(The fight begins—steel meets steel in brutal, rapid exchanges. Neither holds back, yet neither gains the upper hand.)
Kyou: "You improved." (Sweat drips from his brow as he blocks Ryo's slash.)
Ryo: "Had to. Couldn't let you show me up forever." (A smirk—despite the tension.)
(For a moment, it almost feels like old times…)
(They clash again and again—each blow sending sparks flying. But fatigue is setting in; even warriors have limits.)
Ryo: "How... much... longer… Can you keep this up?"
Kyou: "Shut... up... and find... out... for yourself…"
(Kyou launches his Earth Carving Signet—a deadly technique he used on Shirasame. It forms a glyph beneath Ryo, trying to ensnare him.)
Kyou: "No escape this time…"
Ryo: "Think again!"
(He knows this move—jumping as the glyph forms beneath him, he dodges the trap.)
Ryo: "Nice trick, old friend…"
Fire and Fury – A Deadly Feint
Kyou smirks—this was exactly his plan.
"Fire Signet: Hōkaen!"
(Three searing fireballs erupt—not like before. These twist midair, homing in on Ryo with terrifying precision.)
Ryo: "Damn it—!" (Forced to evade wildly, he barely avoids getting scorched.)
(Kyou moves with grace and power—his blade becoming an extension of himself. He learns fast, adapting to Ryo's every move. The battle grows brutal—but it is Ryo who is on the defensive. He dodges and parries, but there's a desperation now in his eyes. He has to find an opening.)
Ryo: "Come on! You used to fight better!"
Kyou: "Maybe I've just been holding back... until now!"
(Kyou's blade hums with Seishu energy—a precise, brutal slash that carves a deep gash across Ryo's arm. Blood sprays onto the rocky ground.)
Ryo: "Gh—!" (He grits his teeth against the pain, but doesn't retreat.)
Kyou: "Still standing? Don't make me cut you down for good." (Cold. Relentless.)
Kyou stands over Ryo, his blade still humming with energy. His voice is firm—but there's a flicker of something almost like regret in his eyes.
"Stand down. Walk away... and I won't have to cut you down for good."
Ryo clutches his bleeding arm, glaring up at him with defiance burning just as hot as the wound.
"...You know I can't do that."
(The blade pierces deep—but Ryo endures it, gritting his teeth as every muscle in his body seizes. With a burst of Seishu energy, he grips Kyou's blade, holding him in place. Then, he channels his own remaining power into his other hand. He punches Kyou Ren in the chest… and it lands like a freight train.)
Ryo (gasping): "How... do you like… that...?" (His vision is going dark. But that doesn't stop a hint of a smile from crossing his lips.)
The blow is powerful, sending Kyou Ren flying backwards—an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. He crashes to the ground, gasping for air. That punch should have broken his ribs… shattered his sternum. But he stands, glaring back at Ryo.
Kyou: "Tch… that the best... you got…?"
(Ryo's vision is blurry, but something catches his eye—the familiar figure. It stands next to Kyou Ren, its form flickering. Memories flash, fragments of the visions that haunted his waking moments.)
Ryo: "That figure… it's... the one... from the... from training…"
The figure stands there silently, watching... waiting….
(Kyou doesn't hesitate—his body surges forward, slamming his shoulder into Ryo with full force. The impact knocks the wind out of Ryo, sending him crashing to the ground.)
Kyou: "Get up." (His voice is icecold.) "Or are you done?"
(Ryo struggles to rise—blood trickling from his lips. But his eyes burn with defiance.)
(Kyou raises his hand—and the sky responds. Lightning crackles around him, a searing bluewhite current that coils like a dragon ready to strike. This isn't just electricity—it carries weight, force, and divine punishment in every spark.)
Ryo (breathless): "...So even lightning bends to your will now?" (A weak chuckle through bloody lips.)
(Kyou doesn't answer—he simply lets the storm speak for him.)
(Kyou's voice thundered, resonating with raw power.)
"LIGHTNING SIGNET: RAIKŌ SENKO!"
(The lightning twists and solidifies—forming a massive, spectral wolf made entirely of crackling energy. Its fangs are bolts, its eyes twin storms. It lunges at Ryo with the speed of divine wrath itself.)
(This is no mere attack—it's an execution.)
The Figure – The Kizugami Blade Spirit
(The figure stands closer now—its form becoming clearer.)
Ryo: "You… You've been watching me."
(The figure remains silent, its expression unreadable. But somehow… it feels like a confirmation… a silent observer to this battle.)
(The voice is clear and commanding—leaving no room for doubt.)
"Lose."
(Ryo's eyes widen as he processes the word. "Lose?" This can't be right...)
Ryo: "...Lose? Are you serious?" (Anger and confusion fill his voice.)
(The figure regards him with a gaze that pierces to his very soul. Something in that look tells him the truth—he can't win.)
Ryo (whispering): "This... isn't winnable."
(He swallows, a bitter realization settling across his face. Defeat? After everything? It's hard to accept... but the figure's presence is undeniable.)
(The lightning wolf surges forward, a brilliant whiteblue flash consuming the mountaintop. Ryo braces—eyes wide, muscles locked—knowing this strike is beyond blocking... beyond surviving.)
Ryo: "Damn… it…!"
(The world turns to blinding light and deafening sound.)
(Ryo gasps, each breath harder than the last. Blood spreads beneath him on the dirt. He sees the resolve on Kyou's face—the knowledge that this is it.)
Ryo (whispering): "...You really... believe... there's no... other way...?"
(Kyou doesn't answer, not directly. His eyes say everything.)
(Ryo's eyes glaze as reality crashes down, cold as the blade in his body. He's failed. Twice.)
Ryo: "I failed... I failed... both of you. Yua... Yua... Kyou..." (A choked whisper, tears blending with blood in the dirt.)
(Memories flash—Yua's kind smile, Kyou as a friend...)
(The first drops hit Kyou's face—cool, heavy. He doesn't wipe them away. His grip tightens on his sword as Ryo collapses at his feet.)
Kyou (quietly): "This was the only way." (Not just to Ryo—but to himself.)
(The sky mourns for them both.)
The Call of Vengeance
(Kyou stands in the rain—a solitary figure steeped in darkness.)
"Some men, when they're pushed too far… when there's nothing left… they become shadows themselves. They walk alone, hunting down those who brought their world crashing down. Their vengeance is all they have—all they are. That's how stories begin."
(Kyou's silhouette fades into the storm… and is gone.)
"In every end, there lies a beginning. As one life ends, another begins."
(Rain continues to fall—signifying an end, yes… but also a new path being carved through the darkness.)
⚔️ End Of Chapter Fifty