Inside of the Golden Palace
"How the hell are you gonna talk about not destroying my place when you just smashed through the bathroom door?!" Jinko screamed, his voice echoing through the massive golden halls.
"C'mon, that's easy to fix. A door ain't the same as blowing a hole through your entire palace," Kaji muttered, rubbing his head beneath the heavy golden armor that shimmered like sunlight.
"I swear, I'm going to kill you," Jinko growled. His divine light sword materialized in his hand, humming with radiant energy. In the next instant, Jinko's entire body blurred, vanishing into a streak of light. He moved so fast that Kaji barely reacted, leaping high into the air to avoid the deadly swing. His golden armor glinted as he landed, spear in hand, thrusting downward in a vicious counter.
Jinko's sharp instincts kicked in—he blocked just in time, the clash rattling the palace walls. Then, without warning, his body scattered into glowing particles. Light circled around Kaji, blinding and swift, until all that remained was a blur racing endlessly around him.
"Tch… Man, stop wasting time and just attack already," Kaji said, sounding more bored than worried.
Okay, you asked for it! Jinko roared inside his head. He dashed toward Kaji at impossible speed, his back strangely turned. As he charged, four exact copies of himself split off, running alongside him.
"Light Clones!" Jinko shouted. Five swords glimmered as one, stabbing toward the armored warrior.
Kaji chuckled darkly. "You expect that to hit me?" He spun with inhuman precision, his spear slicing straight through three of the illusions. But the real Jinko slipped away, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Just who the hell are you?!" Jinko barked, furious.
"Tell me who your boss is," Kaji replied calmly, his eyes cold. "Do that, and I promise to spare your life."
"You think I'll tell you who my boss is? You're insane." Jinko spat.
Before the tension snapped, four figures suddenly appeared beside Jinko, each radiating their own power—the palace generals.
"Hey, so… who's this guy?" Saye asked, blades already shimmering across her arms.
"Why is he wearing our gear?" Hiro questioned, sparks of lightning flickering around his fists.
"You want us to kill him, boss? Please say no," Que muttered, almost pleading.
"Forget all that—sister, are you okay?" Garreth asked Saye, ignoring everyone else.
Jinko kept his eyes on Kaji. "This guy is ridiculously strong. I'll need all of you to bring him down."
Hiro didn't hesitate—he appeared beside Kaji in a flash, fist coated in raging lightning. "Hey there, buddy," he grinned.
"Huh?" Kaji barely had time to react before kicking Hiro across the room, sending him crashing into the wall with a thunderous crack.
Que leapt from the ceiling, reaching to grab Kaji, but Kaji sidestepped effortlessly. Meanwhile, Saye's blades extended along her arms as Garreth sliced his own palm, dripping blood onto the palace floor.
"Wait—time out." Kaji raised a hand suddenly.
Everyone froze.
"What now?" Jinko demanded.
"One last time. Are you going to tell me who your boss is—yes or no?" Kaji asked.
"No. None of us are saying a damn thing," Jinko snapped.
"Yeah, we're not talking," Saye grinned. "Doesn't matter how strong you are."
"What she said," Garreth added, stepping forward protectively.
"Who the hell even are you?" Que pressed.
Kaji sighed. "Alright then. I'm gone." He turned, walking away.
"My students will handle you." His words were barely a whisper.
But in the blink of an eye, Hiro reappeared, lightning blazing. "You're not going anywhere, brat," he said, voice low and serious.
Kaji smirked. "Ah, you're so damn annoying."
Hiro's fist slammed forward—straight through the golden armor. The armor shattered like glass, crumbling into golden dust that scattered through the air. But there was no body inside.
"Well, damn. He's quick," Hiro muttered, brushing himself off with a grin.
"He's even faster than me," Jinko admitted quietly.
"But you move at light speed," Saye said, shocked.
"So what? There are plenty of people faster than light. To them, my speed's like jogging. Especially the high-rank ninjas," Jinko explained.
"If we're only B-rank, how does the boss expect us to fight against the Great Village?" Hiro asked.
"They've got SS-rank plus ninjas over there," Que added grimly.
"To be honest…" Jinko paused, lowering his sword. "I don't know. I don't even want to fight the Great Village. They're too powerful. But the boss gave the order, and we can't go against him."
"Alright, if you say so. I'm going to my spot. Later," Hiro said before vanishing in a burst of sparks.
"Guards! Get this fixed—now!" Jinko ordered. Dozens of armored guards rushed in, immediately repairing the damage.
Meanwhile, at Mara's house, the others sat around chatting until a flash of golden light filled the room. Kaji appeared, armor gone, looking weary but unhurt.
"Sensei!" Goro shouted, springing to his feet.
"So what happened?" Rei asked.
"Nothing big," Kaji said casually, scratching the back of his head. "Had a little battle. Tried to squeeze info about their boss outta them, but they didn't budge. So… you guys deal with it tomorrow."
"I wonder how Ryju's doing…" Shun muttered.
"Oh, crap. I totally forgot about him," Kaji admitted.
Somewhere Else
Ryju was on the ground, beaten nearly beyond recognition. His face was swollen, his clothes shredded, strands of red hair scattered across the blood-soaked floor. A crimson pool spread beneath him.
And yet… he was still thinking. Counting.
Fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Fifty-nine minutes and sixty seconds. That's two hours. Two hours of torture. A few bones are broken, maybe more…
Even as fists and boots slammed into him, he kept counting.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four.
The man beating him had bloodied knuckles, dripping red. "He ain't said a damn word. Someone else take him," the man grunted.
"I'll do it," another warrior stepped forward, grinning wickedly. He rushed Ryju, striking with a brutal kick that made the boy spit blood.
Fifteen seconds. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen.
"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this," the man sneered.
Twenty-three. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Twenty-six.
The man grabbed Ryju by the hair and slammed his face into a raised fist, over and over again.
"Yeahhh! Keep going! I'm gonna demolish your face!" he howled, laughing like a madman.
But Ryju didn't scream. Didn't cry. Didn't beg. He barely even breathed. His only focus was the steady rhythm of his count.
Thirty-one. Thirty-two. Thirty-three. Thirty-four.
"C'mon, brat! Just tell us who you are so we can kill you already!" the man snarled, pressing his boot against Ryju's head.
Thirty-five. Thirty-six. Thirty-seven. Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine. Forty.
Still counting. Still silent.
And still alive.
To Be Continued…