The night was drowned in fog—thick, cold, and heavy enough to choke the breath. The moon hung above, pale and distant, its light struggling to pierce the mist.
Then, two voices cut through the silence like steel.
"Fog Power: Second Technique—Fading Mirage!"
"Water Power: Second Technique—Tidal Fang!"
The air shifted. The fog coiled and moved as if alive, the world twisting around the echo of their words. From somewhere deep within the mist came a guttural roar—low, monstrous, too close.
Yuto's grip tightened around his sword. Beside him, Sousuke's lightning crackled faintly in the air, casting fleeting flashes across their faces. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. Both already knew what was coming.
The roar grew into a scream as something huge tore through the fog.
"Now!" Yuto's voice rose above the chaos. He surged forward, flames igniting around his blade.
"Fire Power: Seventh Technique—Sunflare Strike!"
The explosion of heat was blinding. Fire ripped across the battlefield, painting the fog blood-red. Sousuke moved instantly, his movements electric, twin blades shimmering with stormlight.
"Thunder Power: Seventh Technique—Flashstorm Barrage!"
Lightning collided with fire, and the world turned into a storm of light and heat. The devil roared, its blackened body writhing as molten flesh split under their combined assault.
Sousuke pivoted sharply, landing in a crouch, blade raised.
"Water Power: First Technique—Flowing Current!"
His movements were fluid, precise—a contrast to Yuto's fiery ferocity. Together, they were chaos and order, destruction and control.
The impact threw smoke and ash into the air. For a heartbeat, silence.
Then the devil's shadow moved again.
The creature's arm—massive, clawed—swept through the haze, slamming both warriors backward. The earth shook beneath the blow. Yuto rolled, caught himself, and rose with blood running down his cheek. His eyes burned, not with pain, but fury.
He raised his sword high.
"Fire Power: Fifth Technique—Phoenix Rise!"
Flames spiraled around him, forming the shape of wings. He leapt, slicing downward in a searing arc that tore the air apart. The attack severed the devil's arm completely. For a moment, victory burned bright.
Then the severed limb began to move.
Black tendrils of flesh twisted and fused, rebuilding what had been destroyed.
Sousuke's voice cracked with disbelief. "It's regenerating!"
Before Yuto could answer, a whisper of movement came from behind. Another devil—faster—lurched from the fog. Its claws aimed straight for Sousuke's neck.
Yuto didn't think. He moved.
"Fire Power: First Technique—Blazing Slash!"
The strike was clean and brutal. His blade pierced through the devil's chest, the heat so intense it hissed against its skin. The monster's heart exploded in fire, reduced to ash before it even hit the ground.
Sousuke exhaled, shaking. "You saved me again."
Yuto only nodded. "Stay sharp. It's not over."
The mist darkened again—unnatural, shifting, alive. A calm, cold voice cut through it.
"Fog Power: Ninth Technique—Endless Dusk."
The world blurred. The air itself seemed to disappear, sound muffled by a heavy, suffocating stillness.
When visibility returned, a figure stood in the open—a man wielding a dual-bladed katana, both held in reverse grip. His eyes glowed faintly silver through the haze.
He vanished.
Two devils lunged from either side—and were instantly cut down. Their hearts fell to the dirt before their bodies did.
Sousuke stared. "Who the hell…?"
No answer came. The man faded back into the fog like smoke, his blades whispering through the air. Three more devils appeared—and three hearts hit the ground almost at once.
Then another voice—a woman's this time. Strong, clear, and fierce.
"Water Power: Eighth Technique—Ocean's Heart!"
Water crashed forward from thin air, slamming devils into the mud. Before they could rise, she moved again—graceful and merciless.
"Water Power: First Technique—Flowing Current!"
Two clean slashes. Two hearts gone. Silence.
The fog user stepped out beside her. "Fog Power: First Technique—Mist Veil."
The mist obeyed him, curling around his body like armor. His movements were weightless, his eyes sharp as blades. Three more devils fell—quietly, efficiently.
But victory lasted only seconds.
A new sound echoed—low growls, footsteps, dozens of them. Red eyes flickered in the distance. The fog shuddered.
Yuto took a slow breath. "They're not stopping."
The first devil charged—larger, faster, wrapped in shadow. Yuto met it head-on.
"Fire Power: Fourth Technique—Crimson Burst!"
Flames roared, colliding with the beast's darkness.
"Devil Art: Ninth Technique—Devil Sword!"
A blade of black energy slammed into Yuto's strike. Sparks and fire scattered across the ground. The impact burned his shoulder open, blood dripping down his arm—but he didn't back down.
He pressed forward, teeth gritted, slicing through the devil's chest and tearing its heart free with a shout that echoed through the fog.
Sousuke stepped in immediately, lightning flashing across his skin.
"Thunder Power: Roaring Flash!"
He vanished in a streak of blue light, reappearing behind the next devil. One thrust—straight through the heart. The body convulsed, vaporized, gone.
But a third devil lunged before he could breathe.
"Devil Art: Seventh Technique—Sharp Spikes!"
Hundreds of spikes launched from its body.
Sousuke raised his blades.
"Thunder Power: Thundering Gale!"
Electricity danced around him, deflecting a storm of projectiles, but not all. Pain tore across his arm as a spike grazed his flesh.
Yuto shouted, "Move!"
"Not yet!" Sousuke roared back, blood dripping from his sleeve. "I've got him!"
"Thunder Power: Eighth Technique—Endless Thunderclap!"
His body blurred—zigzagging in a flashstorm of blue. The devil couldn't track him.
Yuto saw the opening. His hands trembled, his body screaming, but he pushed through the pain.
"Fire Power: First Technique—Blazing Slash!"
He leapt forward, the flame around his sword burning brighter than ever. The blade sliced clean through the devil's chest. The heart burst in flame, and the body fell, burning from the inside out.
Silence fell once more.
Yuto stood panting, blood and soot staining his face. His eyes flicked to the others.
The fog warrior stepped forward, calm as ever. "Tatsusuke Yogiri," he said quietly. "Fog Power user."
The girl lowered her sword. "Akari Mizu. Water Power. I fight to cleanse what darkness remains."
Sousuke wiped blood from his mouth and glanced toward the valley. The ground trembled.
Dozens of red eyes lit the horizon.
"There must be fifty of them," he muttered.
Yuto straightened his stance, firelight dancing in his gaze. He smiled faintly—half exhaustion, half defiance.
"Then we fight until nothing's left."
The fog thickened once more. Lightning sparked. Fire burned. Water shimmered.
And four warriors stepped forward together—ready to face the storm.