Chapter 62: The Hunt Begins!

As everyone settled in the

grand halls of the Kurogiri Mansion, Syvian stretched his arms and

turned to the group with a sudden idea.

"What about we go to

the beach?" he suggested, his

eyes lighting up with excitement.

Zyren raised an eyebrow. "A

beach? Here in Neo-Shinkoku?"

Syvian grinned. "Yeah!

There's a secluded coastal stretch just outside the city. Hardly anyone goes

there, and we could have some fun for a change!"

Senjuro leaned forward,

smirking. "I'm in! Besides, Kairen's also interested, right?"

Kairen crossed his arms,

glancing at Senjuro before replying, "If Senjuro's coming, then

I'm coming too!"

Syvian turned to Rin. "What

about you, Rin?"

Rin shook his head lazily. "Nah.

Me, Kyrin, and Blaze gotta level up in a game, and honestly? We're too lazy to

move."

Senjuro let out an

exaggerated sigh. "You three don't like touching grass at

all!"

Kairen chuckled, crossing

his arms. "Seems like it. But hey, more space for us at the

beach!"

Syvian checked on the

others. "Sylvia already left with Kyra and Mirae to explore the

district. So, it's just the four of us, huh?"

Kairen smirked. "Then

let's hit the road! Senjuro, start the G-Cruiser!"

The Celestial

Class G-Cruiser, a powerful custom-made vehicle crafted for Kairen by the Leondrazu

Clan, purred to life as Senjuro revved the engine. The sleek metallic beast

roared as they sped through the neon-lit highways of Neo-Shinkoku,

heading toward the coast.

The sun hung in the sky

like a golden lantern as the waves crashed softly against the shore. The

secluded beach was untouched by the urban chaos of the city, a perfect oasis

where the golden sands stretched endlessly, and the blue waves shimmered under

the warm sunlight.

As they stepped onto the

sand, Syvian took in a deep breath. "This is exactly what we

needed."

Senjuro tossed his shoes

aside. "Finally, a day without fighting assassins, shadow demons,

or dealing with Lord Z's nonsense."

Kairen walked ahead, his

hands in his pockets. "Don't jinx it. You know how our luck

is."

Zyren smirked. "You're

saying that like we can't handle whatever comes our way."

Without wasting time, they

ran toward the waves, the cool water splashing against their legs.

"Race you to that

rock!" Syvian shouted,

pointing toward a jagged cliff that jutted into the sea.

The four of them sprinted,

laughing and shoving each other along the way. Kairen won effortlessly,

his Stormborn Instinct giving him an advantage.

"Too easy," Kairen said, casually stretching as he waited for the

others.

"You have

super-speed, of course, you won!" Syvian groaned.

Senjuro panted. "This

guy doesn't even break a sweat."

They spent hours enjoying

the beach—diving into the waves, wrestling in the sand, and even challenging

each other to a quick sparring session near the shore. Kairen dominated, as

expected, but Zyren managed to land a sneaky hit on him, earning a grin of approval

from the Stormborn King.

As the sun began to set,

casting golden hues across the sky, Kairen suddenly tensed. His eyes narrowed

as he gazed toward the edge of the beach where the dunes met the jungle.

"We're being

watched," he muttered.

Syvian's expression

darkened. "You sure?"

Kairen's Stormborn

Instinct was never wrong.

Zyren wiped the sweat off

his forehead. "Looks like we didn't get a full day off after

all."

Senjuro cracked his

knuckles. "Well, I'm still warmed up from earlier."

A moment later, figures

emerged from the shadows—three masked assassins cloaked in dark energy, their

auras pulsing with ominous intent.

"You kids had your

fun. Now, hand over the Kurogiri heir," one

of them ordered.

Syvian stepped forward,

his stance firm. "You think we're just going to let you walk in

here and take Sylvia?"

One of the assassins

tilted his head. "Sylvia? We're not here for her. Our orders are

to eliminate the Stormborn King."

Kairen's eyes glowed

faintly with lightning energy. "Oh? That's a mistake you'll

regret."

