How long has it been since we started fighting the shadows?
　One minute?
　Ten minutes?
　30 minutes?
　The sense of time was blurred.
　The battle was that much more intense and severe.

'Matter creation!'

　With the power he contracted with Nina, he created a mass of gunpowder.
　He threw it at the shadows and........

Fireball Multi-Shot!

　Ignited by magic.
　Red flame and shock waves rage across the stage.

　How about this?　I think...

Huh.

　A shadow rushed out from behind the dust cloud.
　Although it was sooty here and there, there didn't appear to be any fatal damage.

　I've tried all sorts of ways...
　I wonder if he's immortal?
　Can we really win?
　I couldn't help but let my vulnerable side show its face.

　And that was when it happened.

''Rain, keep up the good work!
Hang in there!

　I could hear Sola and Luna cheering.

　That's all.
　But the weakness in me is completely gone.
　The cheering of my friends gives me a lot of strength.

　That's right.
　I'm the one who chose this path....
　We can't just give up here, can we?
　We can't do anything that uncool, can we?

"Phew!

　Get yourself together and...
　This time, I charged into the shadows from here.

　We collided head-on.
　As if pushing hand to hand, we are in the form of comparing forces.

''Gu........this.......enough!

　He brushed off the shadow's leg and threw it away when he was out of stance.

'Fireball multi-shot!'

　I followed it up with magic.
　Three fireballs, creating........
　One of those shots hits the shadow.

　Still, the shadow doesn't go down, but....
　The movement stops completely.

　Quickly, he fleshes out into the shadows and slams an elbow into his abdomen.
　As it is, he hits a series of fists.
　He also kicks up his chin, bouncing up from the bottom to the top.

　Wobblingly, the shadow shakes.
　The damage was definitely accumulated.

''How!''

　I heard the elder's surprised voice.
　Well, that might not be surprising.
　We've been on the defensive so far........

　But that ends here.
　I'm going to take it from here.

Gravity Manipulation!

　The movement of the shadows that charged in to turn around was stopped by gravity manipulation.
　The shadow, which was subjected to five times the normal weight of pressure, visibly slowed down.

　Now is your chance.

''Fireball Multi-Shot!''

　First, he got a distance and fired a series of fireballs.
　One after another, explosions occurred, and the shadows were consumed by the flames.

　Still, I can't be relieved yet.
　If you're as stubborn as I am, you're not done yet.

　Sure enough, the flames were pinched and the shadows flew out of the flames.
　It must have received wounds here and there, but its momentum has not waned.
　It's not a human being, so it doesn't feel pain, and its movements don't slow down, I guess.
　It's quite a foul existence.

　But.........
　I'll get over it!

Boost!

　I strengthened my physical abilities and closed the gap from here.
　Here, for the first time, the shadow showed a pretense of being upset.

　Following me, she tried to strengthen her physical abilities, but........

Too late!

　I'm not dumb enough to allow that to happen.
　He kicks the shadow in the face and interrupts the chanting.
　He also extreme his arm and put all his weight on it.

　I could hear a dull sound and an unpleasant response.

'Even though it's a shadow, it's not a pleasant one.

　However, I can't take it easy.

　The shadow doesn't give up even if its arm is broken and tries to bite like a zombie.
　I'm not a fan of this, but I'm not a fan of this.
　If we leave it like this, we'll be hit.

　

Phew!

　As he slid, he paid off both of the shadow's legs.
　There was no more support and the shadow fell over.

　I quickly picked myself up and climbed on top of the shadow.
　I stomped on one hand and one foot of the shadow with both feet to block its movement.

　And then.....

　He pulled out his Kamui and stabbed it into the shadow's back.
　Giving him a deep, fatal wound, deep enough to bury the entire blade...

　Bikung, the shadow twitched once.
　After that, it stopped moving...
　Eventually, it disappeared like a sludge and melted.

''.................Fufu.

　I look at it for a while, but it doesn't seem to be reviving.
　I put the camouflage away and quietly stand up.

　Then I turn to the elder who was watching the game.

'I won........is that right?'
Hmm....

　The elder nodded slowly, surprised.

''I will not be a trivial cheapskate. Human, I will acknowledge that you have won.
Okay.

　A small gut pose...

Meow, yay!
That's Rain.
Congratulations.
I always knew I would win.
You're not... hurt...?
He's so strong.

　Everyone congratulated me with their mouths.
　I responded to everyone with a light wave of my hand.

''........How did you manage to win?''

　The elder asked quietly.

''That one had the same power as you. It was never inferior in performance. And you were upset and driven to begin with. And yet.........
'Well, that's certainly true but I've gotten used to it after some time.
You're used to...?
As we fought, I started to see their attack patterns and thoughts and things like that.
....
'Sure, that shadow might have been as powerful as me. But I can 'grow up'. I grew up in the fight and that's how I was able to surpass that shadow. When you think about it that way, don't you think that's a satisfying answer?
Well yes.

　The elder's eyes widened once....
　Then, with a look of satisfaction, he said quietly, "Let's hear your name again.

"Let's hear your name again.
The Rain Shroud.
Hmm....

　What is it?
　You look like you've got a lot on your mind, but....

'Well so the ordeal has passed, right?　The item that would be the vessel...
"...yeah, I guess so. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise. I'll get ready and you can go back first.
I understand.

　I bowed and got off the stage.



----------



　Rain and his companions walk away.
　As he looked behind them, the elder thought back to the earlier battle.

'You grew up while fighting...?'

　It's not possible.

　Any creature can become stronger by feeding off the battle.
　That's for sure.
　But there's no way you can grow while fighting.
　It's not possible to have such a growth rate.

　If it were an ordinary human being, such a thing would not be possible.
　If that is possible........
　It's already beyond the confines of 'human'.

''No ... not really.''

　The elder realized that he had missed a possibility.

　It could grow while fighting.
　The elder knew of a human who had such an incredible growth rate.

　A long time ago, a clan of people who had been given power by the gods.
　One who grew many times and dozens of times faster than others and grew everywhere.
　

''But that one must not be a brave.......no, wait?

　The elder managed to dredge up some forgotten memories.

'That human who called himself the Shroud, didn't he?　As I recall, the family lineage is....

　The words that followed were never heard by anyone and never reached anyone...
　It was hidden in the elder's chest.