Aika was terrified…
Her breath came in shallow gasps, her heart pounding like war drums inside her chest. She couldn't think—couldn't breathe. Her knees dug into the fractured tile, slick with blood that wasn't hers.
Arnik's blood.
It soaked her gloves. Warm and sticky
Across the chamber, the monster loomed—Satsujin—his transformation complete. His red eyes glowed like twin furnaces, flickering with madness and hunger. Smoke curled off his limbs. Shadows clung to him like armor. His jagged black blade pulsed in his hand, alive with twisted energy.
And worst of all—
He was smiling.
The kind of smile you only see from something that lives to kill.
Kaelani moved first.
With a snarl, his mutation exploded into light—his arm igniting in a cyclone of flame as it solidified into a massive sword of burning crimson. The ground beneath him cracked and scorched, heatwaves rippling through the air.
"Come on, monster…" he muttered, hoisting the fireblade over his shoulder. "Let's see how deep you can burn."
Greaves raised both hands, silver magic crackling at her fingertips. In a flash, several gleaming stone spears formed around her, floating in a tight orbit. "Initiating formation!" she shouted.
Virell stood steady, both hands gripping her twin revolvers—light condensed around the barrels in blinding pulses.
Blitz already began her chant, wind howling around her like a rising typhoon, her voice sharp and methodical.
Kai took position near the front, his eyes narrowed. In his hand, the shapeless blade formed—warped and unstable, twitching with each breath he took. The weapon shifted—spike, whip, saber, then back again. It refused to settle, as if even it sensed what they were up against.
Takashima calmly adjusted his gloves, the light around him warping unnaturally as dozens of calculations scrolled across his irises. "Engaging parallel computation. Battle protocols ready. Awaiting opening…"
Rose crouched low, tail flicking, her claws sharp and glowing with heat. "Heh… finally," she said, eyes locked on the monster. "A real fight."
Arnik stood in front of Aika protectively, ignoring the pain bleeding down his spine. His muscles were tense, his footing solid. His hands shook—but not from fear.
Only fury.
Even bloodied, even winded, his eyes stayed fixed on the enemy.
Crowne laughed wildly from the side, blades in hand, licking magic from their edges like fire eating fuel. "This is it! This is the kind of chaos I was born for!!" he shouted, stepping forward with a crazed grin.
Andrew remained silent—but the gravity around him warped, his power rising like a slow quake beneath the chamber. He stared at Satsujin without blinking.
Riku stepped in front of everyone, one hand lifted slightly. His aura was unreadable—dense and suffocating. Not a single drop of energy leaked out of him, but somehow, he was still the most terrifying presence in the room.
Vayne walked beside him, coat swaying gently. He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't need to. His gaze alone felt like it could crush mountains.
The three strongest—Riku, Vayne, and Andrew—stood at the front. Together.
Satsujin took a step forward.
His blade hissed like it thirsted.
And everyone responded.
Everyone—except Aika.
She stayed frozen.
Her hands trembled.
She tried to stand, but her legs had no strength. Her magic crackled uselessly in her palm.
Why…?
Why is my dad doing this…?
The memory of his warmth.
The way he smiled…
The way he used to hold her hand in the garden.
It didn't make sense.
He looked at her now like she was a stranger.
No—like she was prey.
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
"…Dad?"
Satsujin's gaze flicked to her.
And his smile widened.
He lifted his black blade.
Everyone moved at once.
Virell launched into the air, flipping backward with deadly grace as radiant magic erupted from her fingertips. Bullets spun like comets, adjusting mid-flight—each one locked to Satsujin's heart, lungs, and skull.
Nova shot forward, wielding a lance extending as it surged with stored light. She flipped midair, crashing the weapon down with a shockwave of searing energy that cracked the tiles at his feet.
Kaelani stormed in behind her, flames bursting from his arm with his monstrous sword of fire in hand. With a war cry, he cleaved forward, leaving molten trails in the air.
