The Shadow Hashira - Tengen X Reader X Sanemi

38

The first trial was about to begin, and I could feel the tension thickening in the air as the Hashira gathered in the arena, each of us sizing up our opponents, our allies, and, perhaps most of all, ourselves. The crowd's excited murmurs only seemed to amplify the pressure, like a drumbeat hammering in my veins. I steeled myself, rolling my shoulders back, willing the nervous energy to turn into focus.

Sanemi caught my eye across the arena, his face a mask of unfiltered disdain. He wore that smirk—the one that seemed tailor-made to get under my sk in. This time, though, he didn't even bother with words. His eyes did all the talking, flashing with a silent, venomous message: Show me what you've got, or get out of my way.

My jaw clenched. If he wanted to be shown, he'd get it. I could practically feel my shadow breathing around me, waiting to pounce, to prove him wrong.

Master's voice cut through the tension. "The first trial: strength." The crowd erupted with cheers. "Each of you will face the enchanted boulders set at the arena's edge. You will have two minutes to destroy it. Points will be awarded based on effectiveness, speed, and control. Remember—destruction is easy. Control is what makes a warrior."

As he finished, I glanced toward the far end of the arena where the boulders were lined up, their immense forms practically daring us to fail. They gleamed with a dark enchantment, solid and seemingly indestructible.

Tengen strode past me, his usual swagger in place as he threw me a wink. "Show 'em what you're made of, Moonlight."

I held his gaze for a moment, feeling the rush of encouragement settle over me, grounding me. But when I looked back, I found Sanemi's piercing gaze on us. The look he gave me felt like a cold slap, sharp and unyielding. He turned and strode toward his own boulder, his shoulders set with determination.

Before I could dwell on it, Master called, "Sanemi Shinazugawa, you're up."

He wasted no time, advancing with a stride full of purpose. Sanemi's hand gripped his blade, and I could almost feel the air crackling with his energy as he let his fury loose on the boulder. The arena watched in silence as he delivered each blow with an intensity that was brutal, efficient, and impossibly precise. Every strike sent chips of stone scattering in all directions, his fury palpable in every calculated movement. Within seconds, the boulder was split in half, the shattered stone a testament to his power.

I could feel the audience holding their breath as Sanemi sheathed his sword, his gaze shifting immediately toward me. That look of his was nothing short of a challenge—a fire barely contained, daring me to match his strength. "Let's see if you can keep up, Shadow," he muttered as he passed, his tone laced with disdain.

Master's voice echoed, calling my name for the next trial. I took a deep breath, letting the taunt settle deep within me. If he wanted to see what I could do, he was about to get it.

The boulder loomed before me, and I felt the whispers of my shadow technique pulse, urging me forward. I took my stance, letting the shadows pool around me as I closed my eyes, tuning out everything but the beat of my heart, the rhythm that matched my resolve.

"First Form: Silent Strike."

I lunged forward, vanishing into the shadows and reappearing behind the boulder, striking from every angle, each blow precise and measured. My weapon slashed through the air with an elegant efficiency, chipping away at the stone with a controlled fury. I could hear the crowd murmur, see the fragments of rock scattering around me like shattered illusions. The boulder gave way beneath the relentless assault, cracking apart under the weight of my strikes.

When I finished, the boulder was in pieces, the remnants of my work lying in a near-perfect circle around me. There was no mess, no overkill—just a display of control.

But as I turned, Sanemi was standing there, watching, that familiar smirk creeping back onto his face. He clapped slowly, each clap echoing louder than the one before, drawing the crowd's eyes to him.

"Not bad... for a shadow," he drawled, taking a step closer. His tone was mocking, but his eyes held something else, a heat that made my pulse race in spite of myself. "Guess you're good for more than hiding."

I bristled, stepping forward to meet his gaze, my chin lifted defiantly. "Seems you're pretty good at running your mouth. Maybe that's your real talent."

He tilted his head, looking me over with that sharp, unrelenting gaze, as though he could peel back every layer and see what I was really made of. "Let me tell you something, Y/N," he sneered, his voice dripping with a quiet venom that only I could hear. "A shadow's nothing without light to reveal it. Remember that before you try to stand here and act like you belong."

I could feel the anger flaring, burning in my chest like an open wound. "Careful, Shinazugawa," I shot back, my voice low, each word laced with fury. "A shadow may be hidden, but it can still kill."

He didn't flinch, that infuriating smirk never wavering. If anything, he looked almost pleased, as if I'd given him exactly what he wanted. "We'll see, won't we?"

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me with a roiling anger that made it hard to breathe. But beneath the fury, there was something else, something I didn't want to admit. The way his gaze lingered, the way his words struck deep, almost as if he knew exactly how to provoke me.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I turned back to the boulder's shattered remains. This was only the beginning, and if Sanemi wanted to challenge me, he'd have to keep up.

---3rd POV---

Tengen stood at a distance, his usual confidence dimmed by a gnawing unease as he watched the exchange unfold. He saw the fire in Y/N's eyes, the way she held her ground against Sanemi's taunts, her posture sharp and unwavering. But it was the intensity in Sanemi's gaze that tightened something in Tengen's chest—a mix of challenge and something else, something that stirred a deeper tension.

Y/N and Sanemi stood mere inches apart, their words crackling with friction, like the beginnings of a storm. Tengen felt a pang of uncertainty—an emotion he wasn't used to, one that sat uneasily beside his usual surety.

Their closeness was unmistakable, charged with an energy he couldn't ignore, and for the first time, he wondered just how much space there was between Y/N and himself—and how easily someone like Sanemi could close it.

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A/N

How'd I do? Bad ? good? ate? starved?

I particularly thought this was decent *breathes in tiredness after writing*