Akaza stared blankly at Lucas, as if witnessing something truly unbelievable.The speed and power Lucas had just demonstrated were a world apart from what he had shown at the beginning of the fight. It felt as though he were facing a completely different person now. For a fleeting moment, Akaza even felt like he was clashing swords with Kyojuro Rengoku again.But wasn't Kyojuro the Flame Pillar? Could this boy be a Pillar too?To think someone would dare hide such strength in front of him—how amusing.Akaza's initial shock quickly transformed into burning excitement. A frenzied light lit up his eyes, and a grin stretched across his face. This was the kind of opponent he craved—a real fight.Blood still dripped from his fully regenerated arm, but Akaza didn't seem to notice. His entire attention was on Lucas now, his battle lust ignited."Good!" Akaza let out a low, guttural laugh. "Now this is what I've been waiting for!"He crouched slightly, his right fist coiled at his waist and his left palm extended forward. The grin on his face twisted into something almost demonic."Destructive Kill: Chaotic Style!"With a roar, Akaza's fighting spirit erupted like a tidal wave, casting a palpable force across the battlefield. Unlike his previous attacks, this one wasn't targeted at a single foe—it engulfed both Lucas and Kyojuro, intending to crush them at once."Just a little longer..." Lucas murmured to himself, dodging and deflecting alongside Kyojuro, who responded with his Fifth Form: Flame Tiger.As the darkness over the horizon slowly gave way to the approaching light of dawn, Lucas's eyes remained focused."Concentrate! Focus all your attention on me!" Akaza snapped, noticing Lucas's brief glance toward the horizon. Enraged, he redirected his assault fully toward Lucas."Bang! Bang! Bang!"Even while switching between breathing techniques to mitigate the impact, Lucas found himself overwhelmed. Akaza's attacks were simply too powerful. He struggled to keep up, doing everything he could to help ease the burden on Kyojuro.But it wasn't enough."Clang!"With one devastating strike, Akaza's overwhelming force shattered Lucas's nichirin blade in half. The sword lost its edge, leaving Lucas defenseless.Kyojuro saw it happen and charged forward in desperation."Flame Breathing Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!"A vortex of roaring crimson fire surged toward Akaza. The flames spun violently, wrapping the battlefield in blistering heat. But even Kyojuro's strongest defense couldn't stop Akaza at full power.Akaza's fist tore through the flames and air alike. The sheer pressure of the strike injured Kyojuro's eye, sending blood streaming down his face."It's useless," Akaza said coldly. "Look at yourselves. Your wounds won't heal. One has a broken sword. The other is half-blind. If you were demons, you'd recover fully in seconds. Why keep struggling?"He spread his arms, still hoping to convert them."You cannot win. You should know that by now.""I will fulfill my duty!" Kyojuro bellowed.Crimson-gold flames erupted around him like a blaze of unshakable resolve. Within the fire, Kyojuro's silhouette wavered, but the light in his eyes shone brighter than ever. He stood his ground, even in the face of certain death.Lucas, though wounded and armed only with half a blade, stood by Kyojuro's side. His presence radiated determination.He had one final move.Raising the broken blade, Lucas channeled every ounce of his strength. His body temperature soared, and flames ignited from his arm, spreading to the nichirin blade. The sword, though cracked, began to glow with intense crimson-gold light."Flame Breathing Secret Art: Ninth Form: Rengoku!"Their voices rang out in unison.Kyojuro's eyes widened in disbelief. Lucas... was using Flame Breathing?And not just any form—it was the Ninth Form, Rengoku, the technique passed down only to the strongest flame swordsmen. How was that possible?Wasn't Lucas a Thunder Breathing user?A thousand questions raced through Kyojuro's mind, but there was no time for answers. The battlefield demanded his full attention."With such injuries... and you still fight like this..." Akaza muttered, genuinely moved. "Become demons, the both of you! Lucas, Kyojuro—fight alongside me forever!""Destructive Kill: Annihilation Style!"The temperature on the battlefield exploded. Flames and fighting spirit clashed in a titanic surge, creating two enormous flame storms that collided with Akaza's destructive energy.The moment the forces collided, the night erupted with deafening roars.The impact generated bursts of searing light—each flash a miniature explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The heat rose so intensely that the air itself distorted. Even time seemed to slow.Each side tried to devour the other. The flames surged to consume Akaza's fighting spirit, while his dark power gnawed at the fire in return.At the epicenter of it all, a blinding orb formed—a miniature sun blazing on the battlefield. Its light was too fierce to look at directly.The surrounding terrain cracked. Earth split into jagged fissures. Heatwaves rolled like ocean tides. The entire world seemed to tremble under the force.When the eruption finally subsided, silence returned.The dust settled.The battlefield bore the marks of devastation—a giant crater burned into the ground, its edges charred and broken.At the center stood Akaza. His breath came in short bursts. His clothes were scorched. His hair disheveled. And yet, his injuries—grievous just moments ago—were vanishing before their eyes, healing as though time itself turned backward.Across from him lay Kyojuro and Lucas, their bodies bruised, battered, and covered in soot. Both were panting heavily, their strength nearly gone.Lucas glanced sideways and saw Kyojuro's chest slowly rising and falling. He sighed in relief.It worked. The attack, though overwhelming, hadn't killed Kyojuro.That was all he wanted.He had succeeded—if not in defeating Akaza, then at least in preventing a tragedy."Kyojuro, Lucas," Akaza said softly, his voice filled with something resembling sorrow. "Become demons. Be my companions. Let us fight forever. It doesn't have to end like this."Then—[Ding][Detected friend request from Upper Moon Three Akaza. Do you accept?]"...Huh?" Lucas blinked.His heart skipped a beat.He had… actually received a friend request from Akaza?The pain of his wounds faded in an instant. His exhaustion, his fear—gone.He was elated.He had originally planned to activate his Friend System within the Transparent World later, after ensuring Kyojuro's safety. Befriending Akaza in front of Kyojuro might've been… awkward.But now, somehow, he had triggered it organically.It happened by accident—and he couldn't be happier.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)