. Sealed away by angels. Lost to history."
"But not anymore."
He smiled wider.
"Thank you for coming to us."
I didn't say a word.
My body moved before my thoughts could catch up.
Shadows twisted around my arm. A long, jagged blade — dark as midnight — burst from the air.
The Dark Sword.
I raised it.
"You want to bring that history back?" I growled. "That war… that bloodshed…?"
My voice trembled with rage.
"I won't let that happen again."
I lunged.
The professor didn't flinch.
He dodged with terrifying speed — like he knew I'd do this.
My blade sliced the air where he'd been standing a second ago.
I turned — slashed again.
Missed.
Again.
He dodged everything like it was nothing. Calm. Collected.
"Why?" I shouted. "Why experiment on me? Why bring that power back!?"
He landed a few feet away, hands still behind his back.
"You misunderstand, Kaito."
His eyes gleamed.
"You are the Dark Knight."
"And the world needs you."
He smiled.
"We need you."
"I don't give a damn thing about it" I said, my grip tightening on the blade
The professor's smile didn't fade.
"Reject it all you want."
He took a step closer.
"But if you walk out that door…"
His voice dipped — low and deliberate.
"…we'll make sure the girl dies first."
My heart stopped.
"Kohane, right?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"You really think we don't know everything?"
I stared him down, cold fury burning in my chest.
Then, with venom in my voice, I uttered one word:
"Die."
Shadows surged around me like a living storm.
The professor jerked backward, clutching his throat.
Blood gushed from his mouth as he collapsed to his knees,
his eyes wild with pain — desperate to cling to life.
My heart pounded.
This was the price for threatening her.
The price for turning me into this.
But then — a flicker.
His body shimmered, distorted…
And vanished into thin air.
Gone.
Like he'd never been there.
My eyes widened.
I gritted my teeth, shadows snapping at the air.
"Coward!" I roared.
I slammed the Dark Sword down, cracking the floor beneath me.
"He got away…"
My chest burned.
I had him. I had him.
And he still slipped through my hands.
Then — a chill swept the room.
A whisper rode the wind, slithering into my ears.
"I'll make sure to kill every last one of you in that school…"
The voice was unmistakable.
The professor.
"…so no one ruins my plan again."
My eyes scanned the room.
Cold steel walls.
No windows. No doors.
No way out.
I clenched my fists, shaking.
"They're in danger…"
I stepped back, breathing hard.
"I have to go — I have to go."
But—
Where even was I?
This wasn't anywhere near the school.
It felt like a prison.
A lab buried beneath the earth.
Far from everything.
Far from her.
"Kohane…"
"Kohane somehow I can't get you out of my mind, but nevermind that— now's not the time"
I pressed my hand to the wall.
The shadows pulsed, restless — like they felt it too.
Fear. Desperation. Rage.
I shut my eyes, forcing the panic down.
"Think, Kaito… there has to be a way out."
I gritted my teeth.
No doors.
No path.
No time.
Only one option left.
I closed my eyes… and let go.
"Dark Knight," I whispered.
"I don't care who you are…"
"I need power."
"I need to get back."
"To everyone... I care about"
The shadows wrapped tighter around my chest, like chains and fire all at once.
Then—
A voice in my head.
Cold. Ancient. Familiar.
"So you finally ask."
My knees buckled.
It wasn't pain.
It was weight.
Like a thousand lives pressed down on me.
The Dark Knight's voice coiled through my mind.
"You want to break the seal?"
"You want my power?"
"…Then prove your will can carry the burden."
I stood up, barely breathing.
"I'm not asking again."
"Lend it to me—"
"Or get out of my way."
Silence.
Then…
A pulse.
Like thunder inside my bones.
"Very well."
"Show them what happens when darkness chooses a heart that still burns."
I took a deep breath.
Closed my eyes.
And let the shadows take over.
A pulse ran through my body.
Then—boom.
The floor cracked beneath me.
Walls trembled.
Dark energy surged around me like a cyclone, tearing through metal, glass, and light.
I launched upward — shot into the air like a black comet.
Wind howled past my ears.
The world shrank below me — a sea of forest, roads, and distant lights.
I hovered, suspended in the night sky.
Breathing hard.
Eyes scanning.
Where…?
Where was the School?
"Dark Knight," I whispered.
"Guide me."
A whisper responded inside my mind.
「Look west.」
My eyes snapped to the horizon.
