The last traces of blue flames faded from the ruined street as the dust settled around the buildings Akira had torn apart during his fight, leaving blackened pavement, shattered windows, and several overturned vehicles scattered across the battlefield. Above the streets, the cameras belonging to the Hunter Games continued tracking the remaining participants, their lenses shifting between the fighters while thousands of viewers watched the battles unfold through the Hunter Association's broadcasting network.
Somewhere beyond the ruined district, the distant sound of explosions echoed between the buildings, reminding everyone that Akira's fight had only been one of several battles taking place throughout the abandoned city.
Jackson brushed a layer of dust from his shoulder before looking toward the street ahead, where Gaku stood with his blade resting against his shoulder. Neither of them seemed particularly concerned about the destruction surrounding them, although Jackson's eyes occasionally wandered toward the cameras hovering above the rooftops.
"Man, I hope Akira didn't finish his fight before we got here. I wanted to see that idiot lose on live television."
Gaku glanced at him, his expression remaining as serious as ever.
"You're watching the cameras instead of paying attention to your surroundings."
Jackson rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets, continuing down the cracked pavement while Gaku followed several steps behind him. The buildings surrounding them had once been part of a commercial district, judging by the faded advertisements hanging above abandoned storefronts and the shattered display windows that lined the sidewalks, but the Hunter Games had transformed the area into a battlefield where even the smallest movement could attract the attention of another participant.
"Relax. If somebody wants to fight us, they can just come out and—"
A sharp gust of wind swept through the street.
Jackson stopped mid-sentence.
Something enormous passed over his head, casting a shadow across the pavement before a deafening crash shook the buildings behind him. Concrete shattered beneath a pair of massive talons as a colossal crow Yokai landed atop a nearby building, its black feathers reflecting faint streaks of purple Tao beneath the afternoon sunlight.
The creature lowered its head, fixing Jackson with a pair of predatory eyes while its wings spread wide enough to cover nearly the entire rooftop.
Jackson slowly raised his gaze.
"...Okay. That's a pretty big bird."
Gaku had already drawn his blade, the metal catching the sunlight as he moved into a defensive stance. Before either boy could approach the creature, someone stepped forward from behind its enormous head, casually chewing gum while looking down at them as though they had interrupted something considerably more important.
She was a young woman with short hair, an ordinary-looking outfit consisting of a white crop top, black shorts, and a loose jacket, and an expression so indifferent that the enormous Yokai beneath her seemed to be the only thing about her that deserved any attention.
She cracked her neck before leaning forward slightly.
"Yo. You mind just giving up?"
Jackson stared at her for a moment.
"...Who are you supposed to be?"
The girl blew a bubble with her gum before letting it pop against her lips.
"Aiko Taira. Third Heir of the Taira Clan."
Her introduction was followed by the distant sound of rushing water.
Gaku's eyes shifted toward the rooftops.
A massive stream of water suddenly erupted from above the buildings, crashing into the street several dozen meters away and sweeping a group of Hunters off their feet. The blast tore through an abandoned storefront, sending chunks of concrete tumbling across the road before the water dispersed into a cloud of mist.
Something moved through that mist.
It was a shark.
An enormous shark Yokai swam through the air as naturally as though the entire city had been submerged beneath an ocean, its gray body cutting through the empty space while currents of water coiled around its fins. Rows of serrated teeth protruded from its gaping jaws, and every movement sent ripples through the surrounding air.
A young man walked beneath the creature with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his hoodie, his shoulder-length purple hair swaying in the breeze. A dragon crest decorated the back of his clothing, and the lazy smile on his face suggested that the destruction surrounding him was little more than a minor inconvenience.
He stopped beside Aiko's building and glanced down at the two boys.
"Don't tell me you've gotten weaker, Aiko. That Tao output's pathetic."
Aiko clicked her tongue.
"Shut up, Ryo."
Ryo grinned.
"Whatever you say."
His eyes shifted toward Jackson and Gaku.
"Ryo Taira. Second Heir of the Taira Clan."
Jackson looked from Ryo to Aiko, then toward the two enormous Yokai hovering above the street.
He scratched his cheek.
"Wait, you're both heirs? So what, are you guys supposed to be important or something?"
The smile on Ryo's face twitched.
Gaku closed his eyes briefly.
"...Jackson."
"What?"
"Stop talking."
Before Jackson could respond, Ryo lifted one hand.
The shark Yokai immediately opened its jaws.
Water gathered between its teeth, compressing into a dense sphere that grew brighter with every passing second. The pressure spread through the surrounding street, forcing loose debris away from the creature as the windows of nearby buildings began to tremble inside their frames.
Ryo tilted his head.
"Let's see how long you two last."
The shark fired.
A roaring beam of water tore through the street, swallowing everything in its path as Aiko's crow descended from above with its talons extended. The two attacks converged on Jackson and Gaku from opposite directions, leaving barely enough time for either boy to react.
Jackson slammed his palm against the pavement.
"Formless!"
A dome of Tao erupted around them, spreading outward in a translucent shell just as the water beam struck its surface. The impact shook the surrounding buildings, sending cracks racing across the pavement beneath Jackson's feet while the barrier rippled violently under the tremendous pressure.
Inside the dome, Jackson gritted his teeth.
"Man, what the hell?! We just got here!"
Gaku crouched behind him, his blade held tightly in both hands as he watched the crow circle above them. Its wings beat against the air, creating powerful gusts that battered the barrier from the opposite side, forcing Jackson to reinforce the structure before it collapsed completely.
Outside, Ryo watched the dome with mild interest.
"Aiko, get ready. I can feel his shell about to crack."
Aiko tilted her head.
"Already?"
"Look at him. He's practically shaking."
Jackson's arms trembled as he poured more Tao into the barrier, sweat running down the side of his face while the two attacks continued grinding against his defenses. He could feel the pressure eating away at the Tao holding the dome together, and he knew that if he kept defending, the result would be obvious.
His gaze shifted toward Ryo.
His Tao pool is impressive, but his close-combat ability...
Jackson's lips curled slightly.
Yeah. He's definitely not as good as he thinks he is.
Without warning, Jackson let the barrier collapse.
The water beam surged through the opening, blasting apart the street where the dome had stood only a moment earlier, but Jackson was already gone. His body sank into the pavement beneath Gaku's feet, disappearing beneath the concrete in a flash of Tao.
Ryo's eyebrows rose.
"...Huh?"
The pavement beneath him exploded.
