The streets of the city of steel shook with intense sparks under the clash of steel and lightning.
Kazu and Kenji's swords collided again and again, each impact splitting the air with shockwaves that sliced buildings apart like paper. The city crumbled around them, torn apart by the storm of their duel.
But before Kazu could press forward, a deafening sound wave split the chaos.
BOOOOM!
Rin appeared, hands glowing as she released a massive vibration that not only smashed into Kenji but tore through block after block of buildings. The force sent him flying skyward, lightning scattering off his body from the blow.
"Rin—!" Kazu shouted.
Above, Shouya appeared out of thin air, his arm reshaping into a massive mallet. With brutal force, he swung it down, slamming Kenji out of the sky and straight into the earth.
THOOOM!
The ground cratered. Before the dust even settled, Shouya's muttered arms shot out at incredible levels of speeds, Kenji's smirk widened as he started to dodge with incredible skills while cutting through the mutated arms with his sword covered with lightning. Eventually, one of Shouya's arms caught Kenji by the leg, followed by another set of arms that proceeded to wrap themselves around him and seal him in place.
Rin landed beside him, breathing hard. "Are you sure that seal will hold him?"
"Yeah," Shouya muttered, sweat dripping from his brow. "Pretty much."
Kazu, his blade glowing faintly, lowered his weapon. "Good work. Let's drag him to the prison while we have the chance."
But then—
CRRRRACK!
A blinding slash of lightning ripped through the seal, tearing free and splitting nearly the entire city in half with its force. The ground quaked, entire streets collapsing into rubble.
From the shattering seal, Kenji emerged. Slowly, casually, he walked toward them—electricity dancing around him. His smile never wavered.
"Well, well…" he drawled. "You've all gotten stronger. And your teamwork—amazing. Honestly, I never thought you'd sync this well. But I suppose it's expected. You are siblings, after all, and you were all trained by me. As your teacher… I'm proud."
His words twisted like a knife.
Kazu's aura flared violently as he charged forward, energy building at the tip of his sword. "Don't mock us, traitor! Charged Flare Explosion!"
His blade expanded, engulfed in a blinding surge of energy. He swung it down with all his might, the air screaming around the strike.
Kenji met it head-on. His sword, wrapped in lightning, blocked the strike with ease. Sparks and raw power erupted between them.
"You know what I like about you, Kazu?" Kenji said, grinning. "You've got fight in you. That spirit… it makes me glad my student turned out like this."
"Shut up!" Kazu snarled, forcing his blade down harder. "You have no right to call us your students—or sensei! You betrayed us. You joined criminals. You deserve nothing but death!"
Kenji's grin widened. His eyes gleamed with madness.
"Ohhh, that's it. Keep talking. Keep hating me. But don't you think… there's a reason I left? A reason I chose this path? Everything happens for a reason. I'm sure old man Yamamoto will explain… eventually."
With a sudden surge, Kenji released a devastating burst of lightning that blew Kazu back. He raised his hand, flames sparking and merging with lightning.
"Complete Incineration.", Kenji called out.
The attack tore through the city in a blinding storm of fire and thunder. Buildings evaporated, mountains in the distance split apart. Tentacles crawled out of Shouya's back to protect Rin and himself.
Kazu's scream was drowned in the roar. He tried to redirect the attack, forcing its path away, and barely managed to send it crashing into a far-off peak. Even so, his chest was scorched, his body broken. He hit the ground hard, unconscious, smoke rising from his burns.
Kenji emerged from the haze, dragging Kazu by the hair. Each step echoed in the silence that followed destruction.
Shouya and Rin froze. Their eyes locked on their fallen brother.
Kenji looked at them both, voice calm yet cold.
"I declare war on the iron country. In one month, I'll return. And when I do… I'll burn this country to ash, city by city, until nothing remains."
The siblings stood speechless. Their breaths caught in their throats.
Kenji dropped Kazu to the ground. Slowly, he floated upward, the air crackling with his power.
"No! You can't!" Rin shouted, chasing after him. "Kenji! Please—don't!"
"Oh… but I can," Kenji replied with a mocking smile. "And I will."
His figure shimmered, then vanished into the storm clouds above.
Shouya knelt by Kazu's side, shaking him desperately. "KAZU! KAZU! Stay with us, Kazu!"
From behind, Lord Yamamoto's voice cut through the chaos. His face was grim, his tone heavy.
"So… it has begun. This is not good."
Meanwhile, in the training fields…
Sorata faced a towering shadow puppet with claws, fangs, and a jagged tail. Its skin gleamed like obsidian, its presence radiating pure malice.
The creature roared and charged. Sorata raised his hand, destructive purple energy swirling violently around him. With a smirk, he unleashed it in a massive wave, forcing the puppet back.
Ukina's calm voice carried over the chaos. "Good. But it won't be enough."
Sorata gritted his teeth, pouring more power into his attack. "Stay down already!"
But the puppet roared as it slowly started to walk out of the huge wave of destructive energy, its voice alone strong enough to disperse Sorata's energy. With terrifying speed, it lunged again, forcing him to dodge. Its claw struck the earth, splitting the training field in half.
Sorata countered, his hands brimming with destructive power. He blasted a hole straight through the puppet's chest.
He grinned—only to watch in shock as its body regenerated before his eyes.
"What the hell?! I just tore through you!"
The puppet roared again, shaking the ground. Sorata's grin widened, feral and hungry.
"You're a tough one, huh? Fine then… I'll erase you completely!"
Energy engulfed his body in a blazing purple aura, Sorata had an extremely deranged smile on his face as his purple destructive energy blasted out of him like a lightning storm. He fired his destructive energy at full strength, obliterating half the puppet's body with a devastating purple explosion.
Ukina's eyes gleamed. "Yes… now you're getting it."
The puppet tried to regenerate again, but Sorata was faster. He launched forward, destroying it entirely in a violent explosion of energy.
When the smoke cleared, Sorata stood, his arms burned and steaming, but his grin never wavered.
"That's right", he thought, his inner voice dark. "I'll burn everything in my path. Anything in the way of my revenge against Kojin, I'll burn it!"
Ukina watched silently, a small, satisfied smile on her lips.
"It seems my monsters are finally reaching their full potential. If only Shinki were still alive… Shinki, Sorata, Kenji, and Kihirah would have been unstoppable. Shinki on his own was an unstable force among B-ranks, adding the rest of the three is just over kill!."
Her smile widened, tinged with madness.
"But no matter. Just these three will be enough to bring the world to ruin."
End of Chapter