Crowne grinned like a devil. He twirled his twin blades and blurred across the floor, moving low and fast. "Let's carve that smile off your face!" he bellowed, his voice manic with joy.
Takashima conjured a blade pulsing with white light. "Now!" he snapped.
He slammed it down. A magical slash came barreling at Satsujin.
Blitz punched both fists into the marble with a roar. Wind slashes exploded outward, snaking toward Satsujin's figure like a hundred jagged whips.
Rose came in fast, her pink hair trailing behind her like a comet. "Go left!" she shouted.
"I'll bash from the front!" Arnik answered, his body already mutating. His arms twisted into monstrous claws, veins glowing with raw power.
The siblings struck together—one from the left, the other from dead center.
Kai slid to a stop at the center of the chaos. "Everyone take these"
From his shimmering inventory space, he summoned a rack of custom weapons—each one linked to Angel Squad's loadout. He hurled a Yari to Rose, tossed Aika her staff.
Vayne held his cane firm, with a calm grunt. "Good," he muttered.
Blitz conjured spark rods crackled as they locked into her grip. Takashima armed himself with a mirrored poleblade.
Satsujin smiled at them.
And vanished.
He reappeared directly above Aika, floating upside-down like some death god, black mist writhing around him. His blade gleamed—already descending.
Aika's heart stopped.
Tears welled in her eyes.
No. He's going to kill me. Dad…
CLANG!!!!
Arnik had already moved.
His mutated arm caught the full force of the strike, bone grinding against black steel. Sparks flew as he gritted his teeth, muscles straining. "Rrrrgh—!"
With his free hand, he conjured a blade of pure energy and slashed upward—forcing Satsujin to vanish again in a cloud of smoke.
But this time…
Markus leapt.
"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!!" he roared.
He spun mid-air, bringing his full weight down in a crushing axe-kick aimed for Satsujin's chest.
Satsujin reappeared below him—expression still smiling.
He sidestepped the kick effortlessly.
In one fluid, surgical movement, his blade flashed—
SLASH!
Markus's waist split open mid-air.
"GUH—AGGH!"
Blood sprayed. He tumbled back—but not before firing a burst of crimson energy downward.
Satsujin moved again.
Greaves tried to intercept, barrier magic flaring up with a snap of her fingers.
Kai was there too—his weapon shifting into a chain whip.
The two struck from opposite sides—
But they were already too late.
Satsujin twisted mid-step and spun low. His blade curved like black wind—slashing.
CLANG—CLANG!
He deflected both Greaves's barrier spear and Kai's shapeless whip-blade in one fluid motion.
Kai's feet skidded back across the floor.
Greaves's jaw clenched. "Damn it—he's countering everything!"Andrew burst forward again, cloaked in a surge of gravitational energy so intense it warped the air around him. He moved faster than even Satsujin anticipated.
"Out of my way—NOW!"
His fist connected with a force that cracked the very floor beneath them.
Satsujin was flung through the air—blasted out of the tower like a missile. His body shattered glass and smashed through steel beams, hurtling down toward the city far below.
Kaelani didn't hesitate.
"LIKE HELL I'M LETTING YOU LAND!!"
He launched himself out the window, fire blazing behind him as he rocketed down like a meteor. His burning blade came crashing toward Satsujin mid-fall.
CLANG!
The two blades met mid-air.
The impact sent shockwaves through the buildings.
Satsujin grinned—and with a sudden twist of his body, he kicked Kaelani sideways with crushing force.
"GRAGHHH—!!"
Kaelani was sent flying, smashing straight into the side of a skyscraper. Glass and steel exploded outward from the impact.
From the broken tower above, the other mages rushed to the shattered window.
"WE CAN'T LET HIM ESCAPE!!" Blitz yelled.
One by one, they jumped out—Riku, Virell, Greaves, Crowne, Blitz, Takashima, Vayne—falling like stars toward the descending demon.
But while they held back their strength, fearing the civilians below—
Satsujin didn't.He raised his black blade high—shadows writhing along its edge—then swung it with a single, effortless arc.
