Chapter 35: The Return of Sakura

The sunrise cast a golden hue over the city as Ryo and his team trudged back to their makeshift headquarters—a repurposed tea house on the outskirts of town. Despite their victory at the shrine, the atmosphere was somber.

Kenji plopped onto the nearest couch, sighing dramatically. "Can someone remind me why we decided to fight shadow demons instead of, I don't know, opening a bakery? At least then I'd be fighting with dough instead of my sanity."

Akira rolled her eyes. "Because you'd eat all the profits, Kenji."

Sora smirked as she inspected her bow. "You do realize you're already carrying a frying pan into battle, right? You're halfway there."

"Har-har," Kenji replied. "Let's see how funny you think it is when I start charging for my culinary services."

As the banter continued, Ryo sat at the window, lost in thought. His fingers unconsciously traced the hilt of his katana, the weight of their recent battles pressing heavily on his shoulders.

The soft chime of the tea house door interrupted his brooding. Everyone turned, hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.

But when the door swung open, Ryo froze.

Standing in the doorway was Sakura.

---

A Shocking Reunion

Sakura stepped inside, her presence instantly filling the room. She looked the same yet different—her usual bright smile was subdued, her eyes sharper, as though she'd seen more than she cared to share. Her crimson hair was tied back, and she wore a sleek combat outfit instead of her usual casual attire.

"Sakura?" Ryo's voice barely rose above a whisper.

She tilted her head, her lips curving into a small smile. "Miss me, Ryo?"

"Sakura!" Kenji leapt to his feet, nearly tripping over his frying pan in his haste. "You're alive! Wait—are you alive? You're not a shadow clone, right?"

She gave him a flat look. "Nice to see your sense of humor hasn't improved."

Kenji sighed in relief. "Yep, it's her."

---

Explanations

As everyone gathered, Sakura sat at the table, her demeanor calm but guarded. Ryo couldn't take his eyes off her, questions swirling in his mind.

"Where have you been?" he finally asked. "We thought…"

"That I was gone?" Sakura finished for him, her tone soft. "I almost was."

She explained how, during her disappearance, she had been ambushed by a faction of the Shadowborne working independently of Kage no Ō. Though she'd managed to fend them off, she'd been gravely injured and had to seek refuge with a secretive group of rogue exorcists.

"They helped me recover," she said. "And they've been tracking Kage no Ō for years. I've been working with them to gather intel."

"Why didn't you contact us?" Akira asked, her tone sharp.

"I couldn't risk it," Sakura replied. "Kage no Ō's reach is deeper than we realized. Any communication could have put you all in danger."

---

The Shadowborn Attack

Before they could process her words, the windows shattered as tendrils of shadow burst into the room. The team sprang into action, weapons drawn.

"Really?" Kenji groaned, dodging a clawed shadow that swiped at him. "Can we have one dramatic reunion without an ambush?"

The Shadowborne poured in, their shrieks echoing through the tea house. Ryo and Sakura stood back-to-back, their movements perfectly in sync as they fought off the attackers.

"You haven't lost your touch," Ryo said, slashing through a shadowy tendril.

"And you've gotten better," Sakura replied, her daggers a blur as they sliced through the darkness.

Kenji, meanwhile, wielded his frying pan with reckless abandon. "Why is it always me who gets the ones with extra teeth?!"

"Because you're the tastiest-looking," Sora quipped, firing arrows from the staircase.

Akira laughed as she kicked a shadow creature into the wall. "Kenji, try not to get eaten this time!"

---

Sakura's New Power

As the fight intensified, Sakura stepped forward, her daggers glowing with a strange, ethereal light. She raised them high, and a shockwave of energy rippled through the room, disintegrating several Shadowborne in its path.

Everyone paused, stunned.

"What was that?" Ryo asked, his eyes wide.

Sakura lowered her daggers, her expression unreadable. "A gift from the rogue exorcists. Let's just say I'm not entirely the same as I was before."

Kenji's jaw dropped. "Wait—you get shiny magic daggers, and I still have this frying pan? How is that fair?"

"Life isn't fair," Akira said, smirking.

---

A Renewed Purpose

When the last Shadowborne fell, the group regrouped, catching their breath. The tea house was in shambles, but their spirits were strangely lifted.

Sakura turned to Ryo. "I came back because I found something important—something that might be the key to defeating Kage no Ō. But it's dangerous."

Ryo met her gaze, determination blazing in his eyes. "We'll face it together."

Kenji groaned. "Oh great. More danger. Can't wait."

Sakura smiled, a hint of her old warmth returning. "It's good to be back."

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the team prepared for the next stage of their journey, their resolve stronger than ever.

