The Veilguard Citadel had always been a place of order, a sanctuary where curses were fought and the balance of the world was preserved. But for Nozai, it felt more like a cage. Every step he took echoed with the reminder that he was a weapon, something created for a purpose—yet denied the freedom to choose his own path.
The sun hung low, casting long shadows across the training yard. It was here that Nozai would face another trial—one that would either prove he was ready to take control of his own fate or condemn him to the same fate as all the cursed before him.
The air smelled of iron and earth. Nozai stood at the edge of the yard, his hands clenched into fists, Kurozan flickering restlessly in the depths of his shadow.
Behind him, Ryusuke approached, his footsteps soft but purposeful.
"I don't understand why you're still here," Ryusuke said coldly. "You should have left by now, Nozai."
Nozai didn't respond immediately. His focus was elsewhere—on the shadows that crept around him, hungry and waiting for an opening. The more he kept Kurozan suppressed, the more it threatened to devour him from within.
Ryusuke's gaze hardened. "I know what you are. And I know what you'll become if you don't put that cursed shadow under control."
Nozai turned slightly, his silver eyes glowing faintly as he met Ryusuke's unyielding stare.
"You don't understand me. You don't know what I'm fighting for," Nozai said quietly.
The silence hung between them like a weighted curse. Ryusuke's eyes narrowed, the usual superiority in his expression wavering for a brief moment.
"Then prove it," Ryusuke said, his voice colder now. "Prove you're worth the blood they'll spill to keep you here."
Nozai nodded once, a silent acceptance. There was no point in talking further.
The training hall stood before him—an arena built for the most dangerous confrontations, designed to test the limits of the Veilguard's warriors. It was here that Nozai would face his next challenge: a fight against the Hollowchildren—a rogue group of cursed beings who sought to bring ruin to the world. They had infiltrated the Citadel, and it was up to Nozai to deal with them.
As Nozai stepped inside, a sudden cold swept through the hall, and his breath caught in his throat. Standing in the center was a girl—tall, with long black hair, and a presence so heavy that the air itself seemed to bend around her. Her eyes were a piercing shade of violet, glowing with cursed energy.
"So this is the boy they've sent to kill us," the girl said, her voice soft yet filled with a malice that chilled Nozai to the core.
Nozai said nothing, his shadow flickering ominously beneath his feet.
"I am Ariella, the Hollow King's right hand. I've been sent to test you. To see if you're truly worthy of wielding that curse inside you."
Nozai didn't respond, but he could feel Kurozan stirring within him, the Wraith eager for the confrontation.
"I'm not interested in tests," Nozai replied, his voice quiet, but a cold determination burning behind his words.
Ariella smiled, her eyes flashing with amusement.
"No? Then I'll make you interested."
In the blink of an eye, Ariella disappeared, her form shifting into a cloud of dark energy. Nozai barely had time to react, as a burst of force slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward, crashing against the wall.
His body burned with the impact, but the pain was nothing compared to the fury that boiled in his veins. Kurozan's voice echoed in his mind, a whisper of power calling to him.
"Let me out. Let me consume her," Kurozan growled.
Nozai shook his head, gritting his teeth. "Not yet."
Ariella's form reappeared, her hands glowing with an ethereal light. The energy around her surged, and she raised her hands toward Nozai, summoning a torrent of cursed flames. The heat was unbearable, and Nozai barely managed to roll out of the way, his feet leaving scorched footprints behind him.
"You're fast," Ariella said, impressed. "But speed isn't enough to stop me."
She raised her hand again, and the ground beneath Nozai cracked open, releasing a wave of cursed spirits that rose from the earth like skeletal hands, reaching for him. Nozai reacted quickly, slashing with his shadow, severing the hands as they tried to drag him into the cursed abyss.
Kurozan surged again, eager for the kill. Nozai could feel the Wraith pressing against his mind, its hunger a constant thrum in his chest.
"Enough," Nozai muttered under his breath, his shadow stretching outward like a living extension of his will. "Abyss Grasp."
The ground beneath Ariella's feet cracked open, and with a force that could only be described as immense, Nozai's shadow shot forward, wrapping around her body and pulling her into the void. She screamed, but the sound was quickly swallowed by the emptiness as Nozai exerted his will.
His body shook as he fought to maintain control over Kurozan. The power was intoxicating—almost overwhelming—but Nozai held firm, forcing the Wraith back down.
Ariella's body was pulled back into the hall, crashing to the ground, her eyes wide in shock.
"Not bad, boy," Ariella gasped, her body covered in cuts and bruises from the cursed attack. "But you're far from finished. The Hollow King knows what you are… and he will come for you."
Nozai stood over her, his breathing heavy, but his expression cold.
"Then let him come," he replied, his silver eyes glowing with determination. "I will end this, no matter what it takes."
End of Chapter Four.