Ch.11- Veil of darkness

Blade could barely stand. His legs trembled, his lungs burned, and blood dripped from a deep cut on his forehead. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay upright, gripping both Kamikaze and Kazeshin tightly. Across the battlefield, Tasuguru stood with that same twisted smirk, his massive sword, Gen Zan, resting casually on his shoulder.

"I refuse to lose."

Blade gritted his teeth and pushed forward, ignoring the searing pain in his body. If he hesitated now, if he showed weakness, this battle was over.

This was his last chance.

He gathered every ounce of strength left in his body, his aura flaring violently. Fire and wind swirled around his swords, their energy surging to their peak. The air itself trembled under the pressure.

"Tera Blaze Strike!"

With a furious roar, Blade swung both swords downward, unleashing a colossal wave of destruction.

A blinding torrent of flames and wind surged forward, tearing through the battlefield like a raging inferno. The sheer force of the attack shattered the ground, sending cracks across the frozen landscape.

As the attack collided with Tasuguru, the world erupted into chaos.

BOOOOOOM!

A massive shockwave exploded outward, sending fire into the sky and shaking the earth beneath them. The mist that once cloaked the battlefield was completely blown away.

Kibito shielded his face from the intense heat, his voice filled with disbelief.

"W-what kind of attack was that?! Did we win?!"

As the smoke settled, all eyes turned toward Tasuguru.

A deep CRACK! echoed through the battlefield.

Blade's eyes widened.

Gen Zan—Tasuguru's massive sword—had shattered.

Kagami gasped. "His sword… broke?"

Yet, standing amidst the destruction, Tasuguru laughed.

Not a laugh of defeat.

A laugh of pure madness.

"HAHAHAHA!" His twisted grin widened, his silver eyes burning with excitement.

"You really thought that was enough to kill me?"

Blade's heart sank.

"No way… he's still standing?!"

---

A Final, Desperate Attack

Suntaro's fists clenched, electricity crackling around him. His patience had run out.

"That's it. I'll end this now."

Before Blade or Kagami could stop him, Suntaro dashed forward, his blade Raitaro roaring with power. Lightning surged along the katana, forming a high-voltage arc.

"Thunder Zap Strike!"

At the same time, Kagami took a deep breath, her aura shifting to ice.

"You're not going anywhere!" She slammed her hands forward, releasing a wave of frost, freezing Tasuguru's legs to the ground.

From above, Kibito leaped into the air, flames swirling around Makashi.

"Blaze Burn!"

All three attacks landed at the same time.

A blinding explosion of fire, lightning, and ice engulfed Tasuguru, consuming him in a devastating storm of elemental energy.

BOOOOM!

The battlefield shook under the force of the attack. The air crackled with unrelenting power, the ground splintering beneath them.

The battlefield fell silent.

---

The Nightmare Begins – Sole Hypnosis

Blade collapsed onto the cold, cracked earth, his body completely numb. His breathing was shallow, his strength nearly depleted. He couldn't even lift Kamikaze anymore.

"Is this… my limit?"

He gritted his teeth, frustration boiling inside him.

"Even after everything… I still couldn't win?"

Then—a shadow moved.

Tasuguru was still standing.

Bruised. Burned. But still smiling.

"You think… that was enough?" His voice was mocking, as if amused by their efforts.

Before anyone could react, the ground shifted beneath them.

Kagami gasped as the terrain warped, rippling like a distorted dream.

Tasuguru raised the broken hilt of Gen Zan. His voice echoed with dark amusement.

"Trap them, Gen Zan."

Suddenly—everything changed.

The battlefield, the sky, the world itself vanished.

A black void surrounded them. The ground was no longer solid. The air felt heavy, suffocating.

Kagami clutched her head. "This… this isn't real, right?!"

Kibito swung his sword, but his blade passed through nothingness.

"Damn it! Even if it's an illusion, it feels real!"

Blade's head pounded, his heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears.

Then, his eyes widened in horror.

His friends—Kibito, Suntaro, Kagami—stood behind him.

But they weren't his friends.

Their eyes glowed red. Their expressions twisted into cruel smirks.

They looked like demons.

Blade stumbled backward, his breathing ragged.

"W-why are you all standing behind me?!" His voice shook. "You… want to kill me?!"

Tasuguru chuckled.

He walked forward, placing a hand on Blade's head, his voice a dark whisper.

"Stop crying, you useless brat."

---

The Unexpected Arrival – Tensho Appears

Suntaro, the only one able to resist the hypnosis, stepped forward, his aura flaring.

He glared at Tasuguru.

"Bounty hunter… what do you want from us?"

Tasuguru crossed his arms, his twisted grin widening.

"I'll tell you everything…" His eyes gleamed with sadistic amusement.

"But first…"

He pointed his broken sword at them.

"One of you has to beat me."

His aura surged once more.

"Who wants to challenge me?"

Suntaro stepped forward, wiping the blood from his lip.

"…I will."

With that, the illusion broke—but only for Suntaro.

The others remained trapped.

Blade, still lying on the ground, clenched his fists, helpless.

"I… I can't even stand…"

Suddenly—

A blur moved.

A flash step.

A katana pierced through Tasuguru's chest.

Everyone froze.

Standing behind Tasuguru—was Tensho.

The same mysterious warrior they had met during graduation.

His blade was dripping with blood.

Tasuguru gasped. "Y-you…?!"

Tensho's expression remained blank.

His silver eyes looked down at Tasuguru with cold indifference.

"You're in my way," he muttered.

Then, with one swift movement, he withdrew his sword.

Tasuguru collapsed.

Dead.

---

Tensho's Departure & Blade's Flashback

Blade lay motionless, his body numb.

His mind drifted—back to that same dream.

The desolate battlefield.

The shattered Kamikaze.

His own lifeless body, smiling in death.

"Was this… always my fate?"

His chest tightened.

"Am I… just walking toward my own destruction?"

Tensho turned to them, his silver eyes cold.

Then—he vanished.

A single flash step.

His voice echoed, fading into the distance.

"Y'all owe me."

And then—he was gone.

Blade and the others buried Tasuguru's body near the Waterfall Shrine. As they rested nearby, Blade stared into the cold night.

His heart felt heavy.

"This is just the beginning… isn't it?"

To Be Continued…