"Didn't they both say, 'Go ahead, we'll catch up later'?" Asahi muttered, his eyes flicking toward Yuna.
Yuna didn't answer right away. Her gaze stayed fixed on the battlefield. The rain kept falling, thick and heavy, drumming against the ground. Thunder rolled low through the sky, like a distant beast growling.
"We don't have time for that," she finally said, voice quiet but firm. "I'll handle the pink-haired one. You take the other. We can't let them fight like this… not in their condition."
Asahi gave a short nod. He crouched low, body tense—then shot forward in a blur. The rain split around him as he moved, water splashing under his feet, his figure fading into the storm.
Yuna didn't move. She stood still, eyes locked on the fractured ground ahead. The pressure in the air was rising. That pink-haired woman would be coming up any second now.
Behind her, Hinata's voice spoke calmly.
"Find the kids. I'll handle this one."
Yuki nodded without hesitation. She handed her black blade to Hinata, then vanished into the rain—her form disappearing like a shadow in the storm.
Hinata took the blade. It was heavier than her own, but solid—steady. Her fingers, stained in blood, gripped it tightly. Her breaths were quiet but sharp. Every step she took left a faint trail of red behind her.
Across from her, the man with the eyepatch stood still. His coat swayed in the wind. He looked at her with calm eyes, unbothered by the storm.
"Tell me who sent you," Hinata said. Her voice was cold. Clear. "Do that, and I'll spare your life."
The man tilted his head slightly, eye narrowing. "You're in no shape to fight," he said. "I don't know what happened, but... you look like you can barely hold that sword."
Lightning cracked across the sky.
Hinata didn't respond.
She just raised the blade.
-----
Meanwhile, in a quiet café, the soft sound of clicking keyboards filled the air. Shun and Jin sat side by side, still playing on their PCs. Everything felt calm—until a sudden light flashed in front of Jin's screen.
In an instant, Kaizen and Hana appeared, right in front of him. Kaizen was holding Hana close, like he was trying to shield her.
Jin blinked, unfazed. He looked at them calmly. "Hmm? Did something happen?" he asked gently.
The kids froze for a second when they heard his voice. Hana looked up—her eyes widened the moment she saw Jin. She jumped into his arms without a second thought, wrapping her little hands tightly around him.
"Dada…" she whispered softly.
Jin caught her easily, hugging her close. He smiled gently and began patting her head. Then, without a word, he reached out and pulled Kaizen onto his lap too.
Shun took off his headphones and turned his chair toward them, the soft clack of wheels on the floor the only sound for a moment. He looked at Kaizen quietly.
"That must've been serious," he muttered. "Good thing you put a teleportation trigger on them."
Kaizen's breathing was still uneven, his hands slightly trembling.
Shun gave him a light smile. "Didn't you say you're a grown-up now?" he teased softly, pulling Kaizen into a warm hug. "Why are you sweating so much then?"
Kaizen stayed silent for a few seconds, eyes down. Then he slowly looked up at Shun.
"Some bad guys showed up," he said, voice low. "They fought Uncle Ryuto… and they hurt him. Will he be okay, Dad?"
Shun looked into his son's eyes for a moment.
"…He'll be fine," he said gently, brushing Kaizen's hair back. "But stay here with Jin, alright? I'll be back in a few minutes."
He stood up, his usual calmness replaced with something colder—more focused. It was the first time he'd seen fear on Kaizen's face.
"I'll go," Jin said quietly, still holding Hana, who had fallen asleep in his arms—maybe from fear, or maybe from finally feeling safe. "take them home. Come pick me up after I use that."
Shun's expression shifted slightly. "You're planning to use it?"
"I have to," Jin said softly, his eyes now on the news playing across the nearby screen. Explosions. Chaos. "If I don't… that peace we have now might fall apart. And this world isn't ready for that."
Shun looked at him for a moment longer, then sighed.
"…You're right," he whispered.
-----
On Ryuto's side.
