Shirogane clearly saw Kaito's figure on the tracks. Yume noticed him too and was left stunned.
"I-I can't believe it..." she whispered, her voice full of hope.
Shirogane, on the other hand, gritted his teeth in frustration. "That bastard... I warned him."
He took a step forward and firmly commanded, "Kuroyami, appear."
From the boy's shadow, the summoned spirit slowly emerged, standing before him. "What's wrong?" she asked with a curious expression.
"I want to send a large number of knights onto the roof of the train. Is it possible?"
Kuroyami thought for a moment. "In theory, yes. We can create the knights using the passengers' shadows and teleport them instantly onto the roof."
A pleased smile appeared on Shirogane's face. "Perfect. Let's do it."
Together with Kuroyami, he spoke firmly:
"KAGE NO ITSUWARI... KNIGHTS."
A black aura spread around him, like a threatening mist. His eyes glowed an intense purple. An instant later, fragments of shadow began to seep out from the passengers' cabins, silently making their way to the roof of the train. No one noticed a thing.
Meanwhile, on top of the train, a figure stood proudly. Kaito had managed to reach the roof with a leap from the tracks.
"Good, I made it... Now I just have to eliminate Shirogane... and take Yume."
His voice was determined, but there was a slight hint of concern in his tone. He started walking cautiously along the train cars, but suddenly he stopped.
In front of him, a few meters away, a mass of shadow pulsed in the darkness. Then, without warning, it took form.
Kaito's heart began to race.
"Damn it..."
Before his eyes, fifteen shadow knights materialized.
Gripping his blades tightly, Kaito prepared for battle. One of the blades was securely tied to his broken arm with bandages, allowing him to still wield it.
"So this is how you want to play it, Shirogane??? Fine... I'll eliminate every last one of you!"
The first of the fifteen knights charged at him. His heavy steps echoed across the roof of the train. He drew his sword and aimed for Kaito's face.
With a swift movement, Kaito dodged sideways, barely brushing the edge of the roof. Then, with a determined push, he dashed forward. Holding his blade horizontally, he struck the knight, and at the moment of impact, part of the knight's body was absorbed into the sword.
For a moment, a satisfied smile crossed Kaito's lips. But he had no time to savor it: another knight intercepted his blade, knocking him backward.
The two faceless warriors attacked without hesitation. Their swords clashed against his blades, sending out sparks.
(Let's try this...)
With that thought, Kaito used the momentum of the strikes to leap behind the knights with a fluid and precise movement. But his opponents were quick: with a simultaneous slash, they tried to cut him down.
At the last moment, Kaito bent backward, dodging the blows by a hair's breadth.
The battle had only just begun.
An instant later, he tried to counterattack, but three more knights blocked him. Two immobilized his arms, while the third grabbed his neck, preventing him from moving his head.
One of the knights he had fought earlier advanced and struck him violently with his sword.
"AARGH!"
Kaito screamed, pain shooting through his body like freezing fire. Blood gushed from the wound, but despite everything, he stood up, trembling, his chest torn open. His gaze, though filled with suffering, never betrayed the determination burning within him.
He was convinced he could win.
He stared for a moment at the five enemies before him. When he saw three more knights rushing at him with drawn weapons, he acted on instinct. He lunged forward, while the knights, aiming to kill him, struck the roof of the train violently instead.
Seeing an opening, Kaito lightly jumped and, with a diagonal motion, struck the knights. His blades slashed swiftly, decapitating them with deadly precision.
The remaining knights stood still, staring at him with emotionless eyes.
His blades immediately absorbed the struck parts of the enemies, as if their very existence had evaporated.
"Come on... WHO'S NEXT?!"
At his provocation, the thirteen remaining knights charged at him.
Kaito faced four of them, blocking their attacks with one blade while counterattacking with the other. The battle was fierce, spreading across the entire roof of the train.
Two enemies fell: one stabbed in the shoulder, the other knocked to the ground with a blow to the helmet. The thuds were heavy. The passengers in the cabins below, hearing the noise, began to panic. Fear started to spread among them.
Sensing two more knights approaching from behind, Kaito used the fallen enemies' bodies as a springboard to leap backward and strike downward. However, only one of them fell.
(No! He dodged it.)
Still in midair, Kaito saw the enemy's sword aimed at him.
The thrust was powerful. The slash tore through his side, sending him crashing into three more knights. However, the enemy who had struck him suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Kaito, in the brief instant he had been hit, had managed to throw his blade at the enemy.
Short of breath and with his body covered in wounds, he got back up.
"Okay... only eight left."
His breathing was heavy, but Kaito understood he could still make it.
Meanwhile, in the cabin, Shirogane suddenly stood up, fists clenched. Kuroyami did the same, though she didn't seem as upset as her master.
"Where are you going?" Yume asked, visibly worried.
Shirogane didn't turn around. "I'm going to settle something."
He said no more and walked away, followed by his spirit.
Yume immediately realized what he intended to do: he was going to kill Kaito.
She clenched her fists and lowered her gaze.
"Please, Kaito... don't die because of me. Run away..."