In the haze of battle, silence reigns for a heartbeat on the Bridge of Keilon — a silence broken only by the ragged breath of Blade Taizuka. His battered figure stands on the cracked stone, eyes wide with something ancient stirring inside.
Suddenly, Kamikaze's sealed dragons flicker to life — the blade hums with a low growl, then erupts in a flash of blinding gold. Sparks of Myou and raw aura whirl around Blade, coiling up his arms like burning veins.
Akashi Peigon, striding away with a dismissive smirk, pauses as he senses the air split open behind him. He turns, his mismatched eyes narrowing.
Blade's head snaps up — his pupils glow a molten reddish gold, veins pulsing with raw power. His hair, once short and jagged, streams down to his shoulders like living flame. A low, rumbling growl rattles his throat.
"Oye… Akashi…" Blade's voice is deeper, a haunting echo layered with the snarl of something not entirely human.
"Where… are you going…?"
Akashi scoffs, lifting Chronox lazily. "Hmph. So the mutt has another trick? Go on, then. Try—"
He doesn't finish.
In an instant, Blade flashes forward — a golden streak in the air — and clamps his hand around Akashi's throat. The sheer force snaps the air. Akashi's eyes widen as Blade's grip tightens, lifting him clear off the ground.
Up on the rocky ridges above the bridge, Kentaro stops mid-sprint, lightning crackling at his feet.
"Yo— Blade… what is that?!"
Suntaro, catching his breath beside him, watches the pulsing golden aura spiral upward, sparks flaring off into the night. "Damn it… That idiot… he snapped!"
Below, the Bridge of Keilon trembles. Blade's free fist rears back.
"Dragon Soul… RAGE!"
His fist slams into Akashi's gut, then again, and again — each blow sends shockwaves spiraling outward, turning the stone beneath their feet to powder. Akashi's eyes roll back as he chokes out a laugh between the hits.
"Ghh— Hah… Not bad… you beast…"
High in the watchtower, Yutako Koichi stands with his arms crossed, butterflies of Myou swirling around him. His sleepy eyes narrow, voice carrying over the captains' murmurs.
"This is… the Dragon Soul Rage. When a vessel can't tame its fury… the dragons feed on it. And in return… they consume him."
Jeitsu's pen hovers over his notebook, sweat dripping onto the page. "I've never seen it manifest this violently. He's a walking calamity…"
---
From the canopy of the distant forest, Ryen Kairo finally lifts his head, eyes glimmering with genuine curiosity for the first time.
"So you are interesting after all, Blade Taizuka…"
---
On the Bridge, Akashi tries to gather Chronox for a counter — but Blade growls, eyes gleaming with primal hunger.
"Dragon Fang Berserk!!"
He hurls Akashi through a stone pillar — the impact explodes outward in a cone of shattering debris. Kibito, perched on a massive boulder, watches with clenched fists, flame licking at his collar.
"Blade… what the hell are you actually becoming?!"
---
The captains brace as the entire Bridge quakes. Akashi, battered but laughing, staggers up — only to see Blade's feet slam into the ground. From his blade, five roaring draconic auras coil together, forming a colossal sphere of raging elements.
"NO WAY… he's channeling all five at once?!" Sekiro murmurs, eyes wide behind his glasses.
Blade's roar splits the air. His voice is warped — part human, part draconic echo.
"FINAL BLOW! Pentagon Calamity — Flame! Water! Thunder! Wind! Earth!
Rage of the Dragons!!"
The massive sphere detonates — a primal sun of destruction that swallows the entire span of the Bridge of Keilon. Shockwaves flatten trees for hundreds of meters, ripples racing up the river banks. Kibito throws his arms up to brace himself, Suntaro yells to Kentaro to get back, and even Kairo, in his high perch, shields his eyes with a wry grin.
Inside the storm of gold and crimson Myou, Akashi's figure disappears. For a heartbeat, there's only blinding light.
---
At the last possible moment, a giant shadow flashes across the ruin. Kinnatsu Yuri's booming voice cuts through the roar.
"ENOUGH!!"
He snatches Akashi's limp body out of the blast zone with one hand, while his other palm strikes the epicenter, dispersing the draconic sphere with a single, monstrous wave of his own Myou.
A blur of captains appear around Blade, their auras forming a prison of shimmering symbols. Jeitsu jabs a massive syringe into Blade's neck — a hissing injection releases an instant flood of calming medicine.
Blade's wild eyes flicker — the dragons within him roar in protest, but the glow fades. His hair returns to normal, the primal voice slipping into silence. Blade collapses into Kinnatsu's arms, unconscious, tears burning tracks down his dirt-caked face.
Sekiro adjusts his glasses, pushing back his ruffled hair. "That settles it. This… competition is over."
All around the Bridge, stunned captains, injured competitors, and the Phoenix Order's best stand in mute disbelief. Even Ryen Kairo, leaning back on his high perch, murmurs, "So… the runt might be more trouble than I thought."
---
12 hours later — Phoenix Order Medical Ward
Blade's eyes flicker open to soft sunlight. He blinks, confusion dawning. The sterile scent of medicine fills his nose. Beside him, Kagami sits hunched over his bed, her delicate fingers tangled in his blanket. When she feels him move, she lifts her head — tear-streaked cheeks, eyes sparkling with relief.
"Blade… Blade! You're awake—!" She launches forward, hugging him tightly, shoulders trembling. "You idiot… You nearly… you nearly killed yourself…"
Blade's throat is dry, but he rasps, "Kagami… what… what did I do…?"
Kibito limps past the doorway, arm wrapped in bandages, but a relieved grin on his bruised face. "You tore the bridge off the map, that's what you did. Burned half your Myou clean, dumbass."
Blade stiffens, memories of his rampage slamming back. He clutches Kagami's sleeve. "I… Akashi… Where is he?!"
A voice from the hallway makes him flinch.
"Looking for me, kid?"
Blade twists — the doors swing wide. Akashi Peigon stands leaning against the frame, neck wrapped in fresh bandages, a faint bruise coloring his jaw. He looks surprisingly calm — almost amused — his Chronox blade nowhere in sight.
Kinnatsu claps him on the back, stepping forward with his massive presence filling the room. "He's fine, Blade. I saved his sorry hide before you turned him into dragon food."
Akashi shrugs. "Could've been worse, right? I've had rougher duels. But… damn," he says with a sly grin, locking eyes with Blade. "You really are a monster in disguise. Don't you dare hold back next time, 'kay?"
Blade tries to find words — they don't come. Kagami's arms tighten around his shoulders.
All around him, captains gather. Some smile. Some nod solemnly. But every single one of them sees it now — the sleeping dragons inside the boy called Blade Taizuka.
---
To be continued...