The crowd had long since dispersed, yet the echoes of the Grand Tournament of Titans still lingered in the air.Acalis stood on the outskirts of the emptying arena, his hands tucked in his pockets, his expression unreadable. His fight with Shoreline had ended in a draw that wasn't truly a draw. He had held back. Kaiden had stepped in before it became lethal.
That truth stung Shoreline more than the wounds left on his body.
Shoreline clenched his fists, storming away from the ruins of the battlefield. His pride demanded vengeance, not closure. He needed to find the ones who knew him best—Rae, Lea, and Reggie. Together, they would reignite the fire that the tournament had only sparked.
Kaiden remained, watching the fragments of his once-proud clan scatter like ashes in the wind. Pride. Ego. Miscommunication. These had destroyed Kaiketsu more thoroughly than any enemy could.
"Damn it…" Kaiden muttered under his breath, lowering his head. For all his strength, for all his talk of leadership, he had failed to keep them together.
And so, in silence, seeds were planted: regret, and the determination to never let the story end this way.
Chapter 1 – The Wounded Bonds
Kaiden sat alone in an abandoned mall's food court, staring at the cracked tiles. His mind wandered back to better days: he, Acalis, and the others laughing, tossing food at each other, their voices carrying warmth.
Now, there was only silence.
Acalis wandered elsewhere, far from Kaiden's thoughts but still tethered to them. He drifted through the streets with no destination, each step carrying the weight of a purpose he could no longer define. The tournament had proven his strength, but it had also stripped him of something far more valuable.
"Why am I even still walking?" he whispered to no one. The wind offered no answer.
Chapter 2 – The Sixfolds Appear
While Kaiketsu fractured, others grew bold.
The Sixfolds—ruthless, notorious, and feared. A squad bound not by friendship but by sheer brutality. Their leader, a man draped in scars and arrogance, declared the fall of Kaiketsu a chance for their rise.
In the dead of night, they struck. A smaller clan, barely known, was slaughtered mercilessly in an alleyway. No hesitation. No mercy. Their screams echoed through Shindo like a warning: the Sixfolds were here, and they were hungry.
Chapter 3 – Kaiden's Resolve
Word of the Sixfolds spread quickly. Kaiden listened, jaw tight, fists trembling.
"This is my fault," he whispered, staring at his reflection in a cracked mirror.
Memories flooded in—his childhood, his father's harsh words, the constant beatings that drilled into him one truth: strength is everything. Weakness is death. That belief had carried him through life, but now, as he saw Kaiketsu crumbling, he began to question it.
If strength alone was the answer… why was he so alone?
He clenched his fists."…No. I can't let it end like this. If I can't protect them with bonds, then I'll protect them with blood."
Kaiden swore to stop the Sixfolds himself.
Chapter 4 – Acalis & Kaiden's Conversation
As if fate heard that vow, Acalis returned briefly. Their reunion was far from warm.
"You shouldn't be here," Kaiden muttered, avoiding eye contact.
"And yet I am," Acalis replied flatly, his tone cold.
Kaiden's shoulders trembled. "…I need you here. We all do."
Acalis shook his head. "You don't understand. I already chose my path. Back there, against Shoreline… I held back. If I hadn't, it wouldn't have been a rivalry. It would've been a funeral."
Silence fell. The weight of those words pressed on Kaiden.
"…Then why leave us, if you're that strong?"
Acalis turned, his eyes hard but laced with a quiet sorrow. "Because my strength isn't meant for you. Not anymore."
Kaiden clenched his teeth but said nothing. Though tension burned between them, there was no hatred—only respect twisted by pain.
Chapter 5 – Challenge to the Sixfolds
The Sixfolds announced their dominance, daring anyone to oppose them.
Kaiden stepped forward."I'll fight you," he declared, standing alone before them.
Whispers spread like wildfire. One man, against six? Madness. But it was Kaiden—Kaiden of Kaiketsu. He wasn't known for sanity. He was known for survival.
The battlefield was chosen: a desolate courtyard under the pale moonlight. Dozens of clans lingered in the shadows, eager to witness whether Kaiketsu's ghost still lived.
Chapter 6 – Kaiden vs Sixfolds Round 1
The Sixfolds moved first, five shadows converging like wolves. Kaiden stood his ground.
"Come then," he muttered.
The first rushed in with twin daggers. Kaiden blocked, countered, and drove his fist into the man's ribs, dropping him instantly.
Another came with brute force, a hammer swinging wide. Kaiden caught the handle mid-swing, twisting it free and smashing it into the wielder's face.
One by one, they fell—but not without cost. Cuts opened across Kaiden's arms. Blood trickled down his jaw. Still, his eyes burned with determination.
Chapter 7 – The Breaking Point
Exhaustion crept in. Kaiden's body screamed at him to stop. But deep inside, the scars of his childhood ignited.
"I survived worse than this… I'll survive this too."
He roared, unleashing strength he didn't know remained. His strikes became faster, sharper, relentless. The Sixfolds faltered, their confidence cracking as their numbers dwindled.
Kaiden stood bloody, but unbroken.
Chapter 8 – The Last Sixfold
Only the leader remained.
"You've done well," the man smirked. "But pride will be your downfall."
Kaiden spat blood. "No. Pride is yours. Survival is mine."
The two clashed, every strike echoing with years of philosophy and pain. Pride vs survival. Arrogance vs desperation.
In the end, Kaiden's fist found its mark. The leader crumpled.
Kaiden remained standing—barely.
Chapter 9 – The Aftermath
The Sixfolds lay scattered. Broken. Defeated. Their name dissolved into whispers and dust.
Kaiden collapsed to his knees, breathing ragged. The watching clans murmured in awe, some in fear. Kaiketsu was shattered, yet even its fragments could destroy legends.
Chapter 10 – Reflections in the Ashes
Kaiden stared at his bloodied hands. Strength had saved him, but it hadn't saved his bonds.
"…Acalis… one day, we'll finish this. Not as enemies. As rivals."
Epilogue – The Roads Diverge
Acalis walked a lonely road, his shadow stretching into the unknown. His path led elsewhere—toward betrayal, love, and sacrifice.
Kaiden remained, scarred but alive, his legend forever etched as the man who singlehandedly destroyed the Sixfolds.
Two roads. Two destinies. Both fated to collide again.