Kael's spear of void-light roared through the sky, a comet forged from pure Will and fury. The battlefield held its breath. For a moment, even the war paused—beasts and Wielders alike looking up at the streak of destruction aimed straight at Kurojin's chest.
But Kurojin didn't flinch.
He raised one hand—his palm glowing with a black-red pulse, then thrust it forward.
A deafening boom split the heavens as Kurojin's corrupted blast tore through Kael's spear in mid-air, shattering it like glass. The aftershock rippled outward, knocking Kael and Kaito back. But Kurojin wasn't finished.
With a smirk, he pointed two fingers toward the brothers and whispered, "Break."
Twin beams of abyssal energy shot out with pinpoint precision—one for Kael, one for Kaito.
They hit.
Kael screamed as the blast bored through his right arm just below the shoulder. Blood sprayed into the air, sizzling where it hit the corrupted ground. A heartbeat later, Kaito dropped to a knee, his left bicep torn open, smoke rising from the fresh wound.
"Gah—!" Kaito groaned, clutching his bleeding arm.
Kael staggered, barely able to lift his own. The pain was searing, but he bit down hard enough to draw blood from his lip, refusing to fall.
"Still standing," Kurojin mocked. "Good. I like my victories to mean something."
Raizen, watching from above, clenched his fists in frustration. Too fast. Too precise. Kurojin wasn't just strong—he was tactical. He had aimed for the arms intentionally, disarming both of them before the real slaughter could begin.
Kael gritted his teeth, swaying.
Kaito turned his head slowly, blood dripping from his jaw. "Still think I'm a traitor?"
Kael didn't respond. Not with words. He took a shaky step forward, eyes still blazing with Will energy, even as his right arm hung useless.
"No," Kael muttered. "You're just an idiot… for thinking I wouldn't forgive you."
Kaito chuckled. "Took you long enough."
Kurojin's smile twisted. "How sweet. Shall we see how long your sentiment lasts?"
He descended like a god of ruin, launching another barrage.
Kael raised his left hand, void energy sparking violently around him. Kaito mirrored him with his good arm—light cracking around his knuckles like thunder.
Together, the brothers lunged, charging through fire, blood, and pain.
Across the battlefield, Hana flinched as the shockwaves from their clash rippled through the sky.
"They're pushing him," she whispered.
Tetsu, panting beside her, managed a grin. "They're not just pushing. They're making him sweat."
Back at the frontline, Ryuu's blade clashed again with Veyron's shadows, each swing more aggressive. Veyron narrowed his eyes. "You feel it too, don't you? Something is shifting."
Ryuu nodded. "The tide's turning."
But deep in the crater where Kael and Kaito fought side by side against Kurojin, the tyrant's smile hadn't faded.
"It's not the end," Kurojin muttered. "It's only the beginning."