Aisha moved among the bodies as if dancing a silent choreography of death. Her body was covered in enemy blood, her eyes fixed, without hesitation. With every step, the temple trembled—the echo of her decisions was felt even outside her bones.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet shook differently. It was no longer the tremor of dying souls, but the arrival of greater forces.
The temple's great corridor, once filled with echoes of screams and steel, was taken by a sudden silence. A vortex of dark spiritual energy emerged from the main courtyard, distorting the air and suffocating the atmosphere.
Three figures appeared simultaneously, their presences crushing. The Reaper Captains.
The first to walk forward, with light steps and a cruel smile on her lips, was Saraya Blood of the Winds. Her spiraling hair stirred on its own, even without wind, as if anticipating the massacre.
— Aisha… — Saraya said, almost savoring the name. — The traitorous Empress. They say you've been killing our brothers. I hope it's true. I want to make you bleed like you made our mother bleed when she was torn from me.
Aisha responded only with coldness. Firm. Without remorse.
From the opposite side, Zouden of the Red Blade was already there, walking slowly. His body was a map of open wounds, the cuts glowing in pulsating red, like hungry eyes. The living blade in his hand vibrated, like a dog on a leash ready to bite.
— Hmph. She still has that disgusting arrogance… — he murmured, the blade clinking in response. — But don't worry, sister. This time, you won't escape.
Kabel Dark Tooth emerged from the shadows, as if sprouting from the temple itself. His narrowed eyes didn't prevent him from sensing the pulse of Aisha's soul.
— An Empress who murdered her spiritual clan to feel strong… how pathetic. But predictable. What isn't predictable… — his voice was thin, almost a whisper — …is how quickly you'll beg to die.
And then, as if the air itself were cut, Myrrha of the Black Chains appeared behind Aisha, floating in silence. The ethereal chains around her danced, passing through walls and floor like specters.
— The rebel. The heretic. The cursed… sister. — she said, coldly. — You always ran, Aisha. But there is no escape from me.
Aisha slowly turned, facing the four.
— I didn't run. I grew. While you sank into this rotten doctrine, I became something greater. Something free.
Zouden laughed loudly.
— Free? You're an aberration. A shadow dressed as a Sif.
Saraya twirled her finger in the air, and a storm of ethereal scythes began to form on the temple ceiling, hissing like sharp blades.
Kabel snapped his fingers and the shadows rose like teeth, swallowing the floor and threatening to devour the surrounding light.
Myrrha raised her hand and the black chains tore through reality, trying to latch onto Aisha's body.
Zoudan disappeared.
The living blade cut through the air, appearing beside Aisha with a deafening crack, but she raised the medium sword and blocked—sparks of golden and red fire exploded.
She retreated with a graceful spin, throwing Zoudan against a column, which cracked on impact.
— One of you is already down… — Aisha murmured.
— No, he'll get up — Saraya snarled.
The cutting storm fell from the ceiling. Scythes made of wind tinged with blood plunged toward her.
Aisha spun her sword. Her aura exploded.
The impact of the two phenomena created a wave that swept the temple's stained glass, flooding the hall with light.
Kabel appeared behind her. A shadow bite. A fatal attack.
But she grabbed his face with her free hand, the air around them exploded, and he was thrown away like a doll.
— You are good. But I am the end of what you represent — Aisha said.
Myrrha finally launched all her chains at once. Dimensions opened in cuts in the air, the chains came from all sides.
Aisha didn't move.
Until she smiled.
— Thank you for all coming together. I didn't want to hunt you down one by one.
Her aura expanded to the limits of the temple.
The courtyard trembled.
The ceiling collapsed in parts. Sunlight invaded the temple and revealed the new scene: a huge corridor open to the sky, paved with Reaper symbols, stained with blood and fire.
Aisha launched herself, spinning in the air like a living spear, piercing through Myrrha's chains, cutting all with absolute precision.
Zouden returned, cutting his own chest to feed the living blade. The blade became monstrous.
— Just die already! — he roared.
Saraya summoned a new storm of a thousand dancing scythes.
Kabel fused his form with the shadows.
Myrrha reconfigured the temple with spiritual portals.
But Aisha advanced. A whirlwind of golden fire and pure energy. An unstoppable force.
— You are the heirs of this clan — she shouted — I am its punishment!
The Empress's light swallowed the corridor.
The Captains retreated, one by one, even with all their strength, because they knew: Aisha was one step ahead.
Outside the temple, Fenra, Dan, Stella, and Tekio watched the battle.
The sky was tinged with dark hues, and the energy around vibrated as if the world itself anticipated a collapse.
Dan, restless, wanted to help Aisha, but Fenra held them back firmly.
— No — she said, without turning her head. — This is her moment.
Fenra knew Aisha better than anyone there. She respected her space—and more than that, she knew the cruel truth: not even a Reaper Captain would be a match for an Emperor. And Aisha… she had surpassed that long ago.
