Ichiro and Aiko burst into the shattered courtyard, boots splashing through blood-soaked stone as smoke curled around broken pillars. Screams echoed from every direction. At the center of the chaos stood Kemono, the Beast King-towering, broad-shouldered, his obsidian claws dragging gouges into the ground with every step. Each breath he took sounded like grinding stone.
"Focus!" Ichiro shouted, forcing his fear down. His hooks snapped outward, chains whistling as they wrapped toward Kemono's arms. "Don't let him intimidate you!"
Aiko planted her feet beside him, eyes narrowed in concentration. Energy flared around her hands, forming twin spectral weapons that hummed with power. "Attack together!" she called. "Don't give him an opening!"
They moved in unison.
Ichiro struck first, hooks flashing toward Kemono's shoulders, aiming to bind his arms. Aiko followed instantly, slashing at Kemono's exposed flank with a glowing arc of energy.
The attacks landed.
And barely mattered.
Kemono didn't even flinch.
A deep, rumbling laugh rolled out of his chest. "Is that all?"
With terrifying speed, he twisted his torso, snapping Ichiro's chains like threads. His massive claw swept outward in a single, brutal arc.
The impact was devastating.
Ichiro was hurled through the air, crashing into a shattered wall. Stone exploded around him as blood sprayed from his mouth. Aiko barely had time to scream before Kemono's backhand caught her squarely in the chest, sending her skidding across the ground, her weapons dissolving into flickers of light.
She cried out as pain tore through her ribs.
Kemono stalked forward, savoring the moment. He reached down, grabbing Aiko by the throat with one massive hand and lifting her effortlessly into the air.
"You'll make a fine meal," he growled, fangs bared.
"Let her go!"
The shout cracked through the battlefield like thunder.
Haruki slammed into Kemono's jaw, both fists striking at once with explosive force. The shockwave rippled outward, forcing Kemono to stagger a step back. Aiko slipped from his grip, crashing to the ground where she gasped desperately for air.
Ichiro forced himself upright, ignoring the blood running down his face, and dragged Aiko behind a fallen pillar.
Haruki didn't retreat.
He planted himself between Kemono and the others, fists clenched, legs braced. "I won't let you touch them!"
Kemono snarled and lunged.
What followed was a brutal clash of raw strength.
Haruki ducked under a claw swipe, countering with a rising knee that slammed into Kemono's abdomen. The impact echoed-but Kemono answered with a savage elbow that smashed into Haruki's shoulder, dislocating it with a sickening crack.
Haruki cried out but stayed standing.
He spun, kicking at Kemono's knee, then followed with a flurry of punches aimed at joints and weak points. Each blow landed with precision born of endless training-but Kemono's hide was thick, his muscles like iron.
Kemono grabbed Haruki mid-strike and hurled him across the courtyard.
Haruki rolled hard, coughing blood, vision blurring.
Kemono advanced, claws raised.
Then-
"I've got your back!"
Riku burst into the fray, twin swords flashing. He leapt high, blades slicing downward toward Kemono's neck. Kemono raised an arm to block-but Riku twisted midair, redirecting his strike to Kemono's fingers instead.
Steel met flesh.
With a furious roar, Kemono recoiled as three massive fingers were severed cleanly, black blood spraying across the stone.
Riku landed beside Haruki, breathing hard. "Still alive?"
Haruki smirked weakly, wiping blood from his mouth. "Barely."
Ichiro tossed a spear toward them. "End this-together!"
Riku caught it midair and tossed it to Haruki. "You ready?"
Haruki nodded, teeth clenched.
Kemono roared and charged, rage replacing arrogance.
"Left side!" Riku shouted, rushing in first. His swords slashed low, drawing Kemono's attention. Kemono swung wildly, claws tearing chunks from the ground as Riku dodged by inches.
"NOW, HARUKI!"
Haruki sprinted from the opposite angle, spear gripped tight. He leapt, driving the weapon forward with everything he had.
The spear pierced Kemono's chest.
Straight through the heart.
Kemono froze, eyes wide in disbelief. His roar faltered into a gurgle as blood poured from his mouth. He staggered once... twice... then collapsed like a falling tower, shaking the courtyard as his lifeless body hit the ground.
Silence followed.
Haruki dropped to one knee, breathing raggedly. "Is... everyone okay?"
Ichiro nodded weakly. "Aoi's alive."
Nao, standing beside the colossal dragon, watched with hardened eyes. "Then we fight," he said quietly. "Until the last breath."
Elsewhere in the shrine, terror unfolded anew.
Nagatsume lunged at an elite Lampman, his elongated nails stretching unnaturally as they thrust toward the man's stomach.
"WATCH OUT!" a trainee screamed.
Too late-
A hook snapped through the air.
Juzo yanked hard, the chain coiling tight around Nagatsume's wrist. "You're not killing anyone else."
Nagatsume shrieked, wrenching his arm back-but Juzo twisted, muscles bulging as he tore the demon's clawed hand clean off.
Black blood sprayed across the ground.
"ARGH!"
Nagatsume howled, lunging forward with his remaining arm, nails slashing wildly. Juzo ducked and spun, hooks cracking against Nagatsume's ribs again and again.
"You can't touch me!" Juzo taunted, moving with terrifying speed. His hooks snapped, wrapped, and pulled-smashing Nagatsume into pillars, into walls, into the ground.
Nagatsume tried to flee, skittering backward on all fours.
Too slow.
Juzo's hook caught his leg.
With a brutal yank, he dragged the demon back, bone snapping audibly as Nagatsume slammed face-first into the stone.
Juzo stepped forward, pulling out a butcher knife, eyes cold. "Your reign of terror ends now."
One clean motion.
Nagatsume was split in two.
Blood soaked the courtyard as Juzo stood alone, breathing heavily-but victorious.
At the shrine gate, Master Batsu staggered.
Cracks spread across his massive shield, glowing ominously as Enma's infernal heat intensified. Each blast drove him back further, boots digging furrows into scorched earth.
"Stay behind me!" Batsu roared to the two elite Lampmen struggling to rise.
Enma laughed. "Fools... you cannot stop me!"
With a casual wave, he unleashed a massive blast of fire. The Lampmen were hurled backward, bodies skidding lifelessly across the ground.
Enma raised his arms, summoning a towering inferno.
Then-
"Not so fast, demon!"
Hana erupted onto the battlefield.
Her eyes blazed like molten fire, grief and fury twisting her expression.
Flames surged around her as she launched herself forward.
"You will pay for what you've done!"
Fire blasts streaked through the air, slamming into Enma again and again. He raised his arms to block-but each impact drove him lower, forced him back.
"Try to block this!" Hana screamed.
The ground cracked beneath Enma's knees as smoke and ash swallowed the battlefield.
"You... dare challenge me?" Enma hissed, coughing.
"I am your sister!" Hana shouted, voice breaking. "You killed our family-and I will make you regret it!"
Her flames surged, roaring higher, brighter, wilder.
"This ends tonight, Enma!"
Enma struggled, sinking into scorched dirt as her fire engulfed him completely.
"You... cannot... defeat me-"
"Yes, I can!" Hana roared. "And I will!"
Fire consumed the night.
And the mountain trembled.