Lightning split the heavens, illuminating the battlefield in searing white. The crackling charge of the storm pulsed through the air, turning the scent of ozone thick and oppressive. Ash barely had a moment to breathe before Raijin struck again, his form a blur of electric fury. The god''s power surged through the downpour, an unstoppable force made flesh.


    Ash barely raised his twin blades in time, the impact of Raijin''s strike sending a jolt of energy through his bones. His muscles screamed in protest as he skidded back, boots digging trenches into the rain-slicked ground. The world trembled under the storm''s wrath, yet he refused to falter. There was no stopping now.


    A chilling presence loomed behind him—the Oni-Wraith, its hulking form shifting like liquid shadow, glowing red eyes narrowing in cruel amusement. With a guttural snarl, it lunged, spectral claws swiping for his exposed back. Ash twisted at the last instant, the air slicing past his cheek as he barely evaded the deathblow. His heart pounded, his breath coming fast and ragged. He had fought countless battles, faced warriors and warlords, but these were forces beyond mortal reckoning—fury wrapped in flesh and storm.


    A deep rumble, like thunder rolling through the mountains, resonated across the battlefield. It took Ash a second to realize the sound wasn''t the storm—it was Raijin laughing.


    "You will break, and the storm will consume you," the god intoned, his voice raw power given shape.


    Ash gritted his teeth and launched forward, a blur of motion against the relentless rain. His blades flashed, arcs of silver against the blackened sky, each strike aimed at Raijin''s core. Sparks exploded as steel met lightning, the impact sending tremors through the earth. Ash ignored the pain, the burning in his limbs, the way his vision swam from exhaustion. Every attack cost him, but he had no choice but to press on.


    A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision. Too late.


    The Oni-Wraith struck with brutal precision. A clawed hand crashed down like a falling star, the sheer force of it shattering the ground where Ash had stood. He barely rolled aside, his body aching from the relentless barrage. The wraith was relentless, a creature of nightmares given form. Ash surged up, twin swords slashing through its incorporeal arm. The wound should have been devastating. Instead, the torn flesh reformed instantly, the creature''s glowing gaze almost mocking his effort.


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    "Damn it," Ash hissed. He spun to face Raijin just in time to see the god raise a hand. A bolt of living electricity shot toward him, aimed directly at his heart.


    Instinct took over. He crossed his swords, channeling every ounce of his will into the steel. The impact was cataclysmic. The force sent him crashing to one knee, the ground cracking beneath him. Agony lanced through his body, his limbs trembling under the weight of Raijin''s power.


    Still, he pushed himself up.


    Raijin''s mirth faded, his gaze darkening. "You persist beyond reason. A mortal should not stand after this."


    Ash wiped blood from his mouth, forcing a smirk despite the pain. "Guess I''m not just any mortal."


    Raijin''s eyes narrowed. Another surge of lightning arced toward him, the final, decisive strike. Ash braced himself, raising his swords for a desperate last stand.


    But then—the storm shifted.


    The winds eased, the thunder''s deafening roar fading to a whisper. The Oni-Wraith halted its assault mid-motion, its form unraveling into tendrils of mist before vanishing entirely. Raijin''s form flickered, the raw energy of his presence dissipating as the storm''s fury withdrew. Silence swallowed the battlefield, eerie in its suddenness.


    Ash remained standing, barely. His body was battered, his breath ragged, but he was still on his feet. The echoes of the battle lingered in the charged air, etched into the ground, into the storm, into him.


    A distant rumble of thunder heralded the arrival of the Raijū Elders.


    Clad in ceremonial robes adorned with storm sigils, they stepped forward in measured silence, their gazes like piercing lightning. Each of them bore the weight of centuries, their presence as imposing as the storm itself. Among them stood Rin, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.


    Ash felt the weight of their judgment before a single word was spoken.


    "The trial is complete," one of the Elders intoned, his voice like rolling thunder. "You stand victorious, Ash of the Shadow. The storm has judged you worthy."


    A pause. Heavy. Laden with unspoken meaning. Then, another Elder stepped forth—the oldest among them. His eyes crackled with the remnants of untold tempests as they locked onto Ash''s.


    "But victory is not enough," the Elder continued. "To wield the power of the Raijū, one must be tempered beyond the forge of battle. The test remains."


    Ash, still catching his breath, straightened. His body screamed for respite, but he would not back down. "Then I''ll take it."


    The Elders exchanged glances, silent as the wind before the next storm. Finally, the Elder nodded.


    "Very well," he said. "You will undertake the Oath of the Raijū Warriors. But be warned—the training will break you before it rebuilds you. And the storm does not accept weakness."


    A gust of wind swept across the battlefield, whispering promises of trials yet to come. The storm above murmured its approval, a distant growl of thunder echoing the path laid before him.


    Ash met the Elder''s gaze without hesitation.


    "I am ready."