A monstrous wave of darkness exploded forth, roaring like a demon's scream.
It tore through the air, slicing clean through an entire skyscraper
"MOVE!!"
The mages dodged—but the slashes cleaved clean through the side of a skyscraper behind them, slicing it in half.
Screams echoed from the ground. Civilians poured from buildings, scattering in panic as debris began to rain from the sky.
Arnik growled, grabbing Aika tightly as she trembled in his arms. He dashed to Markus, who was bleeding from the waist.
Crowne skidded to a stop beside him. "He's fine," he said with a grin. "That attack didn't do a damn thing."
Markus stirred—his wound closing rapidly. Blood boiled and bones snapped into place.
"Thats the power of the Blood Wolf Art…" Arnik muttered as he jumped through the window.
Markus stood tall again, eyes glowing red.
Rose and Kai leapt from the skyscraper together. Wind rushed past them as they descended fast. "Our armor should protect us from the fall!" Kai called out."Probably?!" Rose barked. "You say that NOW?!"
Below them, panic continued to spread. Civilians sprinted for cover, sirens wailed in the distance.
Andrew pressed a finger to his comm.
"This is Andrew—Command Sector 7. Get all civilians to the underground shelters. Move it, now!" The sky continued to glow red above them.
And Satsujin waited—standing in the center of the street, laughing as they closed in.The moment their feet hit the broken street, the city shook—a thunderous groan echoing through the shattered skyline of Mercury's capital. The pavement cracked under their landing, and glass from twisted towers rained down like glinting stars in daylight. Smoke rose in curling plumes as silence briefly held its breath.
Satsujin stood alone ahead—motionless, calm… yet terrifying.
His eyes glowed a deep, demonic red—lanterns of malice—while his massive black blade dragged behind him, screeching across the concrete, carving a jagged, molten line that bled sparks.
He tilted his head—slowly.
The smile he wore wasn't human. It was joyless. Cold. Like a butcher admiring the meat before the cut.
Kaelani landed first.
His boots ignited the air around him—fiery jets roaring as his flame mutation surged. He skidded across the cracked road, his heat baking the air with shimmering waves. With a guttural roar, he lunged at Satsujin, his oversized blade of solid fire swinging in a molten arc that threatened to melt steel.
"BURN!!"
The clash lit up the street.
Steel met shadow. Flame met void.
Satsujin raised his blade with one hand, and stopped the molten edge. Flames twisted violently on impact—but they were devoured. As if the darkness of his sword ate light. Kaelani's eyes widened.
Satsujin's mouth curled wider.
As soon as Vayne landed, he stepped forward without a word, raising a single hand. The air around him warped—pressure folding reality inward—as dozens of spectral swords formed behind his back and launched like a storm straight at Satsujin.
The demon blurred through the barrage, deflecting the blades with swift, brutal strikes—but Vayne had already vanished.
He reappeared behind Satsujin mid-step, his cane splitting open into a gleaming rapier. With surgical precision, he drove the blade toward Satsujin's lower back, slipping past the demon's outer guard. A flick of his wrist twisted the rapier inward—targeting vital muscle beneath the ribs.
"Using the face of a friend… is most unelegant," he murmured.
Then, calmly—
"Internal disruption protocol—engage."
A burst of condensed force detonated from the tip inside Satsujin's body, but it didn't even make him flinch.With a snarl of fury, Satsujin twisted mid-stumble and unleashed a wild, devastating slash with his obsidian blade—
CRAAACK!!
The sword carved through the air like a guillotine. It collided with Vayne's side with crushing force—
BOOOOM!!
Vayne was launched across the battlefield like a bullet, tearing through stone and steel as he crashed through a collapsed overpass, vanishing in a cloud of debris.
For a moment, only silence. Then a faint cough echoed from the rubble.
Vayne's voice drifted out—
"Hmph… barbaric."
Blitz landed next—like a thunderbolt.
