Phantom Awakening

Vengeance Saga: Chapter 7

The Ghost of the Academy.

A year had passed since Kujo's departure from the Academy, and life had changed for everyone who'd known him. The memory of his departure, blood-stained and silent, haunted the Academy halls. For Mira, Rei, and the others, the shadow he left behind was impossible to shake. They'd grown older, sharper, tougher, but the absence of Kujo had left a permanent mark on each of them. He had vanished completely, no word, no trace, and despite Sensei Jiro's insistence that Kujo had needed "time to find himself," they knew something had changed in him. Something darker.

It wasn't until whispers began to circulate—a vigilante haunting the outer villages, targeting criminals with ruthless precision—that they realized Kujo was still out there, alive but very different. He was no longer the Kujo they'd known, the boy who had fought alongside them, who'd once shared their laughter. Instead, he'd become something else—a myth, a ghost, a weapon without mercy.

Rumors painted a dark picture: a figure who moved through the night like a shadow, his presence silent yet deadly, his eyes cold and unfeeling. Those who crossed paths with him told stories of metal shifting in impossible ways, coiling around his enemies with terrifying precision. Villagers called him "The Steel Phantom," and the name had spread, whispered in fearful tones. His methods were brutal, his reputation merciless.

Mira was the first to put the pieces together. She'd kept tabs on every rumor, piecing together clues from the outskirts of the Academy's influence, following the trail of whispers about "The Steel Phantom." She recognized the signs—the metal manipulation, the calculated vengeance. She knew it was Kujo.

One evening, she approached Rei in the Academy courtyard. Now sixteen, Rei had hardened, his carefree smirk replaced by a more solemn expression. The events of the past year had changed him, made him sharper, more aware of the dangers that lurked beyond the Academy walls. He looked up as Mira approached, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if reading her thoughts before she spoke.

"He's out there, Rei," Mira said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know it's him. Kujo."

Rei's jaw clenched. He'd heard the rumors too, and a part of him had suspected, had hoped, that it was Kujo. But he'd seen the darkness in Kujo's eyes that last day, the emptiness, and he knew that if Kujo had truly become this vigilante, he wasn't the same person they'd known.

"What do you want to do about it?" Rei asked, his voice low.

"I want to find him," Mira replied, her gaze unwavering. "We owe it to him. We can't just let him go down this path alone. If he's become something darker, we need to bring him back."

Rei nodded, though doubt flickered in his eyes. "You really think he wants to be brought back, Mira? Last time we saw him, he'd already made his choice."

Mira's gaze hardened. "Maybe. But we owe him this much. He saved all of us at one point or another. And I don't believe he's completely lost."

They spent weeks preparing, training with an intensity that matched Kujo's own. Mira honed her abilities to cloak herself in light, sharpening her illusions to near invisibility, while Rei refined his kinetic blasts, pushing himself further, faster, and with more control than ever before. They knew that if they were going to confront Kujo, they had to be at their best.

Finally, they set out from the Academy, following the trail of rumors and whispers that pointed to the villages along the outer edge of the kingdom, where Kujo's presence was strongest. They moved carefully, keeping to the shadows, their hearts heavy with both anticipation and apprehension.

It was on the outskirts of a small, desolate village that they finally saw him.

Kujo stood in the center of the square, his back turned to them, facing a group of rough-looking men who were already bound in chains of metal, their eyes wide with terror as they struggled against the restraints. Kujo's silhouette was larger, his stance colder and more deliberate. He wore a dark cloak, the hood casting his face in shadow, but Mira and Rei would have recognized him anywhere.

Without hesitation, Mira stepped forward, calling out his name. "Kujo!"

He paused, the tension in his frame shifting slightly. Slowly, he turned, his face emerging from the shadows. His expression was unreadable, his eyes colder than either of them remembered, a hardened edge to his gaze that sent a chill down Mira's spine.

"Why are you here?" Kujo's voice was quiet, detached.

"We came to find you," Mira said, her voice steady despite the uncertainty swirling within her. "To bring you back."

Kujo's eyes narrowed, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Back? To what? The Academy? The place that couldn't even protect Niko? That world doesn't matter to me anymore."

Rei stepped forward, his fists clenched. "You think this—this killing, this vengeance—is what Niko would have wanted? You think he'd want you to become... this?"

Kujo's gaze darkened, the metal around him vibrating subtly, a barely restrained force. "Niko's gone. And so is the Kujo you knew. I don't care what he would have wanted. This is all that's left."

Mira took a step closer, her voice softening. "You don't have to do this alone, Kujo. We're here. We're your friends. Let us help you."

He laughed, a hollow sound devoid of humor. "Friends? I left that life behind. You're better off forgetting me, Mira. This path—it's mine alone."

She shook her head, desperation flickering in her eyes. "I won't give up on you, Kujo. None of us will."

Kujo's expression shifted, a shadow of conflict crossing his face, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by an icy resolve. "If you try to stop me, you're no different from them. From anyone who stands in my way."

Mira felt her heart tighten, the realization settling over her that Kujo had truly changed. She glanced at Rei, who gave her a slight nod, his expression resolute.

"Then I guess we'll just have to remind you who you really are," Rei said, his voice low.

The air grew tense as Kujo's gaze hardened, the metal around him coiling in response to his unspoken command. Mira prepared to summon her illusions, her heart pounding as she braced for what was to come.

And in that moment, they all knew—the battle between friends was inevitable, and there would be no turning back.