shadows and bonds

Nate

Their eyes locked on the man standing before them. His mere presence was like a storm looming over the battlefield—unpredictable, overwhelming, deadly.

Both Eden and Nate raised their power instinctively, but even then, it felt lacking.

“Wow,” the man said, his tone dripping with cruel mockery. “You found yourself a friend just like you after sending me off? That’s… sad.”

“Stop this nonsense, Tenkan!” Eden snapped, fury burning in his voice.

But Tenkan's expression only darkened. “Why should I? Did you ever stop to think I might’ve been innocent? Did you stop them when they exiled me? Or did you even hesitate when they tasked you with finding me—and killing me?! Did you?!”

Each question hit like a hammer.

Eden didn’t respond. His head lowered, shoulders heavy with guilt.

“Tenkan…” he murmured, regret lacing every syllable.

Tenkan chuckled bitterly. “Would you look at that. The mighty gladiator has feelings. But guess what? I lost mine.”

In an instant, his presence vanished.

Nate’s instincts screamed.

“Look out!” Athena’s voice cut through the tension.

A chilling sensation traced down Nate’s spine. He’s behind me.

Slowly, Nate turned—and there Tenkan stood, inches away, grinning like a predator.

“How pitiful,” Tenkan sneered, sword already mid-swing.

Too fast! I can’t dodge!

CLANG!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out as Owen’s blade intercepted the blow, stopping it just before it reached Nate’s neck.

Owen’s voice roared over the chaos, “Snap out of it, Nate! You’re not dying here! Got that?!”

Tenkan didn’t flinch. With a flick of his arm, he knocked Owen away like a ragdoll. Nate scrambled back, putting distance between them.

“I don’t care who he is to you,” Nate said, stepping forward, voice firm. “Friend, family, lover—it doesn’t matter. No one hurts my friends.”

He met Eden’s gaze.

“You’re my friend. And your past shouldn’t hold you back. Who you are now matters more.”

Eden’s eyes widened in surprise.

“So please… help me defeat this guy.”

A sudden gust swept past. Tenkan’s voice echoed again—this time, directly in front of Nate.

“I think you’ve said enough.”

Shit! Nate had dropped his guard again.

Tenkan’s hand glowed with power—an energy blast forming at point-blank range.

Before it could fire, Eden’s hand gripped Tenkan’s face and slammed him into the ground with earth-shattering force. Debris exploded outward.

The arena trembled.

Eden stood above the crater, exhaling hard, smirking slightly. “Friends, huh… Never thought anyone would call me that.”

Then his eyes turned cold. “Let’s end this fight.”

Nate nodded, dropping into a beast stance. Hands to the ground, body crouched low like a predator ready to pounce.

“Let’s do this.”

Tenkan

The dust settled.

Tenkan rose from the crater, completely unscathed.

Eden blinked in front of him, fist flying. Tenkan raised a hand and caught the punch with ease. The sheer force of it cracked what was left of the arena walls.

“You’ve grown weak, gladiator,” he mocked. “That punch? I used to need both hands to block you.”

His smirk widened. “Now… it’s my turn.”

He swung forward—

BAM!

A brutal kick smashed into his face, breaking his grip on Eden. Before he could recover, Eden leapt back, black flames coiling around his hands. He hurled the fire forward just as Nate crashed down from above, both attacks forcing Tenkan backward.

Smoke and dust rose.

Tenkan stood, brushing himself off. “You’ve still got a few tricks, huh?”

He tilted his head toward Eden. “But why don’t you tell him the truth? Even at your strongest… you’ve never been able to beat me.”

Their shocked expressions were worth savoring.

Only one attack had actually hurt him. The rest? Meaningless.

He chuckled. “Oh? Surprised?”

Then—

He vanished.

Nate

Damn it! He hadn’t moved—he’d disappeared.

A glint. Behind Eden.

A sword aiming straight for his spine.

“Shadow Take!” Nate shouted, raising a hand.

Eden’s shadow warped, swallowing him whole—and spat him back out in mid-air beside Nate.

“His mana disappears when he moves,” Nate growled. “It’s getting harder to predict.”

Eden gave him a curt nod. “Thanks for the save.”

But it wasn’t over.

Tenkan leapt toward them mid-air, nowhere to run.

CLANG!

Owen’s sword intercepted once again.

They landed safely, but Tenkan’s eyes flared with irritation as he turned on Owen.

“You’re starting to get on my nerves, little knight.”

Owen smirked. “Oh yeah? Then do something about it.”

Tenkan’s tone dropped into a hiss. “I will.”

And then—

He vanished again.

A blink later, he appeared behind all three of them, sword slashing down in one lethal arc.

But Owen was already there.

He blocked it before it even landed.

Athena

From the edge of the field, Athena’s hands clenched into fists.

They were struggling. All of them.

She wanted to help—but her strength wasn’t enough.

Still… there was something she could do.

Her eyes darted, observing Tenkan’s movements. The pattern clicked.

“He’s leaving a projection of himself behind!” she shouted. “And suppressing his real mana signature when he moves!”

That’s why he vanished so cleanly.

The others nodded in unison, now understanding.

It wasn’t much—but at least she could contribute this.

Eden

“Step back,” Eden ordered.

Owen hesitated, but Nate grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Eden exhaled, drawing power from deep within.

“You said I got weak, Tenkan,” he said, lifting his hand. “But I was never weak to begin with.”

His aura exploded—waves of energy pulsing out, shaking the ground beneath them.

Suddenly, figures in cloaks appeared around the arena, casting stabilizing barriers. The guild master’s forces. Reinforcements.

As the dust settled, Eden’s armor had transformed.

His old gear was gone—replaced with sleek black holy armor etched with a crescent moon and star emblem. His hair had grown longer, flowing like smoke. His once-blue eyes now glowed an eerie crimson.

Owen stared in awe. “The Hero Knight Form… That’s the strongest armor in the capital.”

Eden didn’t turn to them.

“I’m going to need your help to win this fight.”

Nate grinned. “We were never gonna let you take him on alone.”

Owen lifted his blade with a confident smirk. “We’re friends, after all.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***