A deafening wail filled the air as the Mourning Behemoth loomed over the crumbling cityscape, a nightmare given form. Its grotesque, mountainous body writhed with the tormented faces of the dead, their silent screams stretched across its pulsating, shadowy flesh. The sheer weight of its presence distorted the air, an oppressive force that made every breath feel heavy. Its elongated arms, grotesque in proportion, ended in massive, hammer-like fists, jagged with protruding spikes that glistened like obsidian under the flickering remnants of city lights.

Hikari didn’t hesitate. The moment her eyes locked onto the beast, she propelled herself forward with a powerful burst of telekinesis, her body blurring as she closed the distance in an instant. With pinpoint precision, she twisted her body midair, sending a devastating roundhouse kick aimed directly at its warped, sinewy torso.

CLANG!

A sickening impact rang out as the Behemoth raised one of its grotesque arms, blocking the strike with unnatural speed. The sheer force sent a rippling tremor through the air, and Hikari barely had a second to register the wicked spikes on its fist before yanking herself back with telekinesis, narrowly avoiding impalement.

The Behemoth responded in kind. With terrifying speed for something so massive, it lunged, its spiked fist swinging in a monstrous arc. The force of the blow cleaved through the air, creating a brutal shockwave that shattered windows and sliced through buildings like paper. Entire structures groaned before crumbling into dust, collapsing under the sheer pressure of its strike.

Hikari and Lila darted out of the way, their movements precise and fluid, narrowly avoiding the collapsing buildings and the Behemoth’s relentless assault.

Hikari retaliated in an instant, her mind latching onto reality itself. A surge of raw, psychic energy crackled around her as she unleashed a flurry of devastating blasts—each shot a pinpoint beam of invisible force that could have caved in a skyscraper.

But the Behemoth did not falter. It swung both of its hammer-like fists in a cross-motion, colliding with the psychic blasts mid-air. The impact detonated violently, sending a ripple of force screaming back towards Hikari.

Before she could react, Lila dashed in front of her, psychic energy coalescing into a translucent shield at her arm. With a flick of her wrist, she swung the shield, shattering the incoming blasts like fragile glass.

Lila smirked. “Okay, yeah—you’re definitely not some run-of-the-mill undead.”

Hikari’s eyes sharpened, her instincts already adapting. She could feel it—the rhythm of battle, the pulse of power flowing through her. Her martial arts training wasn’t just reflex now; it was amplified, enhanced by the sheer force of her telekinesis.

With a thought, she propelled herself forward again, disappearing in a blur of motion. In less than a second, she was behind the Behemoth, her movements no longer just skill—they were art.

Her first punch landed square in its back, the force rippling through its grotesque form. Then another. And another. Punch. Kick. Knee. Elbow. Each strike flowed into the next, a perfect chain of devastation. The Behemoth shuddered under the relentless onslaught. Its flesh twisted and recoiled, dark ichor—thick, black, and reeking of death—gushing from the impact points like a dying star bleeding darkness.

The faces along its body contorted in agony, their silent screams turning to whispers at the edge of perception. Hikari could almost hear them—pleas, sobs, voices lost in the void of suffering. The Behemoth wasn’t just a monster. It was agony made flesh.

The Behemoth roared—a guttural, chilling sound that vibrated through the shattered cityscape like a death knell. From its grotesque frame, a third arm erupted, each muscle bulging with raw, twisted power. With a sickening crack, the new arm swung toward Lila, its spiked fist a blur of speed and savagery. The punch landed with a deafening boom, sending Lila careening through the air like a ragdoll. She crashed into a building, the impact causing the structure to collapse in on itself, the debris scattering like confetti.

But the Behemoth wasn’t done.

It twisted its massive body toward Hikari, its monstrous fist spinning in a wide arc, the air cracking with the sheer force of its movement. Hikari’s instincts flared—she was faster. In the split second before the Behemoth could land the blow, she dashed back—a blur of motion as she sidestepped with precision. She wasn’t just reacting to the monster. She was anticipating its every move, reading the rhythm of its violence like a combatant who knew no equal.

Then, before it could recover, the Behemoth lunged at her again, its lumbering body defying its size with a speed that was unnatural for its grotesque frame. The ground cracked beneath its feet as it moved, a testament to the sheer weight of its monstrous mass.

But Hikari was already in motion.

Her legs, honed by years of discipline, sprang forward, telekinetically boosted to an inhuman speed. Her body was a blur, a streak of cyan energy cutting through the air as if the very winds had surrendered to her will. Each step was a flash of force, her feet barely touching the ground before she launched herself forward again. With each movement, she pushed herself harder—faster—than any human should be able to.

“Let’s see how fast you really are,” she muttered to herself, a wry grin tugging at the corner of her lips. Her voice rang out clear, even in the chaos of the battle. “I’ve been on the track team for years, but now, I’ve got a new test ride. Try and keep up, big guy!”

