The deeper they moved into Grimreach, the quieter it became, the noise of the market fading behind them until even their footsteps sounded out of place. The streets narrowed into dim corridors of stone and shadow, the air growing heavier with each step as if something unseen was watching from every corner. Eru walked ahead without hesitation, calm and steady, his presence almost blending into the silence, yet impossible to ignore. At his side, a sheathed sword rested against his hip, its presence subtle but heavy, like it didn't need to be drawn to be dangerous.
Kairo's gaze shifted toward the others for a brief moment, no words spoken, yet everything understood. The tension between them had changed, this was no longer just following. This was a decision. Tyouro stepped slightly closer, lowering his voice with a restless grin. "So… we doing this or what?" Kairo didn't answer immediately, his eyes fixed on Eru's back as his chest tightened. "…We don't have another choice." Behind them, Kimimaru spoke calmly, almost detached. "We do. This is just the fastest one." Yura remained silent, but the stillness in her expression was enough, she had already decided.
Kairo inhaled slowly, then made the call. "Now."
The movement was instant. Tyouro exploded forward first, flames bursting around his body as he closed the distance in a blink, his hand reaching to seize Eru from behind. At the same time, Yura vanished, her speed cutting through the shadows as she reappeared at Eru's side, her strike aimed to pin him down before he could react. Kimimaru stayed a step behind, lifting his zweihander slightly as his voice dropped. "Astral-"
Eru disappeared.
The attacks struck nothing but air. Tyouro stumbled forward as his momentum carried him past empty space, flames scattering wildly as he tried to recover. Yura landed in silence, her eyes narrowing as she scanned for movement. A faint shift in the air made them turn...
Eru stood behind them.
Exactly where they had been moments ago, calm as ever, his hand now resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.
"…That was quick," he said.
Kairo turned sharply, his chest tightening. "You knew."
"I didn't need to," Eru replied, his tone steady. "You were obvious."
Tyouro clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face before he surged forward again, flames burning hotter as he aimed a direct strike this time. Yura moved with him, her speed aligning perfectly to cut off any escape, their coordination sharp despite the pressure.
Eru didn't move.
The moment Tyouro reached him, the ground beneath his feet shifted, not cracking, not breaking, but folding unnaturally. His footing collapsed, throwing off his balance as his flames scattered, forcing him to catch himself mid-fall. "The hell?!" Yura twisted in mid-air and landed cleanly, but her attack still missed by inches.
Eru stepped forward through them, untouched, his calm unchanged. "You rely too much on force," he said, his voice carrying effortlessly in the silence.
Kimimaru's eyes sharpened. "…Then we adjust."
In one fluid motion, Ishika slipped from his body like a shadow peeling away, gliding across the ground with unnatural speed before shooting upward toward Eru. It wrapped around his arm, creeping higher, tightening, attempting to bind and invade, to lock his movement from within.
For a moment
it worked.
"Got you," Kimimaru said quietly.
Kairo moved instantly, rushing forward and grabbing Eru's shoulder, forcing him downward as Yura closed in again, ready to end it in one strike. "Don't let him move!"
Eru exhaled.
That was all.
Ishika stopped.
Not torn away, not destroyed, just frozen, as if it had lost the ability to act. Eru's gaze lowered slightly toward it, almost curious. "…Interesting ability," he murmured. "But incomplete."
The next second, Ishika was gone, pushed out effortlessly like it had never been there. Kimimaru's eyes widened just slightly, the smallest crack in his composure. "…What?"
Eru's hand shifted, gripping the hilt of his sword.
"You don't understand what you're controlling."
In a smooth, controlled motion, he drew the blade, no flash, no dramatic force, just a quiet release of steel. Yet the moment it cleared the sheath, the air changed. The pressure around them deepened, like the space itself had tightened.
Then he moved.
One step.
That was enough.
Kairo felt it too late as a force struck him, sending him skidding across the ground, the breath knocked from his lungs as the impact echoed through the street. "Kairo!" Tyouro forced himself up, flames flickering as he regained his stance.
Yura lunged again, her punch cutting through the air with full force.
Eru met it with his blade.
Not slicing.
Stopping.
The flat of the sword caught her strike cleanly, the impact ringing out as her momentum halted completely. Her eyes widened in shock.
"…You're strong," Eru said, his voice steady, "but you're not thinking."
With a slight shift of his wrist, he redirected her force and released it back at her, sending her sliding across the ground, her boots carving into the dirt as she struggled to stop herself.
Silence fell again.
But this time, it was heavier.
Because now they understood.
This wasn't someone they could overpower easily.
Kairo pushed himself up slowly, his breathing rough, his grip tightening as his eyes locked onto Eru once more. "…We're not stopping."
Eru looked at him, his gaze steady, and for the first time, there was something different there, something sharper.
"…Good."
He adjusted his grip on the sword slightly, the blade resting at his side as the shadows around them seemed to deepen.
"Then try again."
And this time
it felt like he meant it.