Once awakened, the snowfall around Sūijin melted. A water helix flowed and Kazuo swung the whirlpool–directing it towards Kajin's blaze.
With an enormous splash, Sūijin extinguished Kajin's flames. Steam filled the air in a white cloud. As the haze was clearing, the two warriors' clothes appeared drenched.
Kazuo used the opportunity to his advantage. He swirled around–attacking with Raijin and Sūijin. "Ha!" he shouted, disarming Kagemaru in one swoop.
The fire katana soared in the air and Kagemaru's eyes widened. He raised both arms and Kazuo kicked through his defenses before pinning him.
"Yield..." Kazuo halted, placing Raijin's blade on Kagemaru's neck. The latter grabbed him by his leg.
"Yume no Fūkei..."
At that moment, memories flooded Kazuo's mind. He saw the looks his parents gave him on that last day. 'You brought this upon yourself...' his father repeated. You are no son of mine... you brat.'
A vision of his mother, all bloodied, knelt in front of him. 'Did you really want us gone, Kazuo? Had it not been for you... we would be alive. You did this!'
Kazuo shook his head, crying. This is not real! Mom would never–she'd never say that! He opened his eyes and drew Raijin. "You can't scare me with this shit! I've been here before! Show yourself, Kagemaru!" He saw a projection of the Shadow Prince appearing beside him and sliced through it.
Suddenly, a spotlight formed under a young man seated on a chair. Upon closer inspection, another Kagemaru was bound and gagged by black vipers.
Kazuo studied him carefully. The Shadow Prince sat there unconscious as the snakes tightened.
He must've brought me here to free his inner self...
Kazuo slashed at the snakes but they did not budge. He tried a few more times and stopped after getting the same result. For the last time, he made the Chinmaya mudra and charged the chokutō. Raijin: Kanden! He stabbed Kagemaru's heart, zapping him with a lightning current. "Haaaargh!"
The shadow plane turned blinding white. Dark eyes opened above Kazuo and his entire body trembled. He strengthened his grip on Raijin and screamed. A few snakes wriggled off Kagemaru and slithered onto Kazuo's body while others fell on the ground.
"Argh!" Kazuo got bitten. It's all in your head! None of it is real! But those eyes. That presence! It must be the guy Hanzo-sensei warned us about?
Kazuo charged his prana once more and the white sparks darkened. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" he shouted as the voltage spiked, engulfing both of them in black light. The rest of the snakes got electrocuted and vanished. Afterwards, Kazuo dropped and landed on his bottom. What was with that black lighting? He thought, exhaling deeply to recover his prana.
Once freed from the vipers, Kagemaru's childhood memories flooded the whitened void. Regaining consciousness, they witnessed visuals of his mother stabbed to death by Kagero repeatedly. "STOP!"
The images disappeared on command.
Kagemaru turned to Kazuo. "Thank you..." he said, making the Chinmaya mudra. Release!
[
Meanwhile, Kagero and Asuka's fight was nearing its end. Both of them looked fatigued but he had the upper hand. He struck her hand and she dropped a knuckle duster. Without stopping, he hit her back.
He tossed her away before she landed on her hands. Asuka got up slowly, limbs bleeding. She had several bruises on her upper body. The pain was unbearable. So this is it, huh? The end... She raised both hands. If only I could break his armour...
Kagero cackled. "Any last words, Asuka-chan?"
"Br–Bring it!" she exhaled.
The Shadow King advanced swiftly with his sticks raised. "Farewell, Asuka-chan... this was enjoyable."
Asuka saw Kagero shortening the space between them and almost accepted her fate. She shrugged off the thought of giving up. If anything, she would go out with a fight. The last kick of a dying horse. She made the Prithvi mudra and took deep breaths. Lam, I am grounded. Lam, I am grounded... I am–
Kagero stopped abruptly as his shadows vanished. "No!" he said, rage consuming him. What did he do?
Asuka saw the opening and charged up her prana. A red aura exploded from the base of her feet. She channeled the energy to her knuckle duster–surrounding the steel with a shroud the size of a ball. Wasting no time, she leapt forward with an outstretched fist. Her last punch. Crimson Crash!
"Shit!" Kagero had no time to dodge. Blocking was the only option. He covered his face with both arms and made an X. I can withstand it! He thought wrong.
Bones cracked as Asuka punched right through Kagero's defense. Her bloodied fist connected square on his face and there was another crack. The heavy blow flung him into the air. He landed on his back and slid until he reached the roof's edge. The Shadow King lay unconscious with a broken nose and limbs. He would not use his hands again.