Jackson burst upward from the ground, driving his heel straight into Ryo's chest with enough force to send him flying backward. The second heir smashed through a concrete pillar before skidding across the street, leaving a trail of shattered stone behind him.
Jackson landed on his feet and immediately charged.
"Gotcha!"
He leapt over the rubble, drawing his fist back as Tao gathered around his knuckles. Ryo was still recovering from the impact when Jackson descended toward him, preparing to drive his fist into the man's face.
A dark blur swept across the street.
The crow's talons closed around Jackson's body before he could land the punch, lifting him off the ground and dragging him into the sky. Wind roared past his ears as the rooftops shrank beneath him, the abandoned streets becoming narrow lines between towering buildings.
Jackson twisted in the creature's grasp.
"HEY! LET GO!"
The crow beat its wings, climbing higher until the surrounding buildings appeared like miniature structures beneath them. Aiko leaned forward on its back, watching Jackson struggle with the same bored expression she had worn since introducing herself.
"You're pretty strong, I guess."
Jackson glared at her.
"Then put me down!"
"Sure."
Aiko raised one hand.
The crow opened its talons.
Jackson plummeted.
For a brief moment, there was nothing beneath him except empty air and the distant city streets. He reached toward his sleeve, fingers brushing against the threads woven into the fabric before he pulled one loose and infused it with Tao.
The thin strand stretched between his fingers, glowing faintly as he swung it upward.
"Formless: Threading the Needle."
The thread snapped forward.
It pierced the crow's throat.
The creature shrieked, its wings faltering as blood sprayed across its black feathers. Jackson twisted his body in midair, yanking the thread downward to redirect his fall before transforming the fabric of his shirt into a makeshift wingsuit.
The material spread across his back.
With a sharp turn, he dove toward the wounded Yokai and slammed into its torso, sending the enormous creature spiraling toward the ground.
The impact shook the street.
Concrete buckled beneath the crow's body as Jackson rolled across the pavement before coming to a stop several meters away. He pushed himself upright, brushing dirt from his clothes while looking toward Gaku, who stood near the opposite side of the street with his blade raised.
The shark Yokai hovered above him, its jaws dripping with water.
Gaku shifted his footing.
The creature lunged.
Gaku stepped aside at the last moment, letting the shark's enormous body pass over him before jumping onto its back. He drove his blade forward, channeling Tao through the metal until the weapon pierced the Yokai's throat.
The shark convulsed.
Its body crashed into the street, sending water splashing across the pavement.
Gaku landed nearby and withdrew his blade, watching the creature's movements carefully as the crow began to stir beside Jackson.
For several seconds, neither Yokai moved.
Jackson straightened his shirt.
"So... are you guys done now?"
The two creatures twitched.
Then their wounds began to close.
Flesh regenerated beneath their skin as glowing Tao spread across their bodies, repairing the damage until the shark and crow slowly rose to their feet. Their Tao signatures flickered briefly before surging back to their previous intensity.
Jackson's smile disappeared.
"...You're kidding."
Ryo stepped out from behind the shark, brushing dust from his hoodie as though the kick to his chest had been nothing more than an inconvenience.
"You think the great Taira Clan would fall to something like that? As long as our Yokai are alive, we'll never lose."
Aiko climbed back onto the crow's neck, her expression considerably less amused than before.
"You two are annoying."
Jackson looked at Gaku.
Gaku looked at Jackson.
Neither said anything.
Then Jackson sighed.
"Yeah, I don't think these guys are going to surrender."
Ryo lifted his hand.
The shark's jaws opened again, but this time the water gathering between its teeth spread outward rather than compressing into a beam. A sphere of water formed around Jackson before expanding rapidly, swallowing him whole and sealing him inside a transparent prison.
"Bubble Encasing."
Jackson's body jerked as the water closed around him.
He slammed his palms against the inner surface, but the sphere held firm, suspending him several meters above the ground. Bubbles escaped his mouth as he struggled to breathe, his Tao spreading through his clothing in an attempt to transform the material into something capable of breaking the prison apart.
The transformation barely progressed.
What the hell?
His sleeves began to sharpen, but the Tao required to reshape them dispersed before the process could finish.
Even the water resists my Tao... and I can't transform it either.
Ryo stepped forward.
His body began to glow.
The shark circled him once before its enormous form dissolved into streams of azure Tao, wrapping around his limbs and torso. His silhouette twisted as scales spread across his skin, his fingers sharpening into claws while the shape of a shark's jaw emerged around his face.
"Yokai Fusion."
The transformation finished with a violent burst of water.
Ryo looked toward Jackson, who was still struggling inside the prison.
"Now, let's see how long you can last."
He entered the sphere.
The moment his claws touched the water, his body shot forward.
Jackson barely managed to raise his arms before Ryo struck him across the chest, sending him spinning through the prison. The water absorbed the impact, forcing Jackson to remain suspended while Ryo changed direction and attacked again.
A second slash tore through Jackson's side.
Blood spread through the water.
Jackson clenched his teeth, struggling to keep his eyes open as the lack of oxygen began to affect his movements.
Outside the prison, Gaku had no time to help him.
Aiko's crow swept down from above, its enormous wings unleashing a violent gust that hurled Gaku across the street. He struck the side of a building, cracked the wall with his shoulder, and landed among the rubble with his blade still clutched in his hand.
Aiko descended slowly.
"Your physical stats aren't bad at all," she said, tilting her head as she examined him. "You might've won this whole thing if we weren't here."
Gaku pushed himself upright.
His legs trembled beneath him, and a thin line of blood ran down his cheek, but he refused to lower his weapon.
Aiko sighed.
"You're making this boring."
She raised her hand.
The crow's body began to glow.
Black feathers dissolved into streams of Tao, wrapping around her shoulders and spreading down her arms. Her silhouette grew larger as enormous wings emerged from her back, dark feathers covering her limbs while sharp talons formed around her hands and feet.
"Yokai Fusion."
Aiko launched herself forward.
The impact sent Gaku skidding backward, his boots carving lines through the broken pavement as he struggled to keep his footing. She rose into the air again before diving toward him, the wind gathering around her wings until the pressure shattered the windows of the surrounding buildings.
Gaku barely avoided the attack.
Aiko passed close enough to cut his cheek, leaving another thin trail of blood across his face before circling back overhead.
"What's wrong?" she called down. "You were doing pretty well earlier."
Gaku tightened his grip on his blade.
All I have to do is beat the opponent in front of me...
He watched Aiko's silhouette move across the sky.
Then why does she have to be strong too?
Aiko's wings spread.
The next gust struck Gaku like a wall.
