"Thank you... for nailing Flying Thunder God to the ground!"
A faint chuckle brushed against Yume's ear. Her breath hitched—she turned, eyes widening. Raizen stood there, blood still dripping from the wound in his chest, one hand resting beside the kunai that had saved them both.
"R–Raizen!"Tears blurred her sight as she threw herself into his arms.
Raizen gave a faint grin, patting her head like she was a trembling kid instead of the shrine maiden who'd nearly sealed a demon. Then his eyes hardened—he turned toward the collapsing seal where the Sprite and its remaining minions, Hayato-san and Misaki-san, were clawing against the barrier.
Blue chakra flared in his palm. A sphere began to spin, roaring with compressed force.
"Yume," he said softly, eyes still fixed on the chaos ahead. "Do you want to live?"
She blinked, startled by the question. Her lips trembled, but Raizen's half-smile—the mix of exhaustion and defiance—was enough. She nodded.
"In that case," he said, voice low and sharp, "lend me your power."
He grabbed her wrist, and the tiny bells of the Miko's garb jingled. Sacred energy surged down his arm like a golden current, mixing with his chakra. The Rasengan in his hand began to grow—first the size of a melon, then a boulder, then an entire storm trapped in a sphere.
"What should I even call this...?" Raizen muttered, despite the chaos shaking the cave. A grin cracked across his bloodied face. "Yeah. 'Chakra Rasengan' sounds about right."
The world detonated.
The blast tore through stone and soil, shredding the sealed land to dust. Magma burst up from the ground like a wounded god's blood, swallowing everything in crimson light.
When the shockwave faded, silence fell—broken only by Yume's ragged breathing.
"It's... over," Raizen exhaled, watching the glowing seal settle into the earth.
Yume stared at the ruins, trembling, then slowly smiled. "The Sprite... it's really sealed."
A cry echoed from behind. "Miko-sama!"
Yume turned—Jiren and his guards were sprinting toward them, faces pale from the eruption.
"Miko-sama, you're safe!" Jiren's voice shook with relief. "What of the Sprite?"
Yume straightened, cheeks flushed as her eyes flicked toward Raizen. "It's sealed," she said firmly. "It will never harm this land again."
The soldiers cheered. For the first time in generations, peace seemed real.
But Raizen stood apart, his eyes distant. Yume stepped closer, hesitant. "Raizen... will you stay in the Land of Demons? Together, we could rebuild it."
He froze, then smiled faintly—the tired kind of smile that says you already know the answer.
"My mission's done. I've got... somewhere I need to return to. Sorry."
"I see..." Yume whispered, her smile trembling but brave. "Then... I'll wait. The Land of Demons will always welcome you."
Raizen chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "If you ever come to the Land of Fire, don't worry. I won't despise you for it."
"Promise?" she asked softly.
"Promise," he replied.
They stood there, two survivors amid the ruins of gods. Then Raizen summoned a clay bird, hopped on, and with a last glance—and that same crooked grin—took off into the sky.
"Raizen..." Yume whispered as the figure disappeared into the clouds. Her eyes dimmed for a moment, then hardened again. She turned toward the seal, wind brushing her robes.
I'll protect this land. No matter what.