The battlefield was chaos. Flames and shadows clashed in violent waves as Kael, Izzy, and Steph fought to hold their ground against the monstrous legion. Screams of fallen warriors mixed with the crackle of fire and the metallic clash of blades. But through the chaos, one figure stood untouched — Renzaki.
His presence warped the air around him, a suffocating pressure weighing down on friend and foe alike. His blood-red hair whipped in the wind, and the cursed mark on his face glowed with an otherworldly light. The cursed energy that radiated from him made even Kael's Bit of Light flicker, and Steph's void tendrils shuddered against it.
"Is that… his full power?" Kael muttered, tightening his grip on his twin blades.
"No," Steph said grimly. "This is him holding back."
Renzaki raised a single hand, and the battlefield seemed to fall silent. The flames dimmed. The void stilled. The monstrous army froze mid-strike, eyes wide in fear. Even the wind seemed to obey his command.
"You insects have wasted enough of my time," Renzaki sneered, his voice carrying like thunder. "It's time you witness the true power of the abyss."
Without warning, his body surged with energy. Black and crimson lightning crackled around him as his aura exploded into a monstrous pillar of cursed flame. The sheer force of it sent Izzy and Kael skidding backward. Steph held his ground, void energy flaring around him like a shield.
Izzy's Shinku eye blazed brighter in response, and for the first time, her right eye — Yami — pulsed violently. A sharp pain stabbed through her head, visions of ancient battles and monstrous entities flashing before her.
"Izzy!" Kael shouted, seeing her stagger. "Stay with me!"
But it was too late. The pain intensified, and a voice whispered in the depths of her mind.
"Awaken, chosen bearer… unleash what sleeps within…"
Her vision darkened, and a new power surged through her veins. Shinku and Yami's energies fused in a spiral of crimson and shadow, erupting from her body in a fiery burst. The air around her shimmered, and the very ground cracked beneath her feet.
When the light faded, Izzy stood taller, her aura a blazing mix of blood-red fire and pitch-black mist. Her hair floated as if weightless, and both eyes radiated the combined wrath of flame and shadow.
"Renzaki," Izzy growled, her voice deeper, layered with something ancient. "I'm done running."
Renzaki's eyes narrowed, a cruel smile creeping onto his face. "Good… now you're worth killing."
Kael and Steph exchanged glances. The real battle was about to begin.