The air in the cave pulsed with tension. Ozaki stood tall before Rujer, his shirt fluttering slightly from the invisible waves of power rolling off him. His face was calm, but his eyes burned with fury. He didn't blink. He didn't move. But everyone behind him could feel it—Master Ozaki was angry.
"You almost killed them," Ozaki said, his voice low and sharp. "And you don't even know who they are… or what they can do?"
Rujer scoffed and leaned his head slightly to the side, a crooked grin forming. "Yeah, I fought them," he said casually. "They had potential. But they weren't on my level."
Ozaki's fingers twitched. He took a slow step forward, and the stone beneath his feet cracked slightly. "You'll regret hurting them," he muttered.
Behind him, the students watched with awe.
Chella's eyes widened. "Master Ozaki… he's different."
Lumei nodded. "Yeah. Now I see it. All the times he used his god form, he was holding back—matching his strength to ours. He wanted us to grow."
Sora looked thoughtful. "That explains how he stopped Ichiha when he lost control back then."
Yamato chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "Well, I guess I'm okay with the fact Rujer separated me and Master Ozaki from the rest of you. Means he knew we were the stronger ones."
Sora raised an eyebrow, then smacked Yamato lightly on the back of the head. "Shut up, loser."
Yamato rubbed his head and grinned at Ichiha. "Hey, I still haven't forgotten what you did."
Lumei looked from Yamato to Ichiha, shaking his head. "He's got a point."
As the students shared their thoughts, the focus shifted again. Rujer lowered himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged. He folded his arms and stared at the floor.
"You think you understand rage?" he asked, voice rough. "You don't. Not like I do."
He lifted his head, his expression dark and bitter.
"All I know about my parents is that I was born into a wealthy family. But they didn't want me. Why?" He glared at the ground. "Because I had black eyes."
His fists clenched on his knees.
"Just… black eyes!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the cave walls. "They gave me away like trash. Left me at an orphanage."
Ozaki lowered his scythe, resting it gently on his shoulder as he listened. His aura was still sharp, like blades in the air, but he stayed silent.
"In the orphanage," Rujer continued, "I was a quiet kid. I didn't fight back. But the other kids… they picked on me. The sisters hated me. I was always the one left behind. I barely got to eat. I only had scraps. And no one ever helped me—just because I was different."
He looked up, eyes full of pain.
"So I ran away. No one came looking for me. No one cared."
His voice dropped lower. "I wandered for Years eating anything I could find, till a week ago. I was starving. Cold. I thought I was going to die. Then… I found this cave."
Rujer slowly patted the ground beneath him.
"This place. Right here. I laid down, ready to let go. My stomach was screaming. My skin was pale. My breath was weak."
He stared ahead, as if remembering every second.
"Then… a crow flew in. Just one. It dropped a piece of meat beside me. I didn't care what it was. I ate it like an animal."
Chella's eyes widened slightly.
"I thought it was just luck. But then I started hearing voices. A deep voice in my mind. It kept saying, make them fight… make them fight…"
He pointed at Yamato and the others. "Then I saw flashes of your faces. I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it was connected."
Rujer's voice slowed. "After that, my body changed. I felt… stronger. Like I'd trained for years without knowing. My muscles were sharper. My balance was perfect. But inside… it didn't feel right."
He took a breath.
"Later, I figured it out. That crow… it brought me meat laced with Kaku's power."
Ozaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I absorbed Kaku's power," Rujer said. "And with it, my body turned into this."
He stood up slowly. The cave shadows around him started to shift—rippling like waves of ink. One by one, the black stains began to lift from the walls and floor. The shadows gathered like rivers rushing home, swirling toward Rujer's body.
"I can't go back to death's door again," Rujer said, stretching his arms out.
The shadows surged into him. His body expanded—his frame grew thicker, his muscles larger. His skin took on a black shimmer. Darkness pulsed beneath his skin like living ink.
From his arm, he formed a massive scythe—its blade dripping with ink.
"If it's a battle you want, Ozaki," Rujer shouted, voice echoing through the cave, "then I'll be thrilled to fight you!"
Ozaki didn't flinch. He stepped forward slowly, tightening his grip on his glowing silver scythe. He stopped just a few steps away from Rujer.
The two stood face to face—one covered in black shadow, the other shining with godly power.
Behind them, the students called out.
"Master! You got this!" Sora shouted.
"Let him have it, Master Ozaki!" Ichiha added, fists raised.
Ozaki finally cracked a small grin, his eyes locked on Rujer's.
"No more holding back," he said calmly. "Let's finish this."
The energy in the cave swirled violently. The battle between shadow and god form was about to begin.