Kaito leaped, his hand wrapping around the burning, brilliant crystal. The pure light seared his palm, causing black smoke to billow from his hand, but he held on. Channeling his own dark energy into the stone, he forced the two opposing powers to stabilize. A pulse of neutral, gray energy exploded outward.

He had not cured the curse entirely, but he had bought his people time.

He was losing his grip. The dark essence inside him clawed to get out, begging him to unleash lethal, uncontrollable chaos. Kaito closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, centering himself. I control the shadow. The shadow does not control me.

Moving like a whisper, Kaito navigated the compound. He shadow-dashed from the silhouette of a stone lantern to the underside of a bridge, evading the blazing torches. When a heavy-armored elite guard blocked the pagoda's entrance, Kaito tossed a small smoke pebble. As the area filled with thick, obscuring fog, Kaito slipped past the coughing guard and phased through the heavy wooden doors.

Before the general could turn his heavy weapon around, Kaito delivered a powerful kick to his back, sending him crashing into the altar. The Light stone flew into the air.

The general was knocked unconscious by the shockwave, his flame sword extinguished. Kaito landed on his feet, breathing heavily. He looked down at his arms. The angry black veins had receded, replaced by smooth skin. The violent whispers in his mind were quiet.