Tears began to fall.
The shinobi remembered the words, the codes their lords had left them. Each one carved into memory, each one a farewell disguised as wisdom.
Hiroko:"Thou shalt be happy in life, but also in death."Vulkan:"If I die in the hands of a strong enemy, don't be mad. It means I had one hell of a fight." (typical Vulkan—comedic even in death)Shiro:"Do not let anger consume you, for he who is consumed destroys himself first."Kirishima:"Death is like a faraway friend—you never know when he'll visit."
Four philosophies. Four lives. Different words, same meaning:
Do not seek revenge. Do not mourn. If we fall, it will be to the enemy we have been searching for all our lives.
For years, their people had clung to those codes—but in their devotion, they had betrayed them. Their lords had worn sad smiles, trapped in the cages of duty. They had been bound by paperwork, politics, and expectations. No freedom, no battles, no joy.
Their leaders had once lived as warriors, as wanderers, as men who laughed in the storm of battle. But the people—relying too much, asking too much—had weighed them down until their joy faded.
Only now, facing Ymir, did those old smiles return. Wide, reckless, childlike grins. They fought as if they were boys again, playing in the dirt with wooden swords.
Hiro, Hiroko's most loyal servant, bowed his head as tears fell."I wish you the best, my lord," he whispered.
The clash resumed.
Four against one.
Vulkan's hammer roared as it smashed into Ymir, sending the colossus flying skyward. In an instant, Kirishima—his Thunder God towering beside him—leaped from Vulkan's shoulders, meeting Ymir in midair. Shiro summoned an avalanche, a mountain of frozen steel, while Hiroko warped the shadows themselves, catching the falling glacier and hurling it back with doubled momentum.
The heavens cracked. The ground below split into scars. Every blow shattered the air in shockwaves that could split islands in half.
Ymir grinned, exhilarated."More! Show me more! I'm having so much fun!"
He seized Vulkan by the neck mid-charge, slamming him into the earth like a doll. Before the warrior could recover, Ymir swung him around like a weapon and hurled him at sound-breaking speed.
Kirishima dodged by instinct alone, barely escaping."Tch—that was close. If I reacted a second slower, I'd be de—"
But the words died. A massive fist crushed him and his Thunder God in a single strike, sending both plummeting. A body-slam followed, tearing the ground open, forcing blood from Kirishima's lips.
Shiro conjured a blizzard, blades of ice ripping across the sky. Ymir twisted aside, dragging Kirishima's broken body and hurling him into Shiro. The two leaders smashed into the earth together, the impact shaking mountains.
Vulkan rose again, battered but unbroken. His hammer lit the sky as he leapt, crashing against Ymir's guard. The force sent the giant sliding backward, feet carving trenches into the earth.
Their powers had grown—beyond mortals, beyond nations. But still, they could not topple him.
The four regrouped, their breaths ragged, bodies broken.
Vulkan grinned through blood."Hey… since we're gonna die either way, why don't we just use that?"
"Not yet," Hiroko replied, his voice firm.
The others understood instantly.
The Four Paths of Destruction Formation. A forbidden technique. It fused their elements, multiplied their power, and turned their lifeforce into a single shared flame. Their stats would skyrocket beyond comprehension—but the price would be everything. Their lives would burn out together.
Shiro's frown deepened. "As much as I hate to admit it… Hiroko's right. If we use it recklessly, that giant will counter us. He's still hiding something."
Kirishima stayed silent. His silence was enough.
Vulkan spat, but didn't argue.
For once, they all agreed.
Hiroko smiled faintly, shadows curling around his form."Not yet… but there is something else we can use."
And with that grin, the battlefield trembled once more.