The night of the attack arrived without warning.
No moon.
No stars.
Only darkness.
The rebels stood at the edge of the forest, the distant castle looming like a shadow against the horizon.
Torches burned along its walls.
Guards patrolled endlessly.
It looked untouchable.
Unbreakable.
But tonight—
That would change.
Toya stepped forward, standing before the gathered rebels.
Dozens of them.
All silent.
All waiting.
He looked at each of them carefully.
These were not soldiers.
They were survivors.
People who had lost homes.
Families.
Everything.
Toya took a slow breath.
Then he spoke.
"Are you still going to let that lord rule this place?"
No one answered.
But their eyes sharpened.
"Do you want others to suffer the same way we did?"
His voice grew stronger.
"Do you want to see children die?"
"Taken from their homes?"
"Do you want to see women treated like they mean nothing?!"
A heavy silence followed.
Anger began to rise.
Not loud.
Not wild.
But deep.
Burning.
Toya's voice dropped, colder now.
"Because that's the world he's creating."
He pointed toward the castle.
"And it won't stop… unless we end it."
The wind passed through them.
No one moved.
Then—
Toya drew his sword.
The sound of steel echoed.
"Tonight… we take it back."
Ren smirked slightly, lifting his bow.
"Finally."
Aiko tightened her grip on her weapon.
"…Let's finish this."
One by one—
The rebels raised their weapons.
"Move."
The forest erupted.
Rebels surged forward, silent at first—
Then chaos.
Arrows flew from the darkness.
Guards on the walls dropped before they could react.
Explosions of fire lit the outer gates.
The rebellion had begun.
"Push forward!"
Ren's arrows struck down guard after guard with terrifying precision.
Aiko moved like a shadow, cutting through soldiers that tried to block their path.
The rebels clashed with the castle's defenses in a storm of steel and fire.
Bodies fell.
Cries echoed.
Blood stained the ground.
But they did not stop.
"Toya! Go!"
Ren shouted, firing another arrow.
"We'll hold them!"
Aiko nodded.
"Don't look back!"
Toya didn't hesitate.
He broke through the front line—
Charging straight toward the castle entrance.
Guards rushed to intercept him.
One.
Two.
Five.
His blade moved without pause.
Fast.
Precise.
Every strike meant to kill.
Every step forward earned in blood.
Inside the castle—
It was worse.
Tight corridors.
Endless guards.
Steel waiting at every turn.
Toya pushed forward.
Step by step.
Floor after floor.
Each level harder than the last.
His breathing grew heavier.
His body screamed in pain.
But he didn't stop.
He couldn't.
Behind him—
The rebels fought like demons.
Ren and Aiko led the charge, holding back waves of guards.
Opening paths.
Clearing the way.
Even as their numbers began to fall.
Even as the battle turned against them—
They kept moving forward.
For Toya.
The castle began to burn.
Flames spread across wooden halls.
Smoke filled the air.
The rebellion had turned the lord's fortress into a battlefield of fire.
Toya reached the final floor.
The doors before him stood tall.
Heavy.
Silent.
He placed his hand against them.
Then—
Pushed.
The doors opened slowly.
Inside—
A large chamber.
Dimly lit.
At the far end stood a man dressed in noble robes.
The Lord.
And beside him—
A familiar figure.
White armor.
Unshaken.
Kenshiro.
"…You made it," Kenshiro said calmly.
Toya stepped forward.
His sword lowered slightly.
"Move."
The Lord stepped back, panic in his eyes.
"Kenshiro! Kill him!"
Kenshiro didn't move.
He simply looked at Toya.
"…You've come far."
Toya's grip tightened.
"I'm ending this."
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Kenshiro turned slightly.
"Go."
The Lord froze.
"What?!"
"GO."
Without another word, Kenshiro stepped forward—
Blocking Toya's path.
The Lord hesitated only a second before running toward a hidden passage behind the chamber.
Toya moved instantly—
But Kenshiro's blade stopped him.
Steel clashed violently.
The force echoed through the room.
"…You're not getting past me," Kenshiro said.
Toya's eyes burned with anger.
"I don't have time for you."
Kenshiro's expression remained calm.
"…Then die quickly."
Their swords collided again.
Faster.
Harder.
Deadlier than before.
The flames outside grew stronger.
The castle trembled.
Wood cracked.
Ceilings began to fall apart.
Toya attacked relentlessly.
Every strike carried fury.
Every movement pushed forward.
But Kenshiro held his ground.
Unmoving.
Unbreakable.
The fire spread into the chamber.
Smoke filled the air.
The walls began to collapse.
Still—
They fought.
This was it.
The final battle.
Not in the forest.
Not in the shadows.
But here—
At the heart of everything.
Two warriors.
One path.
And a castle burning around them.