The flickering fluorescents overhead gave the shopping area an eerie glow as Souji, Mika, and Fushi cautiously entered. What was once a lively hub of tourists now stood abandoned, the remnants of its former life buried under layers of dust and decay. The display cases were shattered, and shelves that once held vibrant trinkets and souvenirs were overturned, their contents long since scavenged. Heavy and suffocating, a terrible stench hung in the air, growing stronger as they ventured deeper into the shadows.

"This place reeks of death," Fushi muttered, his voice barely a whisper. His body trembled, and his wide, fearful eyes darted from one shadow to the next, as if the darkness itself would come alive and swallow them whole.

"Stay close," Souji said, his voice calm but firm. He placed a reassuring hand on Fushi's shoulder, feeling the tension coursing through his friend. "We're almost there."

Always alert, Mika moved ahead slightly, his sharp eyes scanning the area. Something about this place was off, more than just the eerie stillness and the putrid smell. He crouched low, running his fingers across a fresh trail of dust on the floor.

"These tracks," Mika murmured, "they're recent."

Souji's eyes followed Mika's gesture, his brows furrowing. Footprints, distinct and muddy, led deeper into the shopping area. They weren't alone.

Before they could process the discovery, a loud thud echoed through the hall, and the dim lights flickered violently. Then, with an unnatural shimmer, a strange glitch seemed to ripple through the air, distorting reality like a malfunctioning video game.

"What the—?" Souji's voice trailed off as a figure materialized from the distortion. A man, crouching casually with a gaming controller in his hands, appeared as if he had just warped in from another dimension. His sudden appearance stunned them into silence.

"Yo," the man said with an unnerving grin. "You guys play video games?"

Mika was the first to react, while Souji and Fushi chuckled at the random question, Mika's instincts flaring as he stepped forward. "Who are you? Are you the sorcerer responsible for the attacks?" His hand gripped the pins of his hair, his arms up, ready to strike.

The man, who introduced himself as Shoko, smirked but didn't answer the question. He seemed unconcerned with the tension in the air, casually tapping buttons on his controller. "Ever heard of save points?"

"What's a save point?" Mika asked, irritation creeping into his voice. But before they could get any further, Shoko's form flickered again. His figure shimmered, and with a glitch-like zap, he vanished into thin air, leaving only his disembodied voice lingering, the controller he held dropped to the floor with the absence of his hands holding it up.

"Because I have no idea what they are…" Shoko's voice echoed in the hall, trailing off.

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"HA-HA-HA-HA!" Their laughter echoed in the room, Souji and Fushi were hitting each other playfully as they lost their breath.

"W-What's with this guy! Ha!" Souji could barely get his words out,

"H-Hey Souji! Who am I?" Fushi chuckled as he went to play a joke, moving toward the controller.

Fushi took a tentative step forward, but before he could react, an unseen force hit him with a jolt of electricity. He collapsed to the ground, twitching violently, his eyes rolling back as foam began to form at his mouth. Souji and Mika froze in shock, eyes wide in horror.

"Fushi!" Souji shouted, instinctively reaching out for his friend, but Mika was quicker. He spotted the source of the attack—a Taser lying hidden in the rubble. Realization dawned on him: they had walked right into a trap.

"Shoko set this up," Mika growled, eyes narrowing. "There's more. Stay sharp."

Souji clenched his fists, anger burning in his chest. "We can't leave Fushi like this," he said, determination hardening his voice. "We have to fight back." A quick switch from his laughing state just before, with the attack on Fushi, things had just become dangerous, and the situation had settled in for Souji, realising that this was indeed an enemy attack and not some prankster.

Mika was already ahead of him. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a pin from his hair, activating his sorcery. In an instant, Fushi's limp body zipped back to them, the unconscious boy landing safely in Mika's arms. Souji marveled at his companion's quick thinking, but there was no time for admiration.

"Mika, we can't run from this. If we don't defeat Shoko here, he could continue working with those pirates," Souji said, his voice steady but filled with urgency.

Mika sighed, clearly frustrated. "You're too stubborn for your good, Souji. I get it—if it were Toru, I wouldn't back down either." He adjusted Fushi's weight in his arms, his mind racing. "Alright, but we need a plan. This guy is toying with us."

Souji nodded, the heat of battle starting to course through his veins. His flames burned in his fists, but he knew this wasn't a fight he could win with brute strength alone. "Mika, drag those shelves over here. Line them up about a meter away from me."

Mika hesitated, unsure of what Souji was planning, but trusted him enough to comply. He pushed the shelves into place, even as more invisible strikes peppered them from the shadows.

Once the makeshift barricade was in place, Souji closed his eyes, focusing his energy. For the past few minutes, he had been subtly pumping out heat from his body, Souji's sorcery he had named "Iden Teitei Meltdown" allowed him to conjure flames on his hands and manipulate as the flames grew stronger the more Souji felt invested in the moment, it was the perfect ability for Souji, as someone who was able to feel emotion on behalf of others, and embrace his emotion.

Souji continued spreading his heat into the air around them. His breathing became ragged, and sweat dripped down his face, but the heat intensified.

Mika looked in admiration. "You've filled this make-shift room with your body-heated sorcery. If our opponent enters this area, we'll be able to sense his sorcery clashing with yours. You should be able to numb him completely, right?"

Souji shook his head. "Not numb him, not with my sorcery spread this thin. But I can sense things around here, like you, for example. I can feel your aura, mana, or y'know, I don't know a word for it, but the pool you grab from to fill your sorcery… It's all around you. I know exactly where you are within this space, and I can sense Fushi too… I can even gauge how powerful your sorcery capacity is. Mika, you've got the second largest Sor pool out of the three of us."

The room fell into tense silence, though Mika wanted to prove to Souji he had a larger capacity than him, Mika remained silent, both of them holding their breath as they waited. Seconds ticked by. Then, suddenly, Souji stiffened.

"Something's here," he whispered, his eyes snapping open. "A new presence just entered!"

Mika's heart raced as he scanned the area, his needles at the ready, but there was no sign of Shoko. Souji suddenly turned, his fists glowing with heat as he punched a nearby shelf.

I can feel his presence here… I can't see him, but… Damn! Souji thought, as he looked down at the empty tuna can he had punched.

Wait… If my eyes aren't working, this could be the work of his sorcery… In other words,

"Shoko isn't physically here. He's transferring himself into different objects!"

Mika's breath caught in his throat. Before he could react, a retractable knife extended from one of the shelves, stabbing Souji's hand. Souji cursed, pulling back just as the presence shifted to a deck of cards on another shelf.

"He's hopping from object to object," Souji growled, clutching his bleeding knuckle. "I can track him, but I'm too slow to hit him before he moves."

Mika thought fast. "Here," he tossed a needle to Souji. "All you need to do is hit him once with this. Leave the rest to me."

Souji caught the needle, understanding Mika's plan. He grinned through the pain. "Alright, let's do this."

With renewed determination, Souji prepared for their next move. This was their chance—the only way to defeat Shoko and escape the trap they'd walked into.