Hakari narrowed his eyes, still breathing heavily."How did you do that? It's already almost impossible for a body without a code to perform a command using only stored energy… but you—" He stepped forward.
"You have zero stored energy. That means performing even a low-status command should be impossible. So… how?"
,
Kage didn't look at him. His gaze was still locked on the enemy.
"I don't know… but focus on the battle first. We'll talk later."
The ground seemed to hum under their feet.The battle wasn't over.In fact—it was just getting started.
The tall man stepped forward.
His voice was deep, his presence like a boulder in the middle of the desert.
The tall said"My name is Nicolas Campo, son of Lucas Campo. I was born in this land of Akuma, and my desire is to find a worthy opponent. My job—" His grin widened, showing teeth. "—is to protect this village. You two… state your names."
Hakari straightened.
Im"Hakari Shinzowa. Son of Yami Shinzowa. I'm from the mainland of Koha… also known as Murakami. And I'm here on a mission that concerns the safety of my entire nation."
Kage followed.
My name is"Kage. My father was Rui Yamakazi. I'm here to assist him."
Nicolas's smile turned feral.
"Shall we start our dance, then?"
Hakari's voice cut through the tension.
"Hai-Key—Command: Limit Breaker!"
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, his fist slamming into Nicolas's face with enough force to launch the man several meters back. The impact cracked the earth beneath his feet.
For a moment, it looked over.But Nicolas stood. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes burned brighter than before.
Nicolas said with excitement, Good… very good. Your technique is sharp. But—" his grin twisted into something darker, "—I was born with a unique code."
Hakari's thoughts spun. I know I broke his face.
> Hakari's thoughts twisted in confusion. That wasn't just a simple enhanced punch… I used a high-status Command to create an infinity between my fist and the target point, then shattered it with enough force to end any normal man's fight. Even a skilled fighter shouldn't be able to—
Before he could finish.
Pain erupted in his skull. The world went black.
Nicolas stood over him, laughing.
"What's this? Passing out already? Your punch was great, but not enough to defeat me."
His eyes gleamed with pride as he raised his voice."Since birth, I've been chosen by the head of Akuma to protect this land. We don't care about Koha—Akuma is the only home we guard. And I…"
He stepped forward, shadows curling around his boots.*"…was born with a wolf-shaped code. With it came a special gift.
The air froze in place. Even sound seemed to vanish.
The world trembled.
His eyes lit with something primal.
I can control Chaos*
He raised his hand."Command One—Chaos!"
The air split. The sky turned blood-red. A thunderous crack roared as a massive sword shot down from above, slamming into the ground with such force the earth shattered and dust swallowed the street. Over a hundred villagers were thrown off their feet.
Nicolas's eyes sparked like lightning as he gripped the sword's hilt and yanked it free.
"Come. Whoever still has the will—let us dance," he said in a proud, defiant voice.
Kage stepped forward. His legs shook so hard they threatened to give out, but he didn't stop.
He planted himself between Hakari's unconscious body and the towering warrior, fists clenched, jaw tight.
Every instinct screamed at him to run—
But he didn't move.
"We must dance, then."
Kage tore a strip from his own shirt, wrapping it around his fists."Hai-Key!" Power burst into his legs as he shot forward, vanishing into a blur. His punch landed square on Nicolas's face, drawing a small trickle of blood from the man's nose.
Nicolas chuckled, a low rumble that turned into a sharp bark of laughter.
"Strange… that didn't look like much." Nicolas tilted his head, eyes glinting. "You boys…" — he laughed, loud and unrestrained — "you have potential. So I won't kill you. Not yet."
He leaned in close, his voice a whisper and a threat."You have one month. Prove me right… or die."
Kage's breath hitched—then his world spun. Only now did he notice Nicolas's hook slamming into his stomach at the exact same time.
Blood filled his mouth.The last thing he heard before collapsing was that same voice, echoing in his ears.
"One month. That's all you get. Either prove me right… or go to hell."
The battle—at least for now—was over.
Hakari and Kage had fallen.
Nicolas Campo, son of Lucas Campo, stood unshaken.
Victory was his.
The wind carried the scent of dust and iron.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled—low, slow, and final.
The world felt smaller in that moment, as if holding its breath.
Then—darkness.
After some time:
Kage stirred, consciousness creeping back like a slow tide.
The first thing Kage noticed was the smell of old wood.
Then the weight around his ribs. Bandages. Tight.
His eyes opened slowly. A single candle flickered in the corner, shadows crawling across the cracked walls of a small inn room. The ceiling above creaked every few seconds, almost like the whole building was breathing.
His chest hurt. His mind hurt more.
Fragments of the fight came back to him—
Nicolas's smirk.
The red sky.
The way his punch had landed… and yet felt like it had done nothing.
"How…?" Kage thought, staring at the ceiling. "How was he able to control…"
The thought slipped away, tangled between adrenaline and the sting of failure.
A sound broke his haze.
He turned his head.
On the bed beside his, Hakari was half-sitting, half-slumped. His eyes were open… but empty. His lips moved slowly.
"I forgive… I forgive you…"
Kage froze.
Those words weren't for him. He could feel it.
There was a strange weight in Hakari's voice, like he was answering someone only he could see.
And in Hakari's half-conscious state… there was someone else.
A lone figure, sitting on a rock in an endless black plain.
Its face and body were swallowed by darkness—not even a silhouette. It was more like a hole in the world, a void that looked back at you.
"I'm here," the figure said.
Its voice was deep. Calm. Almost… kind.
Kage's gut twisted.
He moved without thinking, grabbing Hakari's shoulder.
"Oi. Wake up."
Hakari jerked, blinking, the fog clearing from his eyes.
He looked at Kage, confused.
"You were… screaming," Kage said quietly.
Hakari sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes. His fingers came away damp.
He didn't remember crying.
"I… saw something," Hakari said, his voice trembling. "I don't remember what. But… it wasn't good."
He swallowed hard, like even the fragments of that memory were bitter.
"I don't know why I'm crying. I don't know why my voice feels like it's breaking just talking about it…"
His voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"It was just… sad. Just… sad."
The candle flickered once, and for a heartbeat, the room fell into complete darkness.
Neither of them spoke.
The weight of what they'd seen pressed the room into stillness.Outside, the night went on—cold, unyielding, and endless.