Both fists slammed into the street, sending a web of shockwaves surging across the asphalt. The ground shattered beneath her, lifting stone and debris into the air. Without wasting a second, she sprang up and drove her fists forward—straight for Satsujin's head.
But he was gone.
He flipped sideways in mid-air—impossibly graceful—and appeared behind her, blade humming in silence.
Before it struck—
"NOW!!"
A twisted voice cracked through the chaos.
Crowne descended like a storm of blades—his twin sabers spinning violently, etched with glowing cursed runes that hummed with unstable power.
"YEEEHAHAHA!!" he cackled.
Steel rained like lightning. Crowne's assault was erratic, vicious—unrelenting. Satsujin grinned back as the two met in a blur of motion—black steel against cursed metal, sparks flying like fireworks, their blades a storm of slashes.
The air rippled.
"He's… toying with us," Blitz growled, backing away as dust and sparks clouded their vision.
Takashima hit the ground hard, boots skidding across fractured pavement. Miu landed beside him a second later, her knees bent, sword drawn, breathing steady.
"Alive," she muttered.
Takashima adjusted his grip on his poleblade, eyes scanning the battlefield. "Target repositioned. Right flank. We strike now."
Miu nodded once. "Fast and clean."
They surged forward together.
Miu was faster—her wind-forged blade slicing a sharp arc across Satsujin's side. A spurt of black blood followed.
Takashima came in at the same time from the opposite angle, striking low. His poleblade slammed into Satsujin's leg, then flicked upward in a precise motion that gashed into the demon's shoulder.
For a split second—they had him open.
Then Satsujin snapped.
His foot twisted—CRACK!—striking Takashima square in the chest, sending him flying across the street and crashing through a stone barricade.
Miu turned to react, but Satsujin's blade was already there—
SLASH!
The strike tore across her side. She stumbled back, dropping to one knee, blood trailing from her ribs.
"Tch…" she hissed. "Didn't see that coming…"
Takashima groaned from the rubble, slowly dragging himself up. "Error… noted…"
Then—
Satsujin's hand blurred.
A black fist slammed into Miu's chest—BOOM!—sending her flying backward, sword tumbling from her hand. She hit the ground hard and didn't move.
"Miu—!"
Takashima turned—too late.
SLASH!!
The obsidian blade ripped across his chest in one clean strike. His body dropped like a stone, blood trailing behind him.
Both lay still.
Satsujin stood over them, shadow curling around his feet.
"Weak links always break first."Satsujin raised his blade again, stepping toward their fallen bodies—
But a ripple of energy tore through the air.
Vayne.
He appeared in an instant, his cane spinning once before tapping the ground, releasing a burst of pressure that halted Satsujin's advance.
"No," Vayne said quietly.
In one swift motion, he scooped Takashima by the collar and pulled Miu into his arm, then vanished in a flash of distorted space.
Fwooom—
He landed far behind the front line, behind shattered debris and broken towers. Carefully, he laid them down, his gaze still locked ahead.
He tapped the comm on his collar.
"Miu and Takashima aren't suited for this kind of battle," he said evenly. "I'll get them to safety… and prepare our soldiers."
A moment of static passed. Then—
"Copy that," came Andrew's voice.
Vayne adjusted his gloves and turned away from the fight.
Arnik landed at last, boots cracking the ground with force. He didn't hesitate. He turned to Aika and gripped her shoulders.
"Aika… right now, I need to know." His voice was steady. "Can you fight?"
"I… I'm not sure—"
"No," Arnik interrupted, fierce and firm. "Yes or no."
She froze.
"That man… was never your father. And that—" he pointed to Satsujin with a trembling fist, "—isn't your father either."
Aika looked down, her hands trembling. Then… slowly… she nodded.
"…Okay."
"Good," Arnik whispered. "Then stand."
She rose.
And he was gone.
In a flash of blue and flame, Arnik vanished into the fight.
