"What I request," Rin said, voice firm, "is not power. I request that the people now be given a choice—to choose their own Kurozuki, since Hiroto Hibuko and Yami Hibuko are no longer with us."
For a heartbeat, time itself seemed to pause. Then the plaza erupted—screams and cheers colliding in a deafening wave. Faces lit with hope, hands reached toward the sky, and the ground trembled with the people's energy. Rin Takeda allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. Finally, he thought, he could wield power for good.
From the crowd, Kaoru Hibuko's grin cut like a blade. Whispering, venom in his voice:
"Yell from hell… because that's where you're going, old man."
BOOM!
An ambush struck, Hibuko's forces lunging at Rin with swords gleaming under the sunlight. Rin Takeda sighed, brushing back a strand of hair.
"So… you've come for me, Kaoru?"
Steel clashed against steel. Sparks flew as swords met with a metallic shriek. Blood splattered across the plaza as the two titans dueled, each strike echoing like a drumbeat of chaos.
Amidst it all, Kaoru stood in the center, grinning wildly as firelight danced across his red cloak. Dust and ash swirled around him, the cries of the crowd mixing with the roar of combat.
Suddenly, hooves thundered from the back. The three great samurai clan leaders arrived, mounted and imposing. Ashura Shin dismounted, his armor glinting under the sun, and stepped forward.
"Stop it," he said, voice steady but commanding. "Unless you want me to turn against you. Respect the people's choice."
Kaoru's grin faltered for just a moment, then he signaled retreat.
"Try not to forget what we, the Hibuko, did for you, peasants," he spat, before mounting his horse and leaving the plaza battered, ablaze, and filled with smoke.
Ashura Shin murmured, watching him disappear into the distance:
"What's wrong with him…?"