Moments before Chella steped in….
Chella clenched her fists, her eyes burning with anger. She turned sharply to Yamato, who sat still with his arms crossed, watching the battle unfold.
"Why are you just sitting there?!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Master Ozaki is out there, fighting for his life!"
Lumei gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Chella, calm down."
But Chella brushed his hand off and stepped forward, her face full of frustration. "Why aren't any of you doing anything?!"
Yamato slowly opened his eyes, then raised his head. His voice was calm but heavy. "In battle, there's something called total defeat, and something called thrilling."
His eyes, now glowing faintly with fury, narrowed. "Thrilling is when you're fighting someone at your level. That fight between Master Ozaki and Kaku... that's not just a fight. It's a thrill. You stepping in is wrong."
Chella stared, confused but listening.
Yamato's voice deepened. "Now, Kaku has the upper hand. He's seen our moves. But have you noticed? He hasn't used it. I'm waiting. When he does, we'll make a comeback."
Sora looked over at Yamato and smiled softly. "Sometimes... I wish I was like you."
Lumei chuckled beside her. "Well, that would make two of you with no sense of panic."
Meanwhile, in the distance, the real storm was unfolding.
---
Boom!
Trees exploded into splinters. Rocks split in two. The ground cracked with every blow.
Ozaki and Kaku were locked in an intense fight. They were now near a village. Their battle had led them here, each refusing to give in.
This time it already was getting dark
Kaku stood on a broken log, breathing steadily. A sly grin pulled at his lips.
"You really have improved," he said, chuckling. "Well... so have I."
He raised one hand.
"Case Form: Form 3 - Hands of Destruction."
A pulse of black and red energy formed gloves over his hands. The power vibrated through the air.
Ozaki grinned and lifted his scythe.
"Don't die on me," he said, laughing.
He stepped forward and shouted, "God Form: Form 3 - Kowichi's Scythe!"
The scythe grew in size, glowing with raw power. Behind Ozaki, a faint image of a face formed in the air—a divine presence watching over him.
Both warriors stared at each other. Their auras flared and twisted around them. The earth trembled beneath their feet.
Then, they clashed.
Ozaki dashed forward, swinging his massive scythe from the side. Kaku blocked it with his glowing hand, and a shockwave erupted from the point of contact. Dust blew into the sky. Trees around them bent from the pressure.
Kaku roared and spun, punching toward Ozaki's head. Ozaki ducked, then twisted and slashed upward. The scythe left a glowing scar in the air and grazed Kaku's chest.
"Tch!" Kaku grunted. His shirt tore open, revealing a shallow cut that healed almost instantly.
Kaku grabbed Ozaki by the arm, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him into the dirt. Cracks spread beneath the impact. Ozaki let out a sharp gasp, but twisted his weapon and hooked Kaku's ankle.
Kaku fell.
Both men scrambled back to their feet, dirt clinging to their bodies.
Ozaki's face was cut, blood dripping from his forehead down. He didn't blink. He didn't wipe it away. He only stared.
Kaku cracked his neck and smiled. "You're still standing? I'm impressed."
Ozaki took a step forward. "You talk too much."
Kaku clapped his hands together. BOOM. A massive shockwave sent Ozaki sliding backward, his boots digging into the soil. He raised his scythe and blocked, sparks flying as his weapon scraped the air.
Then—he vanished.
Kaku blinked.
A moment later, Ozaki appeared mid-air behind him.
SWOOSH!
Ozaki swung the scythe downward. Kaku turned just in time, crossed both arms to block. The hit pushed Kaku to one knee, his aura flickering.
Kaku let out a wild roar and blasted energy from his back. The force pushed Ozaki off.
The ground split. Grass and dirt flew everywhere. They charged again. Punches, kicks, slashes. The battlefield shook under the weight of their blows.
---
Back with Team Ozaki, no one spoke.
Sora had both hands clutched near her chest. Lumei had stopped smiling, his lips parted slightly. Yamato leaned forward.
"This power..." he whispered.
Chella stepped closer, still staring.
---
Ozaki dashed forward and tried to slice from above. Kaku dodged, stepped to the side, then drove his fist straight into Ozaki's ribs.
Ozaki coughed blood, stumbled, then spun to counter. But Kaku was already moving.
His right hand glowed bright red.
"Got you," Kaku said.
He slammed his fist into Ozaki's chest.
CRACK!
Ozaki flew back, hitting a boulder and rolling over the ground. He lay still for a moment, dust and debris floating around him.
A line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Kaku began walking toward him, his steps slow and steady. His smile was gone now, replaced by a scowl.
"You got in the way, Ozaki."
Ozaki groaned. His fingers twitched. Then, slowly, he pushed himself up.
One knee. Then the other.
His legs shook, but he stood. Chest rising and falling, he raised his scythe.
His ash-colored aura returned, flickering at first, then igniting like fire. It circled him, wild and thick.
He looked up.
"I'm not done yet," he whispered.
Kaku smirked again, this time more serious. "Good. Then I can break you properly."
They clashed once more, faster than before.
Ozaki teleported from spot to spot, leaving echoes behind. Kaku followed with his powered legs, moving in sharp, zigzagging bursts. Their strikes collided mid-air. Trees behind them fell just from the force.
Ozaki gritted his teeth, pouring more power into his swings.
Kaku blocked with one hand, then threw a low kick. Ozaki jumped back, flipping mid-air, landing on a cracked piece of rock.
"Let's finish this," he said, voice hoarse.
Kaku extended both hands. His hands glowed.
"Yes," he replied.
And they charged again.
Back at the first battlefield, Team Ozaki braced themselves. They could feel the battle and it felt as though they were there
"No matter what," Yamato said, standing slowly, "if Master Ozaki falls, we all rise."
Sora nodded. "Together."
Chella wiped a tear from her cheek. "We won't let him fight alone."
Lumei stared into the storm. "But first... let him show us how a master ends a war."
And the battle raged on.