He was thrown through the side of an abandoned building, disappearing behind a cloud of dust and falling concrete.
Meanwhile, inside the water prison, Jackson's movements had grown slower.
Ryo circled him, his claws dragging through the water before he launched another attack. Jackson twisted aside, but the movement came too late, and the claws tore through his shoulder.
Ryo scoffed.
"Already done?"
Jackson's eyes narrowed.
Through the distorted surface of the sphere, he could see Gaku struggling against Aiko. Every time his teammate attempted to counterattack, the fused heir drove him farther into the ruins.
Jackson pressed his hand against the inside of the prison.
I couldn't even escape this dumb bubble while fighting him...
His fingers curled.
My Bloodline can transform any non-living thing, but first I have to infuse it with Tao. Once I transform something, the Tao I used is lost.
His gaze shifted toward his own sleeve.
And I can't send my Tao out without using my hands...
Ryo charged again.
Jackson barely dodged, twisting his body until the claws passed just inches from his face.
Then something changed.
A faint pulse spread through Jackson's Tao.
It wasn't an increase in power.
It was a decision.
He stopped trying to escape the prison.
Instead, he closed his eyes and allowed his Tao to spread through his body, releasing the energy he had been carefully concealing since the beginning of the fight.
The water around him trembled.
Ryo's expression changed.
"...What?"
Outside, Aiko turned her head toward the sphere.
For the first time since the battle began, both heirs stopped smiling.
Jackson opened his eyes.
A razor-straight spear of Tao spread across the pavement beneath the prison, extending into the surrounding buildings through the cracks in the concrete. The energy moved silently, following every surface it touched while Jackson carefully controlled its direction.
Ryo lunged toward him.
A spike erupted from the ground.
It pierced Ryo's side before he could reach Jackson, forcing the fused heir to recoil as blood spread across his scales.
Jackson exhaled.
"As long as my Tao can touch something, I can use my technique."
Two enormous hands formed from the walls surrounding the street.
They clamped around Ryo's body before he could recover, tearing him away from the water prison and hurling him across the battlefield.
The sphere burst apart.
Jackson dropped toward the ground, landing on one knee as water splashed across the pavement. He coughed violently, one hand pressed against his injured side while he struggled to catch his breath.
Across the street, Gaku emerged from the rubble.
His uniform was torn, his blade was chipped, and blood ran down his face, but his eyes remained fixed on Aiko.
Jackson looked toward him.
"Hey, Gaku!"
Gaku turned his head.
Jackson wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"How about we finish this already?"
Gaku's grip tightened around his sword.
"...Yeah."
The two boys moved at the same time.
Gaku charged toward Aiko while Jackson directed the enormous hands toward Ryo, forcing the two heirs to separate as the street erupted into another exchange of attacks.
Ryo twisted free of the hands and rushed toward Jackson, his claws carving through the air.
Jackson ducked beneath the first slash, drove his shoulder into Ryo's chest, and redirected the momentum of his opponent's charge. The second heir stumbled forward, giving Jackson enough time to extend his hand toward the surrounding buildings.
A spike erupted beside them.
Ryo barely avoided it, but the attack forced him to retreat as Jackson stepped forward, his expression growing colder with every passing second.
Across the battlefield, Aiko beat her wings.
A cyclone of wind exploded outward, smashing Gaku into the side of a building before he could land a decisive strike. His sword slipped from his hand and clattered across the pavement.
Aiko descended.
"You're still too slow."
She raised one taloned hand, gathering Tao around her claws as she prepared to strike Gaku while he was still recovering.
But Jackson noticed.
His eyes widened.
"Gaku!"
He reached toward the ground.
A spike erupted beneath Aiko's feet, forcing her to change direction at the last moment. She twisted in midair, barely avoiding the attack, while Gaku rolled away from the collapsing wall and reached for his fallen sword.
For a moment, the two heirs hovered above the ruined street, their expressions no longer carrying the same careless amusement.
Ryo wiped the blood from his side.
Aiko glanced toward her brother.
Neither of them spoke.
Then Ryo's gaze shifted toward Jackson's chest.
The collar of Jackson's shirt had been torn during the fight, exposing a thin metal chain that had remained hidden beneath the fabric. It swung gently against his chest, catching the sunlight as Jackson straightened his back.
At the end of the chain hung a small pendant.
A crest was engraved into its surface.
Ryo's eyes narrowed.
Aiko noticed the change in her brother's expression and followed his gaze, her wings slowly folding behind her as she examined the symbol.
Jackson looked down.
For a moment, he seemed to consider hiding it.
Instead, he reached beneath his shirt and pulled the chain free, allowing the pendant to hang openly between his fingers.
The emblem was unmistakable.
The crest of the Fujiwara Clan.
The Taira heirs fell silent.
Even the shark Yokai seemed to pause, its enormous body suspended above the battlefield while the water surrounding its fins settled into a slow, spiraling current.
Jackson wrapped the chain around his fingers before looking directly at Ryo and Aiko.
"Since you two seem so interested in killing us, I guess there's no point hiding it anymore."
He lifted his chin.
"My full name is Jaxelvandar Fujiwara Tyler."
The words carried across the ruined street.
For the first time since the battle began, neither Taira heir moved.
Jackson slipped the pendant back beneath his shirt, although he left the chain exposed, the Fujiwara crest resting against the torn fabric.
His expression hardened.
"And if you two think I'm going to let some spoiled clan heirs kill me just because you feel like it..."
He raised his hand, and the Tao surrounding the battlefield began to tremble.
"...Then you're going to have a pretty bad time."
Aiko stared at him, her earlier indifference replaced by a look that was difficult to read.
Ryo's smile had disappeared completely.
For several seconds, the only sound between them was the distant collapse of damaged buildings and the faint hiss of water dripping from the shark Yokai's jaws.
Then Ryo slowly turned his head toward his sister.
"...Aiko."
She didn't look away from Jackson.
"I know."
The wind began to rise again.
Above them, the remaining cameras continued recording, their lenses fixed on the three fighters standing among the ruins.
But the broadcast had not yet shown what happened next.
Because, at that very moment, every screen displaying the Hunter Games went black.
Across the world, viewers stared at their disconnected feeds as the familiar Hunter Association emblem flickered across their screens before disappearing entirely.
Chapter — The Taira Clan's Heirs (Part 2)
The screens across the Hunter Games arena remained black, the familiar emblem of the broadcast network nowhere to be seen as confused murmurs spread throughout the audience. Technicians hurried between their stations, desperately attempting to restore the connection, while the commentators called out for an explanation that never came.
