Chapter 5: Inferno of Shadows
The night burned.
Flames devoured the trees, the earth cracked beneath the heat, and smoke painted the moon in a dull, crimson glow.
Three giant humanoid figures stood at the center of the chaos, their bodies etched with strange markings that pulsed faintly blue through the firelight.
Jin Yuan, Musukoni, and Yusikuna faced them down—outnumbered, outmatched, yet unyielding.
Yusikuna's arrows streaked through the inferno, exploding into bursts of flame. Each shot lit the night as if the stars themselves were falling, yet the monsters barely slowed.
> "Jin Yuan," Musukoni panted, his twin daggers dripping blood. "We should pull back… they're stronger than us."
Before Jin Yuan could answer, one of the giants swung its massive arm like a hammer. Musukoni flew backward, smashing into a tree with enough force to splinter it in two.
> "Musukoni!"
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He groaned, clutching his arm and ribs.
> "My arm… my ribs… broken…"
Jin Yuan's eyes turned cold. He leapt high, his katana gleaming like a black comet in the firelight. With one fluid strike, he severed the nearest giant's neck. Its head thudded heavily to the ground, rolling through the scorched grass.
> "Stay down," he murmured.
Yusikuna landed beside him, drawing another arrow, flames reflected in his wild, defiant eyes.
> "Can you still fight?" he asked Musukoni.
> "I… don't know," Musukoni admitted.
> "Then stay here," Jin Yuan said firmly. "I'll handle it."
Before they could react, one of the remaining giants lunged at Yusikuna. A jagged bone blade pierced his chest. His bow clattered to the ground. His body went limp.
> "YUSIKUNA!!"
Rage surged through Jin Yuan. He charged, katana clashing with the bone weapon in a deafening explosion of sparks. Ash swirled through the burning streets, mixing with the scent of charred wood and steel.
He moved like a shadow through flame—silent, precise, unstoppable. Every strike was measured, every movement a dance of death. The district—once alive with festival lights—was now a graveyard of fire and smoke.
> "There's always a flaw," Jin Yuan muttered. "No matter how powerful…"
His eyes glinted under the moon and the inferno below.
The giants were relentless. Each swing tore the ground apart, shook the trees, and hurled debris into the burning night. Memories flickered in Jin Yuan's mind—gentle laughter, a mother's warm voice—but he crushed them beneath the iron weight of focus.
He leapt again, katana slicing arcs of silver in the air. One giant caught him midair, hurling him down with crushing force. He hit the ground hard, coughing blood, vision blurring.
Then—arrows streaked across the sky. Six at once. They ignited mid-flight, showering the battlefield in fire. Yusikuna had risen again. His chest was bloodied, yet his eyes burned with defiance.
The remaining fireworks exploded, igniting the sky in red, gold, blue, and white. The festival above became a mirror to their chaos below.
Musukoni, despite broken ribs and a shattered arm, leapt into the fray, twin daggers flashing like silver snakes. He drove a giant back with a roar of defiance.
> "You're right, Yusikuna," he said with a grin. "The best fireworks."
Side by side, the three fought under the burning sky. Sparks flew with every strike; flames danced to the rhythm of their willpower. By the time silence returned, the ruins smoldered—a graveyard and battlefield entwined.
---
Morning came soft and quiet in the wooden house. Birdsong threaded through the mist outside.
Jin Yuan woke to weight on his chest—Emily curled against him, breathing slow and warm. His face flushed a deep red, then returned to its familiar hollow calm. He slipped toward the bathroom, careful not to disturb her.
She's probably emotional after everything… he thought. I need to focus on my mission.
Yet a small, involuntary smile lingered on his lips. He knew, with brutal certainty, that she loved him.
Dressed in his black suit, katana strapped to his back, Jin Yuan stepped into the front hall. Yuzurei stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
> "Always late."
> "At least I'm not wasting time standing around like someone who woke up early," Jin Yuan replied calmly.
Before Yuzurei could retort, Yusikuna burst in—chaotic energy spilling over.
> "Haa haa haa! Enough!"
Yuzurei rolled his eyes.
Musukoni arrived, moving carefully, his left arm wrapped from battle. Yusikuna's voice softened.
> "Is your arm okay?"
> "Doctor said it'll take time," Musukoni replied.
> "Then rest," Jin Yuan said.
Shioinkin entered, stretching and fixing his gaze on Jin Yuan.
> "Explain what happened in New York," he demanded.
Jin Yuan recounted the night—Emily, the teleportation into the high-tech underworld, the blue-lit chaos—and their abrupt return to Earth.
> "Why does this never happen to me?" Yuzurei muttered.
> "Because you're reckless," Shioinkin replied, tone grave.
> "So why him?" Yusikuna asked.
> "Why those gates opened under him and then left? Why send three giants?" Shioinkin's gaze darkened. "Purpose. This isn't random."
---
Far below, in the Blue Realm, the air was colder, electric. A man sat on a high-tech throne—long white hair, red eyes, black kimono. Around him, elite warriors hummed with power.
> "Foolish humans keep trying to stop us," Shinjukuna murmured. A slow, satisfied smile crept across his face. "Their world is ripe for taking. We will bring their surface into balance—by force if necessary."
Behind him, mechanized elite formed a shadow of readiness.
---
Beneath the Earth, three figures awaited—the Three Blue Knights. Their loyalty was absolute, their power terrifying.
Eisuke Ichiro: Calm as still water, twin chained blades, a storm in motion, silver hair flowing, dark-blue eyes that chilled the soul.
Tetsuya Makano: Ruthless, cunning, massive battle axe, lazy golden eyes hiding lethal intent.
Kaizen Haruki: Chaos incarnate, plasma gauntlets generating shockwaves with every strike, mismatched eyes burning like fire.
> "Why am I even here again?" Kaizen muttered.
> "Shinjukuna-sama summoned us. That's all you need to know," Tetsuya replied lazily.
> "…Maybe," Eisuke said, voice deep and emotionless.
---
Back on Earth, the wooden training house was alive with movement. Jin Yuan, Yuzurei, Musukoni, and Yusikuna trained under the pale morning sun. Blades clashed. Sweat ran. Discipline and chaos intermingled.
Yet, deep below, in the cold blue light of the underworld, the Three Blue Knights had already begun to move.
The game had only just begun.
---