The night after the seven-day devil trial, Yuto staggered back into the quarters—his body torn, his breath shallow, his spirit on the edge of collapse.
Ash still clung to his clothes. His hands shook as he dropped to one knee before Master Yuzi.
"I… I survived, Master Yuzi," Yuto rasped, voice raw from exhaustion.
Yuzi looked down at him, pride burning behind his stern eyes. "You did more than survive, Yuto. You endured the flames of hell and returned standing. That is the mark of a true warrior."
Yuto's lips curved into a faint, tired smile. He reached into his satchel and drew his katana.
As he did, the torches in the room flickered, shadows stretching across the walls. The blade began to glow—faintly at first, then fiercely—until a golden sun sigil bloomed across the steel. The light pulsed like a living heart.
Yuzi froze, his breath catching in his throat. "T-The Sun Mark…" he whispered. "That power hasn't been seen for a thousand years…"
Without hesitation, Yuzi lifted Yuto by the arm and led him through the corridors to the Grand Hall, where Master Masauru—leader of the Devil Hunter Corps—sat in deep meditation. When Masauru's eyes opened, the golden reflection from Yuto's sword filled the chamber.
"What is this disturbance?" the Grand Master asked, his tone calm but heavy.
Yuzi bowed deeply. "Master… the Sun Power has awakened. This boy—Yuto Hinata—is its new wielder."
Masauru rose slowly, studying Yuto as the glow of his blade painted the walls in molten gold. Then, in a commanding voice that shook the air, he ordered, "Summon every hunter."
Moments later, hundreds gathered in silence. Masauru stood atop the dais, the golden light dancing across his face.
"After centuries of silence," he proclaimed, "the power of the Sun—once thought lost forever—has reawakened. And its bearer stands among us."
Whispers rippled through the hall. The Sun Power—the purest and most dangerous element—had not been wielded since the time of legends.
Yuto stepped forward, his voice trembling but resolute. "Master… who was the last to wield it?"
Masauru's gaze turned distant, as if seeing across the ages. "His name was Yoko Mujitoto. The first and last Sun Legend. He led the Five Legends in the final war against the Devil King, Akuma Ikari. It was Yoko who sealed Akuma within the underworld—a battle so fierce the sky burned for seven days."
The flames in the torches dimmed. The hunters felt the echo of that ancient war: the clash of titans, the screams of devils, and a lone warrior blazing like the sun itself.
"But Yoko's weapon," Masauru continued, "the true Sun Blade, vanished after that battle. To reclaim it, one must master all ten forms of the Sun Power. Only then will the blade reveal itself again."
Yuto's fists clenched, determination burning in his eyes. "Then I'll master every form. I'll bring back the weapon—and finish what Yoko started."
Masauru gave a rare, approving smile. "Then prepare, Yuto Hinata. At dawn, you begin your first mission as the successor of the Sun Legend."
As the meeting ended, Yuto stared at his katana. The golden symbol pulsed once more—warm and alive—like a promise written in fire.
---
By sunrise, the fortress was alive with motion. Sousuke Kaminari waited outside, his lightning aura faintly humming in the cold air.
Masauru handed down Yuto's first assignment: eliminate the devil infestation in the ruins of Kyoto.
"Yuto won't go alone," Masauru declared. "Sousuke, you'll accompany him."
Sousuke grinned. "Guess we're partners again."
Yuto nodded, fastening his new flame-patterned haori—a gift from Yuzi that morning. The fabric shimmered at the edges like burning embers, the symbol of the sun stitched over his heart.
His belt carried bandages, rations, and a sheath for his katana. Metal-plated gloves covered his hands, marked with faint scorch patterns—reminders of his training.
---
The journey was silent until they reached the outskirts of Kyoto. The once-bustling city lay in ruin. Buildings smoldered, streets cracked open, and the air stank of blood and sulfur.
Sousuke surveyed the destruction. "Stay sharp. If devils wiped out an entire city… we're not dealing with weaklings."
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the debris. A shadow lunged from the rubble—a devil with blackened skin and clawed arms dripping with venom.
Yuto's eyes narrowed. "Fire Power—First Technique: Blazing Slash!"
His blade ignited in a burst of flame, cutting through the creature's torso. The devil shrieked as its heart disintegrated, the body turning to ash mid-scream.
Sousuke smirked. "Still got it."
But their victory was short-lived.
Screams erupted from deeper within the ruins. They sprinted toward the sound—finding a group of terrified survivors surrounded by ten snarling devils. The monsters' eyes glowed crimson in the smoke.
Yuto charged first. "Fire Power—Second Technique: Scorching Ember Dance!"
Flames swirled around his katana, tracing arcs of fire through the air as he sliced two devils apart in one fluid motion.
One of the larger devils laughed. "Pathetic humans… Devil Art—Final Form: Blood Nerve!"
Tendrils of pulsing flesh burst from its body, slashing through the air.
Yuto dodged, countering with Blazing Slash, severing several of the cords—but one tendril still grazed him, cutting deep across his arm.
Sousuke dashed forward, his blade crackling with electricity.
"Thunder Power—Third Technique: Storm Breaker!"
A streak of blue light exploded from his sword, cleaving through the tendrils and vaporizing one devil instantly.
Yuto gritted his teeth, blood dripping down his arm. He raised his blade skyward. "Fire Power—Fifth Technique: Phoenix Rise!"
His body shot upward in a blazing spiral, and with a downward slash, he pierced a devil's chest, tearing out its heart in a rain of fire.
The creature screamed as its body burst into ash.
But before Yuto could recover, a massive shadow dropped behind him—a devil twice his size, its body armored with molten veins.
"Devil Art—Seventh Form: Blood Forge!" it bellowed, smashing its fist into the ground.
The shockwave hurled both hunters back. Yuto coughed blood but pushed himself up, rage blazing in his eyes.
He whispered under his breath, voice low and steady. "Fire Power—Seventh Technique: Sunflare Strike."
The golden mark on his katana flared, brighter than before. He leapt, his body blazing like the morning sun, and slashed with divine speed. The devil's arm exploded into molten shrapnel—but to his horror, it began regenerating instantly.
Sousuke shouted, "Its heart's protected! You'll have to burn it faster than it can heal!"
Yuto steadied his breathing, focusing on the rhythm of his heartbeat. The air trembled. Heat radiated around him like a storm about to break.
He roared, "Fire Power—Eighth Technique: Ashen Requiem!"
A wave of grey fire burst from his sword, consuming the monster in light. The creature screamed, trying to summon another Devil Art—
"Devil Art—Fifth Technique: Full Darkness!"
—but before the shadows could close, Yuto's flames burned through, swallowing it whole.
The devil's chest cracked open. Yuto drove his katana through its heart, ripping it free and crushing it in his hand. The ashes scattered into the wind.
As silence fell, the survivors wept in relief. Sousuke clapped Yuto on the shoulder, his grin returning. "Not bad, Sun Legend."
Yuto looked up at the rising sun beyond the ruins, golden light reflecting off his blade.
"Not yet," he said quietly. "The real battle's only beginning."
Far below, in the depths of the underworld, the Devil King Akuma Ikari opened his crimson eyes. The ancient chains around his throne rattled.
"So," he whispered, voice echoing through the abyss, "the Sun has returned."