The night was burning red. Flames and thunder cracked across the ruined battlefield as four warriors stood side by side, their breaths heavy but unyielding. The air itself trembled under the weight of the approaching evil—forty devils, their eyes glowing crimson, snarling in hunger for blood.
Yuto, gripping his half-charred katana, glared forward. "We end this tonight," he growled. "These monsters won't harm another soul!"
Beside him, Sousuke, lightning crackling across his arms, gave a fierce grin. "Then let's give them a storm they'll never forget."
Akari, her blue eyes calm as the ocean before a storm, whispered softly, "Water can heal, but today—it will drown them."
And Tatsusuke, shrouded in mist, murmured like a shadow, "Fog hides both mercy and death. Let's see what they find tonight."
The ground split open as the lead devil roared—a massive, horned creature cloaked in living darkness.
Yuto stepped forward, fire bursting from his blade.
"Fire Power—Third Technique: Wildfire Surge!"
A storm of crimson flames swept outward, incinerating a line of devils. The air screamed as their blackened bodies fell, but more rushed in from the smoke.
Sousuke slammed his katana into the ground, electricity dancing around him.
"Thunder Power—Fifth Technique: Heaven's Rumble!"
The heavens themselves answered. Thunder ripped the clouds apart, a deafening roar echoing across the battlefield. Bolts of lightning struck down ten devils at once, their bodies twisting in agony.
Akari spun gracefully, water spiraling from her blade like a whip.
"Water Power—Second Technique: Tidal Clash!"
Waves erupted from the ground, crushing devils beneath their own momentum. The water shimmered like liquid glass before slicing through their armor.
Tatsusuke's voice was barely audible through the chaos, but his presence was everywhere.
"Fog Power—Ninth Technique: Endless Dusk."
The battlefield vanished into mist. The devils' shrieks echoed blindly as shadows danced through the fog—each swing from Tatsusuke's sword taking another life unseen.
For a moment, victory seemed near… until the lead devil laughed.
The monster stepped forward, veins glowing crimson.
"Devil Power—First Technique: Devil Blood!"
The ground turned black. Spikes of hardened blood erupted, slashing through the earth like blades.
Yuto leapt high, fire surrounding his entire body.
"Fire Power—Fifth Technique: Phoenix Rise!"
A blazing bird exploded from his sword, crashing into the devil's chest and burning away the corrupted blood. The phoenix's cry echoed through the heavens.
But the devil wasn't finished. Its body regenerated instantly. "Devil Power—Eighth Technique: Devil Spike!"
A storm of scarlet spikes shot from its body.
Yuto countered, shouting, "Fire Power—First Technique: Blazing Slash!"
He swung his katana, splitting the spikes midair. Sparks of red and gold filled the night—but the impact shattered Yuto's blade in half. The force hurled him backward, his armor cracking.
He rolled to his feet, panting, just in time to dodge another spike that pierced the ground where he'd stood.
Sousuke roared, his aura bursting into electric flames.
"Thunder Power—Seventh Technique: Flashstorm Barrage!"
He became lightning itself, moving faster than the eye could follow. Every flash was a strike; every thunderclap, a heart pierced. He tore through the devils surrounding Yuto and plunged his sword into the lead devil's chest—ripping out its heart in one final flash of light.
The devil's body exploded into dust.
But the victory was short-lived. From behind, three devils leapt on Sousuke. A claw raked across his shoulder, blood spraying into the storm. More devils piled on him, dragging him down.
"Sousuke!" Yuto screamed and charged forward.
Tatsusuke, still hidden in fog, tossed his remaining katana. "Take it! End this!"
Yuto caught the blade—its handle cold and alive with energy. But before he could strike, ten devils lunged at him, claws bared.
Sousuke's voice rose from beneath the pile, furious and divine.
"Thunder Power—Ninth Technique: Wrath of Raijin!"
Lightning exploded outward in a colossal sphere. The ground shattered. Every devil touching him—and every one nearby—was thrown to the earth, burned into ash.
Yuto stood tall, gripping the mist-forged katana, his eyes blazing.
"Fire Power—Tenth Technique: Fire Tornado!"
A vortex of fire roared to life, swallowing the battlefield. The devils that lunged at him were caught and hurled skyward, their screams lost in the inferno.
In the heart of the tornado, Yuto's fire danced with Sousuke's lightning.
Sousuke's eyes glowed bright gold as thunder surrounded his body.
"Thunder Power—First Technique: Roaring Flash!"
He vanished—reappearing in blinding bursts of lightning, ripping through five devils at once. Each flash ended with a heart torn free, crushed under his electrified blade.
Yuto joined the dance of death, his movements fluid and blazing.
"Fire Power—Fourth Technique: Crimson Burst!"
Inside the tornado, fire erupted like a blooming lotus. Seven devils fell instantly, their hearts cleaved by Yuto's burning sword.
Their teamwork burned brighter than ever—fire and thunder, storm and flame.
From the fog, Tatsusuke emerged again, his body scarred but his eyes unwavering. "It's time to end this."
His voice echoed like a whisper across eternity.
"Fog Power—Ninth Technique: Endless Dusk!"
Mist wrapped around the remaining devils, blinding them. Shadows slithered, blades flashed, and the devils screamed as their hearts were silently claimed.
Akari stepped forward, her body glowing with water's divine grace.
"Water Power—Eighth Technique: Ocean's Heart!"
The ground beneath the devils turned into a swirling ocean, pulling them down. She moved like a wave herself, cutting through three devils, their bodies sinking into the watery abyss.
Tatsusuke finished the last two with a single elegant strike, his fog dispersing like morning light.
Silence fell across the battlefield. The smoke, fog, and flames cleared to reveal the four warriors standing tall amid the ruins—bloodied but unbroken.
Seventeen devils lay slain. Their hearts, still glowing faintly with demonic energy, disintegrated into dust as the wind carried them away.
Sousuke wiped the blood from his face, laughing weakly. "Seventeen down… twenty-three to go."
Yuto raised his sword, its blade cracked but still burning with faint embers. "Then we finish this. For everyone they took."
The devils ahead screamed in fury, their red eyes lighting up the night.
And the four warriors—fire, thunder, water, and fog—charged once more, their powers colliding into a storm of destruction and light that split the heavens themselves.
The battle was far from over… but hope burned brighter than ever.