The storm of crows fell like black rain. Beaks and talons gleamed as they rushed toward the village square, their cries enough to drive anyone to their knees.
Itsuki raised his glowing blade, the crescent on his hand burning brighter with every heartbeat. The light pulsed outward, creating a fragile barrier around him and Tsukihime. But the villagers… they had no protection.
"Stay back!" Itsuki shouted, but the crows paid no heed.
Tsukihime lifted her hands, weaving threads of moonlight. "Itsuki, focus your resolve! Don't think of defeating all of them—think only of protecting what you hold dear!"
Her words struck him harder than the demon's threats. Protect… what he held dear?
His blade pulsed, responding not to fear but to determination. The barrier expanded, covering the closest houses where villagers huddled together. The glow was uneven, flickering like a lantern in a storm, but it was enough to push the crows back for a moment.
Karasu-no-Oni hissed from above, his cloak of feathers spreading wide.
"Pathetic. You think light can stop the darkness? You cannot save them, boy. You couldn't even save yourself all those years you begged for acceptance."
Itsuki's teeth clenched. He had endured years of whispers, of being called cursed, of being shoved aside. Maybe the demon was right—maybe he was weak. But at this moment, with the village trembling behind him, he couldn't allow himself to believe it.
"I don't care what you say!" Itsuki shouted, his voice breaking through the shrieks of crows. "This light isn't just mine—it's for everyone here!"
He dashed forward, blade slicing through the air. The crows scattered as arcs of starlight tore across the square, dissolving shadows into motes of silver.
Karasu-no-Oni dropped from the sky, talons crashing against Itsuki's blade. The impact sent shockwaves through the earth, cracking stone and shaking windows. Villagers cried out, some clutching one another, others staring in disbelief at the boy they had once mocked.
The demon leaned close, his masked face inches from Itsuki's.
"You cannot win. Your light will flicker and die."
Itsuki forced the blade upward, pushing the talons back with a strength he didn't know he had.
"Then I'll burn brighter until the very end!"
The crescent mark flared, and suddenly, Itsuki wasn't alone. Tsukihime's voice rang like a chime in the storm.
"Itsuki, release the binding!"
Instinctively, he raised his blade to the sky. The crescent on his hand bled into the blade, reshaping it into a great arc of light—half a crescent moon.
The villagers gasped, shielding their eyes from the brilliance. Even Kenta, who had mocked him hours ago, whispered in awe, "That… that's Itsuki?"
With a cry that carried both fear and hope, Itsuki swung downward.
"Moonlit Arc!"
The crescent slash tore through the swarm, scattering crows into ashes of shadow. It struck Karasu-no-Oni's feathered cloak, ripping half of it away. The demon screeched, stumbling back, his form unraveling.
For the first time, Karasu-no-Oni's voice trembled.
"Impossible… a child like you…"
Itsuki staggered, chest heaving, but he refused to let the blade drop. "Leave this village… or I'll cut through every shadow you send!"
The demon snarled, but the glowing wound across his cloak hissed and burned. With a final shriek, the mass of crows pulled back, retreating into the distance until the sky cleared once more.
Silence fell. The only sound was Itsuki's ragged breathing.
He turned slowly, half-expecting more glares, more suspicion. Instead, the villagers stared with wide eyes, their expressions a mixture of fear, awe, and something else he hadn't seen directed at him before.
Respect.
Kenta stepped forward, his voice shaky. "Itsuki… you… you saved us."
Itsuki lowered his blade, the crescent mark dimming but still glowing faintly. He didn't know what to say. For once, he didn't need to.
Tsukihime appeared beside him, her form shimmering like silver mist. She glanced at the villagers, then at Itsuki, her voice soft enough only he could hear.
"This is only the beginning. Karasu-no-Oni will return… and so will greater shadows. But tonight, you've taken your first step as a true Starbearer."
Itsuki looked down at his trembling hands, then at the villagers who no longer looked away. For the first time, the boy who had been an outcast felt the faint warmth of belonging.
But in the far horizon, black feathers still drifted in the wind—remnants of a darkness that had not yet been defeated.