The jagged cliffs finally gave way to a sprawling fortress carved into the mountainside. High stone walls loomed over them, banners of deep crimson and black flapping in the wind—the unmistakable emblem of the Kinji Clan. Mist curled around the towers like ghostly fingers.
Dylan crouched behind a boulder, scanning the perimeter.
DYLAN
(whispering, tense)
This is it… the Hakari Clan.
Hakari strolled behind him, hands in pockets, spinning his dagger lazily.
HAKARI
(grinning)
Finally. Welcome to the kinji Clan. My old stomping grounds.
Dylan froze, eyes narrowing.
DYLAN
(angry, whispering)
Wait… what?
Hakari didn't even look at him, still lounging like the world owed him something.
HAKARI
(teasing, casual)
Yeah, the kinji Clan. Everyone calls me the boss here anyway… makes introductions easier.
Dylan's eyes flared.
DYLAN
(low, growling)
It's the Hakari Clan… you idiot.
Hakari finally glanced back, smirking.
HAKARI
(laughing)
Knew you'd figure it out eventually. Thought I'd spice things up.
Before Dylan could respond, he lunged forward and kicked Hakari squarely in the nuts, sending him stumbling forward onto the rocks.
DYLAN
(fuming)
Spice things up? Are you insane?! We're not here to play!
Hakari groaned, rolling onto his back, one hand on the injured area, the other still casually flipping his dagger.
HAKARI
(playful, weak laugh)
Ow… okay, okay… noted. But admit it—that hurt a little less than your training would've So which is it Hakari or Kinji.
Dylan groaned, exasperated, adjusting his Kunais.
DYLAN
(snarling)
don't care just Focus, Hakari. We're here for Axel. Not for jokes.
Hakari pushed himself up, smirking despite the pain, stretching lazily.
HAKARI
(grinning)
Relax, little brother—uh, I mean… partner. Let's see if my old "clan" remembers me. It is both fyi I am named after the two clan names Kinji and Hakari but it is my hakari clan.
Dylan shot him a look sharp enough to cut stone.
DYLAN
(dead serious)
Stop calling it that. Or I'll make sure your laziness gets punished again.
Hakari chuckled, brushing himself off.
HAKARI
(amused)
Noted. But c'mon, we've got a fortress to infiltrate. Don't worry—I'm still the best at making a dramatic entrance.
Dylan rolled his eyes, vines already anchoring him for movement.
DYLAN
(under breath)
I can't believe I'm stuck with this guy…
Together, they approached the massive gates. Shadows shifted across the stone walls, guards glancing nervously at the approaching duo. Mist thickened, curling between their boots and the fortress stones, signaling that the real challenge was just beginning.
The gates of the Kinji Clan fortress groaned open. Lantern light spilled across the courtyard, revealing armored guards with sharp, suspicious eyes. Dylan walked at the front, shoulders tense, weapons hidden but ready. He glanced sideways at Hakari, who was stretching like he'd just woken from a nap.
DYLAN
(low, sharp)
Weren't you serious in our last battle? You know—the one where I almost died?
Hakari smirked, tilted his head, and in the most exaggerated British accent he could muster, replied:
HAKARI
(smocking, posh tone)
"My good chap, I was indeed quite serious. I was simply expressing my lethargy in a most stylish fashion. Tea, anyone?"
Dylan stopped dead, fists clenching.
DYLAN
(flat, furious)
You're unbelievable.
Hakari grinned, clapping Dylan on the shoulder before striding toward the courtyard.
HAKARI
(laughing)
Relax, mate. I've got this. Just follow my lead—oh wait… never mind, you do the boring part. I'll… supervise.
Dylan narrowed his eyes but kept moving, pushing through the tension buzzing in the air. Inside the fortress, the elders of the Kinji Clan waited on a raised platform, their robes heavy with age and authority. The guards' hands hovered near their blades, clearly expecting hostility.
