The heavy silence following the battle was broken by crumbling rock as Ozaki and his team stepped through the wide crack in the cave wall. Light spilled through the broken ceiling, painting the rocky ground in long streaks. The fresh air outside was cool, but the tension hadn't lifted.
Ozaki stepped out first. He didn't speak—his eyes scanned everything, his scythe still firmly in hand.
Behind him, Lumei followed, holding strands of shadow ink like threads between his fingers. His face was serious, thoughtful. Yamato came next, bruised but alert, his steps slow and controlled. Sora supported Chella, who limped slightly but kept her chin up. Ichiha trailed behind them, one hand clutching his side, the other clenched in a fist.
Then they saw movement.
Rujer, beaten and bloody, was slowly getting to his feet. But something was wrong.
His body moved, but not like before. His eyes looked empty—his face was stiff. When he opened his mouth, the voice that came out was deep, calm, and terrifyingly familiar.
"Ozaki, my friend… you are strong."
Everyone froze.
Ozaki narrowed his eyes, stepping forward cautiously.
"That's not Rujer talking," he said under his breath.
Rujer's head turned slowly toward them. His lips moved again, but the voice wasn't his.
"You see… I know your plan was not to kill this boy," the voice continued. "But that's where you were wrong—it was all my plan."
Ozaki's expression hardened.
"Kaku…" he said with disgust.
He took another step forward, eyes fixed on Rujer's possessed body.
"There's no way that's true," Ozaki replied, voice sharp.
But the voice cut in again, calm and mocking.
"Nent's mission was to know your power types. That mission was a success. And Rujer's mission… was to understand your fighting style. This is nearly complete."
Ozaki narrowed his eyes and gave a half-smile.
"Well then," he said, raising his scythe slightly, "I hope you're watching carefully. Because after this… I'm coming for you."
---
Meanwhile, in Regns' Realm…
The last match in Regns' realm hadn't started. The arena was quiet. Regns stood in the center, his eyes closed, his hands behind his back. But his breathing had changed. He seemed… concerned.
Daigo noticed and stepped closer.
"Headmaster," Daigo asked, "you look worried. Is Master Ozaki not strong enough to defeat this person?"
Regns slowly opened his eyes.
"Ozaki?" he said with a faint chuckle. "He's stronger than everyone in this realm combined."
Daigo raised an eyebrow.
"Then… why the look on your face?"
Regns looked upward, as if he could sense something beyond the realm.
"It's not his strength that troubles me," he said. "It's his aura… It's changed. It's mixed with something godly. And something else…"
He paused, his face turning serious.
"…rage. A heavy, unfamiliar kind of rage. I've never felt this from him before."
The others nearby watched him with puzzled faces. They didn't understand yet. But they would soon.
---
Back on the battlefield…
The ground was quiet again, but it felt like the calm before a storm.
Ozaki stood tall, his scythe in hand, staring at the still-possessed Rujer.
He moved suddenly.
With flawless timing, Ozaki stepped forward and slashed the air. His scythe ripped through the space between them. The motion was smooth and fast—meant to end everything in one strike.
But then—
The voice returned.
Everyone heard it this time.
"You want to come to me?" the voice said, louder and deeper than before. "Why don't I… come to you?"
The sky seemed to darken for a moment.
Yamato's eyes widened. He turned quickly, looking at a spot near Rujer.
He could feel it.
The aura was coming.
It was thick, dark, and powerful. His body tensed.
"Everyone!" Yamato shouted. "Get ready! Something's coming… and it's bad!"
Sora let go of Chella and stepped forward, her face serious. She nodded without question.
Chella's eyes darted around, and she tightened her fists.
Lumei dropped into a combat stance, the strands of ink tightening like ropes between his fingers. His tone was calm but firm.
"If Yamato says something bad is coming," he said, "then we better believe him."
Ichiha pulled his blade out slowly. His face was pale, but his grip was strong.
Then Yamato did something unexpected.
He sat down, cross-legged, on the ground. He closed his eyes, hands resting gently on his knees. His body glowed faintly with spiritual energy. He was sensing everything, preparing for whatever was coming.
The air turned colder.
And then, it happened.
Rujer's body jerked violently.
His eyes twitched, and for a second, his own voice came back.
"W-what… is this…?"
Then—suddenly—a red-black hand ripped out of his chest from the inside.
Rujer coughed out a stream of red blood. His whole body shivered, then went still. The hand reached forward, and a figure slowly pulled itself out.
Everyone stood frozen.
The being that stepped out of Rujer was tall and covered in a swirling black-red aura. His presence bent the air around him. The ground cracked beneath his feet. He looked calm—but the pressure he gave off was monstrous.
It was Kaku.
Fully formed.
Truly present.
Even from far away, in Regns' realm, the space trembled. Everyone there felt the disturbance.
Ozaki raised his scythe slowly.
His face didn't show fear—but there was a different kind of focus in his eyes now. A seriousness that hadn't been there before.
"Kaku…" he said softly.
"You're back."