A chilling aura spread across Yamato, creeping into every corner of the land like an unstoppable force. The sky darkened, the wind howled, and the ground trembled. It was as if the entire world had been shackled by an unseen force.
Sho, standing outside his home, shivered uncontrollably. "What is this aura?" he murmured, his breath visible in the sudden cold. "It's… so cold."
Beside him, Jun clenched his fists. "It's Escarion's awakened form." His eyes widened with urgency. "We have to rush to Kazan Clan now!"
Without hesitation, every clan elder and leader across Yamato sensed the immense power and immediately set off toward Kazan Clan.
Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, Daigo smirked, excitement dancing in his crimson eyes.
"This aura… it's so powerful. This is going to be interesting."
Just as he spoke, his elite servants lunged toward Escarion, ready to put an end to his awakening.
But before they could even reach him—
"STOP."
Daigo's voice cut through the battlefield like a blade.
"This is MY battle. If you interfere, you will die."
The servants froze in place. They had never heard such raw, unshakable authority from Daigo before. Without another word, they stepped back, leaving the battlefield solely to their leader.
Kuki stood nearby, his knees weak as he felt the overwhelming presence of Escarion's energy.
"I've… I've felt this before," he whispered to himself. "But this… this is beyond anything I've ever imagined."
Across from him, Escarion stood tall, his body pulsating with an intense red aura. His muscles tightened, his breathing steady, and before Daigo could react—
Escarion vanished.
A split second later—
BOOM!
He appeared behind Daigo and struck him with unimaginable force.
For the first time, Daigo's blood splattered on the ground.
Silence.
Everyone froze. Even Daigo himself.
A dull pain spread through his ribs, his body processing what had just happened.
Escarion didn't stop.
Before Daigo could recover, a barrage of rapid punches struck him in the chest, face, and stomach.
Each punch was faster. Heavier. Unrelenting.
Daigo clenched his teeth, trying to block, trying to counter, but Escarion was too fast.
"This human…" Daigo thought, wiping blood from his mouth. "He's something else."
As the battle raged on, the entire Kazan Clan rushed into the training ground, eager to intervene.
But—
"You won't pass."
Daigo's elite servants stepped forward, blocking the way.
Issey smirked. "It looks like our battle will take place here."
Back on the battlefield, Escarion continued his relentless assault. His fists crashed into Daigo's body, breaking the very air around them.
And then—
A strange occurrence.
The animals of the land—the ones Daigo had touched before—suddenly attacked Escarion.
They moved like humans, wielding weapons, their eyes filled with unnatural rage.
But Escarion, unbothered, slaughtered them in an instant.
And when he looked back at Daigo—
Daigo was gone.
Escarion's eyes shot upward.
Above him, Daigo hovered in the sky, both hands raised, forming a massive orb of pure dark energy.
The very air twisted, the sky cracked, and the land trembled beneath its sheer power.
Daigo grinned as the energy reached its peak. "This is the end, Escarion."
But before he could release it—
A single punch.
A punch so powerful that even though Escarion was on the ground, its shockwave reached the sky.
The blast erased Daigo's attack in an instant.
Daigo landed, his aura surging.Stronger. Darker. Hungrier.
They clashed again.
Fist met fist. Energy met energy.
The two were finally equal.
But then—Escarion's power kept increasing.
Daigo narrowed his eyes. "What is happening? Why… is he still growing stronger?"
Daigo gritted his teeth. He wanted to win. No—he HAD to win.
And then—
A shadow emerged from Daigo's body.
A dark, shapeless figure with monstrous power.
It lunged forward—
And in a blink, it struck Escarion.
A brutal, bone-crushing impact.
Escarion collapsed.
His red aura vanished.
His awakened form was gone.
Silence.
Jun, still rushing toward Kazan Clan, clenched his fists. "Damn it! Kazan Clan is too far! We have to move faster!"
Back at the battlefield, Daigo looked down at Escarion.
Bloodied. Defeated. Motionless.
He scoffed."You're powerful, I'll admit that… but I haven't even used my own awakening."
"This proves that I am stronger than you."
Escarion lay on the ground, his breathing shallow.
For a moment, everything blurred.
Then—
A female voice echoed in his mind.
Soft. Familiar.
"Live for Yamato… not for me."
Escarion's eyes snapped open.
And in that instant—they burned with an unrelenting fury.
AM I WEAK...?