Petals in the Dark

The flowers of Shadows Blooms

Chapter 11: The Flower of Shadows Blooms

The days following their encounter with the Shadow Monarch were filled with tension. Though the boys had fought valiantly, a sense of unease settled over them, like a heavy fog they couldn't quite shake. Training continued, but every now and then, one of them would glance at the sky or tense up at the rustling of the wind, expecting another attack.

Riku, usually the steadfast leader, had grown quiet, his determination shadowed by doubt. He could feel it—the darkness that lingered in the wake of their battle. The others could sense it too, though none of them dared voice their fears aloud.

The Arrival of Kashō

A few days later, as the boys gathered for yet another training session, a sudden shift in the atmosphere made Riku freeze. There it was again—the darkness, but this time, it was different. Not the oppressive, suffocating aura of the Shadow Monarch, but something elegant, almost... beautiful.

"Do you feel that?" Haru whispered, his wind-sensing abilities picking up the faintest shift in the air.

Before they could react, a soft laugh echoed through the clearing. A tall, graceful figure stepped out from the shadows, his form bathed in an ethereal glow. He wore an elaborate kimono adorned with intricate flowers, and his pale green eyes gleamed with an unsettling mix of beauty and cruelty. The flower-like demon crests on his cheek and forehead only served to enhance his otherworldly appearance.

The boys immediately recognized the danger, but something about this new villain was different from the Shadow Monarch. Where the Shadow Monarch had been raw, brutal power, this man was graceful, precise—a predator who relished the hunt.

"I am Kashō," the man said, his voice smooth and melodic. "The Flower of Shadows, and you... are about to wither under my touch."

A Deadly Dance

Without warning, sashes sprouted from Kashō's body, beautiful yet deadly, flowing like ribbons in the wind. The air shimmered as the sashes twirled and rippled, their edges glinting like sharpened steel in the low light. The boys barely had time to react as the flower-patterned obi shot toward them with terrifying speed.

"Kaito! Illusions!" Riku shouted.

Kaito's hands moved swiftly, his fingers weaving through the air as he conjured multiple clones of himself and the others to confuse the enemy. For a brief moment, the clearing was filled with identical magical boys, each mimicking the original.

But Kashō merely smirked, his lime-green eyes glinting with amusement. "Cute trick," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. His sashes danced with his words, moving like serpents through the illusions. With a single, fluid motion, the sashes sliced through each clone, leaving shimmering particles in their wake. The sashes moved so fast they appeared as nothing more than pink blurs. "But tricks won't save you."

"Wind Vortex!" Haru cried, summoning a whirlwind to deflect the sashes, but Kashō's control over his weapons was too precise. He moved through the storm like a leaf on the breeze, his movements effortless and fluid, his kimono fluttering as he danced between gusts of wind. With each twirl, his sashes snapped out, slicing through Haru's winds as if they were nothing more than a light summer breeze.

"You boys are strong," Kashō said, his smile widening as his eyes scanned their desperate movements. "But strength alone won't save you. You lack beauty... finesse."

Riku, determined to turn the tide, charged forward, his Shield of Radiance glowing brightly. "We'll show you strength!" he shouted, slamming the shield into the ground. Light exploded outward in a protective dome, forcing Kashō's sashes to recoil. For a moment, the world was bathed in radiant light.

But Kashō wasn't deterred. "Such crude power," he mused, his sashes snapping back before lashing out once more. They coiled around Riku's shield, tightening with each passing second. The radiant light seemed to flicker as the deadly fabric constricted. "You have no sense of art."

The Boys' Struggle

Sweat dripped down Riku's face as he struggled to maintain the shield, every muscle in his body straining under the pressure. "Mateo! Now!" he shouted, his voice tense with effort.

Mateo, standing at the back, closed his eyes and focused all of his energy. His body began to glow with a soft, pinkish light as he reached deep within. "Emotional Surge!" he cried, sending waves of warmth and positivity that merged with Riku's shield. The radiant barrier glowed brighter, pushing back Kashō's assault for a brief moment.

But Kashō's smile never wavered. "Ah, emotion. Such a fleeting, fragile thing," he whispered, almost lovingly, as his sashes slackened, only to lash out again with even more force. This time, they wrapped around Haru's ankles, lifting him into the air like a rag doll.

"Haru!" Yuki screamed, desperation gripping his heart as he reached out, helplessly watching his friend dangle from the deadly ribbons. Haru struggled in mid-air, trying to summon the wind to free himself, but Kashō's grip was too strong. The sashes squeezed tighter, and the sound of Haru's labored breathing filled the air.

"Let him go!" Kaito shouted, summoning illusions once more to distract Kashō.

Kashō's eyes flicked toward Kaito, amusement dancing in his lime-green irises. "You amuse me," he said softly, his sashes loosening their grip just enough to keep Haru alive—but barely. He watched as Kaito's illusions formed once again, their shimmering forms surrounding him in a haze of magic.

"Playtime is over," Kashō whispered, his voice like silk. With a flick of his wrist, the sashes exploded outward, cutting through the illusions like they were made of glass. The force sent the boys flying backward, their bodies crashing into the ground with heavy thuds.

A Turning Point

As the boys lay on the ground, gasping for breath, Kashō walked toward them with slow, deliberate steps. His sashes twirled around him like a lover's embrace, their edges gleaming with a lethal beauty. "You're not ready," he said softly, his voice filled with pity. "But don't worry, I'll give you time. After all, a flower needs time to bloom."

He turned his back on them, his sashes retracting as he began to fade into the shadows. "Train harder, magical boys," he called over his shoulder, his voice a haunting melody. "When next we meet, I expect a much more... beautiful fight."

With that, Kashō disappeared, leaving the boys broken and bloodied on the ground.

Aftermath

The boys slowly got to their feet, their bodies bruised and aching. Each of them was shaken—not just by the power Kashō wielded, but by the beauty and grace with which he had wielded it. They had never faced an enemy like him before.

"We... we weren't ready," Mateo said quietly, his usual cheerfulness replaced by uncertainty.

Riku clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white with frustration. "Next time," he muttered, his voice low and filled with determination. "Next time, we'll be ready."

The others nodded, though their confidence was shaken. They had a long way to go if they were going to face Kashō again—and survive.

As the sun set on the clearing, casting long shadows over the boys, they knew their battle against the forces of darkness was far from over. But now, they faced a new challenge—one that required not just strength, but elegance and strategy. Kashō had shown them the harsh reality of their journey.

And the next time they met, they would have to be ready to dance with death itself.

End of Chapter 11.