Gyoda, the enhancer strapped to his back, grumbled, "Man, I wish I hadn't surrendered during the test. I could've gotten a D-rank badge too, just like Goro-senpai."
Kenta rolled his eyes. "This again? Will you quit whining already? Just getting a D-rank doesn't put you on par with him."
"I know that much!" Gyoda shot back. "But it means I'm one step closer, doesn't it?"
Kenta turned, brows lifted in surprise. "Gyoda… you…"
Gyoda puffed out his chest, smug grin spreading, certain he was about to be praised. "What?"
Karna smirked. "For the first time in your life, your words actually made some sense."
"Oi, Karna! You want the taste of my knuckles, huh?" Gyoda snarled, fist raising.
"No way! You're disgusting!" Karna laughed, dodging back.
"Why you—" Gyoda lunged, but Kenta grabbed him from behind.
Thinking quickly, Kenta leaned close. "Gyoda! This enhancer you picked up… it's really sturdy, huh?"
Gyoda's mood flipped instantly. He pulled the weapon from his back, beaming. "I know, right? Take a look, senpai!" He rushed to Goro, shoving the enhancer forward. "Got it from a guy I beat in the arena. Pretty great, huh?"
Goro gave it a glance. "So basically, you stole it."
"Don't dodge the point!" Gyoda snapped. "I'll use this in our next fight and finally force you to use your weapon! And when I defeat you, your weapon will be mine!"
"You think you can make me draw it with one toy?" Goro said calmly. "Even if you threw your entire collection at me, it wouldn't be enough."
"Don't underestimate me! I'm acquiring new enhancers, mixing, studying, and forging them into something greater. Once I finish my masterpiece, you'll have no choice but to use your weapon—and when you do, I'll win!"
"A collection?" Fumiko asked, startled.
Reiko sighed. "Yeah. That idiot hoards every weapon he comes across just to challenge Goro-senpai. Over five hundred enhancers and assorted weapons stuffed into his room."
"Five hundred?!" Fumiko's jaw dropped.
Reiko nodded. "All for the impossible dream of beating Goro-senpai and using his weapon once."
"Is Goro's weapon really that strong? Is it an enhancer?" Fumiko asked.
Kenta, listening in, added, "We actually don't know. He's never taken it out from under those bandanas—not once. We even tried sneaking a peek while he was asleep, but… he never sleeps. Not once. We stayed up for days, taking turns, and never caught him. Not even a yawn."
Fumiko was stunned. "That's… unreal. I've never heard of anyone like that."
"I know, right?" Kenta said, admiration clear in his voice. "That's why he's amazing."
Behind them, Han muttered darkly, "Tch. I can't stand these guys. I want to kill them right now."
"Calm down," Adheera warned. "Lay a hand on them and Mawang-sama will kill you."
Hours passed. The town shrank behind them, the road stretching on into the barren outskirts. Still no mansion in sight.
Time passed as they walked. The town was far behind, yet no mansion appeared.
Gyoda, visibly irritated, complained, "Goro-senpai, how much longer? We've been walking for three hours. The town's long gone, and still no mansion in sight."
Pikari glanced back, his tone polite. "My apologies. My master is meeting guests right now. I thought it best that we walk until he's free to receive you."
"Seriously? I'm bored sick!" Gyoda growled. "If that guy Mawang is entertaining guests, couldn't we just wait in town instead of hiking through nowhere?"
Pikari's eyes darkened, the easy grace in his expression vanishing in an instant. His jaw tightened, and his fist curled hard enough to make the leather creak. A thick, heavy tension settled around him, and a suffocating pressure rolled off his body in waves, crawling over their skin.
Everyone froze where they stood, a shiver racing down their spines. Reiko's breath hitched, Fumiko instinctively took a step back, and even Gyoda's usual bravado faltered into silence. The sheer intensity of his presence seemed to warn them—this was not a man to be provoked.
And yet, at the center of that crushing weight, Goro alone stood unaffected, his stance loose, his expression unchanged.
Without warning, Pikari lunged, launching a strike aimed straight at Gyoda's face. A shockwave exploded as Goro intercepted the blow, the force cracking the earth beneath their feet. The others staggered back in alarm, shielding their eyes.
"Pikari!" Goro snapped, his voice tight. "What is the meaning of this?"
Pikari's voice was sharp, almost trembling with fury. "I will not allow anyone to address my master's name so casually. He is a royal. To speak of Mawang-sama with such profound disrespect—I cannot let that slide!"
"Oi! What's going on here?!" Gyoda shouted in confusion.
Reiko smacked him over the head. "You idiot! That's not how you address someone like him. Do you want us all killed? Apologize—now!" She forced his head to the ground.
Gyoda screamed, "I… I'm sorry! It was rude to address him like that. I apologize."
Pikari's expression softened, a smile breaking across his face. "If you're apologizing, that's fine. Since it's your first time I'll excuse you"
Relief swept through the group. As they continued walking, Kenta and Karna were seen kicking Gyoda on the ground in the background.
