As Takeshi stood there, struck by the realization that the night had only just begun and that there was no escape, he quickly—though unconfidently—drew his blade, preparing for the battle… or rather, the struggle.
All of his companions wore uneasy, terrified expressions. None of them had the courage to attack the giant skeleton. They didn't dare.
But they didn't need to—because the giant undead monstrosity attacked first.
It rushed straight at Takeshi.
The arena, which spanned a radius of a hundred meters, allowed the monster to move freely. Since Takeshi and the others only reached slightly below the halfway point of the creature's lower leg—and since it wielded no weapon—the attack it issued was a kick.
It swiped its leg at him, lifting soot and the shifting gray sand into the air.
Seeing the incoming attack, Takeshi ran and quickly leapt to the side, eyes shut tight in an attempt to avoid the sand. He barely avoided the blow and tumbled to the ground.
The skeleton quickly recovered from its missed kick and continued advancing. It closed in on Takeshi, aiming to stomp him into the ground.
As the massive foot descended, a fireball struck the creature, halting its movement and causing it to glance, confused, in the direction it came from. In that moment, it charged toward Renji.
Takeshi, still on the ground, watched in astonishment.
The creature before him was mindless—completely void of reason or thought. But what truly caught his attention was one key detail: the monster's eyes.
Every undead they had fought until now bore white flames streaked with gray and black in their eye sockets—flames that burned as long as they remained "alive." This creature had none.
Does that mean it isn't under the same control the others were? Takeshi wondered.
He wanted to dwell further on the thought, but ultimately, he couldn't afford to. Not now. He had to focus on the fight.
He quickly rose and sprinted toward the skeleton, which was getting farther from him and closer to Renji.
As he ran, that same strange feeling from earlier—the one he had experienced after stealing Renji's power—resurfaced within him.
Instinctively, Takeshi focused on the sensation, allowing himself to externalize it. And as soon as he did, the blade of his sword ignited in a thick layer of wild flames. It was identical to the technique Renji had showcased earlier.
In that moment, Takeshi's understanding of his theft powers deepened. He realized now that he could steal the powers of others.
And as soon as that realization settled in, something else became clear—though he didn't know how. He just understood it.
He could not possess more than one stolen ability at a time. And even then, the power he stole couldn't vastly exceed his own.
He didn't know where this understanding came from… but somehow, it made perfect sense.
As Aiko also saw the monster charging at Renji who stood terrified, and once she saw Takeshi charging in, determined to save his ally, she decided to do the same.
Just then the monster finally reached Renji and swiped his bony leg at him. Renji narrowly managed to avoid this attack by leaping to the side.
Just then, Takeshi quickly approached the monster that was now standing still, recovering from his failed attack. He quickened his pace and jumped up, slashing at the monster's femur.
At the same time, Aiko leaped out of a small shadow that was on the monster's collarbone, created by his skull. She leaped up and slashed with a sword she created from shadows.
At the same time, both her and Takeshi's blows landed on the creature.
A loud thud sounded in the air as their attacks made contact, but to no one's surprise, they did no damage.
Their blades just stayed in constant contact with the bony surface of the monster, not even making a dent.
Quickly, both of them retreated to a safe distance from the monster.
When the mindless skeleton realized that he had been struck, he let out a loud roar.
This roar summoned over a hundred normal-sized undead soldiers from the ground.
Takeshi watched in disbelief: We didn't even harm it and it got this aggravated. We are dead for sure now!
The skeletons that wielded various weapons quickly rushed toward the four members of the party that instinctively grouped up together — and so did the giant skeleton.
All four members of the group silently cursed, knowing this was their end.
Just as the horde of skeletons and their towering leader closed in on them, a loud snap echoed through the air.
It was so powerful and sharp that it rang across the entire boneyard like a thunderclap.
The sound had barely faded when, all at once, the skeletons — including the giant — collapsed into heaps of bone.
A moment later, the dome of intertwined bone pillars that enclosed them shattered and crumbled as well.
The four humans stood frozen in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. They couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Before any of them could speak, a figure materialized out of thin air — as if it had been invisible, blending seamlessly with the air until now.
It was an old man.He had a long white beard and hair tied into a neat ponytail. His pale orange robes were embroidered with delicate light blue patterns, flowing gently despite the still air.
His wrinkled face carried an aura of deep wisdom.
As he appeared, the party instinctively tensed up.
Whoever had the power to make all those fearsome skeletons vanish in an instant was clearly far beyond their ability to face in battle.
Then, in a hoarse yet calm voice, the old man spoke:
"Fear not, travelers. I mean you no harm."
Even with his reassurance, the four continued to stare at him with wary expressions, their hands still ready to draw weapons.
The old man chuckled lightly.
"Ah, of course," he said. "Allow me to introduce myself before I forget. I am Tenshin Amakusa, one of the Twenty-Two Heavenly Kings of Heaven."
At that, all four of them stiffened.
They had never heard of the "Heavenly Kings," but the title alone carried weight. It sounded important — divine, even.
Takeshi's mind raced.
Heavenly Kings of Heaven? I remember reading in the book that the gods' realm — the divine realm — was called the Heavens. If he's tied to that place, then he must be powerful… very powerful.
Seeing that the four travelers were still tense and afraid, the man who called himself a Heavenly King spoke once more.
"May I ask you a question, travelers?"
Renji, taking the initiative, gave a cautious nod in response.
The old man continued, "Why are you willingly wandering the Shadow Realm? This is a perilous place. Even here, on the lowest layer, it is incredibly dangerous for mere humans such as yourselves. This place… it was once the great battlefield where Destruction and Death clashed."
As soon as Takeshi heard those words, his thoughts spiraled into chaos.
Death and Destruction clashed in the Boneyard? What does that even mean?
Then another realization hit him — something in the old man's question was off.
Willingly wandering the Shadow Realm? I thought we had no choice…
Without hesitation, Takeshi voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.
"I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you meant by 'willingly wandering.' I thought we had no choice in the matter. That just by possessing a demon's power, we were forcibly dragged in here."
The old man stared at him in silence for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
Despite his laughter, none of the four travelers relaxed. If anything, their tension deepened.
Once he calmed himself, the man spoke again.
"Ah, those demons… forever cunning. They never tell you that you can choose not to enter the Shadow Realm."
Their eyes widened. A chill passed through them, their hearts sinking like stones in a frozen lake.
They had faced death, suffered, endured horrors — and now this man told them it had all been avoidable.
"I… I could've avoided this?" Rin whispered under her breath.
The old man continued, his voice steady.
"You can suppress your powers during the night. Doing so will prevent you from being transported here. It allows you to live, at least somewhat, like normal people. I suggest you don't return here unless you have a clear reason — or unless you become far stronger than you are now."
His words hit them like a wave. Disbelief washed over their faces, but along with it came something else — relief.
A crushing weight lifted from their hearts. They no longer had to fight for their lives every single night.
Takeshi exhaled slowly. Renji and Rin's eyes were red and watery.They had endured so much — needlessly.
Seeing their softened expressions, the old man nodded to himself and said, "I've already stirred up too much noise here. I must leave before I attract the attention of something… terrifying."
He paused, then added with a slight smile, "But before I go, I shall grant each of you a wish."
The words echoed in Takeshi's mind.
A wish? He repeated it silently, still dazed — as if the very concept was too surreal to grasp.