There — a small glow in the distance.
Familiar.
Like home.
I clenched my fists.
"Hold on, Kohane," I said.
"I'm coming."
I didn't wait.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't think.
I tilted forward — let gravity pull me down.
And then—
I shot through the sky like a falling black comet.
The air burned around me.
Dark trails followed in my wake.
I could feel it.
Home.
The house appeared like a whisper in the dark, tucked between silence and shadow.
I crashed down in front of it — force cracking the pavement, rattling the walls.
The door opened on its own.
She was already waiting.
The spirit.
The heart of my house.
Her glow was dim tonight.
But her voice was steady.
"You've awakened, haven't you?"
I nodded, breathing heavy.
"They're planning to kill everyone at school."
"They know about everyone there."
"Including Kohane."
The spirit's eyes sharpened.
A long silence passed… then:
"Then you must act fast."
"But before you go…"
She floated forward.
"…ask what you need to know."
Then, softer — almost a whisper:
"And please…"
Her voice trembled just slightly.
"Protect my great-granddaughter."
I didn't understand at first.
Great-granddaughter?
The words echoed in my mind, but I didn't have time to question them.
I launched myself forward — a black comet blazing through the sky.
The wind screamed past my ears as I flew toward the school.
Above the campus, chaos unfolded.
Humanoid demons swarmed like a storm, ripping through halls and classrooms.
Students scattered, terrified.
But standing firm were the teachers — once divine knights from a century ago, their powers still alive, still fighting.
I hovered above, heart pounding.
This wasn't just a battle.
It was a war.
And I was right in the middle of it.
One teacher's voice cut through the chaos, loud and fierce:
"We once won.
And we will win again."
I dropped from the sky like a black star.
The ground cracked beneath me as I landed.
Students and demons alike turned.
A dark figure stood among them now — faceless, silent.
Me.
Clad in full shadow armor. Helmet sealed. No one could see who I was.
Only power. Darkness.
Whispers rippled through the chaos.
"What is that…?"
"Is that… a demon?"
"No. It's something else—"
I raised my arm.
Shadows flared, swirling behind me like wings of night.
Then—
I moved.
Faster than sound.
A single slash — and three demons dropped, cleanly cut.
Gasps echoed.
Even the teachers froze for a moment.
But I didn't stop.
I vanished, reappeared—striking again.
Every motion was clean. Fluid. Cold.
I didn't speak.
I didn't hesitate.
I couldn't.
Because if they knew who I was… they'd hesitate too.
Especially her.
Especially Kohane.
The last demon fell.
Silence reigned.
Even the wind held its breath.
I stood still, shadows fading like smoke off my armor. The black helmet gleamed under the broken school lights.
Then— a voice cracked through the stillness.
"…No," one teacher muttered, stepping forward.
Eyes wide. Pale.
His hand trembled at his side. "That armor… that speed… it can't be—"
Another teacher gasped, stumbling back.
"That's impossible. The Dark Knight was sealed centuries ago…"
More murmurs spread.
The younger staff looked confused. But the older ones — they stared at me like they were seeing a ghost.
Or death.
One of them whispered like a prayer, "Don't tell me… the seal's broken?"
The headmaster — stern and silent until now — stepped toward me slowly.
"You there," he said, voice low. Careful. "Who are you?"
I didn't answer.
He narrowed his eyes. "If you're who I think you are… you're not supposed to exist."
Still, I said nothing.
Because I wasn't ready for them to know.
Not yet.
Because the moment they knew…
She would know too.
And I didn't want her to see me like this.
Not like a monster.
I took one step back.
The ground cracked.
Then— a deep rumble.
Dust exploded upward as the courtyard shattered beneath us.
A second swarm burst from underground—larger, faster, nastier than the first. Claws scraped stone. Wings howled like razors.
"No—! Everyone, back!!" one teacher shouted, summoning a barrier.
Too slow.
Too weak.
The demons surged upward like a black tide, roaring with fury.
Some of them weren't even beasts anymore. They were shaped like us. Twisted. Mocking. Human-like.
Possessed.
"Get the students out of here!!" another staff member yelled.
But I wasn't listening.
The armor on my arms pulsed.
The shadows inside me were hungry.
I leapt again—faster than thought—slamming into the first demon midair. Bone shattered. Its body folded like paper.
I didn't stop.
Slash. Strike. Vanish. Reappear. I moved like wind through smoke.