Han whispered to Adheera, eyes on Goro. "That guy blocked Pikari's punch. Just how strong is he?"
Adheera's gaze was serious. "I know Pikari wasn't using full strength, but he's still in another league entirely. That Goro guy… he's dangerous."
Meanwhile, Goro laughed casually, chatting with Pikari as if nothing had happened. The group pressed on toward the distant mansion—Pikari silent, Karna and Gyoda bickering, and Fumiko and Reiko talking quietly—until at last, the mansion came into sight.
The mansion rose before them, vast enough to be mistaken for a palace. Green lawns spread like velvet carpets, fountains hurled water skyward, and hedges lined the paths with flawless precision. Every step forward whispered wealth and power.
"Woah… this place is huge," Karna muttered, wide-eyed.
Inside, the air shifted. A heavy presence pressed down—powerful, regal, unmistakably Mawang Kyofu himself. Even Goro straightened, subtly acknowledging the aura of the man they had come to face.
Pikari smiled smoothly. "Allow me to guide you. Mawang-sama awaits. Adheera, you and yours will wait here."
Gyoda set his staff aside in the common room with a reluctant huff.
"Be careful," Goro warned under his breath. "One wrong word and we're finished."
The group followed Pikari through long, echoing corridors. At last, they stepped into a vast chamber of white marble and high ceilings. At its center, behind a desk that could have swallowed them whole, sat a man.
White suit. Long silver hair resting on his shoulders. A gaze that lingered on each of them as though measuring their worth. He didn't rise or speak; he simply waited, commanding the room with silence.
Pikari bowed low. "Mawang-sama."
The name alone seemed to tighten the air.
Karna's fists curled. Gyoda swallowed hard. Reiko's face turned unreadable. Only Goro stood steady, though even he held his posture a little straighter.
They had found the man they came for—yet it felt more like being caught in his web.
They had found the man they sought—yet it felt as though they had stepped willingly into a spider's web. The room itself seemed to bend around him.
Mawang Kyofu sat upon his white chair, framed by the vast desk before him. His suit, pristine as untouched snow, caught the light. His long white hair fell neatly to his shoulders, and though he spoke softly, his voice carried like thunder wrapped in silk.
"Twilight," he said, eyes gleaming with cold amusement. "At last, we meet. You played your hand well… luring me here, to this little stage. Tell me—what drove you, lone survivor of your kind, to draw me out?"
The words struck like a verdict. Fumiko stiffened, confusion flashing in her eyes—she had not known what Goro had revealed during the battle.
Kenta broke the silence, his voice low and strained, cracking as though forced past a locked throat.
"Before anything else… answer me. Why did you send Fumiko among us—as a spy?"
Fumiko's lips parted, but no sound came. Her face betrayed her turmoil.
Gyoda's eyes widened, his voice rough with disbelief.
"A spy? What do you mean?"
Mawang's interruption cut like a blade, his tone calm but absolute.
"You are correct. She was placed among you, her task to unearth Karna's past. I wish to know how he endured that night. How he evaded the one I sent. A man… deranged, perhaps, but one of the most formidable wizards under my command. Yet, Karna escaped."
Fumiko's head fell, shame tightening her shoulders. Gyoda's scowl deepened, confusion and restlessness simmering beneath his skin.
Karna stepped forward, the weight of Mawang's presence pressing against him, yet his voice remained firm, cutting through the tension. "To answer that… you must first tell me. Why did you order my clan destroyed? I was only five then. Every soul in that village—every Twilight—was slain by your man. What purpose did it serve?"
Mawang's lips curled into a smile, not of warmth but of cruel intrigue. "Curious… it seems you and I seek the same truth."
Gyoda looks even more confused now by Mawang's answer, his head fuming.
Karna's voice sharpened, though still measured and respectful. "What do you mean? Was it not your order? You sent the killer yourself."
Mawang's eyes gleamed. His reply was calm, yet absolute. "I sent the killer, yes. But the command was not mine. It came from one above me. One I serve. One whose will I dare not question."
Karna's breath tightened, but his voice held steady. "Then who is it?"
Mawang leaned back, eyes gleaming with a knowing chill. "That answer… I cannot grant you."
The words snapped the last thread of Gyoda's restraint. He burst forward, voice raised in raw frustration. "What do you mean you can't answer? Speak! Tell us now!"
The world convulsed.
Suddenly, the air around Mawang thickened, heavy as stone, pressing down with unbearable force. In an instant, bodies slammed against the ground. Karna, Kenta, Reiko, Gyoda—all crushed into the floor. Outside, Adheera and the others collapsed where they stood, groaning under the suffocating weight. Breath fled their lungs, vision dimmed, consciousness frayed.
Only one figure remained upright.
Goro. Unmoved, unshaken, standing as if the crushing presence were nothing but a breeze.
Mawang's lips curved into a rare smile, his gaze locking on Goro. "Impressive."
Then, with a flicker of will, the weight vanished. The air lightened, and gasps filled the room as the others struggled back upright.
Mawang's voice returned, calm but laced with steel. "Consider this mercy. Disrespect me again, and I will end you where you stand."
