**Chapter 10: Shadows of the Ash Realm**
Smoke still drifted from the ruins, curling up into the crimson sky. The ground sizzled with leftover energy, and Aiki's Spirit Edge glowed faintly in his trembling hand.
Enji rushed forward, grabbing Aiki by the arm. "You're alive—barely! What the hell was that power?"
Aiki's breathing was ragged. "I… don't know. It just—happened." He looked down at his hands, still pulsing with traces of golden-red light. "It felt like something inside me broke free."
Sakura approached, eyes wide. "You were dead, Aiki. I felt your heartbeat stop."
"Guess I didn't stay that way," Aiki muttered with a weak grin. "Lucky me."
Sen knelt beside the charred ground where the Blood-Eyed Spirit had fallen. "No body. Just ash. That means one thing—"
A low, distorted laugh echoed through the air.
"—He's calling backup," Sen finished, drawing his chain blades.
The temperature dropped. From the smoke, **three figures** emerged—each cloaked in shadows and bearing the mark of the Ash Realm: burning eyes and armor that shimmered like obsidian.
The one in the center stepped forward, voice deep and venomous. "So, you're the one who destroyed the Blood-Eyed Samurai."
Aiki straightened, raising his blade. "Who's asking?"
The figure smirked. "We are the **Crimson Wraiths**, handpicked by Seno himself. And you, boy… you've drawn his attention."
---
Enji took a defensive stance. "Three-on-four doesn't sound fair—for you."
The leader's eyes flared crimson. "We like unfair."
Without warning, the first Wraith lunged at Sakura, blades flashing. She raised her hands, runes forming a barrier that cracked under the impact. "Enji! Little help!"
Enji slammed his staff into the ground, sending a shockwave that threw the attacker back. "Got it! But they hit hard!"
The second Wraith blurred forward, slamming into Sen with enough force to crater the ground.
"Ugh—dammit!" Sen coughed, twisting his blades around the Wraith's arm and yanking. "They're faster than the spirit!"
Aiki could barely stand, his energy almost drained. The third Wraith approached him slowly, its presence suffocating. "Show me the power that killed a legend."
Aiki raised the Spirit Edge. "Gladly."
The Wraith moved first—too fast to see. Aiki blocked just in time, sparks flying as their blades clashed. The force sent him sliding back, boots scraping the cracked pavement.
"You're strong," Aiki said, panting, "but you're not him."
The Wraith's grin twisted. "No… I'm worse."
It vanished—then reappeared behind him, blade already cutting through the air. Aiki barely parried, the shock rippling through his arms. He gritted his teeth, energy flaring.
*Not again… I won't lose again.*
The Spirit Edge pulsed. The golden-red glow reignited, stronger than before. His eyes lit up, veins shimmering like molten fire.
The Wraith staggered back, hissing. "That aura—impossible!"
Aiki smirked. "You said you wanted to see my power?" He raised his sword, flames swirling around it. "Here it is!"
He slashed through the air, and a crimson arc of energy exploded outward, obliterating the ground. The Wraith barely had time to scream before it was engulfed in the blast.
The other two froze mid-battle, watching their ally vanish into ash.
Enji stared, speechless. "Okay… that's new."
Sakura lowered her hands slowly. "That wasn't just power. That was… divine."
Aiki's aura dimmed, his knees shaking. "Divine or not… it's still me."
From the smoke, a faint echo of laughter reached them—a voice distant yet familiar.
**Seno.**
> "So, my little experiment finally awakens…"
Aiki's eyes widened. "Seno."
> "Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Aiki," the voice sneered. "Next time, I'll come for you myself."
The sky darkened, crimson lightning crackling above. The Crimson Wraiths dissolved into mist, retreating back to the Ash Realm.
Silence fell, broken only by the crackling of distant flames.
Enji exhaled. "He knows your name now, Aiki."
Aiki looked up at the crimson clouds, Spirit Edge glowing faintly at his side. "Good," he said. "Because next time, I'll make sure he remembers it."