Whispers of Shikiban:The king walks among us-Chapter 28 --

The wind screamed like a beast in pain, tearing at Reika's clothes, tugging at her hair, and biting at her skin. Every breath she took tasted of iron, the air dense with an unnatural pressure. The gate behind her creaked shut with a finality that sent a shiver down her spine. There was no turning back now.

She stood alone in the heart of the storm, her boots digging into the frozen earth as she surveyed her surroundings. Shadows stretched unnaturally, writhing like dark serpents, twisting and distorting with each gust of wind. The air was thick with anticipation, as if the very world around her was waiting—watching her every move.

"Wind Shikibans," Reika muttered under her breath, the words barely audible over the howling winds. Her mind was already calculating, her instincts sharp, honed through years of battle. The creatures of this level were said to control the wind, to manipulate it into lethal weapons. Their attacks would be swift, silent—like a blade slicing through the air.

A flicker in the shadows caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the swirling darkness. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it—a faint silhouette darting through the storm. She tensed, her muscles coiling, ready to spring into action.

Without warning, a gust of wind slammed into her side, sending her crashing to the ground. The force was so powerful it knocked the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath. She barely managed to roll to the side, the cold, hard earth scraping against her skin as she regained her footing.

She cursed under her breath, her heart pounding. The wind was alive, like a sentient beast. It was no longer just a force of nature—it was part of the Shikibans' strategy. They were testing her. Pushing her to her limits.

Reika gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain. She couldn't afford to hesitate. Her eyes scanned the swirling vortex around her, searching for any sign of movement. She felt it before she saw it—a shift in the wind, a subtle change in the atmosphere. A presence.

She spun to the left, her sword—now replaced by the black knife she had been given—flashing through the air in a deadly arc. The blade cut through the gusts of wind, but it met nothing but empty space. A laugh—low and mocking—echoed from the depths of the storm.

"Is this all you've got, Kagetsu Reika?" The voice was cold, cruel, filled with a dark amusement. It came from everywhere and nowhere, surrounding her like a suffocating fog.

Reika's eyes narrowed. She didn't have time to waste with games. The knife in her hand pulsed with a strange energy, its weight familiar, comforting. She tightened her grip, every muscle in her body vibrating with the need to fight.

The wind picked up, howling with renewed fury. It screamed past her ears, deafening, blinding her with dust and debris. And then—nothing. Silence. The calm before the storm.

She stood still, every sense alert, her mind running through every possible scenario. The air felt thick with malice, the storm building to a crescendo. And then, like a flash of lightning, it came.

A figure materialized from the shadows, moving with impossible speed, its form a blur against the darkened sky. The wind carried it—no, it was part of the wind itself. Reika's instincts kicked in as she dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the slash of a long, razor-sharp claw that tore through the air where her chest had been only a moment before.

The creature moved again, a streak of black and silver, its body twisting and contorting unnaturally as it disappeared into the storm. Reika's heart raced, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She could feel the wind pressing against her, trying to push her off balance, trying to force her into submission.

She wouldn't let it.

Reika's muscles screamed as she pushed off the ground, her body launching into the air with the grace of a dancer. She twisted mid-flight, her knife flashing as she slashed downward, aiming for the figure hidden in the shadows.

But once again, she met nothing but empty air. The creature was gone, melted into the wind, like smoke slipping through her fingers.

A cold, mocking laugh echoed from every direction. "You're fast, Kagetsu Reika. But you are not fast enough."

The wind shifted again, this time carrying with it the faintest whisper—almost like a voice, barely audible beneath the roar of the storm. It was then that Reika realized the true nature of the Wind Shikibans: they were not just manipulating the wind. They were the wind.

Her heart raced, her pulse thundering in her ears. She couldn't fight this with brute force alone. She had to think. She had to anticipate. The wind, the storm—it was her enemy, yes. But it was also the key to winning.

The wind howled louder, a deafening shriek that tore at her senses. Reika planted her feet firmly into the ground, focusing every ounce of energy into stilling her mind. She had to let go of the chaos—the noise, the fear, the overwhelming pressure.

And then, in a moment of clarity, she felt it. The shift. The subtle change in the air. The presence. The creature was no longer just hiding within the wind. It was becoming the wind itself.

Reika's eyes shot open, the realization hitting her like a jolt of lightning. She wasn't fighting a physical enemy. She was fighting the storm.

She closed her eyes again, her breathing steady as she centered herself. The wind lashed against her skin, but it no longer felt like an enemy. It felt like an extension of herself. She was no longer a person trying to fight the wind. She was the wind. She was the storm.

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With a cry, Reika surged forward, her movements fluid, her body twisting and turning like a whirlwind. The air parted around her, bending to her will, as she sliced through the wind with deadly precision. Each strike was a calculated arc, each movement a dance. The storm roared, but it couldn't stop her.

Then, just as quickly as the storm had come, it faltered. The wind stilled, a momentary calm before the final strike. Reika's heart beat in time with the pulsing silence. The storm was waiting.

And then, like a shadow in the darkness, the Wind Shikiban reappeared—its form twisted and gnarled, its body a nightmare of limbs and shadows, the wind swirling around it like a cloak.

Reika didn't hesitate. She moved with the storm, her knife flashing through the air, cutting through the creature's body in one clean strike. It screamed—an agonizing, wind-shattered cry—but it was too late.

The Wind Shikiban's body crumpled to the ground, its form dissolving into nothingness, the wind dying down around Reika as if acknowledging her victory.

She stood there, breathing heavily, her heart still racing. The storm had passed, but the tension lingered. Her hand trembled slightly as she wiped her brow, the sweat and blood mixing with the dust in the air.

Reika turned back to the now silent gate. "Level two is done," she muttered to herself, a grim smile tugging at her lips.

But even as she stepped toward the next challenge, a dark thought lingered at the back of her mind. This was only the beginning.