Hikari wasn’t just fast. She had always been faster. A prodigy in every sense of the word, she was a top-tier runner in high school—able to clear a 200-meter dash in 6.1 seconds, her body built for speed. It wasn’t just about the sprinting, though; she had molded herself into a living weapon. A black belt in both Karate and Aikido, she wasn’t just proficient—she was a teacher. She had dominated in Boxing and Kickboxing, her strikes fast and furious, her reflexes sharp as a razor. Yoga had sculpted her body into something fluid and flexible, a perfect vessel for her growing psychic powers.

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Her athleticism was a natural extension of her mind—disciplined, focused, and unrelenting. But now, with the new abilities granted to her by the supernatural, she had transcended what her body could do before.

Hikari’s body crackled with power as she surged forward, and suddenly, she was no longer just Hikari Sato, high school athlete—she was a force of nature. The city around her blurred as she ran at breakneck speed, her psychic energy weaving through the air like the tail of a comet. She was a cyan streak of brilliance, moving so fast that the buildings, the debris, and even the Behemoth itself became little more than distant smudges against her vision.

But even the Behemoth’s unnatural speed couldn’t keep up. It lumbered, its massive fists swinging, but its movements were sluggish in comparison to the blur that Hikari had become. Every time it seemed to lock onto her, she had already moved, leaving it frustrated, howling in rage.

“Man, you really are something else.” Her voice echoed across the battlefield, a teasing lilt in her tone as she left the Behemoth in her wake, the giant monstrosity barely managing to keep up, its every movement a clumsy reaction to the storm of psychic energy that Hikari had become.

She was getting faster. And with each pulse of psychic energy, she was learning more about herself—about her potential.

Lila staggered out from the wreckage of the building, her body aching and her ribs throbbing with pain. She clutched her side, blood staining her mouth as she coughed harshly, each breath a struggle. Her vision blurred for a moment, but as she raised her gaze, her heart skipped a beat.

A flash of cyan—a streak of energy, almost alive with movement—blurred across her field of vision. It was faster than anything she’d ever seen, a vivid burst of psychic power carving through the air with graceful intensity. But there was something else. A sudden gust of wind, wild and forceful, seemed to chase after it, a violent current that battered the remnants of the city’s shattered buildings.

“What the hell…?” Lila muttered under her breath, struggling to steady herself as she tried to focus on the surreal scene unfolding before her. “Is that… is that Hikari?”

She narrowed her eyes, concentrating her psychic energy to zoom in on the speeding figure. What she saw stunned her: the cyan streak was unmistakable—it was Hikari. The thought felt surreal, but there was no denying it.

“It… it really is her…” Lila’s chest tightened. Her mind raced as she processed the sight. Hikari wasn’t just fast; she was practically flying. But it wasn’t just the speed. There was a weightlessness to her movement, as if she were at one with the air, the earth beneath her feet, and the psychic power coursing through her. The battle had shifted, and so had Hikari.

Lila’s heartbeat quickened, an unfamiliar warmth creeping up her neck and spreading across her cheeks. Her breath caught in her throat. “Shit… am I… falling in love with Hikari… in the middle of all this?” The realization hit her hard, a chaotic mix of surprise, disbelief, and something else entirely—something deeper. She felt a twinge in her chest, a delicate flutter that made her feel both vulnerable and exhilarated.

She shook her head, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to push the thoughts away. “Get a grip, Lila.” She murmured to herself, trying to focus. This wasn’t the time for distractions. “This is a battle… I need to help her.”

With a strained effort, Lila called upon her psychic energy, a soft hum vibrating beneath her skin as she used it to heal her injured rib. The pain ebbed away in a wave of warm relief, but her mind was still caught in a whirlwind of thoughts she couldn’t quite shake. Her gaze flicked to Hikari, the girl now a force of nature, racing through the chaos.

Lila’s resolve solidified. She had a job to do.

With a deep breath, she extended her hands, drawing the shattered earth around her. Telekinesis. A chunk of the crumbling street rose from the rubble, hovering in the air, an extension of her will. It was no ordinary rock—it was a weapon, sharp and jagged. Her hands trembled slightly as she held it aloft, her focus intense.

Hikari, noticing the shift in the battle, caught her attention. A smile danced across her lips, sharp and knowing.

“I see what you’re doing, Lila~”

Lila’s heart raced, but she didn’t let it distract her. Instead, she watched as Hikari’s grin deepened. The girl was already in motion, her body a blur of motion and power. She turned towards the Behemoth, which had been mindlessly chasing her, and called out.

