The broken stall creaked as pieces of wood slid off Tyouro's back, scattered fruit rolling across the ground, crushed under boots as the crowd pulled away in a wide circle, no one stepping in, no one helping, just watching with quiet interest like this was normal in Grimreach. Dust hung in the air, mixing with the heat still rising from Tyouro's body as he pushed himself up slowly, one knee on the ground, fingers digging into the dirt, his breath heavier now but his eyes still sharp. "Okay… they're not normal," he muttered, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth before standing fully, flames flickering around his arms again, more unstable this time.
Kairo stood a few steps ahead, shoulders tense, trying to steady his breathing as that invisible pressure pressed against his chest again, heavier, suffocating, like the air itself was closing in. This place… it's not just them… something's wrong here. His fists clenched. He wanted to fight, to help, but his body hesitated, instincts clashing with fear.
The three warriors didn't rush.
They adjusted.
One stepped forward slightly, his gaze locked on Tyouro, while the other two spread out just enough to control space, cutting off escape without saying a word. Their movements were clean, efficient, like they didn't need to think about it.
"You've caused enough trouble," the lead warrior said calmly.
Tyouro cracked his neck, heat building again. "Yeah? Then come stop me."
He moved first again.
This time faster.
Flames burst outward as he dashed, his body becoming a streak of heat and force, the ground cracking under his step as he closed the distance instantly, fist swinging with everything he had, but again, the moment of impact shifted. The warrior didn't block.
He slipped past it.
Not faster, just perfectly timed.
Tyouro's punch hit nothing but air, and before he could adjust, that same unseen force slammed into his ribs from the side.
BOOM.
His body bent from the impact, breath knocked out of him as he was sent sliding again, crashing into the ground harder this time, heat flickering out for a moment.
Kairo's eyes widened. "Tyouro!"
He moved without thinking.
His body pushed forward, faster than before, not refined, not controlled, but desperate, his fist tightening as he aimed straight for the closest warrior, but the moment he got close, he felt it again.
That pressure.
Stronger.
His movement slowed for just a fraction of a second-
And that was enough.
A strike hit him from the front, invisible but solid, like a wall crashing into him, sending him back again, his feet dragging across the ground as he forced himself to stay standing this time, teeth gritted.
I can't even see it…
The warriors didn't chase.
They watched.
Measuring.
Back in the narrow street leading to the plaza, Kimimaru's pace had changed completely, his steps faster but controlled, his eyes scanning every corner as he moved through Grimreach's twisted layout, ignoring the people, ignoring the noise, focused only on the direction of the disturbance. His grip on the Zweihander tightened slightly.
"Ishika," he said quietly.
I see it, her voice answered calmly inside him. Three targets. Coordinated. Not ordinary fighters.
Kimimaru's gaze sharpened. "Can you interfere?"
A pause.
Not yet. I need proximity.
"Then we close the distance."
He pushed forward again, faster.
High above, Yura moved like a shadow through the trees bordering the outer village, her jumps shorter now but more frequent, her direction fixed, her expression completely cold. The moment she felt that shift earlier, she didn't question it. She trusted it.
"Kairo… don't lose," she muttered under her breath as she pushed off another branch, accelerating.
Back in the market, Tyouro forced himself up again, slower this time, his breathing rough, heat pulsing unevenly under his skin. "Damn… that hurts…" he laughed weakly, but there was strain behind it now. His eyes flicked toward Kairo for a second, then back to the warriors.
"They're annoying."
Kairo stepped beside him this time, not in front, not behind.
Side by side.
"We need to leave," Kairo said quietly, his voice low but serious. "This isn't our fight."
Tyouro exhaled, heat rising again as he straightened his posture. "…Too late for that, don't you think?"
The lead warrior stepped forward again.
"Last chance. Come quietly."
Silence.
Then...
Kairo shook his head.
"I can't."
Something in his voice changed.
Not loud. Not powerful.
But firm.
The warrior's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then don't blame us."
The air shifted.
This time, all three moved at once.
Kairo felt it before he saw anything, his body reacting on instinct as he pulled Tyouro back, barely avoiding another invisible strike that shattered the ground where they had been standing. Dust exploded upward, blocking vision for a split second.
Tyouro grinned despite everything. "Now this is more like it."
He stepped forward again, flames bursting back stronger, forcing the air around him to distort violently, trying to disrupt whatever was hitting them.
Kairo moved with him.
Not as fast.
Not as strong.
But this time, he didn't hesitate.
They pushed forward together.
Through the dust.
Through the pressure.
Through the fear.
And for the first time since the fight started
They didn't step back.
They charged.
Somewhere beyond the broken streets, two figures were already closing in.
And Grimreach…
Was about to get louder.