Chapter 40: Blood on the Horizon
The wind carried the scent of death.
From the ruins of the Kisaragi stronghold, Daijin and his allies watched the approaching army. Tenshi had not come alone. His forces stretched across the broken cityscape—rows of armored warriors, mercenaries, and assassins waiting for the command to strike.
Yeon adjusted the scope of her rifle, scanning the enemy lines. "They brought more than just foot soldiers. I see heavy artillery."
Haru cracked his knuckles. "They're expecting a siege, not a fight."
Akane's fingers tightened around her blade. "Then we give them neither."
Raizo stood at the center, his expression unreadable. "The Kisaragi have defended this place before. We will do so again. But we need a strategy."
Daijin's gaze remained locked on the enemy lines. Renji was out there. He could feel it.
"Tenshi wants to crush us in one strike," Daijin said. "We don't let him."
Raizo raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we stop an army?"
Daijin exhaled. "We don't fight them head-on. We break them before the battle begins."
Yeon smirked. "Sabotage."
Raizo nodded slowly. "It's risky."
Daijin's voice was firm. "So is waiting here to die."
Raizo studied him for a long moment before smirking. "Then let's make this interesting."
---
Into the Wolves' Den
Nightfall.
Daijin, Yeon, and Akane moved like shadows through the ruins, slipping past enemy sentries. The city was quiet, save for the distant murmurs of soldiers preparing for war.
Their target: the enemy supply lines.
"We take out their weapons and provisions," Daijin whispered. "No food. No ammo. No fight."
Yeon crouched behind a crumbling wall, eyes scanning the patrol routes. "Two guards near the munitions. Two more at the supply carts."
Akane unsheathed her blade. "We move fast."
Daijin nodded. "On my mark."
The moment came swift.
Yeon's silenced shot dropped one guard instantly. The second turned, but before he could react, Akane's blade sliced through his throat.
Daijin sprinted toward the supply carts, setting fire to the stacks of explosives. Flames licked the sky, smoke billowing high.
Shouts erupted from the enemy camp.
"Time to go," Yeon said.
They vanished into the night just as the first explosion ripped through the enemy base.
---
The Demon Awakens
From the highest vantage point, Renji watched the fire spread. His expression remained unreadable beneath his half-broken mask.
"They're trying to weaken us," a soldier muttered beside him.
Renji's blade flashed.
A heartbeat later, the man collapsed, blood spilling from his throat.
Renji tilted his head, amused. "They don't understand."
He turned, stepping into the night.
"I don't need an army to kill them."
---
The First Strike
The sun barely touched the sky when the enemy moved.
Even without their supplies, Tenshi's forces pushed forward, their sheer numbers overwhelming. The ruins trembled beneath the weight of their advance.
Haru stood at the barricades, gripping a massive war hammer. "Let's give them a warm welcome."
The Kisaragi warriors roared, unleashing a storm of gunfire and steel.
Yeon picked her targets from the rooftops, each shot precise, unyielding. Akane weaved through the chaos, cutting down enemies like falling leaves.
Daijin fought at the front, his blade a blur of death.
Then, the air shifted.
A shadow moved through the battlefield, fast—too fast.
Daijin barely turned before the blade struck.
Renji's crimson eyes gleamed beneath his mask. "You've run long enough."
Their swords clashed. Sparks flew.
The true battle had begun.
---