When Kazuya opened his eyes, the world was white. White walls, white sheets, white silence. The sharp tang of medicine clung to the air. His body ached, bandaged tight, but the doll rested in his hand—burnt, cracked, but still whole.
At his side sat Rin, slumped forward in a chair, eyes rimmed red with exhaustion. He stirred as Kazuya shifted.
"You're awake," Rin murmured, voice heavy with relief. "For a while… I thought you wouldn't make it."
Kazuya's fingers tightened around the doll. His throat was raw. "…I'm still here. That's enough."
For both of them, the silence that followed said more than words.
The Flashback
A day later, when Kazuya was strong enough to walk, they returned to the training grounds. The clang of steel and shouts of cadets felt distant, unreal. Rin finally asked the question that had been coiled inside him since that night.
"What happened back there, Kazuya?"
The world tilted—memories surged.
Smoke. Screams. Blood.
And Kazuya standing, wounds forgotten, right eye blazing with a crimson sigil.
The commander had frozen, terror creeping into his voice.
"The assassins… they were supposed to kill you. Why are you alive?"
The soldiers advanced at his order. Kazuya raised his right hand to the soldiers, voice low and sharp, cutting through the chaos.
"Die."
And they obeyed. Blades turned inward. Throats opened. Bodies crumpled to the cobbles, leaving only the commander, trembling.
Kazuya stepped closer. "Who gave the order?"
The commander's lips quivered, but no words came. Desperation flared in his eyes. Then, in one violent motion, he bit down, crushing his own tongue to silence. Blood filled his mouth.
Kazuya's voice was ice. "Then you're of no use to me."
His hands closed around the commander's throat until bone snapped like dry twigs.
Rin had stared, numb, as the corpses cooled around them. He had seen Kazuya cough blood, clutching his eye as crimson tears spilled, before collapsing into the dark.
The memory ended, but the weight remained.
Faith and Fury
Back in the present, Rin's voice shook. "What was that power you showed me, Kazuya?"
Kazuya's gaze burned, though his voice was steady. "A gift. With this, I can finally change the world. Me and you—we don't have to be powerless anymore."
Rin's jaw tightened. "That's not the way. Change built on fear, on killing… it isn't change. It's corruption."
"You're naïve," Kazuya snapped. "A fool."
Rin's eyes hardened. "I'm no fool. With God, I can do anything. He sees the good in people. He lifts the weak. He's hope itself."
Kazuya's voice cracked into fury. "Hope? Where was your God when my sister was begging for her life? Where was He when she screamed? He didn't come. He never comes. Either He's too weak to act—or He doesn't care."
Rin's voice was firm, unwavering. "You are not the one to decide. God's judgment is His alone."
Kazuya drew his blade, pointing it at Rin. "Then tell me, Rin—do you have the strength to defend that belief? Or will you hide behind your God and pray for a miracle?"
Sadness flickered in Rin's eyes. "If you draw that sword, you'd better be ready. Because I won't hold back."
Past and Present
Thunder rolled across the horizon. Memory flickered—years ago, in school, Rin had always been first. Faster, stronger, sharper. Gifted with the blessing of lightning Essence, he outshone everyone. Even Kazuya.
But tonight was different.
The storm broke. Lightning cracked. The ground trembled.
Kazuya's cursed eye flared. The red glow burned with symbols no priest had ever taught.
They charged.
The Clash of Swords
The first impact split the air. Their blades collided, sparks leaping into the storm like fireworks. Rin struck fast, his sword moving like a streak of lightning, each blow precise, merciless, honed by years of training.
Kazuya matched with brute force, every swing shaking the earth, his eye guiding him, predicting Rin's movements. At first, Rin drove him back—slashes grazing Kazuya's shoulder, his cheek, his arm.
"You can't win, Kazuya!" Rin shouted, his blade flashing. "Skill will always outlast rage!"
But Kazuya grinned through the blood. "Then watch as rage devours skill."
The tempo shifted. Kazuya's blade began to intercept every strike, his counters faster, sharper. His eye pulsed, locking onto Rin's rhythm, tearing it apart. Rin lunged with a downward strike—Kazuya sidestepped, twisting, his blade grazing Rin's ribs.
The clash grew heavier. Sparks burst like stars with each collision. Then, with one final, furious lock, their swords splintered, shards scattering across the field .
Hand-to-Hand
Neither hesitated.
Rin lunged, fist crackling with lightning. He drove it into Kazuya's chest, sending him skidding back, boots carving trenches in the dirt.
Kazuya staggered, coughed blood—and laughed. His eye flared crimson as he charged back, slamming his knee into Rin's gut, knocking the wind from him.
They exchanged a flurry of blows—fists, kicks, elbows, knees. Every impact rattled the ground. Rin's strikes left trails of electricity that scorched the earth. Kazuya's attacks cracked stone, his aura warping the air around him.
They locked arms, muscles straining, faces inches apart.
Rin growled, "How… how did you get this strong?"
Kazuya's lips curled. "A gift. From a lady in white. You could even call her… an angel."
Rin's eyes locked on Kazuya's glowing crimson iris. He felt the malice pouring from it, heavy as chains. "That's no angel's gift. That's the eye of a demon!"
They broke apart, charging again. Kicks met fists, blows met counters, until Rin was driven down into the dirt, coughing blood. Kazuya stood over him, hand raised for the finishing strike.
The Interruption
"STOP!"
The voice cut through the storm. Euphemia strode between them, eyes blazing with fury.
"You guys do this every other day."
"I don't know how you guys are even friends!"
Neither spoke. Both were lost in their own thoughts—Rin, shamed by defeat, Kazuya, burning with newfound resolve.
"I SAID STOP!" she screamed.
Both jolted, freezing in place like scolded children. Sheepishly, they scratched their heads and mumbled, "Sorry, Euphemia."
She huffed, muttering about idiots, and turned away. Rin followed at her side, but Kazuya's voice stopped him.
"Rin."
Rin glanced back with a face of confusion.
"The name of this power… the eye you see." Kazuya's smile was grim, cold. "It's called Malevolence."
The word echoed in the storm as the chapter ended.