Far away from the noise of the spectators, however, the battle continued.
Dust drifted through the ruined street as Jackson slowly pulled himself free from the enormous hand he had formed out of the surrounding buildings. His clothes were torn, his breathing heavier than before, and the chain hidden beneath his shirt had slipped loose during the struggle, its metal links resting against his chest.
Across from him, Ryo Taira dragged himself away from the spike that had pierced his side, one hand pressed against the wound while his shark Yokai circled above him. The enormous creature's body twisted through the air like it was swimming through an invisible ocean, its rows of teeth exposed as water gathered between its jaws.
Despite the injury, Ryo was smiling.
Jackson noticed that first.
Not the blood dripping down Ryo's clothes, nor the way the shark's movements had become increasingly violent, but the smile itself. It was too relaxed for someone who had nearly been impaled through the chest, and there was something unsettling about the way Ryo looked at him, as though the fight had finally reached the part he had been waiting for.
"You're still smiling?" Jackson asked, brushing dust from his shoulder. "Man, your family must've raised you wrong."
Ryo's smile widened as he slowly straightened, ignoring the blood running between his fingers.
"You really don't understand, do you?"
Before Jackson could answer, the shark opened its mouth.
A massive beam of compressed water erupted from its jaws, tearing through the street with enough force to pulverize the remains of the buildings behind Jackson. He twisted away at the last second, the attack grazing his shoulder before exploding against the ground and sending chunks of stone flying into the air.
Jackson landed hard, rolled across the pavement, and came to a stop beside a broken wall.
He looked down at his shoulder.
Blood had already begun soaking through the fabric.
"...Okay. That one was a little unnecessary."
The shark circled back toward Ryo, its enormous shadow sweeping across the ruined street. At the same time, the second heir raised his injured arm, and the water scattered around him began to gather into several floating spheres, each one spinning faster until the air itself seemed to tremble beneath their pressure.
Jackson's expression gradually lost its humor.
He had fought plenty of people who enjoyed showing off their strength. He had fought arrogant idiots, bloodthirsty maniacs, and people who treated every battle like an opportunity to prove they were better than everyone else.
But Ryo wasn't looking at him like an opponent anymore.
He was looking at him like something that needed to be put down.
On the other side of the ruined street, Gaku struggled to keep his footing as Aiko's enormous crow swept overhead, its black wings casting a shadow across the shattered buildings. Every time he tried to close the distance, a violent gust of wind struck him from the side, forcing him to brace himself against the pavement before he could advance.
Aiko stood several meters away, one hand resting against her hip while the other casually pushed her hair away from her face. Her earlier expression of amusement had disappeared, replaced by a cold stare that followed Gaku's every movement.
"You know," she began, watching him rise from his crouched position, "I thought you two would be a little more interesting."
Gaku wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes never leaving her. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"Oh, don't worry. You haven't disappointed me yet."
The crow descended behind her, its talons scraping against the pavement as it lowered its enormous head. Aiko reached up and rested a hand against its feathers, and for a brief moment, the two seemed almost peaceful together.
Then the Yokai's eye narrowed.
Aiko's smile returned."Let's see how long you can keep that attitude."
The crow launched itself forward.
Gaku barely managed to cross his arms before the creature's talons slammed into his guard, the impact driving him backward through a broken storefront. Glass shattered around him, and the wooden frame of the building collapsed beneath his weight as he crashed through the interior.
Aiko stood outside the wreckage, waiting patiently as the dust settled around her shoes. When Gaku finally emerged from the ruined storefront, blood trickling down his forehead and one arm hanging slightly lower than the other, she tilted her head as if examining a damaged object.
"There you are."
Gaku spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"
Aiko's expression barely changed.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not even trying to win anymore."
For the first time, Aiko stopped smiling.
The silence that followed was brief, but it was enough for Gaku to notice the way her eyes shifted toward the black screen mounted on a nearby building. The device had gone completely dark, its shattered casing reflecting the faint light of the afternoon sky.
When Aiko looked back at him, her expression had changed.
"Good," she said quietly. "Then I don't have to pretend anymore."
The crow spread its wings behind her, and black feathers began to rise into the air as wind gathered around its body.
Gaku's eyes widened slightly.
"...Pretend?"
Aiko raised one hand.
"Yokai Fusion."
The crow dissolved into a storm of black feathers that swept around her body, wrapping around her arms and shoulders before merging into her flesh. Dark wings erupted from her back, her fingers lengthened into sharp talons, and a pattern of black feathers spread across her skin.
When the transformation ended, Aiko stood in the middle of the ruined street with enormous wings extending behind her, the wind circling her body like a living creature.
Her eyes remained fixed on Gaku.
"Now die."
The sudden blast of wind struck before he could react.
Gaku was hurled backward, his feet leaving the ground as the force carried him through the remains of a stone wall. He hit the ground hard enough to crack the pavement beneath him, and for a moment, his vision blurred as he struggled to draw air into his lungs.
He had fought dangerous opponents before.
He had even fought people who wanted to hurt him.
But this was different.
Aiko wasn't trying to knock him unconscious. She wasn't attempting to force him into submission or prove that the Taira Clan stood above everyone else.
She was aiming every attack at the places where a human body was most vulnerable.
His throat. His head. His heart.
Gaku's fingers tightened against the ground. "She's actually trying to kill me."
I'm scared. Gaku thought to himself.
The realization sent a cold shiver through him, and before he could fully process it, another gust of wind tore across the street.
He rolled aside just as a blade of compressed air carved through the pavement where his head had been.
Aiko hovered above him, her black wings beating slowly as she looked down at him with an almost disappointed expression. "You figured it out rather quickly."
Gaku pushed himself to his feet, his breathing uneven as he stared at her. "Why do you say that."
Aiko's gaze hardened. "Because you're Scissors."
She said it as if that single word explained everything. "Normally I wouldn't stick my nose into something like this, but-"
She tilted her head, and the wind around her grew stronger.
Gaku focused his gaze. "How do you know that I'm a part of Scissors?"
Aiko's lips curved into a thin smile.
"Let's just say I had birdie help me."
Jackson heard the explosion before he saw Gaku crash through the wall.
He turned instinctively, his attention shifting toward the other side of the street, but the brief distraction nearly cost him his life.
Ryo's shark surged through the air, its enormous jaws snapping shut inches from Jackson's head. He threw himself backward, feeling the wind from the creature's passing brush against his face, before a second attack struck the ground beneath him and sent him tumbling across the pavement.
