The sun hung low over Devil-land, bleeding gold across the sky. Tochirō sat silently in his quarters, his thoughts tangled.
(Tochirō's thoughts): I still haven't gotten the information I need about this war. What Mizuna told me… it doesn't sound like the real motive.
Mizuna's voice called from below.
Mizuna: "Tochirō! Come downstairs for lunch."
He joined her, the table already set.
Tochirō: "Thanks for the food."
Mizuna smiled faintly. "You're welcome. Now eat. We have a long day ahead of us."
Tochirō: "What's ahead of us, if I may ask?"
Mizuna's tone hardened. "We're attacking the Demons."
Tochirō paused, chopsticks frozen mid-air. At least… I'm onto something now.
Mizuna slid a heavy book across the table. Its cover was scorched, edges worn from decades of use.
Mizuna: "But first, take this. Every detail we've gathered so far about the Demons."
Tochirō flipped it open, his eyes scanning the pages.
Tochirō: "Master Zoro… lived over a thousand years, emits an aura so heavy it crushes the air. If you see him—flee."
Mizuna: "One of the highest-ranked Demons in our bingo books."
Tochirō: "Master Akushin—avoid eye contact or be consumed. Master Korudan—flee. Master Kakuzo—flee. Master Kagura—flee. Master Enra—flee. Master Shugoro—flee…"
His fists tightened. He slammed the book shut.
Tochirō: "Tch!"
Mizuna sighed. "I know. They're all dangerous—high-rank Demons."
(Tochirō's thoughts): That's not the problem. If the Devils fear these Demons enough to list them like this, if they're really stronger than Devils… what chance do we have at winning this war? What chance does humanity have at surviving? Is there even hope? We don't even know why the Demons stopped attacking humans. What the hell is going on in this cursed land…
His hands trembled, breath uneven.
Mizuna reached across the table, squeezing his arm. "Lighten up. We have numbers, and strong Captains. Luckily for you, I'm one of them. And I'll always have your back."
She pulled him into a brief hug, her presence grounding him. Tochirō nodded silently, holding onto that small comfort.
---
The Next Morning
The army was assembled at dawn. The Captains rode ahead on horseback, their armor gleaming darkly, while rows of soldiers marched in formation, spears and blades flashing. The ground shook beneath their discipline.
They crossed into Demon territory, their boots sinking into ash-dark soil, until the towering silhouette of the Demon Castle loomed ahead.
Then, chaos erupted.
From the sky, the devil rained flames down like hellfire. Lower Demons shrieked. Houses collapsed into embers. Children screamed. The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
Tochirō froze, horror searing into his chest. This… this isn't war. It's slaughter.
Before he could move, a shadowed figure descended. A massive, shifting aura unfurled, pressing against every soldier like an invisible mountain. The air cracked, heavy with power.
A barrier flared into existence, shimmering crimson, trapping them inside.
Mizuna's eyes widened. "A high-level barrier… it takes time to set this up. That means they knew we were coming. They used their own people as bait. What kind of monster…?"
The figure stepped forward, hovering in the air with a demonic grin. His voice rumbled like thunder.
Raizen: "Welcome to your graves."
Wings spread wide, he launched forward at impossible speed, a sonic boom shattering the air. Soldiers barely raised their blades before they were torn apart—speed blitzed into nothing but crimson mist.
Mizuna: "That's him… Master Raizen!"
Panic erupted. A few Devils broke ranks, trying to escape the barrier.
Mizuna shouted: "It's no use! He's the one maintaining it. If we don't kill him, no one leaves alive!"
The four Captains charged at once.
Captain 2 roared: "Blood Art — Crimson Dragon Fang!" His sword became a serpentine flame, striking down toward Raizen.
But Raizen caught the blade barehanded, smirking. With a blur, he shattered the Captain's defense and drove his fist forward—Demon Strike: Skull Crusher.
The Captain's head exploded like a melon, blood spraying across the battlefield. Screams echoed.
Raizen swung his blade, chanting in a guttural tongue. Black lightning gathered at the edge.
Raizen: "Thunder Annihilation Beam!"
A torrent of demonic energy ripped forward, carving the battlefield apart. Half the Devil soldiers were incinerated in an instant.
Tochirō staggered, his body trembling. Just one of them… just one Demon… and this is what he can do?
Raizen blurred again, his blade aimed at Tochirō's chest—
Ray appeared in front of him, intercepting the strike with his bare arms glowing.
Ray: "Are you dumb?! Focus on the battle! Don't tell me you're giving up already!"
Sparks ignited as their blows clashed. Ray unleashed rapid punches, his fists glowing dark with Devil Soul Impact. Each strike sent shockwaves through the barrier, but Raizen parried with ease, his movements sharper than lightning.
The Captains regrouped.
Captain 3: "Coordinated strike! Now!"
The four remaining Captains unleashed their blood arts together—
"Soul Drain Bind!"
"Demon Bane Spears!"
"Crimson Lotus Slash!"
Chains of blood shot from Mizuna's hands, wrapping around Raizen's limbs in midair. For the first time, his movement halted.
Mizuna: "Now, Tochirō! Do it!"
Tochirō's magatama pulsed, his blade igniting in fire so bright it painted the battlefield red.
Tochirō: "Magatama Art — Blazing Severance Slash!"
He dashed forward, flames tearing the ground apart beneath his feet, and with one strike, severed Raizen's head from his shoulders.
The world went silent.
For a moment, hope flickered.
But then Tochirō remembered Mizuna's words from training, echoing in his mind.
"To kill a high-rank Demon, you must destroy every cell. Cutting off the head only slows regeneration. It works on low and mid-rank Demons… but never the high ones."
The battlefield was drenched in blood. Out of the hundred Devil soldiers who entered, barely ten limped back alive.
They marched home in silence, weighed down by grief, disbelief, and the crushing knowledge of what they had just faced.
Tochirō walked among them, his blade still warm, his heart trembling with one question—
Do we humans stand a chance at winning this war