Even before dawn broke through the canopy, the air felt heavy—like the world had woken up holding its breath. Fog drifted across the camp, clinging to the trees like frightened spirits. Billionzaruto stepped outside the small shelter Raiken and Nayumi had set up the night before, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he tried to shake off the dream that had been chewing at his mind all night.
He had seen the same thing again:
A great tower at the edge of a dark horizon, lightning spiraling around it like a crown, and fire climbing its walls like hungry vines. And at the very top… the silhouette of a man wrapped in shadows, watching him.
Every time he tried to climb toward it, the dream flames turned black.
And he woke up choking on heat.
He pushed the dream away and stepped deeper into the fog. The ground was cold under his feet, and the morning dew soaked into his ankles as he walked toward the creek. He needed space, just a few minutes to breathe, to quiet the storm that still churned under his skin.
As he knelt beside the water, he cupped his hands and splashed his face, letting the shock of the cold rush through him. Steam lifted from his cheeks, drifting upward in faint curls.
He sighed.
Still too warm. Still too unstable.
A soft voice came from behind him.
"You didn't sleep."
Nayumi approached with her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her hair was a little messy, strands sticking out in odd places from rushing out of the tent. She stopped beside him, kneeling to dip her fingers in the creek.
"You were tossing," she said. "Like you were fighting someone."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he watched the water swirl around her fingertips—a soft turquoise shimmer trailing through it. Her presence always seemed to calm the area around her, like the world took a breath whenever she stepped into a space.
Eventually, he muttered, "The dreams are getting stronger."
Nayumi's expression tightened. "Is it him again?"
Billionzaruto nodded. "The Kuroin Blaze doesn't stay quiet for long."
Nayumi stood, brushing water off her hands. "That's exactly why Raiken wants to move sooner. Every delay gives the Shadow Tempest more time to prepare for you."
He stood and followed her back toward camp. Raiken was already awake, sharpening a blade on a stone, his expression unusually serious—even for him.
When they approached, Raiken didn't look up as he spoke.
"We leave within the hour."
Billionzaruto frowned. "Where?"
"The Ruins of Arakoshi," Raiken said. "There's something you need to see there. Something that might help you keep the Kuroin Blaze under control."
Billionzaruto raised an eyebrow. "A ruin is going to help me control ancient demon fire?"
Raiken finally looked up with a hardened expression. "It's not the ruin. It's what's hidden underneath it."
Nayumi sat beside him. "A forge. One built to hold the energy of ancient flames."
Raiken nodded. "It was created to test and strengthen vessels of powerful fire while keeping their minds stable. If you can withstand the trial there, your connection to the Kuroin Blaze will change."
Billionzaruto paused, hope and fear both churning. "Change how?"
Raiken stood, sheathing his blade. "You'll either gain balance… or the flame will break you."
Billionzaruto swallowed hard.
That wasn't exactly comforting.
But he didn't hesitate.
"Then let's go."
The journey began with tension humming in the air.
Despite the quiet forest path, Billionzaruto couldn't shake the feeling that someone—something—was trailing them. Every breaking twig felt like a coded warning. Every gust of wind felt like a whisper in motion.
Raiken walked ahead, scanning each tree with sharpened awareness. His senses were razor-sharp, more alert than usual. Nayumi stayed close behind Billionzaruto, always ready with her water techniques.
They moved for hours, weaving through forests, rocky hills, and winding cliffs. By midday, the fog had lifted, replaced by a piercing sunlight that turned the path ahead golden.
But the beauty did nothing to ease the tension inside Billionzaruto's chest.
As they reached a narrow ridge, Raiken suddenly raised his hand.
"Stop."
Billionzaruto froze. Nayumi stepped to his side.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Raiken didn't answer immediately. He crouched and touched the dirt… then lifted what seemed like fine black dust to the light.
Nayumi's eyes widened. "Shadow cinder. They've been here."
Billionzaruto clenched his jaw. "They're hunting us."
"No," Raiken said. "They're leading us."
The wind shifted.
At first, it was faint—a soft hum, like distant bees. But then it grew louder, harsher. The shadows along the ridge began to twist. Dark smoke curled upward from the ground, forming crude shapes that barely resembled human figures.
Shadow Wraiths.
They emerged from the rocks like liquid darkness, their hollow eyes locked directly on Billionzaruto.
Nayumi immediately stepped forward, water swirling around her arms like spiraling ribbons.
