Ozaki's scythe tore down toward Rujer's torso.
Then, a pulse erupted from the decapitated body.
Not violent.
Not explosive.
Heavy.
A thick wave of pressure rolled outward from the corpse itself, dense enough to distort the air.
Ozaki showed no hesitation.
His rage had already crossed that point.
SSSSSS—
Black acid burst from Rujer's severed neck and torso, flooding across the shattered battlefield and melting through stone instantly.
CRACK.
Bone formed.
First the neck.
Then the skull.
Muscle fibers wrapped around it rapidly while veins stretched into place and skin sealed over everything.
Rujer regenerated his head.
Something impossible for humans.
Ozaki's eyes sharpened instantly.
He leaped backward as the acid spread beneath him.
CHING.
His scythe lengthened immediately.
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Rujer's laughter thundered across the battlefield.
"If I stop this thing inside me from touching air…" his voice rumbled heavily, "…then I'll keep coming back for as long as it takes!"
Ozaki ignored him completely.
The moment Rujer's face finished restoring, he attacked again.
The scythe screamed downward toward Rujer's torso.
Yamato's eyes narrowed sharply.
Rujer's arm twitched.
"He wants to melt the scythe."
Without hesitation, Yamato grabbed Ichiha's sword alongside his own.
"Then I'll pin the arms first."
FWIP!
Both blades flew instantly.
Ozaki noticed immediately and altered the slash mid-swing.
Instead of aiming only for the torso, he adjusted the strike completely.
Now the attack would split Rujer from head to waist in one clean motion.
Rujer lifted slightly from the ground, his arms beginning to move.
SLASH!
One blade pierced through his right arm.
SLASH!
The second pinned the left.
That opening was enough.
Ozaki's scythe carved downward violently.
Skin split.
Bone shattered.
The blade tore straight through Rujer's body, dividing him into two halves.
Silence followed.
The acid vanished.
No melting.
No hissing.
Nothing.
As though it had never existed.
Ozaki stood still with his scythe resting at his side, staring carefully at the corpse.
Something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Then, something slipped from one half of Rujer's body.
A chunk of flesh landed wetly against the ground.
The sky darkened slightly.
Yamato's eyes widened instantly.
He felt it.
An aura.
Dark, heavy, dangerous.
Yet somehow, not as monstrous as Rujer's.
"Everyone!" Yamato shouted immediately. "Get ready! Something's here!"
Sora released her grip on Chella and stepped forward seriously.
Chella tightened her fists while scanning the area.
Lumei lowered into a stance as shadow strands tightened around his fingers.
Behind them—
Ichiha froze.
The color drained from his face instantly.
Trauma flooded his expression.
Then Yamato did something unexpected.
He sat down cross-legged.
Calmly.
Quietly.
His eyes closed while both hands rested on his knees.
The air turned colder.
Then, the flesh twitched violently.
A hand burst out from it.
Then another.
The figure slowly pulled itself free.
Everyone froze.
The being that emerged was tall, wrapped in a violent red aura that distorted the air around him. The ground cracked beneath his feet from pressure alone.
Calm expression.
Monstrous presence.
Kaku.
Fully restored.
Truly alive.
Ozaki slowly rested his scythe on his shoulder.
Not from fear.
Recognition.
"Kaku…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"You're back."
Kaku stood calmly while crimson mist curled around him like flowing blood.
A smile spread across his face.
"Rujer the Menace," he chuckled softly. "Good thing he never caught my Saviour's eye."
Ozaki understood immediately.
Rujer had no magic until six days ago.
If the Saviour had discovered him earlier, his SILVER-Type alone would've guaranteed selection.
Kaku continued calmly.
"Rujer exceeded even my expectations."
Ozaki's attention sharpened.
"Rujer was dying. His body wasn't compatible with SILVER… but it still possessed it."
A pause.
"Meaning his body constantly generated a reserve of magic even though he could never use it."
His smile widened slightly.
"My touch forced that reserve to erupt."
"Making him many times stronger than he should've been."
The others listened silently.
"All this time," Kaku continued, "I was draining his magic from inside him while he used more power to suppress my influence."
His gaze locked onto Ozaki.
"And despite that…"
"…he still fought you."
Ozaki frowned slightly.
"His body never showed fatigue."
Kaku laughed quietly.
"That's because he constantly regenerated himself."
Everything clicked instantly.
Rujer was never fighting equally.
He was fighting Ozaki, suppressing Kaku, regenerating his collapsing body, and enduring unstable SILVER simultaneously.
Yet he never showed weakness.
Ozaki understood better than anyone what SILVER backlash felt like.
And Rujer endured it throughout the entire battle without breaking.
Kaku tilted his head toward the clouds.