He stopped beside a ruined vehicle, one hand gripping its twisted frame as he forced himself upright.
"Hey!" Jackson shouted, looking toward Ryo. "Could you give me a second? I'm trying to have a conversation over here!"
Ryo laughed.
"Why? So you can run away?"
Jackson's eyes narrowed.
"Do I look like I'm running?"
"You look like someone who hasn't realized he's already dead."
The shark opened its mouth again, but this time Ryo didn't allow it to fire immediately. Instead, the creature swam in a slow circle around him, its massive body cutting through the air while water gathered beneath its scales.
Jackson watched the movement carefully.
Something was wrong.
Ryo had already injured him, and his shark possessed enough destructive power to tear apart the surrounding buildings. There was no reason for him to keep dragging the fight out unless he wanted something more than a simple victory.
Then Jackson remembered Aiko's words.
Because you're Scissors.
His eyes shifted toward the second heir. Ryo's smile faded slightly.
Jackson straightened, his fingers loosening at his sides as he finally understood why the broadcast had gone dark at such a convenient moment.
The network hadn't simply failed.
Someone had made sure no one could see what was happening.
Whether the Taira Clan had arranged it beforehand or someone else had taken advantage of the chaos, the result was the same. There would be no audience to witness what happened next, no commentators to question their actions, and no recording that could immediately expose the heirs if they decided to cross the line.
Ryo raised his hand, and the water surrounding the shark began to spin. "You're smarter than you look."
Jackson stared at him. The shark lunged.
Jackson threw himself to the side, but the creature's tail swept across the street and struck him before he could escape. The impact sent him crashing through the remains of a building, and the sound of breaking concrete echoed through the empty streets.
He landed on one knee amid the rubble, coughing as dust filled his lungs.
For a moment, he remained still.
Then he reached beneath the torn collar of his shirt and pulled out the chain resting against his chest.
The pendant attached to it was small, its surface scratched from years of use, but the symbol engraved upon it remained unmistakable: the crest of the Fujiwara Clan.
Jackson held it between his fingers, watching the light catch against the metal.
He had spent years keeping it hidden.
Years avoiding questions about his family, his name, and the reasons he never spoke about where he came from. It had been easier to let people believe he was simply Jackson Tyler, another fighter with a strange ability and no particular ambitions beyond surviving the next day.
But there were some things he could no longer pretend didn't exist.
Slowly, he tucked the pendant back beneath his shirt, leaving the chain visible against his collar.
Then he stood.
"Guess there's no point hiding it anymore."
Ryo approached through the drifting dust, the shark gliding above him like a predator waiting for its next meal.
"What are you talking about?"
Jackson brushed the dirt from his clothes, though the gesture did little to hide the blood running down his arm. His expression remained relaxed, but the humor had disappeared from his eyes.
"My name isn't just Jackson Tyler."
He raised his head and looked directly at the second heir.
"It's Jaxelvandar Fujiwara Tyler."
For the first time since the fight began, Ryo stopped moving.
The shark continued circling above him, but its jaws slowly closed as the heir's attention shifted toward the chain around Jackson's neck.
"...Fujiwara?"
Jackson gave him a tired smile.
"Yeah. That Fujiwara."
The silence stretched between them.
Even with the broadcast disconnected, even with the surrounding streets reduced to rubble, the name carried weight. The Fujiwara Clan was not a name that could be casually dismissed, and the symbol around Jackson's neck was not something an ordinary person could acquire simply by pretending to belong to the family.
Ryo's expression darkened.
"So that's why you were hiding it."
Jackson shrugged.
"I was hiding it because I didn't feel like explaining my entire life story to every idiot who asked."
He glanced toward the ruined street where Gaku had been thrown through the wall.
"But I suppose this is the perfect time to reveal who you will lose your life to, a dog of the clan you hate- no, not a dog, a mutt of the Fujiwara."
The chain slipped back beneath his shirt as he lowered his hand.
His gaze returned to Ryo, and the air around him seemed to change—not because he had released an overwhelming amount of power, but because he had finally stopped treating the fight like something he could laugh his way through.
Veins bulged from Ryo's neck. "You're making some bold claims there, mutt!"
Jackson's fingers curled slowly. Ryo stared at him for another moment before his expression twisted into something between anger and amusement.
Jackson's smile returned, though there was nothing friendly about it.
The shark roared, its voice shaking dust from the broken buildings.
Ryo lifted his hand, and the creature descended until its enormous head hovered directly behind him. Water spiraled around its body, forming a twisting current that stretched from its jaws to the ground beneath Jackson's feet. "Let's see if the Fujiwara name can save you."
Jackson lowered his stance. "It hasn't saved me from anything yet."
The shark surged forward.
This time, Jackson didn't run.
He drove his palm into the pavement, sending Tao spreading through the broken street in branching lines. The ground trembled as the energy reached the surrounding buildings, traveling through their foundations and climbing their fractured walls.
Ryo's eyes widened as the pavement beneath him began to shift.
Jackson looked up, his expression calm despite the blood running down his arm.
"Formless: Graveyard of Giants."
The street erupted.
Enormous hands of stone and concrete burst from the ground, their fingers curling around the shark's body as it tried to escape. Another hand rose from the remains of a nearby building and slammed into the Yokai's side, forcing it downward while the surrounding structures groaned beneath the strain.
For a moment, the shark was trapped between the colossal hands.
Then its jaws opened, and a torrent of water exploded outward.
The first hand shattered.
The second began to crack.
Jackson's eyes narrowed as the shark tore itself free, but the delay had given him exactly what he needed. He swept his arm across his body, and a narrow spike erupted from the ground beneath Ryo, forcing the heir to leap aside before it could pierce his chest.
Ryo landed several meters away, his face twisted with fury. "You bastard!"
Jackson exhaled slowly, his shoulders rising and falling as he steadied his breathing.
A distant crash interrupted them. Jackson's head snapped toward the sound.
Across the ruined street, Aiko had descended upon Gaku, her black wings folding around her body as she drove him toward the ground. Gaku caught one of her talons with both hands, but the force pushed him down onto one knee, cracking the pavement beneath him.
Blood ran down his face.
His arms trembled.
And Aiko was still pressing downward.
Jackson's smile disappeared.
"Gaku!"
The younger fighter turned his head at the sound, his eyes briefly meeting Jackson's across the ruined street.