Crowne's blade dug deep into Satsujin's ribs. A burst of dark blood sprayed out—only to evaporate instantly into black mist.
"GOT YOU!" Crowne grinned.
But Satsujin didn't flinch.
His smile widened.
In a single, brutal twist, he rammed his blade straight through Greaves's side from behind.
"AAAGH!!" she screamed.
"GREAVES!" Virell darted in, light gathering around her hands as she dragged her friend away, healing magic already surging.
Satsujin blinked—just once.
Then a voice rang out.
"Stop holding back."
Everything changed.
His aura erupted—a tidal wave of shadow and death. The sky dimmed as if recoiling. Black mist coiled and screeched from Satsujin's body like it was alive.
He raised his blade… and spun.
A circular slash of black magic exploded outward like a void wave—fast, wide, and merciless. The air ripped open. Buildings cracked. Windows detonated.
Every mage moved on instinct.
Some ducked. Others leapt. Barriers shimmered to life.
But Kai was already in motion.
He turned sharply—eyes wide—as the slash surged toward them. "Rose!"
She barely had time to look before he grabbed her by the arm, yanking her close.
A glowing barrier bubble snapped into place around them as the wave hit.
BOOOOM!!!
The world turned black.
The barrier groaned under pressure—then cracked.
Then shattered.
The force flung them apart—violently.
"KAI!!" Rose's voice tore through the air as she spiraled away into the storm of debris.
Kai smashed into a rooftop below, skidding through glass and stone. He rolled to a stop, coughing hard, arm bleeding, vision blurred.
"Rose…?!" he gasped, trying to push himself up—panic rising in his throat.
Kai staggered to his feet, blood running down the side of his face. His eyes darted through the smoke, searching—desperate.
"Rose? Rose!!"
Silence.
Static buzzed in his ear—
Then her voice cracked through the comm, annoyed but alive:
"Hold your horses, I'm alive."
Kai exhaled, dropping to one knee in relief. He chuckled under his breath, even as pain flared through his ribs.
"…Good," he muttered. "Because if you died, I was gonna kill you."
Her voice came back, dry as ever.
"That doesn't even make sense, idiot."
Their moment didn't last.
The team was scattered. Pushed apart by the force of the strike.
Everyone lay stunned—panting, bloody, but alive.
Except two.
Riku and Andrew stood side by side, untouched by the chaos. Both were silent, both staring at the devil in the smoke.
"Andrew," Riku muttered.
"Yes."
"…The civilians should be out far enough."
Andrew's eyes narrowed.
"And even if not…"
He clenched his fists.
"We make sacrifices."
Satsujin turned toward them.
They all lunged forward.
In that instant, Satsujin's twisted grin flickered—just slightly. He hadn't anticipated this. Not this level of force. Not this hunger to kill.
Andrew struck first.
Chains exploded from the pavement like awakened dragons, hundreds of them erupting in all directions. Their metallic groans echoed through the battlefield as they slammed into the concrete, whipping around with terrifying speed. He moved like a conductor, both arms raised, directing each link with masterful precision. Every flick of his wrist unleashed a sonic boom—crack after crack—as the chains whipped the air apart.
From beneath Satsujin's feet, more surged upward—like spears bursting through the ground, trying to impale him in mid-air.
Satsujin twisted, his blade a spinning black blur. He carved through the first wave effortlessly, his movements fluid and elegant.
But he didn't notice the second wave behind him—until it was too late.
The chains slammed into his back like iron fists, knocking him off balance.
And then—
A tremor.
Riku stood motionless, his coat fluttering from the force spiraling around him. One hand stretched forward, pulsing with dense gravitational energy. The other clenched tightly, channeling deep earth magic from the planet's crust.
His eyes didn't blink.
"Rise," he whispered.
A deafening rumble answered him.
The ground split.
Then—BOOM!
Four colossal stone pillars—each over two hundred meters tall—shot into the sky like ancient titans reborn. The sheer weight of their emergence shook the city's foundation. Cracks spiderwebbed across the battlefield, and entire roads crumbled beneath their sudden rise. Energy surged from the earth manipulation, each pillar wrapped in glowing runes and raw mineral force.