He was breathing heavily, his clothes torn and blood running down his arm. Ren and Rei still stood in front of him—calm, focused, unshaken.
Then—whoosh—in just a blink, both of them vanished from sight.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ren appeared on Ryuto's left, slashing his twin green daggers at lightning speed. At the same time, Rei came from the right, his sharp claws tearing through the air with every strike. Ryuto raised his sword, blocking Ren's daggers, but Rei's claw grazed his side, leaving a shallow wound.
He stumbled back but didn't fall.
Slash! Clink! Bang!
Ren didn't stop. He kept slashing with both daggers, one after the other like a storm. Rei followed with wild, heavy strikes—each one faster than the last. Ryuto gritted his teeth, parrying and dodging, but his body was slowing down.
Another claw hit his shoulder—crack!—forcing him down to one knee. His sword shook in his hand.
Ren smirked. "He's getting slower."
Rei narrowed his eyes. "He's still standing."
They both dashed in again.
Ryuto forced himself up, blocking Ren's dagger with one hand and catching Rei's wrist with the other. Thud! A knee to Rei's gut pushed him back. He spun, slamming the handle of his sword into Ren's chest—bam!—sending him sliding back.
He stood again, breathing heavier than before.
"You're fast," Ryuto muttered, blood dripping from his lips. "But you still have openings."
Ren wiped the blood from his chin and grinned. "So do you."
They rushed him again. The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Clang! Slash! Boom!
Steel and claws clashed in the air. Rain hit their skin, the sky flashing above them.
Ryuto's sword danced between them—parrying, striking, defending. But each time he blocked one, the other hit him. A cut on his back. A jab to his ribs. His vision blurred for a second, but he didn't stop.
Finally, with a loud clang, he blocked both their weapons at once, forcing them back with one powerful swing. His chest rose and fell, exhausted.
They landed on their feet, ready to charge again.
Ryuto knew he couldn't last much longer.
But neither of them knew—he wasn't planning to.
Ren glanced at Rei. Without a word, they both nodded.
Then, in sync, they spoke.
"Release," Ren whispered.
A hissing sound followed. In an instant, thick green gas started pouring from his body—so much that even the heavy rain couldn't wash it away. The gas clung to the air like it was alive, swirling around him before spreading out across the battlefield.
Ryuto's eyes narrowed. "Tch…"
Before he could move—
"Air Burst," Rei said calmly, raising both hands.
Whoosh!
The gas that was spreading suddenly twisted, pulled together by invisible force. It spiraled around Ryuto, forming a dense tornado of green mist. The wind howled, and the rain stopped falling near him—the poison was spinning too fast, blocking everything out.
Inside the vortex, Ryuto coughed. His skin started to burn. Red marks appeared on his arms as the poison gnawed at him. His vision blurred—everything became hazy.
The storm of gas around him roared louder.
"Looks like it's... my end..." Ryuto whispered, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he collapsed to his knees. His body trembled, barely holding on.
Then, with the last flicker of strength, he whispered again—this time, his voice steadier, filled with resolve.
"Let me... give you a gift... Divine Thunder Strike."
His eyes rolled back as he fell unconscious, his body hitting the ground with a thud.
Suddenly, the sky roared.
CRACK-BOOM!
A bolt of lightning, blindingly bright and unnaturally fast, tore through the black clouds with a deafening screech—
ZZZZZAAAKKKKKK!!
It struck down like judgment itself, splitting the heavens for a heartbeat before smashing into Ren and Rei.
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The ground shook, but strangely, there was no crater, no destroyed terrain—only the sharp scent of burning air. The divine thunder didn't ravage the land. It targeted only them.
Ren and Rei didn't even get the chance to move. Their eyes widened for a split second—
—and then everything went white.
Their bodies jerked, steam rising from their skin as the lightning engulfed them.
FSSSSHHHH!
In an instant, both of them dropped to the ground—
THUD. THUD.
Unconscious. Smoldering.
Silence returned… except for the soft hiss of electricity fading into the wind.
[Chapter 21 end]