The world cracked open.
There was no warning—just a violent pull inside Billionzaruto's chest, as if something ancient had torn free from chains he never knew existed. Heat surged through his veins, so intense it felt like molten metal was replacing his blood. He staggered, clutching his ribs, but the fire only roared louder.
"Billionzaruto—stay with me!" Nayumi's voice pierced through the ringing in his ears. She gripped his arm, trying to steady him, but the force radiating from his body pushed her back.
He dropped to one knee.
The forest blurred into streaks of black and red.
Raiken rushed forward. "Listen to my voice! Don't give in. You must fight it!"
"I—" Billionzaruto tried to speak, but the breath was knocked out of him as another wave of heat burst through his core.
A whisper curled through his mind again, stronger now—deeper, almost tender in a way that twisted his stomach.
"Finally… you can hear me."
His heart lurched. "G-Get out…" he rasped.
But the voice only laughed—soft, ancient, and powerful enough to shake the roots beneath them.
"Why would I leave? We are the same flame."
A burst of black fire erupted around Billionzaruto's body, swirling upward like a dark tornado. Nayumi shielded her eyes. Raiken planted his feet, fighting against the blast of heat.
The trees ignited in a circle around them.
The ground cracked.
Billionzaruto rose slowly—not by his own strength, but as if lifted by invisible hands. His eyes flickered between orange and pitch black, each color fighting for dominance.
Raiken gasped. "No… the Kuroin Blaze is pushing to the surface!"
Nayumi's face paled. "If it fully awakens, he'll lose himself."
Inside the darkness, Billionzaruto felt his consciousness sink into a strange, silent space. Like falling into a lake with no bottom. He tried to scream, but his voice drowned in the void.
Then—
He saw it.
A silhouette of fire, shaped like a man but shifting constantly—flames twisting into horns, wings, and faces he couldn't describe. Its eyes glowed red-hot, like two burning coals.
"I have waited sixteen years for this moment."
Billionzaruto backed away instinctively in the void-space. "Who are you?"
The being smiled, and the flames rippled.
"I am the one sealed inside your blood. The one they call the Kuroin Blaze. But you…"
It stepped closer, fire licking the air.
"…you are my vessel."
"I'm not your vessel," Billionzaruto shot back, though his voice shook. "I don't want your power."
The being tilted its head.
"You don't have a choice. The world fears you not because of your power—but because of mine."
Back in the physical world, Billionzaruto's body twitched violently. His hair lifted as if caught in a storm. Flames leaked from his eyes—no longer orange, but a deep, eerie violet-black.
"Raiken!" Nayumi shouted, panic in her voice. "He's losing control! We need to suppress it!"
Raiken stepped forward, lightning blazing around him. "Then we do it together!"
He slammed his palms toward the ground. A wave of blue-white lightning shot outward, forming a ring around Billionzaruto—a sealing barrier older than most clans.
Nayumi unsheathed her short blade, dipping it into the creek water. She whispered an ancient chant, and the water coiled around her weapon like a liquid ribbon. Then she sliced the air, sending spirals of water rushing toward Billionzaruto, trying to cool the fire consuming him.
But the black flames devoured the water instantly, turning it to steam.
Nayumi's eyes widened. "It's not enough. He's… too far gone."
Raiken gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. "Hold the barrier! Don't let it break!"
Inside the void, Billionzaruto's voice finally rose—not from strength, but fear.
"What do you want from me?"
The Kuroin Blaze's flames flickered, revealing a shape that resembled a face—scarred, fierce, almost… human.
"Freedom."
"But why?" Billionzaruto asked. "What happens if you get out?"
The being paused—then smiled, cruel and ancient.
"The same thing that happened the last time I walked the world."
Images slammed into Billionzaruto's mind—cities burning, oceans boiling, mountains cracking. Screams echoing through a sky filled with dark fire.
He stumbled back. "No… no, I won't let that happen."
The being's flames darkened.
"Child. You can barely control your own emotions. You think you can control me?"
"I don't need to control you!" Billionzaruto shouted. "I just need to control myself!"
A shockwave burst outward in the void—light clashing with flame.
Outside, Billionzaruto's real body suddenly went still. The swirling black fire paused, shuddering like it was being resisted.
Raiken gasped. "He's fighting it!"
Nayumi stepped closer. "Billionzaruto—listen to me!" she called out. "Your flame is not your enemy. Your heart is stronger than this!"
Her voice reached him, faint but clear.
The Kuroin Blaze growled.
"They are trying to turn you against your true nature. You and I were born as one flame."
"No," Billionzaruto said through clenched teeth. "You are everything I refuse to be."
And with a desperate surge of will—he thrust his hand forward.
Light exploded from his chest—not fire, not lightning, but something pure. Something his own.
The Kuroin Blaze roared as cracks spread across its flaming silhouette.
"Impossible! A vessel cannot reject its core!"
"I'm not a vessel," Billionzaruto spat. "I'm a person."
The being screamed, flames whipping violently.
Outside, Billionzaruto's body fell to the ground as the black flames were sucked inward—imploding like a collapsing star. Raiken and Nayumi shielded their eyes as the forest filled with blinding white light.
When it faded…
Billionzaruto lay motionless on the grass.
Raiken rushed to him. Nayumi was right behind him, heart pounding.
"Billionzaruto!" she shouted. "Hey—wake up!"
His chest rose weakly.
Then his eyes opened—normal. Orange. Human.
He coughed, voice hoarse. "I… I'm still here."
Relief washed over Nayumi so quickly she nearly fell to her knees.
Raiken held his head gently. "You did it… you suppressed the Kuroin Blaze."
But Billionzaruto shook his head, trembling.
"No," he whispered. "I didn't beat it. I only pushed it back."
He looked up at Raiken and Nayumi, fear flickering behind his eyes.
"It's still inside me."
A branch snapped in the distance.
Shadows shifted.
Someone—something—had been watching the entire time.
And as the last glow of light faded from the clearing, a raspy voice spoke from the trees:
"The seal weakens. The vessel awakens. The Shadow Tempest will be pleased...."
Pls support with powerstone to release next chapter early