The team had barely begun to digest the chaos of the Shadowborne attack when Sakura stepped forward, brushing dust from her jacket. Her expression was calm, but her eyes carried a storm.

"So, about that key I mentioned," she said, glancing around the wreckage of the tea house. "It's not exactly sitting in a treasure chest waiting for us. We're going to have to steal it."

Kenji froze mid-bite of a rice ball he'd conjured from nowhere. "Steal? You mean like breaking into a place, sneaking past guards, and risking our necks? Sounds delightful. When do we start?"

Akira smirked. "It's nice to know your survival instincts are as sharp as ever, Kenji."

"I aim to please," Kenji replied, popping the rest of the rice ball into his mouth.

---

The Plan Unfolds

Sakura pulled out a map, spreading it across the cracked table. "The key is called the Obsidian Heart. It's locked away in the vault of the Ashigawa Corporation."

Ryo frowned. "Ashigawa? They're one of the most powerful companies in the country. Why would they have something like that?"

"Because they're not just a company," Sakura explained. "They've been working with the Shadowborne for years, funding their operations and providing them with resources."

Kenji leaned back, crossing his arms. "Great. So now we're up against corporate overlords and shadow demons. What's next, a dragon CEO?"

Akira jabbed him in the side. "Focus, genius."

Sora traced her finger along the map. "The vault is here, on the top floor of their headquarters. It's heavily guarded, and the building itself is rigged with security systems."

Ryo's eyes narrowed. "How do we get in?"

Sakura's smile turned mischievous. "We'll need a distraction, a lot of guts, and maybe a little luck."

Kenji groaned. "I hate it when plans rely on luck. That's usually when things go horribly wrong."

---

Breaking In

That evening, the team stood outside the Ashigawa Corporation's towering headquarters. The building gleamed like a monolith of steel and glass, its upper floors disappearing into the clouds.

"Okay," Sakura whispered, adjusting her earpiece. "Kenji, you're up first."

"Why me?" Kenji whined, clutching his frying pan like a lifeline.

"Because you're the most distracting person here," Akira said, smirking.

Kenji sighed dramatically. "Fine, but if I die, I'm haunting all of you."

With that, Kenji strolled up to the front entrance, his pan swinging casually by his side. He burst into an exaggerated monologue, loudly complaining about a nonexistent product recall that had "ruined his life."

The guards exchanged confused glances, stepping away from their posts to deal with the "angry customer."

Sakura smirked. "Distraction achieved. Let's move."

---

Scaling the Tower

While Kenji's performance escalated into a full-blown argument with the guards, Ryo, Sakura, Akira, Sora, and Kael slipped into the building. They moved swiftly, bypassing security cameras and weaving through the shadows like ghosts.

Sora led the way, her precision and agility making her an excellent scout. "Clear up ahead," she whispered, waving the team forward.

As they reached the elevator, Akira pressed the button for the top floor. "How much time do you think Kenji can buy us?"

"Knowing him?" Ryo said. "Enough to write a novel."

---

The Vault

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a long hallway lined with armed guards.

Sakura grinned. "Time for some cardio."

The group launched into action, their movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed dance. Ryo's katana blazed with Shadow Flame, cutting through enemy defenses with surgical precision.

Akira darted between opponents, her daggers gleaming as they found their marks.

Sora covered them from behind, her arrows taking down guards before they could sound the alarm.

Kael used his staff to disable security systems, his calm focus a steadying force amidst the chaos.

Sakura fought with a ferocity that left even Ryo impressed. Her glowing daggers moved like extensions of her will, cutting through shadows and steel alike.

"Not bad," Ryo said, blocking an attack and countering with a flaming strike.

"Not bad yourself," Sakura replied, flipping over an enemy and landing gracefully beside him.

---

The Obsidian Heart

The team reached the vault door, a massive structure reinforced with layers of steel and magic.

"This is going to take a minute," Kael said, examining the complex locking mechanism.

"We don't have a minute," Akira said, glancing back down the hallway. "Reinforcements are coming."

Ryo stepped forward, his hands igniting with Shadow Flame. "Let me try something."

He placed his hands on the vault door, focusing his energy. The flames spread across the metal, burning through the magical seals. With a groan, the door creaked open, revealing the Obsidian Heart—a glowing black crystal pulsing with dark energy.

"That's it," Sakura said, stepping inside.

---

A Sudden Betrayal

Before anyone could celebrate, an explosion rocked the building. The group turned to see a shadowy figure emerging from the smoke.

"Kage no Ō," Ryo growled, gripping his katana.

The Shadow King smirked. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice your little heist? The Obsidian Heart belongs to me."

Ryo stepped forward, his Shadow Flame blazing brighter than ever. "Not anymore."

The room filled with tension as the two forces prepared to clash.