Surrounded by pulsating crimson spheres, Tsushiro knew this wasn't a situation he would escape unscathed. Yet in that brief moment, all he could bring himself to do was look toward the three teenagers watching from a distance—helpless, but safe. Seeing that they were unharmed eased the storm raging in his chest.
A single word from Asahi snapped him back to reality.
"Ignite."
The crimson spheres flared one by one, their glow intensifying before they erupted in a violent explosion.
For a moment, as the flames burned themselves out, there was only silence. Neither Asahi nor the three teens spoke, their eyes locked onto the rising smoke in tense anticipation.
Then, through the thinning haze, a silhouette emerged—standing, barely.
As the smoke cleared completely, Tsushiro was revealed, bent forward, his breathing erratic between harsh coughs.
Lingering sparks caught the right sleeve of his robe, setting it aflame. Instead of panicking, he reached across with his right hand and tore the fabric away slowly as he panted.
Beneath the shredded sleeve was an arm coated in a silvery, steel-like sheen.
He took a steadying breath before speaking.
"Tower Series, Number One: Iron Shell."
"Dad!" Yuriko shouted, stepping forward instinctively, with Izumi and Takae close behind her.
"Stand back!" Tsushiro barked, fury edging his voice.
They froze, confusion written across their faces.
He turned his glare toward Asahi.
"This isn't over yet."
The three teens stood rooted in place, minds racing.
They all shared the same unspoken thought:
"What in the world is happening?"
Alright — same treatment as before: clean paste format, no paragraph fixing needed on your end, voice preserved, just sharpened. Then I'll rate it.
Fixed Draft (clean paste format):
Asahi glared back before scoffing,
"You just won't go down, will you?"
Tsushiro steadied himself and leveled his sword at him, vicious intent burning behind his shadowed eyes.
"Are you irritated that things haven't gone your way?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"You're exactly right!" Asahi snapped, a silent fury simmering beneath his words. "But that doesn't mean we've lost."
He raised his right hand, turning his open palm upward.
"No matter what, I will retrieve the half-blood," he declared. "Dead or alive."
The words sent shockwaves through the three teenagers, their eyes widening in stunned confusion.
"W-what did he say?" Izumi whispered, voicing the thought they all shared.
"I must've heard wrong… right?" he asked, turning toward Tsushiro.
There was no response.
"Right?" Izumi repeated, louder this time.
Still, Tsushiro said nothing. Instead, he shifted into another fighting stance.
"I see," Asahi said, his lips curling into a grin as his pulsating blood formed several small crimson spheres. "You haven't told them the truth, have you?"
"I hope you didn't think they would never find out," he continued, clearly baiting him, trying to make him drop his guard. "The truth was going to come out eventually."
"What truth?!" Takae shouted. Her sudden outburst shocked Yuriko and Izumi—and for an instant, even Tsushiro faltered. "What is he saying, Dad?"
His silence persisted.
Asahi pressed further, turning his attention to the three. "Doesn't it bother you?" he asked calmly. "Knowing that you've been living a lie."
He smirked and pointed at Tsushiro. "This man isn't your father. He's an imposte—"
"That's enough!" Tsushiro shouted, cutting him off. "Your mind games won't work on me!"
Asahi chuckled softly. "But they already have."
He pointed toward the three, and in that moment, Tsushiro couldn't resist the urge to look.
His gaze met theirs—faces riddled with disbelief.
He turned away.
"What is he saying?" Yuriko asked, her voice shaking. "What in the world is going on?"
Tsushiro bit his lip.
She took a step forward, her voice breaking. "Answer me!"
A stream of blood poured from his lip as he yelled, "I said stay where you are!"
"Then answer us!" she yelled back.
He clenched his sword tighter, his teeth grinding together.
"What greater weapon is there than the truth?" Asahi remarked calmly. "When pointed at deceit, it can only grovel."
"But do not fear," he continued. "Because the truth always prevails."
Amidst the chaos, Asahi seized the opening and moved to attack.
He launched the crimson spheres at Tsushiro simultaneously. As they closed in on him, their velocities shifted, some lagging behind the others.
Tsushiro reacted quickly, splitting the first sphere in half. Instead of detonating, the split halves glowed faintly and remained suspended in place.
The unexpected behavior startled Tsushiro, forcing him to jump back—but just as he did, he noticed another sphere positioned behind him.
This one, unlike the previous, ignited immediately without interference.
Tsushiro barely managed to leap away from the explosion as it detonated, only to find himself immediately surrounded by four more spheres.
He glanced at Asahi, seeing him controlling the spheres with the precise motion of his hands.
In a flash of speed, Tsushiro split all the spheres at once and jumped back, attempting to provoke a reaction.
But despite his expectations, none of them exploded.
Tsushiro regained his fighting stance, his face showing confusion beneath his glare.
The split halves hovered around him again, but this time they didn't engage. Instead, he put some distance between himself and them.
The split halves—now smaller spheres—approached him with varying velocities, just like before.
Feeling conflicted, Tsushiro decided to strike the first sphere, which glowed more intensely than the others.
Contrary to his expectations, the sphere that followed behind the first one was the one that exploded instead.
Tsushiro wasn't able to fully evade the blast, so he shielded his face with his silver-coated arms.
The blast forced him back a distance. He was unharmed but visibly drained, evidenced by his slight panting and the sweat on his skin that gleamed in the moonlight.
Despite this, he steadied himself, ready for the next onslaught.
Seeing this, Asahi smirked. "You seem perplexed. Don't be, because there is no way to predict my attacks."
"This is my technique," he continued. "Its name is Chains of Fate."
He clenched his fists, veins prominent, before saying with an intense look, "I made a promise, and as an older brother, I'll make sure I keep it!"