Across the battlefield, Raigo rolled his shoulders, his monstrous frame bulging with muscle. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, his grin borderline psychotic.

  "A good warm-up girlie. But let’s see if you can handle the real thing."

  The ground beneath him cracked as he smmed his fists together, sending shockwaves through the room. His bracelet ignited with a deep, fiery red, molten energy spiraling around him.

  "Take Form—Onitou."

  With a deafening boom, Raigo’s arms tripled in size, grotesque bckened armor pting forming over them. The veins beneath his skin glowed with magma, steam hissing as his entire body radiated searing heat.

  Yumi barely had time to react before Raigo vanished—not in speed, but in sheer overwhelming power. He crashed down like a meteor, his fist colliding with the ground where she had stood moments ago, obliterating the entire section of the floor.

  The battle was spiraling into madness. The Musabori Elite weren’t just strong. They were unstoppable forces of destruction.

  Ren was drowning in a nightmare of illusions.

  Ryuko was locked in a deathmatch with Katsuro, each countering the other’s attacks with equal precision.

  Yumi’s fmes roared as she desperately evaded Raigo’s devastating strikes.

  The building couldn’t hold much longer. Every csh tore apart what remained of the structure, walls caving, debris raining from above. The floor itself was beginning to colpse entirely.

  And just when it seemed like they were all reaching their limits—A thunderous pulse rattled the battlefield. A fsh of blue lightning surged through the battlefield. A tremor rippled beneath their feet.

  The sound of footsteps, slow, heavy, deliberate. Then, the humming of a drum. Ryuko and Ren’s eyes grew wide. They recognized the sound of that drum. For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent.

  The only sound was the faint hum of electricity crackling around Akira’s arm.

  Jin’s grip tightened around his bdes, his smirk twitching—just slightly. Katsuro exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking off an unseen weight.

  Even Raigo, towering and monstrous, hesitates for half a second.

  They could feel it.

  The moment the fight had shifted.

  Raigo’s monstrous fist was mere inches from Yumi’s skull—when something stopped it. Not just anything. A hand. Thick veins of crackling electricity ced around the grip, raw power hissing against Raigo’s molten energy.

  The entire battlefield froze.

  Yumi’s breath caught. "No way… This is the man who—"

  Through the settling dust and smoke, a silhouette emerged. His one armed coat, tattered. His body , wrapped in burnt bandages. His expression, unreadable. Akira.

  Raigo growled, trying to push past the grip—but Akira didn’t budge. The air went still. "That’s enough."

  With an effortless jerk of his arm, he sent Raigo stumbling back—something no one had done before. The shock in Raigo’s eyes was instant. Akira exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

  The air around him buzzed, his Tamashkii aura fully ignited. He turned to the others—Ren, Yumi, Ryuko,—all battered, exhausted, on the edge of colpse.

  And then, in the simplest tone possible, he said: "You guys can leave this to me."

  A heavy silence. No one moved.

  Except for Ryuko. His breathing was ragged, blood dripping down his arm—but he smirked. "Nah." He cracked his neck, spinning his daggers. "I think I’ll stay."

  Ren turned sharply. "Ryuko, we don’t have time—"

  Ryuko shot him a look. "You go do your thing. I missed the fighting st time. I refuse to have FOMO again."

  Akira sighed but didn’t argue. Instead, his smirk widened. "Fine." The rest of them understood.

  There was no changing Ryuko’s mind.

  Ren clenched his fists but turned toward the staircase. They had to finish the mission.

  Yumi cast one st gnce at Akira. She couldn’t believe the Hoju she saw all those years ago during the Heishi test, was not only still alive, but this strong.

  Kaito hesitated but followed.

  Sato exhaled, shaking his head as he disappeared into the shadows.

  Leaving Akira and Ryuko.

  A two-on-three battle against the Musabori Elite. Raigo grinned, rolling his massive shoulders.

  "Alright. This just got interesting."

  Jin’s illusions fred, his bdes twisting in the air. "Hope you two can dance."

  Katsuro wiped his mouth, flexing his fingers. "A traitor and a wild card? This should be fun." Akira and Ryuko braced themselves.

  Then—The battle begun.