Since her awakening, her strength hadn't just returned—it had transformed.
What was meant to fade in suffering was ignited into fury.
Now, Aisha fought with the strength of one who had lost everything… and refused to lose again.
The fight inside was brutal, seen from above. The temple shuddered.
Tekio watched with unusual attention, his gaze fixed on some distant point.
For a brief moment, he felt Yara inside him—warning, pushing his consciousness.
Something was approaching.
Someone.
A violent, ancient presence, carrying the smell of a bloody war.
Even amidst the combat, Aisha felt it. Her body froze.
— No... — she murmured. — That presence…
Kaze.
He tore through the sky like a silver arrow heading toward the temple.
Tekio tried to shout, to sound the alarm. But Fenra was faster.
Using her spatial distortion, she appeared in the air beside Kaze and hit him with a devastating kick, launching him like a projectile into the ground.
He collided with a thunderous impact, cracking the earth.
Fenra landed a few meters ahead, her expression one of pure challenge.
Her eyes, ablaze.
— Your fight is with me.
Kaze rose slowly, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand.
An excited smile cut across his face.
— Hahaha… I came for another hunt, but you'll do just fine.
Good for an appetizer.
The wind around them seemed to whisper in agony.
Kaze—short, messy white hair, wild eyes, and a sinister black mark on his face—seemed to vibrate with excitement.
They collided.
The impact raised dust for dozens of meters, cracked buildings, and shook the surroundings.
Dan, Stella, and Tekio ran to get closer, but they were at the limit of what they could withstand.
Stella summoned a bow of light, firing an arrow with precision at Kaze—useless.
The speed of the fight between him and Fenra was insane. Two monsters in a fierce duel.
Stella stopped at the edge of a ruined structure, trying to analyze.
Dan jumped ahead. Stella hesitated... and followed him.
Tekio followed close behind, but something disturbed him.
It wasn't just Kaze.
There was another presence there.
Hidden. Watching.
Fenra and Kaze continued their brutal exchange. He was the storm itself—moving with the wind, becoming the wind.
Fenra thought: He is the gale in human form.
Just as Aisha had described.
But the instant Kaze appeared right in front of her, space folded.
He had looked directly into Fenra's eyes.
Fenra's left eye—with the split iris—shone intensely.
— Joint Prison — she whispered.
It was a cruel technique: the faster the target, the slower they became.
Kaze, who danced like the air, became trapped. Paralyzed.
Fenra didn't hesitate.
— Now! — she ordered Dan and Stella. — Finish him!
Stella advanced with her sword in hand.
A divine glow grew around her—as if a celestial volcano were about to erupt.
If that strike hit, Kaze would be disintegrated.
But before the blade could touch him, he disappeared.
The explosion came anyway, swallowing everything in light.
Amid the dense smoke, two blue eyes stared at her.
Stella felt her strength draining.
Her aura, her energy… were dying.
What is this…? It's devouring everything inside me…
Terror spread. She was growing sick just from being near.
Stella remembered.
They were all sitting in the dojo, exhausted from training and planning their return.
They discussed their experiences and tried to understand the enemies.
Tekio said there was a woman with white hair and blue eyes who lethally devoured energy.
But because Tekio had Yara inside him, Karmore's technique probably wouldn't work on him.
The blue-eyed presence advanced toward Stella, aiming to destroy her completely.
Dan screamed--STELLA!!
But before she could be consumed, a bolt of lightning crossed the smoke—swift, precise—and pushed that presence away.
Tekio.
He had understood Yara's warning too late… but still in time.
Before him, among the remaining shadows, a silhouette emerged.
Tekio's eyes widened.
The figure was familiar.
Identical to Amara.
Yara's sister.
Karmore.
— Stay back! — Tekio shouted. — SHE DEVOURS ENERGY! LEAVE HER TO ME!
But Karmore ignored him.
She turned to Kaze, who was still recovering:
— More careful, darling — she said in a soft, sadistic voice.
Kaze laughed.
— Heh. What a warm reception…
They knew each other. Had fought side by side.
Two monsters in love with carnage, connected by their thirst for blood and destruction.
Karmore looked at Tekio.
— Long time no see, boy… you seem a bit stronger.
Show me what you've learned.
They collided.
Their fight dragged away, each blow tearing the ground and the air.
Meanwhile, Kaze returned to the scene.
Fenra, Dan, and Stella stood before him—exhausted, alert.
Aisha had explained about Kaze, how his winds were lethal but he occasionally left openings.
Just like breezes, he had to pause to use another ability.
But a black mark cut across Kaze's face, something Aisha hadn't mentioned.
Because it wasn't there before.
Kaze stood up.
The smile on his face was sickening.
— My turn.
A monstrous gust of wind burst from his body, destroying everything around.
To be continued…