Chapter 9 — The Vessel of Shadow
Monday morning.
Sunlight crept lazily through the enormous glass windows of Rhain's mansion, bouncing off marble floors and half-open curtains. The house was silent—until a loud metallic clang! echoed from the kitchen.
Rhain jerked awake instantly.
"What in the nine realms was that?!" he shouted, half buried in his blanket.
His mother stirred beside the door of her room, hair messy but elegance still undefeated. "Relax, sweetie. It's probably a burglar making breakfast."
Rhain's eyes went wide. "WHAT?!—" He bolted downstairs, only to freeze mid-run.
Standing there—calmly flipping pancakes with one hand and stirring eggs with the other—was Yamato. The man wore a simple black apron, sleeves rolled up, face serious as though he were crafting a spell instead of breakfast.
"Morning," Yamato said flatly. "You scream too loud, Rhain. Sit."
Rhain's jaw hung. "You—COOK?!"
Yamato raised an eyebrow. "Of course. How do you think I survived training in the mountains for ten years? On wishes?"
Rhain's mother swooned dramatically. "A warrior and a chef? Oh, the gods really do play favorites."
Rhain groaned. "MOM, please don't start again!"
Moments later, Akiko and Renjiro arrived at the door, invited by the smell. They joined breakfast, and soon, the room filled with laughter, teasing, and Rhain's mother making yet another embarrassing comment.
"Tell me, Tensho isn't here yet?" Yamato asked, sipping tea calmly.
Rhain nodded. "I was gonna run and get him now."
Yamato raised a hand. "No need."
Rhain blinked. "Huh? What do you mean—"
The house began to tremble.
Outside, windows rattled. Birds fled.
At Tensho's home, the plates on the table vibrated as the ground itself seemed to hum. His mother shouted from the kitchen, "What's happening?!"
Tensho's eyes widened. "That's not an earthquake… that's—"
Before he could finish, an unseen force surrounded him—lifting him clean off the ground. His body hovered, weightless, pulled forward through the air as neighbors pointed and screamed.
He shot across the sky—arms flailing—until he was gently set down in front of Rhain's mansion. He barely caught his breath before noticing Akiko descending the same way, calmly floating down.
Renjiro followed last… except Yamato accidentally dropped him halfway.
"AHHHHHH—" THUD.
"Oops," Yamato said with zero emotion. "Miscalculated the gravity."
Rhain nearly choked from laughing. "Yamato! You can't just—!"
But Yamato's face turned serious again. "Alright, everyone. Listen."
The group fell silent.
Yamato stood, the morning light outlining his figure like a warrior carved from myth.
He turned toward Tensho, voice deep and commanding.
"Tensho… there's something you must understand about the power inside you."
Tensho swallowed hard.
Yamato continued, "Long ago—before the rise of nations or clans—humans first discovered power. They believed it came from within. But that was a lie. It came from above. Three gods descended, gifting humanity their blessings."
He began pacing slowly, eyes glowing faintly.
"In return, those gods asked humans to care for their children—the beings born of divine essence. The humans agreed… but one child, born of darkness, rebelled. His name was Shadow. He possessed every element of the void—devouring light, bending space, consuming souls. He wanted to destroy his creators and take their throne."
Akiko's face paled.
Rhain whispered, "You can't be serious…"
"Oh, I am," Yamato said. "Shadow entered human vessels, trying to merge with them—to become mortal and divine at once. But every host died… except one."
His eyes locked on Tensho.
"And that host is you, Tensho. You are Shadow's vessel."
Silence. Only the faint hum of energy filled the air.
Renjiro spoke first. "So you're saying… Tensho's got some ancient demon-god chillin' in his body?"
"Exactly."
Tensho looked at his right arm—where black markings began pulsing faintly again. "So this thing… it's him?"
Yamato nodded. "Yes. Shadow's essence. It grants immense power—but at a price. If you lose control, you'll vanish… just like the vessels before you."
Rhain clenched his fists. "Then we'll train him. He's not dying on my watch."
Yamato smirked. "Good. Because that's exactly what we're doing today."
---
Training Grounds — Midday
They arrived at a massive empty field, secured by Rhain's mother through a few phone calls. ("Please don't destroy my mansion, okay, darlings?" she'd said cheerfully.)
Wind swept across the plains as Yamato stood facing Tensho.
"Focus," he commanded. "Your right arm and both legs—those are Shadow's anchors. Draw energy from them. Control it before it controls you."
Tensho nodded, sweat dripping.
He breathed deeply—energy flaring around him like dark smoke. The grass beneath his feet burned black. Lightning cracked in the distance.
"Good," Yamato said. "Now—let it out!"
A shockwave erupted.
Tensho roared, darkness flooding his limbs. His skin glowed with faint crimson lines as the air distorted around him.
Akiko shielded her face. "That's insane power…"
Renjiro whistled. "Man's turning into a walking apocalypse."
But suddenly—Tensho screamed. His body convulsed, black veins surging upward. The ground split open beneath him.
"YAMATO—!" Rhain shouted.
Yamato appeared behind Tensho in a blink, hand glowing. "CONTROL IT! Don't let Shadow win!"
Tensho roared again, veins flickering between black and red. His mind blurred—he saw flashes: a throne in darkness, a voice whispering, "Free me…"
"No!" Tensho yelled, smashing his fist into the ground. The explosion tore a crater through the field, dust and wind erupting everywhere.
When the air cleared, Tensho was on one knee, gasping, body steaming.
Yamato crossed his arms. "Not bad. You lasted ten seconds."
Tensho coughed, half-laughing, half-dying. "Ten seconds feels like eternity…"
"Train harder, and you'll get more," Yamato said. "But remember—twice a day max. Any more and Shadow might wake up fully."
The team approached him, proud smiles on their faces.
Akiko patted his shoulder. "You did it, Tensho."
Rhain grinned. "You looked terrifying, bro."
Renjiro added, "And also… kinda cool. Like a cursed superhero."
Tensho chuckled weakly. "Yeah… superhero from hell."
Yamato looked at the horizon. "This is only the beginning. Shadow's awakening has already started."
The group fell quiet. The wind howled faintly, carrying tension and prophecy alike.