A Warrior's End

Chapter 25: A Warrior's End

The blazing afternoon sun scorched the vast desert, its golden sands stretching endlessly in every direction. Raizen stood firm, his piercing crimson eyes locked onto Hizashi, one of the warriors who had helped kill his brother. The wind howled, carrying dust and heat between them, but neither warrior flinched.

Hizashi, his weathered face showing no fear, drew his katana, its steel shimmering under the relentless sun. "You've come all this way just to die in the sand?" he asked, his voice steady.

Raizen's expression darkened. "No. I've come to finish what should've been done long ago."

Without another word, Raizen lunged forward, his speed like a shadow cutting through the light. Hizashi met his attack head-on, their blades clashing with a deafening metallic ring. Sparks flew as they exchanged a flurry of slashes, each warrior refusing to yield.

The desert ground trembled under their relentless movements. Raizen's strikes were fueled by rage, while Hizashi countered with disciplined precision. Their battle raged on, sand swirling around them as they weaved through each other's attacks.

After several fierce clashes, Raizen landed a powerful strike, shattering Hizashi's sword into pieces. The broken blade clattered onto the hot sand, leaving Hizashi momentarily stunned.

"Now… we fight as true warriors," Raizen said coldly, tossing his weapon aside.

Hand-to-hand combat began, the fight growing even more brutal. Fists collided with bone, each strike sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Hizashi managed to land a powerful kick to Raizen's ribs, but Raizen retaliated instantly, slamming his fist into Hizashi's gut, sending him skidding across the desert.

As they struggled to their feet, both warriors activated their transformations. Raizen's dark aura ignited, his black lightning crackling around him. Hizashi's fiery energy roared to life, his body glowing with golden flames.

The battle reached its peak. Explosions of energy shook the desert as they clashed, their enhanced forms pushing them beyond human limits. Raizen's strikes became faster and deadlier, while Hizashi countered with bursts of devastating flames. The sky above them trembled under their overwhelming power.

But in the end, Raizen proved superior. With a final, merciless strike, he pierced Hizashi's chest with his lightning-infused fist. Hizashi gasped, blood staining the sand beneath him.

He fell to his knees, his life slipping away. "So… this is how it ends," he muttered, his vision fading.

Raizen watched him collapse, breathing heavily, exhaustion creeping over him. But there was no satisfaction—only a hollow feeling inside. Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the desert, leaving Hizashi's lifeless body behind.

Hours later, a group of warriors, returning from a mission, stumbled upon the scene. They recognized Hizashi immediately.

One of them knelt beside the fallen warrior, eyes widening as he found a bloodstained letter in Hizashi's pocket. Carefully unfolding it, he began to read.

It was a message from Raizen.

"To the ones who killed my brother... one by one, I will find you. One by one, I will make you pay. This is only the beginning."

Back at the village, Kairo's mother, Kaida Tenma, received the grim news. As the lifeless body of Hizashi was laid before her, a sense of dread filled the room.

The medical team confirmed the cause of death, but what sent chills through everyone was the letter. As Kaida read Raizen's declaration of vengeance, her hands trembled.

"This is bad…" she whispered.

The hunt had begun.

To be continued-