Kiro stood in the center of the training ground, breathing hard. Sweat ran down his face, but he didn't seem tired. His sharp eyes were fixed on the broken pieces of earth where Seouk had fallen. The others slowly walked up to him.
Renji's mouth was slightly open. "That... was insane."
Diago nodded quickly. "You didn't even give him a chance to hit you."
Leah, who was sitting up now, gave a tired smile. "Well done, Kiro."
Mira walked forward, a proud smirk on her lips. "Looks like someone's learning fast."
Kiro didn't say anything. He just nodded slightly, his serious face showing only a small flicker of satisfaction.
---
Meanwhile…
Far away, Team Ozaki was moving fast through a dense path between two rocky hills. The sky above them had turned gray. The air felt heavy. Ozaki suddenly stopped walking.
Sora rubbed her arms. "Why is it getting so cold all of a sudden?"
Lumei looked up. "This aura... it's even stronger than before."
Ichiha narrowed his eyes, his body stiff. "Something's coming."
Ozaki looked up sharply as a shadow moved across the sky. A large bird flew above them, its wings wide and feathers dark with glowing purple tips.
The bird let out a sharp cry. Then, in a shocking moment, its mouth opened wider than normal. A figure dropped out from it, slowly floating down like smoke.
It was Rujer.
He had long, sharp hair with silver streaks, and a thin cloak swayed around him. His eyes were red like glowing coals, and a faint smile was on his face.
He didn't say a word. Just watched them with calm, curious eyes.
Ozaki stepped forward, eyes sharp. Yamato followed
Suddenly, the bird above screeched again. Its feathers started glowing, and in a burst of magic, a blue energy rained over Ozaki and Yamato. Before anyone could react, the two of them vanished—teleported away through the strange creature.
"What the—" Chella gasped.
"They're gone!" Sora shouted.
Lumei clenched his fists. "He took them!"
Rujer still said nothing. He simply cracked his knuckles, his smile widening a bit.
---
Chella took a step forward, voice loud and angry.
"God Form: Form 1. Bronze Rock Golem!"
Her body became coated in thick, bronze-colored rock, her arms larger and tougher.
Sora followed quickly.
"God Form: Form 1. Water God Arrow!"
Water spiraled from her hands, forming a long, glowing bow with an arrow made of spinning droplets.
Ichiha's voice was calm but firm.
"God Form: Form 1. Calamity Shock!"
His body sparked with a sharp, heavy aura, thick waves of power shaking the ground slightly.
Lumei shouted last.
"God Form: Form 1. Shadow's Drought!"
Dark shadows wrapped around him like a cloak, the air around him turning dry and eerie.
Together, the four stood in formation, ready to fight.
But Rujer didn't move.
He just stepped forward slowly—his hands in his pockets.
---
Ichiha charged first. His body glowed, and with a loud yell, he leapt forward and punched hard toward Rujer's face. But Rujer tilted his head slightly, dodging easily, and grabbed Ichiha's arm mid-air.
With a calm face, Rujer twisted Ichiha's arm and slammed his elbow into Ichiha's chest.
Ichiha coughed, the air flying out of him, and flew back like a ragdoll—slamming into a rock wall and falling unconscious.
Sora gasped. "Ichiha!"
She raised her water bow and fired a sharp arrow at Rujer's heart. But Rujer didn't even flinch.
With one fast movement, he dashed sideways. The arrow passed by. He was behind her now.
With his hand in his pocket, he turned and hit the back of her neck with a spinning kick.
Sora's eyes widened as her body spun mid-air and fell to the ground, unmoving.
---
Chella shouted, "How dare you!" and slammed her bronze fists into the ground. Huge rocks lifted from below, flying toward Rujer.
Lumei whispered a chant under his breath, and black vines of shadow rushed from his feet toward Rujer, trying to grab his legs.
Rujer moved so fast it was hard to follow. He danced between the flying rocks, letting one graze his shoulder just to close the distance. The shadows tried to trap him, but he jumped high into the air, flipped, and landed behind Lumei.
Before Lumei could react, Rujer's hand was already pushing against his back. The force sent Lumei flying forward, tumbling through the dirt.
Chella roared and charged him. Her rocky body was strong, heavy. She threw three hard punches, each one shaking the air.
Rujer dodged left, ducked under the second, then raised a knee into her stomach. Her bronze armor cracked slightly.
She groaned, took a step back.
Rujer's eyes narrowed—not angry, just calculating.
He spun, lifting Chella off her feet with a spinning kick to her legs. She crashed to the ground, still conscious, but coughing hard.
Lumei got back to his feet, panting, one eye closed from dust. He charged too—but Rujer ducked, grabbed his wrist, and flipped him onto his back with one clean move.
Both Chella and Lumei lay side by side, breathing heavily, staring up at him.
"You two are not weak," Rujer finally said in a calm voice. "But you're not ready for me."
He turned his back on them and began walking away, the bird circling above him.
---
Chella groaned. "We... couldn't even scratch him."
Lumei clenched his teeth. "He didn't even use a weapon. Just his hands."
They both looked at Ichiha and Sora, who were still unconscious. Their faces showed pain, and yet something else—shock and fear.
Rujer, without looking back, whispered something.
"Let's see how long your Master lasts."
And with that, he vanished into the shadows of the trees, leaving behind silence—and four broken warriors.