THE RAGE OF THE YOKAI PRINCE

Dark clouds gathered over the palace, as if they, too, felt the weight of loss pressing against the air. Kaito and Naru stood before the monk, who watched them intently, completely calm despite the storm of fury brewing in Naru's eyes.

"You're to blame," Naru hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes gleaming with raw, untamed anger.

The monk did not respond, nor did he look away.

"Where is she?" Naru's fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Where she belongs," the monk replied calmly.

That was the last straw.

From the sleeve of his robe, Naru drew his sword. The sharp sound of metal echoed through the temple as the cold blade gleamed under the lantern's glow.

"I'll kill you," he murmured. "I'll bring her back, even if I have to cut you down right here and now."

He lunged forward, swinging with lightning speed, but just as the blade was about to pierce the monk's throat—something stopped him.

Kaito.

His hand gripped Naru's, holding him back from striking the final blow.

"Let me go!" Naru's voice was harsh, unrecognizable. "You know he's to blame! He took her from me! He took her, Kaito!"

"And killing him will fix that?" Kaito's jaw tightened as he struggled to restrain his friend. "If you kill him, we'll never get her back!"

Naru thrashed, but Kaito didn't loosen his grip.

"He knows how to bring her back," Kaito said, staring at the monk. "Doesn't he?"

The monk let out a slow breath, his gaze steady.

"She can no longer return the same way," he said, unblinking.

Naru's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tensing.

"What does that mean?" he asked, his voice low and full of threat.

"When I first brought her here, the worlds were overlapping," the monk explained. "But now, they have separated. The path is closed."

Naru stared at him, his eyes burning like embers.

"You're lying."

"I am not."

"You're lying!" he shouted, struggling against Kaito's grip once more.

But Kaito was relentless.

"Naru, calm down!"

The yokai prince trembled with rage, but at last, he released his sword. It clattered to the ground, its metallic echo filling the temple.

"If you can't bring her back now," he growled, "then find a way."

The monk remained silent.

"Find a way!" Naru lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar. "Because if you don't, I'll personally rip the soul from your body!"

Kaito pulled him back.

"We need to return to the palace," he said. "We have to figure out our next move."

Naru ran a frustrated hand through his hair, glancing at the monk one last time.

"If you don't help me…"

"I understand," the monk replied simply.

Naru turned and stormed out of the temple.

—

The yokai palace was in utter chaos.

Servants ran left and right, watching in terror as their lord destroyed everything in his path.

Naru threw chairs, overturned tables, shattered vases. His room was in complete disarray—mirrors were broken, curtains torn, his bed flipped over.

Everywhere, there were traces of her.

Her hairbrush.

Her clothes.

Her scent still lingered in the air.

He collapsed to the floor, clutching his head.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't think.

All he could see was her.

Her smile.

Her defiance.

Her touch.

And now…

She was gone.

Forever.

Days passed.

Naru didn't eat.

He didn't drink.

He didn't leave his room.

Sometimes, he would just reach for her shirt, pull it close, and breathe in her scent, as if that alone could bring her back.

No one dared to enter.

Except Kaito.

One night, Kaito kicked down the door.

"That's enough," he said coldly, surveying the destruction.

Naru sat in the corner, staring blankly ahead.

"Get up," Kaito ordered, but Naru didn't even blink.

Kaito stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him to his feet.

"Leyla wouldn't want you sitting here, wasting away!"

Naru blinked, but said nothing.

"If you really want her back," Kaito said, "then stop acting like a broken man and start finding a way!"

Naru looked at him, his eyes red from anger and sleepless nights.

"How?"

Kaito smirked.

"Together."

"You rule the whole world, yet you can't even force yourself to take a bath?"

Kaito stood with his arms crossed in front of Naru, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, unshaven, disheveled, and staring blankly ahead.

"Who would take you seriously in this state?" Kaito continued, gesturing around the mess in the room. "Do you think Leyla would want to see you like this when you bring her back?"

Naru didn't move.

"No answer?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then we'll do this the hard way."

In the next moment, he grabbed Naru by the collar and yanked him off the bed. Naru didn't resist—he just stared blankly ahead.

"You really plan to surrender like this, don't you?" Kaito scoffed, dragging him toward the bathroom door. "If you can't fight, at least take a bath! You stink worse than those yokai rats from the underworld!"

Meanwhile, the palace servants rushed into the room, rolling their eyes as they started cleaning up the disaster Naru had created during his days of isolation. The torn curtains were replaced, shattered vases removed, the bed neatly arranged once more.

One of the maids dared to speak.

"My lord, shall we prepare a hot bath with healing herbs for you?"

"Yes, please, and throw in something that smells like common sense!" Kaito added.

The maid bowed and left, while Kaito finally shoved Naru into the bathroom.

"Don't come out until you wash off that misery," he ordered, slamming the door shut.

Silence.

Kaito sighed.

"This is going to take longer than I thought."

—

While the servants finished cleaning, the palace doors swung open, and Akihiro stepped inside.

His aura was firm, determined.

"I've come to help," he stated simply.

Kaito studied him for a few moments before responding.

"Naru isn't very talkative these days," he said, folding his arms. "But I assume you'll follow orders?"

"Whatever it takes to bring Leyla back."

The bathroom door opened, and Naru stepped out, his hair still damp, dressed in clean clothes.

Akihiro expected some sarcastic remark, some venomous comment from Naru—but nothing came.

He looked better, but… his eyes were empty.

Akihiro approached, but Naru didn't say a word.

He just nodded and continued getting ready.

Akihiro turned to Kaito.

"How long has he been like this?"

Kaito sighed.

"Since the moment he realized he lost Leyla."

—

Far from the palace, within the dark corridors of his fortress, Raizen sat on his throne, surrounded by shadows. His most loyal servant knelt before him, forehead pressed to the ground.

"My lord… I bring news."

Raizen didn't move, but his aura grew heavier.

"Speak."

"Leyla… she's gone."

A deadly silence followed.

Then, an explosion of energy.

Black flames erupted from Raizen's body, scorching the walls of the hall. The servant was thrown backward but quickly bowed again, trembling.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Raizen's voice thundered through the chamber.

"She vanished, my lord—"

"HOW?!"

"We're not certain… but all traces indicate that the scroll was involved."

Raizen clenched his fists.

"I needed her… both her and the artifact!"

He rose to his feet, his steps echoing like rolling thunder.

"Naru has lost Leyla… which means he's weak," he murmured to himself, his eyes glowing crimson. "Perhaps it's time to take everything else from him."

He turned to his servant.

"If we can't get to Leyla, then we'll destroy everything he holds dear."

The servant bowed and disappeared into the darkness.

Raizen leaned back on his throne, his fingers gripping the armrests, tendrils of dark energy curling around them.

"Let's see what you do next, prince of the yokai world."