The City of Radiance burned through the night.
Lanterns lay shattered in the streets. Smoke climbed into the clouds where the broken symbol of the true gods had faded.
Hiroto stood on a rooftop, watching the chaos below.
Akari joined him, her cloak fluttering in the cold wind. "The Divine Path will rewrite what happened tonight."
"Into what?" Hiroto asked.
"Into a miracle," she said. "They'll say their god tested the city and the shadow defiled it."
Yui sat near the edge of the roof, knees pulled to her chest. "So… we're villains now?"
Goro snorted. "We were already wanted. Now we're legendary."
Hiroto didn't smile.
The whisper inside him had not stopped.
…War grows…
A sound echoed from the alley below.
Footsteps.
Dozens.
Akari's grip tightened on her spear. "They're coming."
From the shadows emerged hooded figures, not in white robes, but in dark gray. Their faces were marked with broken circles the same symbol that had appeared in the sky.
One stepped forward.
A woman with silver eyes and a voice like calm water.
"Shadow-bearer," she said. "We finally meet."
Hiroto felt pressure in his chest. "Who are you?"
"We are the Heralds of the True Gods," she replied. "And you have been chosen."
Goro muttered, "I really hate that sentence."
The woman raised her hand.
The street warped.
For a moment, Hiroto saw something else over the city giant figures standing behind the clouds, watching like judges.
"They awaken," the Herald said. "And your shadow is their key."
Yui shook her head. "We don't belong to any gods."
The Herald smiled. "No. You belong to history."
Akari stepped forward. "You use faith like a blade. You're no different from the Divine Path."
The Herald's eyes hardened. "We do not worship. We prepare."
She looked directly at Hiroto.
"When the War of Faith reaches its peak… you will stand between gods and men."
Hiroto clenched his fists.
"I didn't ask for that."
"No one ever does."
Suddenly, bells rang across the city.
Not temple bells.
Warning bells.
From the east gate, white banners appeared again.
The Divine Path's full battalion was marching in.
Akari cursed under her breath. "They're moving faster than expected."
The Herald stepped back into the shadows. "We will meet again, Shadow-bearer. Choose carefully who you fight for."
She vanished.
Goro looked at Hiroto. "So… religion army from the east, god cult from the dark, and us in the middle?"
Hiroto's shadow spread across the rooftop.
"Then we don't run anymore."
He turned toward the eastern gate.
"We pick our battlefield."
To be continued…