From the distance, two powerful voices echoed through the dense, moonlit fog."Fog Power: Second Technique—Fading Mirage!""Water Power: Second Technique—Tidal Fang!"The air thickened as the mist coiled like a living creature. A roar split through the night as Yuto and Sousuke turned toward the sound. Shadows moved fast—too fast. Without hesitation, both warriors pushed forward, eyes burning with determination as a towering devil lunged from the darkness."Now!" Yuto shouted, flames igniting around his blade. "Fire Power: Seventh Technique—Sunflare Strike!"A surge of crimson fire tore through the mist, illuminating the battlefield in a flash of blazing light. Sousuke followed instantly, lightning crackling around his dual blade."Thunder Power: Seventh Technique—Flashstorm Barrage!"Bolts of electricity rained down like a furious storm while Sousuke pivoted, spinning through the air. He struck again before landing, his foot sliding across damp ground. "Water Power: First Technique—Flowing Current!" he added, slashing in sync with Yuto's flame strike.Their combined attacks collided with the devil in a spectacular explosion of heat, light, and steam. The creature roared in agony, its twisted form momentarily torn apart by the impact. Yuto and Sousuke charged through the smoke, aiming for its heart.But the devil resisted. With a guttural cry, it swung its massive arm, striking them back. Yuto stumbled but recovered instantly, fury blazing in his eyes. He raised his sword once again."Fire Power: Fifth Technique—Phoenix Rise!"Flame wings erupted behind him as he soared upward, then descended in a spiral slash that ignited the air itself. The attack sliced clean through the devil's arm, severing it as sparks blazed.For a moment, victory felt near—until the arm began to regenerate, tendrils of black flesh twisting together once more.Sousuke gasped. "It's regenerating!"Before Yuto could respond, a second devil crept from behind, its claws reaching for Sousuke's neck. Yuto's instincts screamed."Fire Power: First Technique—Blazing Slash!"He turned with lightning speed and drove his flaming sword through the creature's chest. The blade burst through its back, glowing white-hot. With one fierce motion, Yuto ripped the devil's heart free, crushing it in his hand until it turned to ash. The creature dissolved into black mist.Sousuke exhaled shakily. "You saved me again… thanks, Yuto."Before Yuto could answer, a calm, unfamiliar voice spoke from the fog. "Fog Power: Ninth Technique—Endless Dusk."The entire area blurred instantly, the world fading into a grey dream. Shapes and sounds distorted in the thick mist. When visibility cleared for a moment, they saw a figure standing mid-field—a man with a dual-bladed katana held in reverse grips.He dashed forward with ghost-like precision. His blades flashed once, twice. Two devils collapsed simultaneously, their hearts carved out before they could even scream."Who… is that?" Sousuke whispered.The man didn't answer. He simply dissolved back into the fog as the mist twisted around him like a shroud. Two devils tried to ambush from his sides—but the blades were already waiting. Their bodies fell before making a sound.Then came another voice—a woman's. "Water Power: Eighth Technique—Ocean's Heart!"It was followed by a crashing wave conjured from thin air. The water spiraled forward, slamming two devils into the ground. Before they could recover, the same girl used, "Water Power: First Technique—Flowing Current!" She sliced clean through both their chests, removing their hearts with breathtaking precision.The fog user reappeared nearby. "Fog Power: First Technique—Mist Veil." Smoke coiled like silk from his hands. He slid through the vapor, silent as death, and when he emerged, three devil hearts fell to the floor.But their moment of victory shattered when new screams erupted. Three more devils leapt from the shadows, faster and stronger than the last ones. Their eyes glowed with demonic fury.Yuto stepped forward, crimson flames flickering around his arms. "Fire Power: Fourth Technique—Crimson Burst!"He charged like a comet, smashing through the front line. The lead devil responded viciously, roaring, "Devil Art: Ninth Technique—Devil Sword!" A massive blade formed from pure darkness, clashing with Yuto's fiery katana.He didn't falter. His body temperature spiked; steam rose from his skin. With a final scream, he plunged the sword into the devil's chest and pulled free the heart. The victory was narrow—because in that same instant, the devil's blade struck him across the shoulder, spilling blood across the dirt.Sousuke could only watch for a breath before retaliating. "Thunder Power: Roaring Flash!"He blurred forward in a streak of blue lightning, driven by rage. His blade pierced the devil's chest, and a thunderous crack echoed as the body vaporized.But the final devil remained. Yuto, staggering yet unbroken, tightened his grip."Fire Power: Eighth Technique—Ashen Requiem!"He launched forward, but the devil dodged at the last second, moving impossibly fast. "Devil Art: Seventh Technique—Sharp Spikes!" Hundreds of blood-forged spikes fired from its body.Yuto struggled to defend, sparks and embers flying off his blade as he blocked.Sousuke stepped between him and the onslaught. "Thunder Power: Thundering Gale!"Bolts of lightning deflected several spikes—but not all. The devil then countered, unleashing "Devil Art: Third Technique—Blood Needle!"Sousuke yelled, "Thunder Power: Eighth Technique—Endless Thunderclap!" He dashed in zigzag arcs of lightning, narrowly evading every poisonous needle.The distraction was enough. Yuto saw his moment. He planted his feet, fire swirling around him like a vortex."Fire Power: First Technique—Blazing Slash!"He leapt high, bringing his sword down with all his strength. The blade sliced through the devil's chest once more, straight to the core. The demon's heart exploded in a burst of fire, scattering to cinders.Silence fell over the battlefield. Only steam and faint lightning remained in the air.Yuto panted, turning to his companions. "You two… who are you?"The fog warrior stepped forward slowly, his calm eyes glowing faintly silver. "My name is Tatsusuke Yogiri. I am a Fog Power user—and what you saw, every word of it, is my technique, born from my own creation."The girl nodded beside him, expression gentle yet fierce. "And I am Akari Mizu. I use Water Power. I fight to cleanse what darkness remains."Before anyone could speak further, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath them.All four turned.From the haze beyond the valley, dozens upon dozens of red eyes gleamed in the darkness.Sousuke gritted his teeth. "There must be fifty of them…"Yuto lifted his sword once again, fire light shimmering in his gaze. "Then we fight until none are left standing."And as the mist thickened once more, the four warriors stepped forward together—ready to face a storm of devils that could end the night… or the world itself.