The skyline darkened under their shadows.
Riku didn't wait.
He threw them.
With a single command, he sent the monstrous towers hurtling straight up into the sky spinning like divine javelins of judgment.
He threw them.
With a sharp gesture, Riku all four pillars launched straight at Satsujin with unnatural velocity. The mana surrounding them screamed, rippling with raw power as they spun through the air like titanic missiles of destruction.
Satsujin's eyes widened—just for a moment.
Andrew's chains surged forward again, this time coiling around the flying pillars, accelerating their momentum as if slingshotting meteors straight toward their target.Satsujin dodged, parried—his blade a blur of black. His shadows lashed out like tendrils, slicing through incoming spells with terrifying precision. But the assault didn't stop.
He snarled—then redirected a flying pillar with a surge of shadow energy, twisting it off course.
Another pillar came roaring past. Satsujinjumped onto it mid-flight, sprinting up its spinning length like a phantom dancing on death.
He launched himself into the air—a streak of black and red—his blade drawn, eyes locked on Riku.
But just as he closed in, a cold whisper met his ears from behind.
"Grush."
Riku had already repositioned.
The spell took hold—gravity collapsed, slamming into Satsujin's spine and hurling him straight down like a meteor.CRAAAASSHHHHH!!
The earth split apart under the weight of the impact. Debris scattered skyward like artillery. From the edge of the crater, dust and rubble filled the air.
Kaelani surged in first—his boots tore across the broken concrete, blades gripped tight in each hand, their steel glowing red with heated enchantments. Every swing cracked the ground beneath him, launching rubble and shrapnel in all directions.
Blitz landed a moment later—not in a flash of thunder, but with pure momentum. Her descent struck like a meteor, fists slamming into the pavement with such force that the asphalt shattered beneath her knuckles. Shockwaves burst outward as she launched forward in a blur of motion—no elemental power, only the brutal strength of a warrior trained to break steel with her bare hands.
Crowne twirled in behind them, laughter erupting from his lungs like a madman's symphony. His blades sang, rune-marked steel whistling through the air as they tore into shadows. He spun with erratic grace, unbound by reason, wild magic leaking from every stroke.
From the rear, Greaves shouted, hurling spears forged from compressed stone and obsidian, hardened by sheer earth enchantment. They slammed into the ground around Satsujin like pillars dropped from the heavens, kicking up clouds of dust and fractured metal.
Aika raised her staff, and divine white light poured from it—no flame, no heat, just radiant purification. The ground beneath her feet glowed with holy symbols, pushing back the creeping aura of Satsujin's darkness.
Rose's Yari gleamed silver. She sprinted forward in a blur, her footwork nimble, flawless. With a sharp cry, she hurled the spear like a missile. It ripped through the shadow veil, piercing straight toward Satsujin's core.
But it wasn't enough.
A pulse of pure darkness erupted.
Satsujin screamed, the area around him erupting as if the shadows themselves had detonated. His body glowed from within—dark veins burning crimson across his skin. His eyes lit with unholy radiance.
He had gone berserk.
His sword moved like a phantom, cutting through enchantments, barriers, and flesh alike. The space around him warped with sheer distortion, corrupted by whatever force was fueling his rampage.
Then—
Markus landed.
No flourish. No hesitation. Just rage.
Blood magic flared around him, fangs of crimson light snaking across his arms and shoulders. His coat fluttered as he raised his hand—his own blood lifting from the ground, gathering into a serrated sword made from hatred.
Jagged. Unstable. Alive.
"I'll kill you myself."
Satsujin grinned. "Your father? He died squealing. I hung his corpse next to your sister's."
Markus didn't shout.
He launched.
Their blades met—screeching, snarling against one another. Markus drove his knee into Satsujin's gut, then swung low. The demon dodged and countered, only for Markus to spin, cutting through air and nicking his cheek.
