The cold winds of midnight howled along the borders of the Mongol stronghold, but the tension in the air made the very wind seem to hold its breath. The battle had already begun.
At the northern gate, Raiden stood face to face with a Mongol general — a warrior whose presence bore the weight of decades. His face was lined with age, but there was strength behind those calculating eyes. He was no fool. Yet across from him stood Raiden, younger, faster, and in the prime of his strength. Their swords had clashed already — sparks flew, steel rang out like thunder, and the very earth beneath them shook with each impact.
Meanwhile, just beyond the gates, Rokuro, Nobee, and Matsuya had moved like shadows. Their blades glinted only when needed, dispatching the enemy soldiers stationed along the ramparts and roads. One by one, they silenced the scouts, eliminated the archers, and secured the gate — locking it from the outside. No reinforcements could enter from the city. The border was sealed.
Matsuya wiped blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. Then he froze.
"Raiden... we've got company," he said, voice grim.
Across the field, stretching into the darkness like a tide of nightmares, thousands upon thousands of Mongol soldiers advanced. The flickering light of their torches turned the night into a sea of fire.
The Mongol general's lips curled into a smug grin. "You four will die tonight," he sneered. "That gate won't hold long."
Raiden smirked and replied coolly, "We're not four. We're six. And the other two? They're far deadlier than us."
The general laughed cruelly. "Six? What do you think they'll do? Kill 5,000 men each? HAH!"
—
Far above the chaos, atop the tallest tower in the heart of the city, Ichigo sat like a statue. His eyes opened slowly, reflecting the full moon above. He inhaled deeply, the breath of a warrior ready for carnage.
Without a word, he launched himself skyward. His body flew like an arrow, propelled by spiritual energy that shattered tiles beneath his feet. As he soared, the city spread beneath him like a vast net of fire and shadow.
Then he paused mid-air.
In his eyes, the entire army was visible — a swarm of torches, weapons, and armored shadows. The calm moonlight shone in his pupils as he raised his katana high above his head.
Suddenly, his body was engulfed in dark blue light. Lightning crawled across his skin like veins, and his eyes burned like waterfalls of cerulean flame. The sky responded to his power — clouds surged in, thick and dark, and the temperature plummeted.
CRACK.
Lightning split the sky as Ichigo descended like a divine judgment. Before touching the ground, he swung his sword.
A horizontal slash of pure lightning ripped across the battlefield. It danced across armor, metal, and flesh, carving a smoking trench through the advancing soldiers. The explosion that followed rocked the city's foundations.
Thousands fell in a blink.
The Mongol general at the border clutched his head. Blood seeped from his eyes. "What… what is he?"
—
At the same time, in the very heart of the city, Tanjiro stood in silence.
His head was bowed, the tip of his sword resting on the cobblestone. His breathing was steady, meditative. Then, slowly, he lifted his head.
His eyes had turned pitch black, like two voids. His skin glowed faintly red. Heat shimmered around him like a mirage.
All around, Mongol soldiers rushed at him with fury — swords drawn, torches in hand. But the closer they came, the more their flames began to burn brighter… too bright.
Their torches flared uncontrollably.
Then Tanjiro moved.
His swords ignited — not just with flame, but with origin fire, a primal energy older than time. As he raised both blades, the fire surged into a circular arc above him.
He spun.
With a single, graceful motion, Tanjiro created a ring of destruction. A wave of fire erupted outward, engulfing everything in its path. Soldiers screamed, metal melted, stone cracked.
In the heart of the blaze, a dragon of flame roared — a beast of fire that soared skyward before dissipating into cinders. All within Tanjiro's radius were reduced to ash.
The flames settled. Silence reigned.
—
Back at the border, the general collapsed to his knees. His strength drained not from battle wounds, but from fear.
His lips trembled. His palms hit the ground. Blood ran from his eyes, not from a wound — but from the overwhelming pressure of the two warriors now unleashing hell upon his forces.
He muttered, as if in a trance, "Monsters… they sent monsters."
Behind him, Raiden stepped forward.
"You were right about one thing," Raiden said quietly. "We're not ordinary soldiers. And this isn't an ordinary fight."
The general raised his head slowly, just in time to see Nobee and Rokuro eliminate the last of his personal guard.
As the gate burned behind him and the flames of Tanjiro and lightning of Ichigo lit up the world, the general finally understood:
They were not here to fight a war.
They were here to end one.
—
Chapter End.