Tsurogami and Nystral killed Yuon and vanished without a trace. Unfortunately, Nystral did not have the time to seize Yuon's powers. Because of this, Xers and Hanken were actually at an advantage.
Dawn had begun to break. The Kurotsume sorcerers were utterly overwhelmed by the Kurogiri forces. Despite having 4,000 soldiers, they suffered 3,600 casualties against just 2,000 Kurogiri sorcerers. At the same time, 12,000 Kurogiri sorcerers, commanded by six of Nystral's subordinates, had already infiltrated all of Kurotsume's castles. Though not officially declared, Kurotsume had been militarily occupied.
Xers and Hanken immediately joined the remaining forces to finish the unfinished battle.
Xers drew his sword and put on his mask. His purple mask gleamed under the rising sun.
"Gomerai!"
Gomerai burst from underground, tearing through enemy sorcerers. With both his sword and his dragon, Xers alone was equal to hundreds of sorcerers.
Hanken also donned his white mask and charged into battle.
Every second, the two of them slaughtered enemies without pause. After roughly forty-five minutes, the entire Kurogiri force within the capital was annihilated.
"Whew… that was exhausting."
"Seriously. Seeing this clan fall to such a state hurts me deeply, Xers."
"Don't worry, Hanken. We still have 64,000 sorcerers. They're definitely defending the castles."
"I suppose I'll trust that. Let's bury Yuon and the others."
Xers, Hanken, and several hundred sorcerers buried the fallen. Yuon was laid to rest with a special ceremony.
"He was truly a good man…"
"Rest in peace, Yuon…"
"Spending thirty-six years of your life in war… that's insane."
"Don't say that, Hanken. Our lives will probably be spent in wars too. Serving humanity—that's our fate."
As the day progressed, all castles outside Kurotsume's capital were captured. Kurogiri was officially established as a clan. Kurotsume, in practice, had fallen.
The news reached Xers and Hanken quickly.
"Captain Xers!"
"Yes, sorcerer?"
"K-K-Kurotsume…"
"What happened to Kurotsume?"
"Kurotsume has collapsed in practice. All castles have been taken. We have no soldiers left outside the capital."
"W-WHAT?! HOW CAN 64,000 LOSE TO 16,000?!"
"We couldn't believe it either, Captain."
"What about the other captains?!"
"Some were killed. Others surrendered."
"And the Fearless Captains Division?"
"Almost all of them defected to Kurogiri…"
In a burst of rage, Xers hurled bowls and utensils across the room.
"HIIAAH! WHAT KIND OF TREACHERY IS THIS?!IT'S LIKE EVERYONE IS AGAINST US!"
"P-PLEASE CALM DOWN, CAPTAIN!"
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN?!EVERYONE IS OUR ENEMY—EVERYONE!"
Xers suddenly fell silent. His breathing was still heavy with rage, but he spoke calmly.
"Kurotsume no longer exists. Gather all sorcerers still loyal to us by next week. I will form a new clan. Hanken and I will lead it."
"Understood, Captain…"
Xers was determined to form his own clan. Knowing the war would be prolonged due to traitors within Kurotsume, he discussed it with Hanken—and Hanken agreed.
"Alright, Xers. I'm with you. We'll create a clan born from Kurotsume's ashes."
"I'm glad you understand me, Hanken."
Xers, Hanken, and several hundred sorcerers continued fighting the Kurogiri army. Eventually, they arrived before a castle in Eastern Shadowia. The bodies of Kurotsume sorcerers still littered the ground. Inside were Kurogiri sorcerers, led by Kaizen Ryugetsu, one of Nystral's men.
Ryugetsu wielded The Moon, an ability that allowed him to launch moon-like dust and massive rocks from his sword. Though it seemed weak at first glance, his dust was extremely lethal at close range.
They entered the castle. Xers spoke first.
"Come out, Kurogiri dogs. Let's see how strong you really are."
Ryugetsu turned his head.
"So you're Thend Xers, huh? There's no one in Shadowia who hasn't heard your name."
"We don't even know who you are. Introduce yourself."
"I am Kaizen Ryugetsu. I won't trade petty insults. If you're confident, come fight me."
Name: Kaizen Ryugetsu Age: 23 Nation: Shadowia Skills: G-Technic Stage 3, The Moon
"Hmph. Hanken, fight with the army. I'll deal with Ryugetsu."
Xers drew his sword; his purple mask appeared. Ryugetsu did the same, revealing his gray mask.
The duel began. At first, neither used abilities—only raw swordsmanship. After each clash, they flipped away, searching for openings.
Ryugetsu made the first move.
"The Moon! Dust!"
Dust erupted from Ryugetsu's mask, burning the skin and carving thin cuts. Unaware of its danger, Xers was struck across the face, blood trickling down.
"Ahh! Gomerai!"
Gomerai emerged from underground.
"My face… I didn't know its power."
Gomerai lunged at Ryugetsu, who backflipped to evade. Xers attacked alongside Gomerai. In response, Ryugetsu released all his dust at once.
"Ghost Step!"
Xers dodged instantly. Gomerai launched Ryugetsu into the air.
"Ghost Step!"
Using it a second time, Xers struck Ryugetsu midair. Ryugetsu blocked, but the force sent him crashing into the castle wall, blood pouring from his head.
"AHHH! H-HOW CAN HE USE GHOST STEP BACK-TO-BACK?!"
"Haha! I discovered it during training. I can borrow Gomerai's stamina as my own."
"A-amazing ability…"
Ryugetsu stood, grabbing his sword.
"You're injured all over. You still want to fight?"
"Y-Y-YES!"
Ryugetsu charged. Xers blocked with overwhelming force. Their swords collided—and Ryugetsu's blade shattered in half.
"M-My sword broke!"
"Surrender."
"NEVER! THE MOON! METEOR!"
A massive meteor—nearly twenty meters wide—was launched toward Xers.
"T-THAT SIZE?! GOMERAI!"
Gomerai headbutted the meteor, splitting it apart. The fragments collapsed the inn inside the castle. Xers protected himself with Gomerai. Ryugetsu wasn't as lucky—the structure caved in on him.
After a long silence, Xers emerged from the rubble with Gomerai. Ryugetsu lay crushed beneath debris, limbs shattered, ribs crushed, unable to move.
Xers approached him.
"You really lived up to your reputation, Thend…"
"Don't think I'll pity you."
(Barely breathing)"H-Heh… don't worry… I won't beg. Every sorcerer has pride."
"Trust me. There are worse ones than you."
Ryugetsu smiled one last time, his eyes slowly closing.
Kaizen Ryugetsu was dead.