The sky was painted in fire and shadow.
A deafening roar split the heavens as a monstrous figure tore through the storm clouds, its massive form blotting out the moon. The Kuragari no Ryuu had returned—an ancient beast of nightmares, forged from darkness itself.
Its obsidian scales shimmered beneath the crimson moonlight, each one jagged like a broken blade. Six crimson eyes, burning with malevolence, swept over the Hidden Himetsu, taking in the terrified villagers below. Its massive wings, torn and stitched by threads of void, sent shockwaves through the air with each beat.
Then, it unleashed its fury.
With a single breath, black flames cascaded from its maw, devouring entire districts in an instant. Homes crumbled to ash. The temple bell, once a symbol of hope, melted into molten slag. Screams of the dying filled the air as warriors desperately formed defensive barriers, only to be swallowed whole by the abyssal fire.
In the heart of the chaos, Kaito and Akane Renjiro stood alone.
Kaito's silver hair clung to his sweat-drenched face, his breathing ragged. Blood dripped from a deep gash across his chest, staining his dark battle robes. The Yami Seal, a forbidden technique that fed on its user's life force, burned black across his arms.
Akane stood beside him, her crimson eyes sharp despite the exhaustion weighing on her limbs. She held their newborn son in her arms.
Renjiro.
The child they had sworn to protect.
Kaito's grip tightened around the hilt of his katana. "This monster won't stop until everything is dust." He turned to Akane, his voice firm. "We end this. Now."
Akane's hands trembled as she cradled their son closer to her chest. "There has to be another way—"
A shadow loomed above them.
The Kuragari struck.
Its massive claw, each talon longer than a spear, came crashing down. The sheer force shattered the stone beneath them, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Kaito vanished in an instant, reappearing above the beast's head in a flicker of movement.
"Yami no Rendan—Final Eclipse!"
A slash of pure darkness cut through the sky, splitting the air itself. The beast howled as black energy carved a deep wound across its snout, dark ichor spilling onto the ground like liquid shadow. The very earth hissed where it landed, corroding into nothingness.
But the monster was unfazed.
Its six eyes locked onto Kaito with something almost resembling amusement. Then, without warning, the dragon's throat pulsed.
Kaito's instincts screamed.
"Move!"
A blinding eruption of abyssal flames surged forth, faster than lightning. Kaito had no time to dodge.
The explosion consumed him.
Akane's scream tore through the night.