Kuro no Yūrei had arrived. And he was not alone.


    Raiju warriors materialized behind him, their forms crackling with raw energy, eyes burning with vengeance. Ash''s breath caught. He had infiltrated Raiju Castle—now they pursued him with relentless fury. His lineage meant nothing to them. Only his capture mattered. The battle wasn’t over. It had only just begun.


    The moment Kuro no Yūrei touched the ground, the battlefield shifted. The air thickened, charged with unseen force, making even hardened warriors hesitate. Then, like a thunderclap, the storm of battle reignited.


    Ash and Kaito were already on the dropship ramp, its engines roaring for departure. The Oni Brigade had secured extraction. But then, Kuro moved.


    A flicker. A blur. A killing wind.


    A shockwave erupted as Kuro streaked across the battlefield, too fast for the eye to follow. Ash barely had time to register movement before an unseen force struck him like a hammer, hurling him from the ramp. He crashed onto the rain-soaked ground, rolling violently before slamming into a broken pillar. Above, Kaito shouted his name, grip tightening on his weapon. The Oni Brigade reacted, but the dropship was already lifting off under enemy fire. With no choice, Kaito and the Oni warriors leaped back into the fray, weapons drawn.


    Kuro was on Ash in an instant.


    A blade whistled through the air. Instinct saved Ash as he twisted, barely avoiding a decapitating strike. He rolled to his feet, katana flashing up in defense. The next instant, steel met steel in a deafening clash.


    The impact sent tremors through the ground. Sparks exploded between them as Ash parried a second strike, then a third. Kuro attacked with terrifying precision, each movement a blur of calculated destruction. Ash barely managed to keep pace, his muscles burning as he blocked, dodged, and countered.


    Kuro twisted his wrist, reversing his grip mid-strike. Ash reacted too late. The midnight blade carved across his side, drawing a sharp gasp from his lips as blood splattered onto the ground, mixing with the rain.


    Pain flared, but Ash ignored it. He pushed forward, striking back with everything he had. Their blades clashed in rapid succession, each blow faster, heavier, deadlier than the last. The force of their duel sent shockwaves through the battlefield, tearing through the rain like thunderclaps.


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    Around them, the Oni Brigade and Raiju warriors clashed in a brutal melee. Kaito fought like a demon, cutting down a Raiju warrior with a vicious swing of his blade before pivoting into another strike. The Raiju counterattacked, their electric-charged weapons crackling with power. One warrior lunged at Kaito, but an Oni soldier intercepted, driving a blade deep into the enemy''s chest. Bodies fell. Blood mixed with mud. The battlefield became a vortex of chaos.


    Kuro did not relent. He struck low, then high, his blade cutting arcs of death. Ash barely deflected the next blow, staggering backward. His breathing was ragged, his vision blurring. He had fought countless battles before, but nothing like this.


    Then, he saw it.


    A crack in Kuro’s mask.


    For the first time, Ash truly looked at his opponent—and glimpsed the skin beneath the shattered remains of the mask.


    His breath hitched. His hands trembled. The realization struck like a thunderclap to his soul.


    No—it couldn’t be.


    Kuro, sensing the hesitation, moved in for the kill, blade raised high.


    "My lord, stop!" Kaito''s voice shattered the silence, desperate, pleading. "He is your son!"


    Time froze.


    Kuro’s blade halted inches from Ash’s throat. The battlefield, the war, the storm—all faded to nothing as father and son locked gazes.


    The world held its breath.


    Kuro released Ash, his grip loosening as he took a slow step back. The shadows around him wavered, his form flickering like a phantom caught between worlds. Then, as swiftly as he had arrived, he turned. Not fleeing. Not retreating.


    Releasing them.


    Without another word, he vanished into the storm.


    Ash fell to his knees, staring at the empty space where his father had stood. His mind reeled, struggling to grasp the impossible truth. Kaito moved to his side, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder, but Ash barely felt it.


    The Raiju warriors, their purpose shattered, exchanged uncertain glances. Then, as if sensing their leader’s silent command, they too withdrew. No signal. No words. Only the unspoken understanding that Kuro had let them go. One by one, they faded into the storm, dissolving like echoes in the wind.


    Silence fell over the battlefield once more.


    Ash clenched his fists, breath uneven. The war had not ended. The battle had not been won.


    But everything had changed.


    He turned to Kaito, his voice firm despite the storm raging within him. "Wait for me in the outer defensive grid. I will return to the castle for answers."


    Kaito''s expression darkened. "My lord, let me come with you."


    Ash hesitated, then nodded.


    The Oni Brigade withdrew, their frigate waiting beyond the defensive grid. They prepared for the next step in their journey—but Ash’s path led back into the storm.