Dylan stepped forward, bowing stiffly.
DYLAN
(resolute)
We're here on business. We seek information on a man named Axel Spade. His trail leads here.
An elder leaned forward, voice low and sharp.
ELDER
And why would the Kinji Clan aid outsiders? Trust is earned, not demanded.
Dylan straightened, his jaw tight, ready to argue—then realized the weight behind him had vanished. He turned slightly.
Hakari was gone.
DYLAN
(whispering to himself, panicked)
You've got to be kidding me…
He glanced upward and spotted him—Hakari sprawled on the tiled roof, arms behind his head, eyes closed like a man at the spa.
DYLAN
(under his breath, furious)
You're sleeping?!
Hakari cracked one eye open, smirking.
HAKARI
(lazy, teasing)
Don't worry, partner. I'll make my entrance when the timing's… dramatic.
Dylan clenched his fists, forcing a polite smile back onto his face as the elders glared at him, unimpressed.
DYLAN
(to himself, bitter)
One day, Hakari… one day.
The elders of the Kinji Clan rose one by one from their high seats. The air thickened, charged with hostility, as though the walls themselves resented Dylan's presence.
The first to descend was Elder Masora, a tall woman with silver hair bound in a knot. Her eyes glowed faintly green, and the faint hiss of grass sprouting beneath her feet followed her every step.
MASORA
(coldly)
The audacity of outsiders… your tongue is too bold, boy. Let us prune you, as one prunes weeds.
Her power snapped alive—verdant chains of grass hardened into spears, whipping toward Dylan. He dodged, vines of his own lashing out from the ground to parry hers, but sweat beaded on his forehead.
From above, Hakari yawned.
HAKARI
(muttering)
Ahh, Masora still doing her gardening tricks. Dull, really.
Dylan growled, narrowly avoiding a thorned spike.
DYLAN
(shouting upward)
You could help, you know!
Hakari waved a lazy hand.
HAKARI
Just keeping the audience entertained, mate. Keep going.
Another elder stepped forward, Elder Renga, a scarred man with one arm. His power flared, and the air shimmered as his bones lit up with molten heat, visible through his skin. He cracked his remaining knuckles, stepping into the courtyard like a living forge.
RENGA
(gruff, voice like stone grinding)
I'll burn the arrogance out of him.
Renga slammed his foot down, and pillars of molten rock shot up toward Dylan. Dylan barely managed to leap onto a vine he conjured, vaulting above the searing wave.
From the roof, Hakari smirked and muttered with mock curiosity.
HAKARI
Bones on fire, eh? Didn't know Renga still had it in him. Though he's probably one sneeze away from death.
Dylan snarled, his kunai flashing as he redirected one of Renga's lava streams into Masora's grass, causing steam to explode across the courtyard.
The third challenger came forward—Elder Hitori, thin as a scarecrow, his robes hanging loose on his frame. His lips peeled into a grin as his body wavered like a mirage.
HITORI
(soft, eerie)
Outsiders bleed prettiest when they don't know where the next cut comes from.
He stepped forward—and his figure split into three identical illusions, each wielding crackling whips of energy. They lashed at Dylan from different angles, forcing him to block and dodge desperately.
Dylan's chest heaved, his arms burning from the strain. He could barely keep Masora's spears, Renga's molten strikes, and Hitori's phantom lashes at bay.
DYLAN
(gritting teeth)
This is insane…
From above, Hakari cracked his knuckles lazily, eyes glinting with hidden calculation. He wasn't intervening—not yet. He was drawing in the tension, the aura of combat, letting the storm below fatten his reserves. His grin widened ever so slightly.
HAKARI
(quietly, to himself)
Just a little longer… Father will be here soon. Then the real party starts.
Below, Dylan stumbled, blocking three lashes at once. The courtyard rang with steel, stone, and burning heat. Masora advanced, Renga snarled, Hitori laughed—and Dylan realized this was only the beginning.