Kenta and Reiko immediately turned on Gyoda, their anger sharp, their voices cutting. "Are you mad? You almost got us killed!"
Gyoda snapped back, fists clenched, his face red with frustration.
"What was I supposed to do? None of this makes sense! And Fumiko—a spy? How does that add up?"
Fumiko stayed silent, her head bowed, unable to meet their eyes.
Karna drew in a steady breath, then addressed Mawang again, his tone controlled but unyielding. "You are known to follow orders without question. But why did you show interest in me? Why did you want me alive that night?"
The room fell into silence. Then Mawang spoke, his words deliberate, his presence filling every corner. "My reasons are mine alone. But I will give you this—a name. The one who holds the key to the answers we both seek. Kashi Horimi."
Karna's eyes narrowed, voice still polite but pressing. "Who is Kashi Horimi? And why are you certain he knows the truth of my clan's slaughter?"
Mawang's gaze did not waver. Each word he spoke carried the finality of law. "I will not speak further. But Kashi is a solid lead you cannot ignore. Find him, and you will find the truth. That, I guarantee."
Goro's eyes flickered with resolve. His voice broke the silence. "Then it's decided. We will find him."
Mawang leaned forward, his presence sharpening like a blade. "And, Twilight… That night—your escape. Tell me, how did you slip through my grasp?"
Karna met his gaze, voice steady despite the pressure. "I will tell you that—once I find my answers."
The air around Mawang grew tense, suffocating. "I'm afraid you are in no position to bargain."
Karna's reply was calm, deliberate. "Then there is nothing more to say. You are free to kill me here and now."
For the first time, amusement flickered across Mawang's face. "Impressive. Wit and courage, even before me. Very well" he took a pause before continuing "—I will allow you your defiance. But test me again, and I will no longer need you alive." His gaze shifted to Fumiko. "This little bird will accompany you. She will report to me, as she has before. Every detail, every step."
Karna inclined his head, respectful. "Understood."
They turned and left the chamber. Fumiko lingered behind, her head bowed. Tears welled and fell as she stood before them, trembling. She bowed low, voice breaking. "I… I am sorry! You showed me kindness, and I repaid it with betrayal."
"Don't cry, Fumiko," Goro said gently. "We accept your apology. We know how the Kyofu clan enslaves people, forcing them into servitude or making them spies. This was never your fault."
Kenta added softly, "You have a kind heart, Fumiko. I know you never wished to do this—you simply had no choice. Don't worry."
Karna grabbed Kenta by the collar, glaring. "Kenta, you bastard. How dare you steal my line."
Before Kenta could respond, Gyoda blurted out, "You are, and always will be, our friend!"
Karna whirled on him instantly. "You moron! Stop stealing my lines!"
They moved back toward the hall, Gyoda retrieving his staff with a huff.
At the far end stood Pikari, conversing quietly with Adheera. Goro and the others approached.
"Pikari," Goro called, "why didn't you search for Kashi?"
Pikari's expression darkened, his tone heavy. "We searched everywhere. But Kashi… he's not merely hiding. He's been evading us at every turn, slipping through every net we cast."
"Not even you?" Goro's voice carried a sharp edge of surprise. "With all the influence the Kyofu clan commands?" His eyes narrowed. "If even you couldn't locate him… this will not be easy."
Pikari continued. "You may use Mawang-sama's influence as you see fit—and the resources of my underlings."
"That'll be invaluable," Goro said with a nod. "Thank you."
Gyoda, frowning, broke the tension. "By the way, Kenta… how did you figure out Fumiko was their spy?"
Karna's gaze sharpened, a quiet edge to his voice. "How dumb are you, Gyoda? Oh, I apologize—I was expecting too much from an idiot."
"I'll kick you for that!" Gyoda shot back.
Karna ignored him, voice steady. "Fumiko claimed she knew nothing of the Ashijiki clan, yet she asked about my clan being slaughtered when I was five. We never told her. Not a word."
Tears slipped down Fumiko's cheeks.
Reiko smacked both of them on the head. "Cut it out! You're making her cry!"
Karna's gaze softened, unwavering. "Don't worry Fumiko. Once I find the answers, I promise… I'll protect you, no matter what." A spark ignited in his eyes—a silent, unbreakable promise.
Outside the mansion, the team walked away, the weight of their new quest settling over them. Through a massive window, Mawang stood, tall and imposing, his figure framed from floor to ceiling, watching them. On his desk lay a letter:
"If I die tonight, save the Twilight and find KASHI HORIMI to uncover the cause of my death and why the Ashijikis were slaughtered.
Loving Brother,
– Masato Kyofu"
Meanwhile, Goro released a letter via eagle. Its message read:
"We met Mawang Kyofu. He had no part in ordering the Ashijiki massacre—the command came from higher up. Our next lead is Kashi Horimi."
The bird soared across the land, eventually reaching an old man—a solitary figure working in the fields. He paused, reading the letter, his face shadowed by the brim of his hat.
With the next lead set, Karna and his team embarked on a new journey, determined to find Kashi Homiri.