"You know…"
His voice softened slightly.
"…I could see his memories."
Ozaki slowly turned away, not from fear, to rest.
An old Earth tradition existed.
When two fighters prepared for a non interference battle, both sides were granted twelve minutes of rest.
Even during war.
Kaku continued.
"As a student of Cloak High… you were famous for causing destruction while trying to save people."
Ozaki's mind drifted backward instantly.
Eleven years ago.
Collapsed buildings, broken streets, smoke, screams.
He remembered all of it.
"Rujer idolized you," Kaku continued.
Ozaki froze.
"Most of your missions happened around WELL-SPRING. You saved slaves."
A pause.
"But never him."
Silence.
"He was always there."
Kaku's voice darkened.
"The Human Demon blamed for destruction he never caused."
Ozaki's eyes widened slowly.
Tears rolled down his face.
Another burden from his past had returned.
Kaku lowered his gaze toward him.
Then smiled again.
But this time, his eyes shifted past Ozaki.
Toward the group behind him.
"Aah…"
His grin widened.
"Good to see you again, nephew."
Ozaki turned sharply.
Behind him, Ichiha's entire body trembled violently.
Rage flooded his eyes instantly.
"KAKUUUUUU!"
His scream ripped through the battlefield.
"Ichiha," Ozaki called softly.
But Ichiha ignored him completely.
"Master!"
His fists clenched harder.
"Let me have my revenge! He's the one who ruined my life!"
Ozaki stared at him silently.
Then, without a word, he tossed the scythe.
Ichiha caught it instantly.
Ozaki sat down calmly and folded his arms.
"Pour out your mind."
Ichiha exploded forward immediately.
Chella crouched low with both hands pressed carefully against the earth.
Sora quietly sat beside Lumei.
Lumei smirked faintly but said nothing.
His eyes followed Ichiha closely.
Ichiha swung the scythe wildly toward Kaku.
The air split from the force.
But Kaku ducked effortlessly.
His fist shot forward instantly—
BOOM!
Straight into Ichiha's torso.
Yet—
Ichiha phased through the hit.
Kaku shifted backward slightly.
Toying with him.
Ichiha attacked again, faster this time.
He swung repeatedly toward Kaku's torso.
Kaku leaned backward, tilted sideways, stepped around everything smoothly while smiling.
Then suddenly—
BOOM!
Another punch slammed into Ichiha's stomach.
CRACK!
Ichiha's body flew backward violently across the rocky ground.
He coughed painfully while clutching his stomach.
"…Rujer did it in one punch…"
His voice lowered bitterly.
"…I really am weak."
"Hehehe."
Yamato laughed lightly while shaking his head.
"You don't charge in blind."
Ichiha growled.
He dropped the scythe completely.
Then slowly rose into a hand-to-hand stance.
Kaku blinked once.
Then sighed.
"That's a terrible decision, nephew."
Ichiha ignored him and charged again.
Kaku raised both arms calmly.
Ichiha opened with a straight punch.
Kaku blocked.
A left hook followed instantly.
Kaku dodged.
But this time, Ichiha accelerated.
Fast jabs exploded forward repeatedly.
Yamato smirked from behind.
"Everyone keeps copying my fighting style. Whyyyyy?"
Two jabs struck Kaku's chest.
A low kick clipped his leg.
Kaku stepped backward slightly in surprise.
Ichiha pressed harder.
An elbow smashed into Kaku's ribs.
Another punch drove toward his chest.
Kaku raised an X-shaped guard—
THUD!
Ichiha headbutted him directly in the face.
Blood dripped from Kaku's nose.
"…Not bad."
Ichiha gritted his teeth and kept attacking.
Another punch connected.
Kaku staggered once.
Then countered instantly.
His knee slammed upward into Ichiha's jaw.
Ichiha stumbled backward heavily, breathing hard.
Sweat poured down his face, but his eyes never lost focus.
Then, he spread both arms wide.
"CALAMITY SHOTS!"
Black-blue energy erupted violently around his hands.
The air distorted.
POOOOOOOM!
A massive shockwave exploded toward Kaku.
But Ichiha didn't stay back.
"This weakens his defense and magic output. That gives me one opening."
He dashed directly into the blast itself.
A small blade gleamed inside his hand.
Kaku raised an eyebrow slightly.
The wave swallowed both of them.
BOOOOOOM!
Dust exploded across the battlefield.
Sora and Chella shielded their eyes.
Lumei squinted carefully through the smoke.
Yamato remained still.
Watching.
Then, the dust cleared.
Ichiha stood there trembling violently, covered in blood.
And Kaku, had caught his wrist.
Redirecting the blade deep into his own side.
For a moment, Kaku stared at him silently.
Then slowly, he grinned again.