The wind howled across the battlefield as the tension between Kael and Kaito crackled in the air. The shock of the revelation was still settling, but there was no time for hesitation. Kaito, now a twisted warrior, was no longer the brother Kael had once known. He was a tool of corruption, a weapon forged in the fires of a dark Will. And Kael couldn't afford to let that man stand in his way.
Kael's fists clenched, the darkness of his Last Will swirling within him, a raw, uncontained energy. The surge of power coursed through his veins, his muscles tightening as his senses heightened to the point where the battlefield itself seemed to slow down.
"You're a fool if you think you can stop this, Kael," Kaito sneered, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly fire. "You were never meant to control that power. You're just like me—lost, consumed, and broken."
Kael's jaw tightened. "I'm not like you, Kaito. I'll never become what you've become. I won't let this corruption win."
Kaito laughed, his voice dark and mocking. "You say that now. But the truth is, the moment you tap into that Last Will, you're already a part of it. You'll slip, just like I did. And when you do… we'll be one in the same."
Kael's eyes flared, the energy of his Will flaring to life in defiance. "I'm not losing myself. Not like you. Not like him."
"Then you'll have to prove it, little brother." Kaito's tone was cold, but beneath it, there was a dark excitement, as if he relished the thought of bringing Kael down.
Before Kael could respond, Kaito's form blurred, disappearing into a flash of shadows, only to reappear directly in front of him. His hand swung out with lightning speed, a sickening crack of power in the air.
Kael didn't flinch. He warped instantly, vanishing in a burst of black light, reappearing behind Kaito and landing a punch squarely in his back. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the ground, cracking the earth beneath them.
Kaito stumbled forward, but he grinned. "Impressive… but you're still too slow."
With a snap of his fingers, the air around them thickened, swirling with dark energy. Veyron appeared behind Kael, shadowy tendrils lashing out, attempting to ensnare him. But Kael's instincts kicked in; he blinked out of the way, his body slipping between the realms, moving faster than the eye could follow.
The battle raged on around them as Ryuu, Tetsu, and Hana engaged with Lilith, Raven, and Veyron. Kaede and Raizen took on the shadowy figures in the distance, each of them fighting with a focused intensity that would make even the strongest Wielders tremble.
Kael's gaze never left Kaito. This was personal. His brother's words echoed in his mind, but he wasn't about to let them control him.
"Big brother, you've lost," Kael muttered under his breath. "And I'm not going to let you drag me down with you."
Kaito smirked, his eyes burning with rage. "Lost? I've never been more powerful than I am right now. The power I have, the strength of the Void... it's more than you can handle. You should have stayed away."
Kael squared his shoulders, his Will pulsing with raw energy, his body igniting with the black lightning that wrapped around him. "I'll never run from what I was born to do. I'll finish this, Kaito. No matter what."
The battle exploded into a fury as Kaito raised his hands, dark energy spiraling outward, summoning shadow beasts from the Void. Veyron, Lilith, and Raven stepped forward, their powers mixing into an inferno of chaos. The Wielders had no choice but to fight for their lives, for Kael's survival, and for the world that teetered on the edge of destruction.
But Kael wasn't backing down. His movements were precise, calculated, as he cut through the beasts that came for him, his black lightning cleaving through shadow and flesh alike.
Kaede, watching from the sidelines, knew the moment had come. "Kael, don't lose yourself!"
Kael's voice was steady. "I won't."
His body shimmered, and he launched himself at Kaito, his fist connecting with the corrupted form of his brother, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The sound of the impact echoed in the distance as Kael's Will surged once more, shaking the very air around them.
But Kaito was ready. With a twisted grin, he summoned the full force of his Void Will, shifting the battlefield around them, warping space itself.
Kael's body flickered again, his Voidstep carrying him through the altered landscape, and his fist connected with Kaito's chest. The blow sent his brother flying backward, crashing into the ground with enough force to leave a crater in his wake.
But Kael wasn't finished. Not yet.
He raised his hands, Voidstep sending him in a flurry of motion, blurring the lines between realms as he reached for his brother's neck.
"Kael, stop!" Raizen shouted from the distance.
Kael froze mid-movement. His Will was out of control, thrumming with raw power. The weight of his grandfather's voice hit him like a ton of bricks, and he realized—he couldn't let this power control him. Not now. Not ever.
With a sharp breath, Kael pulled his hand back, standing tall over Kaito's prone form. His chest heaved with the intensity of the battle, his Will still boiling beneath the surface.
"You're wrong, Kaito. I'm not like you." Kael's voice was calm, firm. "I'm not going to let this power destroy me."
Kaito, struggling to rise, sneered. "We'll see, Kael. You'll slip. Just like I did."