Chapter — The Taira Clan's Heirs (Final Part)
Gaku's knees trembled beneath the weight pressing down on him, his fingers wrapped tightly around Aiko's talons as the wind tore at his clothes and forced his injured body closer to the cracked pavement. Blood trickled from his forehead, running past his eye and dripping onto the wet concrete beneath him, where the red streaks slowly mixed with the rainwater gathered between the broken stones.
Aiko hovered above him, her enormous black wings spread wide as she watched his struggle with growing impatience. The wind around her sharpened, gathering into thin blades that circled her body, each one positioned to strike the moment she found an opening.
"You're still resisting?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief. "Look at yourself. You're barely standing, and you think you can do something against me?"
Gaku didn't answer.
His head hung low, his dark hair covering most of his face as his fingers continued to tremble around her talons. His lungs burned with every breath, and his body screamed at him to let go, to retreat, to find some way out of the situation before the next attack finally finished him.
He had been scared since the moment he realized what Aiko intended to do.
He had been scared when her attacks started targeting his throat, when the wind nearly split his head open, and when he understood that the woman standing before him had no intention of allowing him to walk away from this fight.
But as he stared at the red streaks spreading across the wet concrete, something else began to rise above that fear.
Gaku slowly lifted his head.
His red eyes reflected against the water pooled beneath him, and for the first time since Aiko had forced him onto his knees, the trembling in his hands began to disappear.
He took a deep breath.
Then another.
The sounds of the battlefield seemed to grow distant as his gaze settled on the blood dripping from his forehead, his expression becoming strangely calm despite the pain running through his body.
"I hate you killing monsters."
The words were quiet.
Almost too quiet to hear beneath the howling wind.
Yet something about them caused everyone on the battlefield to stop.
Jackson, who had been preparing to evade another attack from Ryo's shark, glanced toward Gaku. Even Ryo's expression shifted as he turned his head toward the other fight, while the shark circling above him slowed its movements.
Aiko's eyebrows drew together.
"...What?"
Gaku slowly released her talons.
For a brief moment, he remained kneeling on the wet concrete, his head lowered as though he were gathering his thoughts. Then he planted one hand against the ground and pushed himself upright, his movements so steady that the change in his demeanor was more unsettling than any sudden burst of power could have been.
"I said," Gaku repeated, raising his head until his red eyes met hers, "I hate you killing monsters."
Aiko stared at him.
Then she laughed.
"Monsters?" she repeated, spreading her wings as the wind around her began to howl again. "You think you're some kind of hero? You're standing in the middle of a battlefield, covered in blood, and you want to lecture me about monsters?"
She tilted her head, her smile widening.
"Fine. I'll make this simple for you."
Aiko's wings snapped open.
"I'll kill you first, then I'll go find the rest of Scissors and do the same to them."
The wind exploded.
A blade of compressed air shot straight toward Gaku's throat, moving so quickly that the attack seemed to appear in front of him rather than travel across the distance.
But Gaku was no longer there.
Aiko's eyes widened as the blade passed through empty space, cutting a deep line through the building behind him. Before she could turn, Gaku appeared directly beneath her, his body lowered and one fist already driving toward her stomach.
The impact folded her forward.
Aiko's breath escaped in a sharp gasp as she was launched backward, her wings beating wildly to keep her from crashing into the ground. She barely managed to regain her balance before Gaku was upon her again, his movements suddenly so direct and efficient that she struggled to follow them.
"What—?"
Gaku struck her across the face.
Her head snapped to the side, and the force sent her tumbling through the air before she slammed into the side of a ruined building. Concrete cracked around her back, and several chunks of masonry fell from above as she dropped toward the street.
She caught herself with one wing and landed on her feet, her expression twisting with disbelief.
"What the hell was that?!"
Gaku continued walking toward her.
He wasn't shouting.
He wasn't grinning.
He wasn't even looking particularly angry.
His red eyes remained fixed on her as he stepped through the falling dust, his breathing steady and his shoulders relaxed despite the injuries he had suffered only moments earlier.
Aiko's smile vanished.
She raised both arms, and the wind gathered around her in a violent spiral.
"Don't you dare look down on me!"
The air around her compressed into dozens of blades, each one aimed at a different part of Gaku's body. With a sharp movement of her arms, she sent them all flying at once, filling the space between them with cutting currents that tore through the pavement and sliced apart the remaining walls.
Gaku moved forward.
He slipped past the first blade, turned his shoulder beneath the second, and stepped through the narrow opening between two more without losing his pace. When the remaining attacks converged on him, he dropped low and drove his fist into the ground.
The pavement burst apart.
The resulting shockwave disrupted the surrounding currents, scattering the blades before they could reach him, and Gaku used the opening to close the final distance between them.
Aiko's eyes widened.
She tried to take flight.
Gaku caught her ankle.
Before she could react, he pulled her down and slammed her into the concrete hard enough to send cracks racing outward from the point of impact. Her wings flared instinctively, scattering black feathers across the street, but Gaku was already moving again.
He struck her once across the ribs.
Then again.
When Aiko tried to raise her arm to defend herself, he knocked it aside and drove another blow into her chest, forcing the air from her lungs.
She had spent the entire fight treating him as someone beneath her.
Now, for the first time, she couldn't find the distance she needed to use her advantage.
Every time she tried to retreat, Gaku followed.
Every time she attempted to create space with her wind, he disrupted her attack before it could fully form.
And every time she looked into his eyes, she saw the same calm expression staring back at her.
Aiko's breathing grew ragged.
"Stop moving like that!"
Gaku caught her next strike, twisted her arm aside, and drove his knee into her stomach.
She doubled over.
"You're supposed to be—"
He struck her across the face before she could finish.
"—weaker than me!"
Gaku stepped forward, his red eyes reflecting the black feathers drifting around them.
"You keep talking about strength," he said, his voice low and steady, "but all you've done is use yours to hurt people who can't fight back anymore."
Aiko staggered backward, one hand pressed against her face as blood ran between her fingers.
Her expression twisted with rage.
"I am an heir of the Taira Clan!"
The wind around her exploded outward, sending a wave of destruction through the street as she threw everything she had into one final attack. Her wings spread to their full span, and the air compressed around her until the surrounding buildings began to groan beneath the pressure.
Gaku didn't retreat.
He lowered his stance, watching her carefully as the enormous current gathered in front of her.
"Yokai Fusion: Kuroha no Arashi!"
The wind detonated.
A massive black cyclone swept across the battlefield, swallowing Gaku and tearing through the ruined street as Aiko poured the full power of her fusion into the attack. The ground split apart beneath the pressure, broken vehicles were lifted into the air, and the remains of nearby buildings began to collapse as the storm expanded.
