| The Cyber Ascension | Arc 8 — Ganchio-Sae| Volume 8 | Chapter 79 : The Terrifying Explanation|
The battlefield was a choking haze of smoke, ash, and lingering fear. The air seemed heavier than usual, pressing down on everyone like an invisible hand. Haruko's hands trembled slightly as she maintained the massive spherical barriers, sweat glistening on her forehead. Kiyoshi, ever the foolish optimist, gritted his teeth, hurling meteors around the barrier in a desperate attempt to reinforce it.
Jin Yuan's grip on his katana tightened, the veins on his forearm pulsing. Every muscle in his body screamed tension as he watched Karasuya step forward, calm, controlled, and terrifyingly confident.
Karasuya
"This ritual… has a price."
A cold shiver ran down everyone's spines.
Eirien
"What… price?"
Haruko didn't answer. She couldn't. Her focus was on maintaining the barrier, every ounce of energy strained to its limits. Kiyoshi's foolish grin was gone, replaced with the stark realization of what was coming.
Karasuya's eyes darkened. The world seemed to pause, the air thickening with dread.
Karasuya
"Everyone from our Zenōnuke Clan participates in 'Ganchio-Sae'—a ritual to resurrect our founder, to gain aid against Hell. But the ritual isn't simple, nor forgiving. It begins with each of you… dropping three drops of your blood onto the land."
A faint purple glow formed beneath their feet as his words fell, as if the earth itself was listening.
Karasuya
"The moment blood touches soil, a ring spins into the air—a wheel of fate. It turns nine times, and when it stops, two arrows emerge, pointing at… who fights whom. Not you, not me, not even Sanji Youta is safe from its decision. It is absolute. Escape is impossible. Denial is meaningless. The wheel does not lie. The ritual chooses for you."
Jin Yuan's eyes narrowed, his jaw tight.
Karasuya
"Should anyone refuse to fight their assigned opponent, there is no 'if'. There is no mercy. Once the ritual begins, it is inescapable. You are bound by fate itself."
The smoke swirled unnaturally, shadows stretching and twisting like claws around them. A low, grinding sound echoed from beneath the forest floor, as if the world itself groaned at the coming slaughter.
Karasuya
"And know this… seven members will die. Seven will fall before the ritual ends. Until then, it will not stop. Not for tears, not for pleas, not for anyone."
Haruko's hands shook violently now, her barriers flickering. Kiyoshi's meteors trembled mid-air, tiny cracks forming in their glowing shells.
Jin Yuan
"And me? I'm not a Zenōnuke… but I've already taken a Tenshoudhā from another."
Karasuya's gaze sharpened. The purple of his pupils deepened.
Karasuya
"Yes. You may not be born a Zenōnuke… but the Fate Wheel recognizes anyone who wields Tenshoudhā as one. You are bound. Your choice is no longer yours."