The fight blurred—no style, just survival.
Markus pushed himself beyond his body's limit, blood dripping from his eyes, his mouth. Every second, his muscles screamed.
But he endured.
He broke Satsujin's stance once—twice.
Landed a clean hit to the ribs.
Until—
A whisper of black.
A single cut.
So fast.
So sharp.
It sliced him open in one clean, horrific arc—from shoulder to hip. Flesh parted. Blood flew.
Markus dropped.
Split.
"MARKUS!!" Arnik screamed, voice raw with grief.
Kai stumbled forward, breath gone. "Damn you—!"Kai launched forward—rage in his bones, fury in his breath. His blade gleamed through the war-torn haze, a blur of sharpened vengeance.
But Satsujin didn't even blink.
His hand moved like a phantom.
SNAP! —he caught Kai's arm in mid-air.
CRACK! —bone shattered under the grip.
Kai's scream tore out—but was cut short as Satsujin spun on one foot and hurled him like a missile through a nearby skyscraper. The building's center folded as Kai vanished through it—glass, metal, and stone raining from the sky in an instant.
And in that breath of destruction—
Arnik struck.
His boots slammed down, blade screaming with motion. He surged forward, cutting through the dust cloud, eyes locked on the demon who had just broken his friend.
His sword came down—SLAAASH!!
Satsujin's left arm flew into the air—severed clean.
Blood splattered across the cracked pavement.
But Satsujin didn't scream. He didn't stagger. His cold gaze shifted, tracking Arnik's movement even as the limb hit the ground.
He retaliated.
In a blink, his obsidian blade swept wide—SHHRRRK!!—tearing a massive arc across Arnik's chest.
"Ghh—Agh!!" Arnik gasped, lifted off his feet by the sheer force of the slash. Blood sprayed from his wound as he slammed against the rubble.
Satsujin stepped forward, grabbed Arnik by the collar with his remaining arm, and yanked him upright. His blade rose again—dark, hungry, final.
"…This is it?" he muttered, coldly. "The chosen one…? What a waste."
Then—
The air shifted.
A low rumble pulsed from Arnik's core. His eyes widened—not with fear, but with sheer intensity.
FOOM!!
His body ignited, heat erupting from his skin like an inferno. Not wild fire—but concentrated, controlled, focused fury.
His feet flared, melting the concrete beneath him.
Satsujin's grip faltered—not from pain, but from the force of the blast pushing him back.
Arnik dropped to one knee, then launched upward with a sharp exhale.
CLANG!
Their blades collided—Satsujin staggered one step back. Arnik vanished—whoosh!—appearing at his left with a spinning strike. Sparks flew.
Then behind—CLANG! A rising slash caught Satsujin's ribs.
Then above—CRACK! Arnik came down with both hands, blade crashing against Satsujin's defense.
Satsujin blocked—but his footing cracked.
Arnik's aura grew hotter. His strikes faster. Each move forced the demon back, bit by bit. Slashes came like a dance—low feints, elbow strikes mid-spin, sweeping legs, a sharp pommel slam into the jaw—
Satsujin deflected most—but not all.
A deep cut tore across his side. Another along his thigh.
Still silent. Still unreadable.
But his stance widened.
He was adjusting.
Then—
Satsujin disappeared.
Arnik's eyes flicked—too late.
THWACK!!
A brutal backhand struck his side, sending him tumbling across the battlefield.
He landed in a roll, came up coughing, but alive—barely.
He dragged his blade up, body steaming from overexertion.
And yet… he smiled.
"…I'm not done."The Mages surged forward to protect him—Crowne's blades flashing from shadow to shadow, Greaves firing magic spears in rapid succession. Blitz slammed down from above, splitting a crater with sheer force. Kaelani cut down a wave of shadow slashes with searing momentum, his cloak igniting behind him. Virell raised a glowing ward of golden light, shielding the entire front.
Rose twirled her Yari, Aika chanted with tearful breath—every spell cast with all they had left.