The air grew heavy as the

assassins lunged forward.

Kairen moved first, his Primal

Instinct Combat activating as he dodged the first strike with

lightning-fast reflexes. With a sharp movement, he drove his fist into

the assassin's chest, sending him flying into the sand.

Zyren drew his twin

blades, deflecting an attack aimed at Senjuro. "Looks like we've

got no choice but to fight."

Senjuro summoned his

crimson energy blades, grinning. "I was hoping for some

action."

Syvian charged forward, his

energy flaring like a storm, engaging the third assassin in close combat.

Their strikes blurred in the air as they clashed.

The assassin Kairen had

struck recovered quickly, standing up as dark tendrils formed around

his arms. He snarled, launching a barrage of shadow-infused attacks toward

Kairen.

Kairen countered,

whispering "Raikoun!" as his body was enveloped in golden

lightning burning with celestial fire. With one swift motion, he moved so

fast that he disappeared from sight, reappearing behind the

assassin and delivering a devastating strike to his core. The enemy

screamed as his body disintegrated into energy, vanishing into the

night.

Syvian, meanwhile,

overpowered his opponent by switching tactics mid-fight. With a sudden burst of Celestial

Void energy, he broke through the assassin's defenses and delivered a

crushing blow that knocked the enemy unconscious.

Senjuro and Zyren fought

side by side, their teamwork flawless. With a final coordinated strike, they

finished off the last assassin, sending him crashing into the sand.

As the dust settled,

Kairen glanced at the remains of their fallen enemies. "These guys

weren't ordinary assassins. Their energy felt… different."

Zyren nodded. "Agreed.

Someone is testing us."

Syvian clenched his fists. "Then

we need to be ready. If Lord Z is already making moves, it means he knows about

the Dragon Lantern."

Senjuro sighed, wiping

sweat from his brow. "Guess we really don't get vacations."

Kairen smirked. "Well,

at least we got a workout."

As everyone returned home,

the grand Kurogiri Mansion stood illuminated against the night

sky, its towering structure a symbol of their clan's legacy. The moment they

stepped inside, they were greeted by an all-too-familiar sight—Kyrin, Rin,

and Blaze still glued to their screens, their eyes locked onto the

game they had been playing since morning.

Kairen sighed and ran a

hand through his hair, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Oh my god!

These dudes have been playing from morning. Oh, hell nah!"

Without even looking away

from the screen, Rin casually replied, "Why did y'all come back so

late?"

Senjuro smirked,

stretching his arms. "A few foxes thought they could defeat the King."

Rin finally glanced at

him, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Senjuro could

respond, Syvian stepped in, shrugging. "Nothing to worry about."

Kairen plopped onto the

couch, exhaling deeply. "Man, I swear, some people just don't learn.

Anyway, I need a shower. Fighting on the beach gets sand in places I'd rather

not mention."

The team chuckled, and as

the night settled in, they all relaxed, some eating snacks, some chatting, and

others still obsessively gaming. They never expected what was coming

next.

Just as everyone had begun

unwinding, a loud explosion rocked the mansion. The ground

trembled, and the walls shuddered under the force. The lights flickered, and an

eerie silence followed the blast.

Kairen immediately bolted

up, his Stormborn Instinct flaring. "That's not a

normal explosion."

Syvian cursed, grabbing

his weapons. "We're under attack!"

Rin groaned, setting his

controller down. "Can't we have one peaceful night?"

Before anyone could

answer, a huge force crashed through the walls, sending debris

flying. Out of the dust, figures cloaked in abyssal energy emerged.

Lord Z had sent his elite

assassins.

Kairen cracked his

knuckles, his aura flaring with electric energy. "Well, if they wanted

war, they came to the right place."

Senjuro smirked. "Round

two, boys."

Kyrin, Rin, and Blaze

finally stood up from their game, rolling their shoulders.

Rin sighed. "Guess

we have no choice but to touch grass after all."

The battle was about to

begin. And this time, the enemy had come prepared.