Cards Of The Silent King-Chapter 43: First Partial Merge

The Ashford Night Market was closing. Vendors pulled tarps over their stalls. The smell of grilled meat hung low in the air. It mixed with the scent of incoming rain.

Kaito walked through the emptying street. His hands were in his pockets. His eyes scanned the shadows between the stalls. The air tasted wrong. It tasted like copper.

Kuro said: "It is close."

Kaito said: "I know."

Kuro said: "You are walking into it."

Kaito said: "It is in the way."

Kaito stopped at the end of the street. A shadow detached itself from the wall of a closed noodle shop. It was larger than the one from the Grey District. Its limbs were too long. Its joints bent in places where bones should not bend.

It did not hide. It stood in the middle of the road. It waited.

Kaito said: "Kuro."

Kuro said: "No. Not me. I am too sharp for this one. You need weight."

Kaito reached into his jacket. He pulled out the King of Fangs. The card vibrated in his hand. It was hot. Fenrir wanted out.

Kaito usually summoned the entities to fight beside him. They stood together. They fought together. But the last fight had been too close. The entity had adapted too fast.

Kaito needed more than an ally. He needed the strength itself.

Kaito said: "Fenrir. Come here."

Fenrir said: "You want me close, Pack Leader?"

Kaito said: "Closer."

Kaito pressed the card against his chest. He did not throw it. He did not place it on the ground. He pushed his will into the paper.

The card dissolved into light. The light did not form a wolf. It flowed into Kaito’s skin. It sank into his muscles. It settled in his bones.

Kaito gasped. The heat was sudden. It felt like swallowing fire. His vision shifted. The colors of the street became sharper. The grey of the pavement looked textured.

The smell of the entity became overwhelming. It smelled of rot and old blood. Kaito’s hands clenched. His fingernails felt too hard. He wanted to dig them into something.

Fenrir said: "We are one now. Do not stumble."

Kaito said: "It feels loud."

Fenrir said: "That is your blood. It is singing."

Kaito moved. He did not decide to move. His legs simply launched him forward. The speed was terrifying. He crossed the distance in a blink.

The entity swung a claw. Kaito did not dodge. He caught the claw. His hand wrapped around the limb. He squeezed. The sound of cracking bone echoed down the street.

Kaito felt no pain. He felt satisfaction.

Kuro said: "Careful. You are smiling."

Kaito touched his face. His mouth was pulled back. His teeth were bared. He was not smiling. He was snarling. He forced his mouth shut.

The urge to howl rose in his throat. It was a physical pressure. He swallowed it down.

Kaito said: "Focus."

Fenrir said: "Break it."

Kaito swung the entity. He lifted the massive creature as if it were made of paper. He slammed it into the ground. The pavement cracked. A spiderweb of fractures ran toward the curb.

The entity scrambled to get up. It tried to adapt. It tried to change its density. Kaito did not give it time. He kicked it. The force sent it sliding ten meters.

Kaito said: "Stay down."

The entity shrieked. It was a sound like metal tearing. It lunged again. Kaito met it in the air. He tackled it. They rolled.

Kaito’s instincts took over. He did not think about strategy. He thought about dominance. He bit down on the entity’s shoulder. His teeth pierced the armor. He tasted ash.

He spat it out. He pinned the entity down. He placed his hand on its chest.

Kaito said: "Card."

The light flared from his palm. The entity dissolved. It flowed into Kaito’s hand. It solidified into the card stock. The King of Fangs reappeared in his grip.

The heat faded. The strength vanished. Kaito fell to his knees. He breathed hard. His lungs burned. The street was silent again.

Kuro said: "That was reckless."

Kaito said: "It worked."

Kuro said: "You lost yourself for a moment. I saw your eyes. They were yellow."

Kaito looked at his hands. They were shaking. They looked like his hands, but they felt foreign. He flexed his fingers. The joints popped.

He stood up slowly. His legs felt weak. The cost of the merge was heavy. It felt like he had run for miles without stopping.

Kaito said: "How long?"

Kuro said: "Three minutes. You were merged for three minutes."

Kaito said: "It felt like seconds."

Kuro said: "That is the danger. The time slips. The instinct takes over. Next time, you might not stop when the fight is done."

Kaito put the card away. He tucked it deep into his pocket. He started walking home. His steps were unsteady. He had to concentrate on placing his feet.

The urge to howl was gone. But the restlessness remained. He wanted to run. He wanted to bite. He wanted to protect.

Kaito said: "I cannot do this often."

Kuro said: "No. It eats you. Every time you use it, it takes a piece of your stamina. Maybe a piece of your mind."

Kaito said: "I need it."

Kuro said: "I know. That is why I am worried."

They reached the apartment building. Kaito climbed the stairs. He leaned against the wall on the second floor. He closed his eyes. He waited for his heart rate to slow down.

It took a long time. He opened the door to his room. He locked it. He walked to the desk. He sat down. He picked up the notebook. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He wrote: Partial Merge. Fenrir.

He wrote: Duration: 3 minutes.

He wrote: Side Effects: Aggression. Loss of time sense.

He stopped. He looked at the pen. He wanted to crush it. He set it down gently. He looked at the cards on the desk. They seemed to vibrate slightly.

They knew what he had done. They knew he had crossed a line. He was no longer just a summoner. He was becoming a vessel.

Kuro said: "Sleep."

Kaito said: "I am not tired."

Kuro said: "You are exhausted. Your body is lying to you."

Kaito stood up. He walked to the bed. He fell onto it. He did not take off his jacket. He stared at the ceiling.

The shadows in the corner of the room looked deeper than usual. He wondered if it was the light. He wondered if it was his eyes.

Kaito said: "Did I hurt it too much?"

Kuro said: "It is a monster. It does not feel pain like we do."

Kaito said: "I enjoyed it."

Kuro said: "Yes. That is the bleed. Fenrir loves the fight. You are borrowing his love."

Kaito closed his eyes. He saw the entity’s bone breaking under his hand. He felt the satisfaction again. It was warm. It was dangerous. He pushed it away.

He focused on the sound of the rain outside. He focused on the rhythm of his breathing.

Kaito said: "Wake me if something comes."

Kuro said: "I will not let anything touch you."

Kaito said: "Good."

Kaito slept. He did not dream. He only felt the weight of the wolf inside him. It was sleeping but waiting. The power was there. It was ready.

But the cost was waiting too. It was patient. It would collect its due later. For now, the city was quiet. The market was empty.

Kaito was alone with the beast in his blood. The night passed. The sun rose. Kaito woke up. He felt stiff.

He stood up and stretched. His back cracked. He looked in the mirror. His eyes were normal. They were dark. They were human.

He touched his teeth. They were normal. He exhaled. He was still himself. For now.

Kaito said: "Breakfast."

Kuro said: "You have food?"

Kaito said: "Bread."

Kuro said: "You need meat."

Kaito said: "Bread is fine."

Kaito ate the bread. He drank water. He picked up his bag. He checked the cards. They were secure. He opened the door. He stepped out into the hallway.

The day was starting. The danger was waiting. But he was stronger. He was also different. He walked down the stairs. He did not make a sound.

The wolf walked with him.