“Follow me. I’ve got something to show you~”

The Behemoth roared, a horrific sound that echoed through the ruins, its massive body crashing forward, mindlessly chasing after Hikari’s call. It was the perfect bait—so single-minded in its command to destroy, it was blind to everything else. It didn’t notice the delicate, calculated movements of the two exorcists working in tandem.

Hikari sped towards Lila, the two of them moving as one—two sides of the same coin. For a brief, impossible moment, as the Behemoth bore down on them, everything around them seemed to stop. The wind howled louder, the psychic energy humming as if the very fabric of the world was holding its breath. Lila’s eyes met Hikari’s in the fleeting seconds before impact, and for just that instant, there was no battle. There was no Behemoth, no destruction, no pain. It was just them.

Then, with a violent crash, the moment shattered. The Behemoth’s massive form barreled forward, but it was too late. Hikari had already pulled away, leaving Lila to do what she did best.

They were in sync—two forces of nature, two souls drawn to each other in the heart of chaos. And as Lila focused on the task ahead, the lingering warmth of that connection still radiated through her chest, despite the battle that raged around them. She knew, deep down, she wasn’t just fighting for survival. She was fighting for something more.

The battle had slowed to a surreal stillness. Hikari and Lila, both breathing heavily, scanned the devastation around them. Their eyes, sharpened by the chaos, searched for any sign of the Behemoth. But there was nothing. The beast had vanished—disappeared as if it had never existed.

“Where did it go?” Lila muttered, her hand gripping her side as she steadied herself.

Before either of them could react, the ground beneath them shuddered. A low rumble vibrated through the air, just enough to set the hairs on their necks standing on end. Then, without warning, the Behemoth reappeared, as if the shadows themselves had split open to give birth to it. It loomed behind them, its massive form casting a suffocating shadow over the ruins.

Hikari barely had time to blink before the beast raised its monstrous, hammer-like fist. A dreadful weight hung in the air as the fist came crashing down with earth-shattering force. The impact sent a massive shockwave rippling through the city, and the very earth trembled beneath its power. The explosion of dark energy that followed radiated outward like a pulse from the depths of despair itself. It filled the air with a chilling sense of hopelessness, the kind that sunk deep into the bones and drained the spirit. A suffocating sorrow wrapped around them, thick and impenetrable, as if the weight of the world had been thrust upon their shoulders.

But Hikari and Lila were ready. They didn’t hesitate. Without a word, they synchronized their abilities, their minds connecting in an instant. Psychic energy surged between them like an unstoppable current, merging their powers into a single, impenetrable barrier. It shimmered with brilliant light, sharp and defensive, a stark contrast to the bleakness of the dark wave.

The ground cracked beneath their feet, and the force of the attack hit them head-on, but the barrier held firm. The sorrowful wave collided with their combined psychic shield, splintering against the strength of their unified resolve. The world seemed to hold its breath, as if it, too, feared the outcome.

The Behemoth, still towering over them, bared its teeth in a soundless snarl. The dark energy that had been unleashed rippled around it like a storm cloud, but it was clear—it was not defeated.

“Guess this thing isn’t going down easily.” Hikari’s voice was steady, though her muscles tensed from the effort of maintaining the shield. She kept her eyes locked on the Behemoth, her mind already calculating their next move.

“You said it better than me,” Lila grunted, her own face flushed with the strain. “Where the hell did this thing even come from?”

Hikari didn’t look away from the creature, her thoughts racing. “I don’t know. All I saw was it… seemingly fall out of the sky.” Her brow furrowed as she searched for any clue, anything that would explain the creature’s sudden appearance.

Lila’s gaze flickered to her for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. “You don’t think Amanda is trying to kill us, do you?”

Hikari shook her head, her smile almost reassuring despite the growing danger. “Of course not. Why would a child want to kill people?” The words left her mouth without conviction, the uncertainty lingering in her tone despite the façade of confidence. It was a question she didn’t want to ask, but one that tugged at the edges of her mind.

And yet, even as she spoke, something else moved in the shadows. Something familiar, though not in any way they’d expect.

There, hidden in the blackness of the wrecked city, unseen and unacknowledged, a pair of eyes—cold, calculating, all-knowing—watched them from the shadows. Those eyes narrowed as she observed the battle unfolding, noting every strike, every motion, every subtle interaction between the two exorcists.

She wasn’t just watching the Behemoth. She was watching Hikari. Lila. She was watching the dynamic between them.

A soft whisper of a smile curled at the corner of her unseen lips. There was no fear, no hesitation—only a quiet, unspoken understanding.

“You two have no idea what you’ve just walked into, you’ll die here~”

The words came from the darkness, but they were more than a voice—they were a presence. One that felt like it had been there all along, quietly threading itself through the fabric of the world, unseen and unfelt.

And as the Behemoth roared in fury once more, the shadows shifted. A cold chill settled over the battlefield, a silent omen of the storm that was about to break.

To be continued…