But for every one I cut down, two more crawled out of the ground.
I was surrounded.
And somehow—
I smiled.
Because something inside me whispered:
"Let them come."
So many things happened at once.
Screams. Magic. Shouts. Crashing stone. The academy grounds were a battlefield.
But—
Far from it all... In the quiet corner of the east wing...
The art room.
Glass was shattered. Desks overturned. Blood smeared the floor.
And in the middle of it— Kohane.
Her leg twisted unnaturally. Her arm—bleeding, limp.
She couldn't stand.
Couldn't run.
Tears streamed down her face as she dragged herself backward, pressing into the wall.
Two demons blocked the only exit. They moved slowly, savoring her fear.
"Please… someone…" her voice broke.
"I don't want to die…"
She clutched a broken paintbrush—like it could save her. Her body trembled. Her heart screamed.
"No…" she sobbed, eyes wide. "Please…"
The shadows crept closer.
Closer.
And just as the first claw raised—
The room went dark.
The demons lay in pieces.
The room went silent.
Only Kohane's breathing filled the air—shaky, panicked.
She clutched her leg, whimpering.
Her hand was bent, swollen. She tried to move but collapsed again.
Her eyes locked on me.
Wide. with fear.
"…What are you…?"
I said nothing.
I stepped forward. Heavy boots thudding against the floor.
She tensed. Turned her face away.
I knelt beside her. Slowly.
Dark tendrils rose from my hands. Soft. Gentle.
They wrapped around her leg.
A faint hum stirred the air.
Then—snap.
Her bone shifted. Back in place.
She gasped. But the pain faded.
Her hand was next. Shadow coiled around it.
The bruises shrank. The swelling vanished. The bone reset.
She stared at me. Stunned. Speechless.
I stood.
Didn't say a word.
The shadows rose.
Black smoke swirled around me— Thick and fast.
And I vanished.
Gone before she could blink.
She sat alone. Healed. Still trembling.
"…Who… was that…?"
The evacuation had started.
Students huddled inside a clubroom on the ground floor. Teachers stood guard, leading the defenses. Fighting back whatever was left of the swarm.
But something was wrong at the rear.
Every teacher and student near the back froze. Their eyes locked on the smoke.
On me.
Each step I took echoed like thunder. Heavy. Measured. And the air—thick with shadow.
One teacher gritted his teeth. He stepped forward.
"Who are you?" he shouted. "Why are you here?!"
Another didn't wait.
He fired.
A blazing fireball shot toward me.
It vanished.
Swallowed whole by my shadow.
Gasps. The others didn't wait either.
They raised their hands. A spell circled above them—radiating heat. Destruction, condensed. Like a magical nuke.
I raised my sword.
Ready.
But before they could release it—
"STOP!"
It was Kohane.
Limping. Pushing past a teacher to get to the front.
"Don't! He saved me!"
No one moved. The spell still charged.
One teacher shook his head. "You're mistaken. That thing—he's dangerous!"
They fired.
The explosion lit the whole yard. Dust. Smoke. Debris.
I let it cover me.
When the smoke cleared—
I was gone.
Gasps again— Then a scream.
I stood behind one of them.
I drove my sword into his back.
He collapsed.
I vanished once more.
Silence.
The teachers were in shock.
The students trembled.
Kohane… She looked heartbroken.
"…Why…?" she whispered. "I thought you were…"
But then—
The body twitched.
Veins turned black.
It growled—then changed.
Flesh melted. Skin darkened. Horns burst from its skull.
A demon.
A shapeshifter.
The teacher had been gone from the start.
Kohane's eyes widened.
Her lips trembled.
"…Then… he saved me… again?"
I was already gone.
Only the fading smoke remained.
Hundreds of demons poured forward.
The teachers formed a circle, chanting spells.
Their voices rose together, powerful and steady.
At the center, Takuma Kanzaki stood tall.
He gripped his sword tight.
With one swift strike, he slammed the ground.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Demons were thrown back, collapsing, then bursting into ash.
Only the massive brutes remained.
They roared, unyielding.
Takuma's eyes narrowed.
"We can't hold them," he said.
"Retreat. Regroup."
Before anyone could move, a shadow cut through the chaos.
I appeared.
My sword flashed.
The brutes fell, one by one, swiftly slaughtered.
Takuma watched, unreadable.
Then his voice broke through the noise.
"We meet again, Dark Knight."