Raiken extended his hands, lightning dancing between his palms.
Billionzaruto inhaled, the heat rising inside him like a warning.
The Wraiths hissed as they moved, their shifting bodies leaving trails of smoke in the air.
"They're testing us," Raiken muttered. "Or buying time."
One Wraith sprang forward, its arm slicing toward Billionzaruto like a blade. Instinct took over—he sidestepped and countered with lightning from his fingertips, striking the creature and blowing it apart in a burst of smoke.
Another lunged toward Nayumi. She twirled, water spiraling into a shield around her as she cut through the Wraith with a sharp arc of her dagger.
But more replaced them.
Five. Ten. Fifteen.
The ridge filled with their thin, smoky forms, all advancing at once.
Raiken shouted, "Do NOT let them overwhelm you!"
Lightning burst from his body like a storm. He struck down three Wraiths with a single blast, the sound shaking the ridge.
Nayumi slashed through two more, her water techniques clean and precise.
Billionzaruto inhaled deeply, letting heat pool inside him. His eyes glowed faint orange, and he thrust both palms forward—
BOOM!
A wave of fire exploded from his hands, engulfing the Wraiths in a rolling inferno. Smoke spiraled upward, filling the air with a bitter, burnt smell.
When the flames settled, the ridge was quiet again.
Raiken wiped sweat from his brow. "They were scouts. Which means…"
A crack echoed from the cliff's edge.
Before any of them could react, a figure stepped out onto the ridge.
A tall man with ash-gray armor and a mask shaped like a twisted horned skull.
The symbol of the Shadow Tempest burned into his chest.
Nayumi stiffened. "An Executor…"
Executors were not ordinary assassins. They were elite. And deadly.
The masked man tilted his head. "So… the vessel breathes," he said, voice like gravel dragged across stone.
Raiken stepped in front of Billionzaruto. "If you want him, you'll go through me."
The Executor laughed softly. "I have no interest in killing him."
He pointed a gloved finger directly at Billionzaruto.
"My order is to break him."
Before Raiken could move, the Executor vanished.
He reappeared behind them, dagger aimed for Billionzaruto's spine.
Billionzaruto spun just in time, blocking the blade with a burst of fire. The heat scorched the ground beneath them, but the Executor didn't budge.
He moved like a shadow—fast, precise, unpredictable.
Raiken charged with a lightning-infused strike. The Executor flipped backward, avoiding it effortlessly, and hurled a wave of black smoke toward Nayumi.
She countered with a spiraling wave of water, splitting the smoke apart.
The Executor hissed. "You meddle in forces beyond your depth, water child."
Billionzaruto lunged, fists blazing, launching punch after punch. The Executor dodged with unnatural speed, each movement cutting through the air like a blade.
"You fight well," he said mockingly. "But you lack control."
He appeared behind Billionzaruto again and whispered:
"You feel it, don't you? The thing inside you growing hungrier."
Billionzaruto's eyes widened. The Executor's hand pressed against his back—and suddenly Billionzaruto felt a surge of heat erupt inside him, violent and uncontrolled.
The Kuroin Blaze.
It clawed at his chest, begging to be let out.
Nayumi screamed, "Billionzaruto, don't let it take over!"
He stumbled, gasping for breath, fire leaking from the corners of his eyes.
The Executor stepped back. "Good. Very good."
Raiken attacked with a roar, slamming lightning into the Executor's ribs, sending him crashing into a boulder. The impact shook the entire ridge.
The Executor stood slowly, brushing dust from his armor.
"This is no longer my fight," he said with eerie calm. "The Shadow Tempest simply wanted to see how close he is to breaking."
His mask tilted slightly.
"He's close."
And just like that, his body dissolved into smoke, carried away by the wind.
Billionzaruto fell to one knee, clutching his chest. Nayumi ran to him, placing both hands on his shoulders, her water energy cooling his skin.
"Billionzaruto! Look at me. Listen to my voice."
He inhaled through clenched teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Eventually, the heat faded.
He gasped and met her eyes. "I… I almost lost it."
"You didn't," Nayumi said firmly. "You're still here."
Raiken approached, expression hard but relieved. "We move now. No more delays."
Billionzaruto stood, still trembling.
Nayumi took his hand. "We'll face the forge together."
They turned their eyes to the horizon.
Far beyond the ridge, dark smoke rose like a signal.
The Ruins of Arakoshi waited.
And so did the trial that could shape—or shatter—Billionzaruto forever.