Aiko held her arms forward, her teeth clenched as she forced more power into the cyclone.
"Disappear!"
For several seconds, the entire street vanished behind the swirling wall of dust and wind.
Then the storm began to weaken.
Aiko's breathing grew heavier as she struggled to maintain control, her wings trembling from the strain. She stared into the fading cyclone, waiting for the sight of Gaku's broken body to emerge from the wreckage.
Instead, she heard footsteps.
One.
Then another.
Gaku emerged from the dust.
His clothes were torn further, and fresh blood ran down his face, but he was still standing. His red eyes remained fixed on Aiko as he walked through the remnants of her attack, stepping over broken concrete without the slightest hesitation.
Aiko's face went pale.
"No..."
She stumbled backward, desperately trying to summon another current of wind, but her control faltered. Her fusion was reaching its limit, and the power she had poured into the last attack had left her body struggling to respond.
Gaku stopped in front of her.
For the first time, Aiko seemed to understand what she had done.
She had taken someone who had been afraid, someone who had spent the entire fight trying to survive, and pushed him into a place where he no longer had any intention of running away.
"Wait," she whispered, raising a trembling hand. "Hold on—"
Gaku looked at her.
"I gave you a chance to stop."
Aiko's eyes widened.
Then Gaku moved.
His final strike landed before she could finish her sentence, cutting through her remaining defense and sending her crashing onto the wet concrete. The black wings extending from her back scattered into feathers as her fusion broke apart, and the wind that had surrounded her finally disappeared.
Aiko lay motionless.
For several seconds, Gaku stood over her, his chest rising and falling as he stared down at the woman who had nearly killed him.
He had won.
But the realization brought no satisfaction.
His fingers slowly opened, and he looked at his hands as though he were seeing them for the first time.
"...I did this?"
The words barely escaped his mouth.
A moment earlier, he had been fighting for his life. Now, Aiko Taira, the Third Heir of the Taira Clan, lay dead at his feet.
Gaku took a step backward.
His breathing became uneven.
The blood on the concrete no longer looked like something that belonged to an enemy. It looked real, permanent, and impossible to take back.
He turned his head toward Jackson.
For the first time since the fight began, Gaku looked less like someone who had conquered his opponent and more like someone who had just discovered a part of himself he didn't know existed.
Jackson met his gaze from across the street.
He wanted to say something.
Anything.
But Ryo's voice cut through the silence.
"Aiko..."
The second heir stood motionless beneath the shadow of his shark Yokai, staring at his sister's body.
Then his expression changed.
The grief lasted only a moment before it twisted into fury so intense that the water surrounding him began to churn violently.
"You killed her."
Gaku didn't answer.
Ryo's eyes shifted toward Jackson.
"You bastards..."
The shark roared above him, its enormous body twisting through the air as water gathered around its jaws. The surrounding pavement began to flood as Ryo's power surged outward, sending a wave of pressure through the ruined street.
"I'm going to tear you apart!"
Jackson watched him carefully.
Then, despite the blood running down his shoulder and the exhaustion weighing on his body, he smiled.
"Hey, Ryo."
The second heir snapped his head toward him.
Jackson raised a hand and gave him a casual wave."Your sister was talking a lot earlier. Guess she couldn't back it up."
Ryo's face contorted."SHUT UP!"
The shark surged forward, firing a massive beam of compressed water that tore through the street.
Jackson sprinted sideways.
The attack obliterated the remains of a building behind him, sending concrete and steel raining across the battlefield, but Jackson was already moving beyond its reach. He vaulted over a broken vehicle, landed against a cracked wall, and pushed off before the shark could turn toward him.
Ryo followed, his expression twisted with rage.
"STOP RUNNING!"Jackson glanced over his shoulder.
"Why? You're doing such a good job chasing me!"
He ducked beneath a sweeping attack from the shark's tail and slid across the wet pavement, his palm brushing against the side of a ruined building as he passed.
Tao spread beneath his fingers.
He didn't stop.
Instead, he continued running, touching the broken wall of a storefront, the twisted frame of an abandoned vehicle, and the fractured support of a building as he weaved through the destruction.
Every contact left something behind.
A faint trace of Tao.
A mark that Ryo never noticed.
The second heir was too consumed by anger to pay attention to anything except the person he wanted to kill. He drove his shark through the air, sending blasts of water into the streets while Jackson continued to evade him by the narrowest possible margins.
One attack grazed Jackson's back.
Another shattered the pavement beneath his feet.
A third caught him across the side and sent him crashing through a wall, but Jackson rolled through the debris and emerged on the other side before Ryo could capitalize on the hit.
He was hurt.
He was tired.
And every second he spent running brought him closer to the point where his body would finally give out.
But Jackson kept smiling.
"Come on, man!" he shouted, ducking behind a broken pillar as another beam tore through the street. "You're a Taira heir! I thought you people were supposed to be impressive!"
Ryo's teeth ground together.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
"That's the third time you've said that! You need new material!"
The shark twisted through the air, its jaws opening wide as Ryo gathered an enormous amount of water around its body. The surrounding current spiraled into a concentrated mass, compressing until the pressure made the nearby windows shatter.
Jackson glanced at the attack.
Then he looked at Ryo.
"...Oh, that one looks expensive."
He turned and ran.
Ryo released the attack.
The water exploded across the street, swallowing the entire area where Jackson had been standing and tearing through the remaining buildings in its path. The blast sent debris flying into the air, and the resulting wave of pressure rolled through the battlefield hard enough to knock Gaku off balance.
For a moment, Jackson disappeared behind the enormous curtain of water.
Ryo lowered his arm, breathing heavily as he stared at the destruction.
The shark circled above him, its jaws slowly closing.
"Done."
The word escaped Ryo with a bitter satisfaction as he watched the water drain through the broken street.
Then a voice came from behind him.
"Man, you really need to work on your aim."
Ryo froze.
Jackson stood several meters away, one hand resting against the side of a shattered building. Blood ran from his forehead, and his breathing had become noticeably heavier, but he was still standing.
More importantly, he was smiling again.
Ryo slowly turned toward him.
"...How?"
Jackson shrugged.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
He pushed away from the wall and began walking backward, keeping his gaze fixed on the second heir as the shark turned to follow him.
"You know, I've been thinking about something."
Ryo raised his hand, gathering water around his arm.
"I don't care what you think."
"Yeah, that's probably why you keep making such stupid decisions."
Jackson's smile widened.
"You killed the cameras, started trying to murder us, and somehow managed to get your sister killed in the process. And now you're chasing me around like an angry dog."
