The Shadow Manipulator

Chapter 13: Awkward Encounter

Just as Mitsumi and her mom were saying goodbye to me, I noticed a powerful presence coming towards us. I have never felt it before but it seemed intensely frightening and it was coming to us at such high speeds!

Aaarghhh!

Then I heard that shout. I quickly whirled around to find out who had caused it. Mitsumi and her mom were alarmed as well for it was already late.

Then I saw it.

It was already late at night and I thought I was hallucinating due to my sleepiness. I squinted my eyed to see if I'm not mistaken. But what I saw was really there!

It was a fire in a figure of a human and it was running straight towards us!

Chills ran down my spine as I heard its mad scream. At first glance, it looked pretty ferocious and the way it ran was so intimidating that I was quite taken aback. Still, I tried to keep my calm. After all, Mitsumi and her mom were with me, and I didn't want to revoke my seemingly good impression on them. Even at such a scary time, I still thought of not ruining my impression. I told myself, but in all honesty, I only thought about it so I wouldn't run away from such a crazy-looking man.

Here we go! I assured myself as I shifted to my shadow form. I didn't have the luxury of getting cold feet now.

"Get away from..."

Before he could continue what he was saying, I already changed my form into that of a shadow and smoothly glided on the pavement. Upon reaching his foot, I immediately changed the form of my hands and tripped him without a second thought.

Thud.

One moment I was tripping him, the other moment, I pinned him down to the ground and aimed my legendary sword of shadow towards him.

But I forgot about his fire!

That burns! I instinctively removed my grip on the flaming guy.

The moment I pinned him down, he increased his body temperature and almost burned my feet, had I not reacted on time. Just when I took two steps backward, he immediately lunged at me and aimed his fiery fists towards my body. I quickly changed my form into a shadow and tripped him up once again.

This figure is so strong! Wait?! Don't tell me?!

Is he an irregular? Is he by any chance...

A Fire Manipulator?!!

eh?!

But why is he attacking me right now? I didn't even do anything wrong to him. Did I do something before that made him hold a grudge against me? I asked myself, yet I couldn't get any heads nor tails out of it.

I immediately blocked his kick with my sword and dashed right at his stomach, head butting him. But that just made him all the more angrier.

Before I knew it, a barrage of fireballs began hitting me like crazy. I was able to dodge in time by changing my form. Then, just as I got behind him, I immediately hoped and tried to do what Master Ryu had taught me when I was attacked by my seniors.

The Shadow Bind.

Please! Come on! Just work this time! Mitsumi and Mrs. Yukine are in trouble and I'm the only one to stop this irregular from rampaging. I prayed.

Swish.

It worked! But it was different from what Master Ryu had taught me. Instead of shadow binding just his legs, I bound his whole body with shadow. The irregular winced as he tried to remove the bind. His temperature increased and I felt it burning through my bindings. Still, with the strength that I had left, I fortified the bindings and left it at that.