The storm resumed.
But amid it all…
A lone figure hadn't moved.
Markus.
Broken.
Silent.
His blood soaked the rubble beneath him, steam curling from every wound.
Kai crawled through it all. Half his body scraped raw. His arm crushed. Yet he pushed on, dragging himself inch by inch, his one remaining hand outstretched.
"…Markus…"
His breath trembled.
"This… can't be enough to kill you…"
His teeth grit.
"…You idiot…"
For a moment, nothing.
Then—
A rasp.
A growl.
Markus's chest rose with a violent inhale. A cough of blood escaped his lips. His eyes fluttered open—red. Alive.
"…Dammit…" he groaned, voice shaking.
Bones popped as his spine twisted back into place. His ribs wriggled beneath torn skin. Half his face was still burned—but he stood.
"I-It hurts so bad…"
He swayed. Barely conscious. But his rage still burned.
"This power… drains me faster than I thought…"
Kai reached him, breathless. Grabbed him by the collar.
"IDIOT!!" he shouted. "You exhausted your power already! If you keep going—your regeneration's gonna give out! You'll die!"
Markus didn't even blink. His voice came as a snarl.
"I GOT THIS FAR WITHOUT IT!!"
Kai's voice cracked. "Damn you… Markus…"
Suddenly—
THWACK!!
A hand slammed into Markus's neck from behind.
Crowne stood over him, not even looking. "Sleep."
Markus's eyes rolled back. His body collapsed.
Kai caught him, staggering. "I swear, you're the dumbest person know…"
He looked up, eyes burning.
"…And I want that bastard dead too."
***
The wind howled.
The street was gone. No longer a city—just jagged metal, burning buildings, and shattered earth.
All of Mercury looked like a scar.
Everything within a 200-meter radius had been annihilated. Concrete turned to dust. Towers reduced to mangled rebar and flame. The sky above still glowed with a sickening red, painted by fire and magic.
The survivors stood, barely. Panting. Scorched. Broken.
But upright.
And then—
Footsteps.
Not slow. Not hesitant.
Deliberate.
Riku and Andrew emerged from the smoke like phantoms—undamaged. Chains coiled around Andrew's arms like serpents ready to strike, while Riku's gaze locked forward. Focused. Cold.
Mocking laughter broke the silence.
Satsujin stood in the heart of the crater. His body was a ruin—slashed, torn, soaked in blackened blood—but his grin remained, unshaken. Unbothered.
"It's… comedic, really…"
He dragged his broken blade behind him, letting the metal screech across the fractured pavement.
Riku narrowed his eyes. "That Lionel's number one… would die like a dog…"
Satsujin laughed. Crooked and wild. He spread his arms wide. "WELL" He spread his arms wide, head thrown back, basking in the madness. "WELL, I GUESS IT'S TIME!!"
His voice tore through the air. "START IT UP… EVERYONE!!"
An alarm flared to life. Riku's wristband blinked bright red.
A voice cracked through the comm— "Commander Riku—Admiral Gabriel Engelhardt speaking. Lionel's warships have entered orbit. We are engaging."
BOOOOOOOM!!
The horizon erupted. Even from miles away, the blastwave rolled in like thunder.
Another voice burst through—urgent, panicked.
"This is Koji Tsukuyomi!! We're under attack!! All sectors have been infiltrated—terrorists, armed units, Demon UserS! We need all Archmages—NOW!!"
Sirens screamed across District 7.
Magic ruptured the air. Explosions echoed like drums of war. Screams filled the streets.
Chaos wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
Riku clenched his jaw. "They planned this from the start…"
Andrew slammed his palm down—chains bursting from every surface like a web of iron.
Satsujin laughed through bloody teeth.
"So…" His crimson eyes locked onto them—burning with malice, wild with purpose.
"Will you stop me…"
He tilted his head. That same mocking grin returned.
"…or save your precious civilians?"
Behind him, the sky cracked open with fire.