Asuka's aura vaporized and she also passed out.
Seconds later, the two princes awoke. Kazuo got up quickly and turned to the fight that had just ended. It's over... he grinned. She defeated him!
"Th–Thank you, again..." Kagemaru coughed.
"No, thank you... for saving my mother." Kazuo held back tears from falling as his face reddened.
"But I didn't–"
"I saw what he did to yours. He murdered both our mothers, killed my family and mentor. For that... he mustburn." Kazuo walked to Kajin, picked it up and approached the Shadow King. On closer inspection, Kagero's nose and arms bled profusely.
Sensing Kazuo in front of him, Kagero opened his eyes. His entire body ached, unable to move. Exhaustion had also taken its toll. Left alone, he would have died a slow death. "S-Spare... me..."
Kazuo stood still, eyeing the man who wiped out his family. Rage took over as he breathed deeply. Visions of all the people he lost at Kagero's hand flashed through his mind. Vengeance consumed him whole. It was time. "You're going to die here..."
Kagero gulped, sweat forming on his disfigured face. No, I can't die. I can't be defeated by weaklings.
"This is for Rohan and my family. It's for all the innocent lives you took. For Grandpa and, most importantly, this is for my mother." Kazuo slashed at Kagero's ankles and the latter screamed in agony.
"K–Kazuo-kun..." Kagero pleaded, crying. "If you let me go, my men and I won't bother your region any more. You have my word as the Shadow King."
The last person to appear in Kazuo's visions was Kazuro. "Great grandpa spared your life once... but I'm not him." He made the Agni mudra and a gentle, blue flame formed on Kajin's blade.
I can't die here! I can't fucking die here! I won't– Kagero rolled around and tried crawling away but it was useless. His body refused to move any further. "Kazuo-kun, y–you don't have to do this. It wasn't me who killed your mother! She took her own life!"
"Jigoku no mon: Kasō…"
The fire burst, setting Kagero ablaze. Sizzling of flesh got muffled by the king yelling in agony. Moments later, the screams faded. The blue flames shifted to orange before dissipating. What remained was a charred figure burnt beyond recognition.
Kazuo kicked the body over the edge. "Hey you... Shadow ninjas!" He raised Kajin. "If you don't want to end up like your King, I'd suggest you surrender!"
Everyone below stopped.
There was a momentary silence as they looked at Kagero's corpse. The twelve Shadows turned pale, dropping their weapons. They raised their hands.
Surrender.
Celebrations by Lightning ninjas resounded. The remaining Battalion Corps jumped up and down.
Hideo faced his comrades and smiled. Relief filled his mind at the thought of the battle being over. "Ayame, Mikoto and I can fetch the Medical Corps," he said, turning to Shin, Takumi and Kenji. "Can we leave the prisoners with you three?"
Shin nodded. "Noted, we'll apprehend them."
"Right, girls... let's go," said Hideo, gently carrying one of the Lightning ninjas who had a stab wound.
Mikoto and Ayame spoke at once. "Yes, sensei!" they said and each took one wounded ninja.
Ayame was fair-skinned and around the same age as most students graduating that year. She had long hair, dark brown eyes and freckles. In just six months, she thought, side-eyeing Mikoto with a smirk. She's gotten that strong!
On the way, Hideo sensed tension between the long rivals and tried lightening the mood. "You did great, both of you..."
☯
Meanwhile, a man in a black coat covering his chestnut skin had been meditating in a wooden cabin. Lots of books, alchemical flasks, and tubes filled the room. Embroidered on his back was a golden Leviathan cross. His dreadlocks hid his face but the silver septum and earrings shone through.
He had his eyelids, lips and nails painted black and on his bare, muscular torso, he had an ankh tattoo. In front of him, a shōgi board lay on the floor. It was missing two black pieces–a Knight and a Gold General. Intriguing... he chuckled, opening his eyes.
As he clasped his hands in a praying gesture, he teleported to a bigger shrine. The temple was empty save for two people in white kimonos meditating.
"Lord Darkness?" said a startled Daisuke, turning around to welcome the Shadow monk with a smile.
"Hasegawa, could you excuse us?" The monk spoke with a dead calm baritone. "I would like to have a word alone with the princess."
Daisuke got up and bowed. "Your Eminence..."
Princess Rina had jet black hair tied in a ponytail. She was tall and appeared to be in her late teens. When it was just the two of them, she spoke. "Kagami-sama… what seems to be the problem?"
"Kagero's dead."