The rain had stopped. Clouds parted enough to let slivers of pale sunlight fall across the scarred ruins of the warfield. The air smelled of wet stone and smoke. At the edge of the battlefield, a lone figure stood waiting.
Raizen.
Kazuki approached, cloak heavy with rain, and stopped before his former principal. His voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence."Former principal, did you do what I asked?"
Raizen bowed his head. "Yes. I gathered all the citizens of North Ryehem and laid them softly in the center of the warfield. That battlefield no longer exists, as I believe… Vareon has fallen. And if he has fallen, then you must have killed him, Master Kazuki. Surely… your plans worked?"
Kazuki nodded once. But his eyes softened, almost pitying."They worked. But Raizen, I'm sorry. Vareon never cast you out because of your age or weakness. You've been living inside illusions. Lies that I created."
Raizen's eyes widened. "What… do you mean?"
Kazuki's eyes glowed an unearthly yellow. He raised his hand and invoked the Holy Manipulation Technique. A ripple of energy passed over Raizen's body like glass shattering. Every false memory Kazuki had woven unraveled in an instant. The truth roared back into Raizen's mind like a flood, breaking the dam of deception.
He collapsed to the ground, clutching his head. His voice trembled, cracked with disbelief."So… he never betrayed me? All this time… I— I failed my plan as a spy? You caught me, invaded my memories… and reshaped them?"
Kazuki said nothing.
The old man's face twisted, his voice rising to a hoarse scream that nearly tore his throat."WHY AM I SO PATHETIC?! Why did I let it happen?! I failed so badly that even my own spiritual technique became a weapon in your hands! I worked for you instead of my true leader!"
His body shook with rage and shame. His aura flared for the briefest instant before dimming. His hands trembled as he summoned a knife from the ruined earth with his Spiritual Material Manipulation.
The blade materialized, glinting in the weak light. With a cry, Raizen drove it into Kazuki's chest.
The steel sank deep. Blood ran down Kazuki's robes. Yet he did not flinch. He looked down at the hilt jutting from his chest, then raised his eyes to Raizen. His voice was calm, steady, almost gentle."That's it. To be honest, I expected this. You deserve to show your anger. But… former principal, you still don't know everything. There are truths waiting for you. You will need to meet Vareon again to understand them. And I know exactly what must be done to make that possible."
In one motion, Kazuki pulled the knife free, crimson staining his hand. His fist lashed out and struck Raizen's heart cleanly, ending his life in a single instant — swift, merciful.
The old principal crumpled to the earth. His eyes, wide with regret, closed for the final time.
Kazuki stood over the body. For a moment, his gaze softened again. Then he pressed his hand against his wound, letting his Spiritual Force pour into himself. The torn flesh knitted back together.
But the cost was mounting. Since Chapter 22, he had been draining his Spiritual Force without rest: healing himself against the backlash of surpassing his body's refining tier, augmenting his physical stats to battle Vareon, forging a spiritual sword, and now forcing his body to recover from fresh wounds.
Even with seemingly infinite reserves, his human vessel groaned under the weight of it all. His bones ached. His muscles burned. His soul trembled from the strain.
At last, he sank onto the blood-soaked ground, the horizon painted in hues of gold and violet as the sun dipped lower. Evening crept closer, shadows lengthening.
Kazuki closed his eyes. His breath slowed. The battlefield was silent, save for the whisper of the dying wind.
For the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to rest.