The airship's ramp hissed open, revealing the city far beneath, cloaked in ash and chaos. Before the descent, Team A stood shoulder to shoulder in the armory, strapping into their battle gear with steel in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts.
Xzavier was the first to emerge. His black tactical armor shimmered faintly with embers woven into the fibers, streaks of crimson down the sleeves like claw marks. A long red scarf fluttered behind him, his Flame Blade—a jagged katana with a dragon's maw at the hilt—resting against his back, pulsing with molten heat.
Hageshi smirked as frost coiled from his breath. His outfit was glacier-blue with white fur trims, armored at the shoulders and forearms. His Frost Blade was broad, double-edged, and engraved with runes that misted with each movement.
Yagumi slid into his matte black assassin gear, sleeveless and tight-fitted for speed. His twin Reaper Blades—curved, silent, and wicked—hung at his hips like waiting fangs. Skull-shaped emblems marked his gloves.
Jin, with a calm demeanor, wore sea-green robes layered over plated armor, styled after eastern warriors. His Water Blade looked like flowing sapphire in solid form—graceful and fluid, with waves engraved down its length.
Raijin, ever the spark, wore armor crackling with faint arcs of energy. Metallic and gold-lined, his coat flickered like a live wire. His Lightning Blade, jagged and forged from a thunderbolt ore, hummed in his grip, charging with every breath.
Kaze was draped in silver-green silk armor reinforced with lightweight plates, his shoulder pads shaped like feathers. His Wind Blade, a katana with a hollow core, let out a soft whistle with every swing, as if singing to the sky.
Oil was spread reverently across each Legendary Blade, the scent of steel and incense filling the cabin. They knelt one by one, sharpening, whispering prayers, and drawing runes of intent across their blades.
Then, silence.
Until Xzavier stood and, eyes glowing, began to sing.
---
"Stand Tall, Wielders of Fire"
(by Titanus Sarutobi)
Stand tall, wielders of fire,
Let the stars behold our flame,
Through ash and wrath, we march for honor,
They shall tremble at our name.
Blades to sky, hearts alight,
We cut through death and fear,
For every soul, we fight tonight,
The dawn of hope is near.
Storm or steel, we do not fall,
In darkness, we ignite,
Stand tall, brothers—through it all,
We are the legends they recite.
---
As the chorus swelled, Hageshi began clapping along, voice deep and defiant. Raijin, begrudgingly impressed, joined in with a grin. Kaze harmonized softly, and soon all voices—except Gara's—united in one booming crescendo of unity and battle-lust.
At the front of the ship, Sensei Gara sat in silence, kneeling with palms together, his eyes closed in meditation. Before him, wrapped in starlight and silence, rested the Galaxy Blade—a mysterious weapon that pulsed with the shimmer of distant nebulae.
He murmured a prayer under his breath:
"Ashes to cosmos… grant me restraint."
---
Then, with blades drawn and resolve forged, they leapt.
The moment they landed, the lie in the king's words became painfully clear.
Sarutobi wasn't merely attacked.
It had been decimated.
Buildings once filled with laughter and learning were reduced to blackened husks. Flames danced atop collapsed towers. The streets teemed with Dawn's Awakening agents, dragging citizens through the mud, torturing, laughing.
The Aku no Eye, red and haunting, was scrawled across every surface. Banners bearing Gimori's twisted symbol flapped like cruel taunts in the wind. Burned-out cars lay overturned. Smoke hung thick like a funeral shroud.
Hageshi clenched his jaw. "This… this is a massacre."
"No time to mourn," Ryoko barked. "Move!"
Team A scattered like streaks of light into the chaos. Raijin led the charge through the main gate, lightning lashing out and frying cultists mid-scream. Jin followed, summoning waves from nearby hydrants to sweep enemies away. Kaze darted high, leaping across rooftops, slicing with unseen gusts.
Xzavier, however, broke from the team, slipping into a narrow alley behind the academy. His flame aura dimmed to embers. Silent. Calculated.
He breached the western wing through a broken window and crept through the charred halls until he found it—Zadie Tengu's quarters.
Inside, the room was scorched, books scattered, the regal banners of House Tengu half-torched. Princess Zadie, tied to a chair, her mouth gagged, turned in shock at the figure entering.
Xzavier cut her free with a single motion.
"Xzavier… you… you came?" she gasped, tears already brimming.
He nodded. "We're getting out of here."
She threw herself into his arms. "I thought I was going to die…"
But his eyes narrowed as he felt a flicker of aura outside the door.
"Hide."
She obeyed instantly.
The door creaked open.
A Dawn agent, cloaked and cruel, entered with a sick grin. "Still alive, princess? Let's fix that."
He raised a hand to strike—
But in a blur, Xzavier descended from the rafters like a shadow with wings.
One slice. One scream. One corpse.
The cultist dropped, eyes wide in death.
Xzavier rose silently, the fire in his blade briefly flaring as he cleaned it against the man's cloak.
"We're moving. Stay close."
They crept through the halls, but just as they reached the alley to safety—
He stood there.
Leaning casually against a blood-slicked wall, clad in obsidian robes, silver hair dancing with static energy, eyes like twin voids.
Levine Shishiroma.
He clapped slowly. "Touching. Really. But I'm afraid the reunion ends here."
Xzavier stepped forward, pushing Zadie gently behind him.
"Levine."
Levine smiled like a shark. "Brother."
With no more words, they launched.
Flame met shadow.
Their blades clashed with thunderous force, sparks scattering across the ruined alley. Levine's dagger was quick, poisoned with corruption, while Xzavier's flame katana roared like a dragon with each swing.
"Still fighting for the weak?" Levine snarled. "That's why Father favored me."
Xzavier's blade nearly took his arm. "Father's dead because of you."
They whirled, exchanging strikes like twin demons—fire and void.
But this time… Xzavier wasn't alone.
Behind him, Princess Zadie prayed softly, clutching a small pendant. And far above, the sounds of battle echoed like drums of war.
The true war for Sarutobi had begun.