His eyes narrowed.
"Honestly, I'm starting to think the Taira Clan has a serious problem with its heirs."
Ryo's expression twisted.
The water around him exploded outward.
"YOKAI FUSION!"
His shark dissolved into a massive current that spiraled around his body, merging with his flesh as scales spread across his skin. His jaw lengthened, sharp teeth emerged between his lips, and enormous fins extended from his arms and back. A powerful tail formed behind him, while the remaining water gathered around his body like an invisible ocean.
When the transformation finished, Ryo stood in the middle of the ruined street with the features of a monstrous shark, his eyes locked on Jackson with murderous intent.
"I'm going to enjoy this."
Jackson stopped walking.
For the first time, his smile faded.
Ryo lowered his body, and the water beneath his feet began to move as though the street itself had become an ocean.
"Run."
Jackson stared at him.
Ryo's teeth gleamed.
"Go ahead. Run as far as you want. I'll find you."
Jackson slowly looked down at the pavement beneath his feet.
Then he looked back up.
"...Nah."
He planted his foot against the ground.
Tao surged through the traces he had left behind, spreading from the walls, vehicles, and broken foundations he had touched throughout the fight. The marks connected beneath the street, forming a vast network of energy that converged toward a single point.
Ryo's expression shifted.
The ground began to tremble.
"What did you do?"
Jackson raised his hand.
"Remember all those places I touched while you were chasing me?"
The Tao scattered throughout the battlefield suddenly ignited.
Broken walls shuddered.
Twisted steel groaned.
The pavement beneath Ryo's feet split apart as the energy surged upward, gathering in a massive formation of stone and metal that rose from the ruined street.
Jackson's fingers curled.
"Formless: Executioner's Edge."
The surrounding debris converged into a colossal blade.
Its body stretched across the street, formed from compressed concrete, twisted steel, and layers of hardened material bound together by Jackson's Tao. The enormous weapon rose above the ruined buildings, its jagged edge catching the pale light filtering through the clouds.
Jackson stood before it, his injured body dwarfed by the weapon he had created.
Ryo stared at the blade.
Then he laughed.
"You think that oversized piece of junk is going to kill me?"
Jackson adjusted his stance, his gaze fixed on the second heir.
"No."
He lowered his body.
"But I think it'll hurt."
The enormous blade shifted behind him as Jackson gathered himself, the Tao surrounding its surface growing denser with every passing second. He had spent the entire fight running, evading, and provoking Ryo into following him, all while leaving traces of his ability across the battlefield.
Now, with the second heir standing at the center of the area he had prepared, there was nowhere left for Jackson to hide.
He took a deep breath.
Then he charged.
The blade followed him, dragging a trail of shattered concrete and twisted metal as it surged forward. Jackson sprinted beneath its enormous shadow, his feet pounding against the broken pavement while Ryo braced himself for the impact.
"COME ON!" Ryo roared, spreading his arms as water gathered around his body. "SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT!"
Jackson didn't slow down.
The distance between them vanished.
Ryo's shark-like jaws opened, and he thrust both arms forward, releasing a concentrated torrent of water powerful enough to tear through the colossal blade. The attack struck the weapon head-on, grinding against its surface as cracks spread through the compressed material.
Jackson continued charging.
The blade began to break apart.
Ryo's grin widened as he poured more power into the attack.
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
Jackson's eyes remained fixed on him.
And then he smiled.
"Formless: Delayed Activation."
Ryo's expression changed.
The colossal blade shattered.
Its enormous body broke apart beneath the torrent of water, scattering chunks of concrete and twisted steel across the battlefield as the force of the collision swallowed Jackson's figure. For one brief moment, it looked as though Ryo had successfully destroyed the attack and killed the man who had charged straight into it.
Then the debris stopped moving.
Not all of it.
Just the pieces Jackson had marked.
The Tao embedded within the shattered blade remained dormant until that moment, hidden among the fragments and scattered across the ground. With Jackson's command, the energy activated all at once, reversing the movement of the fragments and pulling them toward a single point.
Ryo's eyes widened.
The broken pieces converged.
The largest fragment—the sharpened core of the colossal blade—shot forward from behind the curtain of water.
Ryo tried to turn.
He was too late.
The enormous blade pierced through his body.
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.
Ryo stared down at the steel and concrete protruding from his torso, his mouth opening slightly as he struggled to understand what had happened. The water surrounding him lost its shape, collapsing into streams that splashed across the broken pavement.
Jackson stood several meters away, one knee resting against the ground as he struggled to catch his breath.
The charge had never been intended to strike Ryo directly.
It had been bait.
The blade's destruction had been part of the attack from the beginning, allowing Jackson to scatter the marked fragments across the battlefield before activating them at the precise moment Ryo committed himself to the counterattack.
Ryo's knees buckled.
His fusion began to unravel, the shark's features dissolving as the remaining water fell away from his body.
He looked toward Jackson, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"...You..."
Jackson slowly pushed himself upright.
"Yeah."
He wiped the blood from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Turns out running away wasn't the plan."
Ryo tried to take a step forward, but his legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the wet concrete, the sound of his body hitting the ground echoing through the ruined street.
For several seconds, he remained still.
Then the water around him went quiet.
Ryo Taira, the Second Heir of the Taira Clan, was dead.
Jackson stood over the battlefield, his chest rising and falling as the last traces of Tao faded from the shattered blade. He looked toward Aiko's body, then toward Ryo, before finally turning to Gaku.
His friend hadn't moved.
Gaku stood several meters away, staring down at his hands with a distant expression, the blood on his skin slowly mixing with the rainwater dripping from the damaged buildings above.
Jackson approached him carefully.
"...Gaku?"
Gaku didn't answer.
Jackson stopped beside him, following his gaze toward Aiko's body.
The silence between them felt heavier than the battle itself.
Jackson had known that something was wrong the moment the broadcast disconnected. He had understood what the Taira heirs intended to do, and he had accepted that surviving the encounter might mean killing them first.
But Gaku had only just discovered what it meant to take a life.
Jackson looked down at his own hands.
Then he let out a slow breath.
"Hey."
Gaku's eyes shifted toward him.
Jackson forced a small smile, though the exhaustion in his face made it difficult to maintain.
"We're still alive."
Gaku stared at him for another moment before lowering his head.
"...Yeah."
Neither of them said anything else.
Above the ruined street, the clouds continued to gather, and the rain began falling harder, washing through the broken pavement and carrying the blood away from the places where the two heirs had fallen.