"Where'd all this power come from?" Nezumi mumbled as he stumbled to his feet.
Cora plodded toward Nezumi, her footsteps slow and heavy.
"My blood feels like it's on fire," Cora grumbled, "I don't think I'll be able to manipulate prana properly in this state."
Nezumi spat out a wad of blood. He advanced toward Cora, his hands raised to guard his head, his body settling into a sparring stance he'd practiced for years- knees bent, weight balanced and light on the balls of his feet, head lowered.
Cora made the first move, intending to make the most out of her heightened strength.
With a grunt, Cora threw a kick at Nezumi's jaw. Nezumi ducked, sliding under her legs and knocking Cora's support from under her.
Cora curled into a flip, regaining her balance and throwing another kick at Nezumi, who successfully blocked but was taken back by the impact.
They locked eyes again, circling one another, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"Nezumi," Cora said as she threw a punch, "You caused that explosion, didn't you?"
"I did," Nezumi replied as he dodged.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to."
Cora twisted her arm into an uppercut, slamming into Nezumi's unprotected jaw.
Cora pressed on, "It was jealousy, wasn't it? You destroyed your homeland for something as childish as jealousy."
"Jealousy?" Nezumi snarled, "Don't diminish my reasons to something as silly as jealousy.
"You've only known me for a few days," Nezumi lashed out a kick, launching Cora through the air. "You know nothing about the Shi Mountains or me. You've no right to judge me or my decisions."
Nezumi raced after Cora, who braced for impact.
She curled her arm up and wedged it between her body and Nezumi's neck. She pushed. And with a dull groan, she flipped him on his back.
Nezumi dropped to the ground and felt Cora land on him a moment later. Sitting on his torso, Cora unleashed several blows to Nezumi's face.
"I can't judge you?" Cora asked between punches.
"The first time we met, you attacked Raijah without hearing us out. Every time we interacted after, I felt like you were hiding something. That was all but confirmed when you beat the shit out of us and stole Ame-no-Ohabari.
"Nezumi," Cora wrapped an arm around Nezumi, trying to choke him. "I have every right to judge you!"
Nezumi writhed his arm under Cora's, twisting at the elbow and successfully breaking the choke.
He rammed his fist into her mouth, pushing her to the side.
Cora quickly scrambled to her feet, but Nezumi wasn't as fast.
Still fighting against the tightness in his chest, Nezumi stumbled to his feet.
"Damn it, Cora," Nezumi ruffled his hair, "Will you stop fucking talking?"
***
"Tensai," Warui turned to face his old friend, noticing Tensai's amputated pinkie finger wrapped in thin bandages. "You sly fox. What're you up to?"
"Sly fox?" Tensai chuckled, "You should be thanking me for reviving you in your prime state. I rigged your DNA to regress a few years before your death. And then preserved your body until I felt the need to resurrect you."
Warui turned to the Korosu family standing behind him. Confused, they all shared the same lost expression. "I don't see either of your parents within the masses," Warui commented, "Why haven't you resurrected them? Scared of what they'd think of what you've become?"
Tensai's smile faded to a frown, "Watch your words, Warui. Fortunately for you, I granted you control of your body. I could easily take your consciousness and turn you into a puppet."
Warui turned to the other vertical coffin. "Who's in there?"
"Just an old friend of ours," Tensai replied, "I'm not quite ready to let her loose." Ashes swirled around the coffin, and it vanished.
"Raijah," Teo said, "What're you waiting for; did we come here to stand around and spectate?"
Raijah replied, "I sensed Hashira's presence earlier. But it suddenly disappeared. I didn't think much of it at first because Hashira's strong. But I haven't felt his aura since. I'm starting to get worried.
"Gado, tell me it isn't what I think it is."
"Your intuition is spot on," Gado responded, "Hashira's dead."
Forked lightning flickered across the sky, followed by the rumble of an impending thunderstorm.
Raijah's eyes flared, "Then Cora, Val, and Aziel. Are they doing alright?"
"Aziel and Ujinari are currently engaged with the enemy. As for Cora and Valerie, anything could've happened after that explosion."
"I see. Gado, I'm leaving you and the Shi to fend off the Korosu." Raijah lowered his head. "Teo. You ready?"
"Yeah," Teo answered.
"A piece of advice," Gado added, "As long as he wills it, spatiotemporal abilities will not affect him. It's all because of those earrings he's wearing. They're his biggest strength."
Raijah nodded his head.
"True Divine Prana: Divine Creation!"
Along with Raijah and Teo, Tensai appeared in a dry and bare landscape.
"Couldn't you have come up with something a little more creative?" Teo complained.
Irritated, Raijah replied, "Creating something out of nothing isn't as easy as it looks. I can only model my creations after something simple or something I've previously seen. Besides, making more than this would be a waste of energy."
Tensai observed his surroundings. "Instantly summoning a hyperspace. Must be nice, being a god and all."
"It's not all that great," Raijah responded as he and Teo gathered prana, engulfing their surroundings in black and crimson flares.
Teo pointed his blade at Tensai, "What's with the flattery? You sent those creatures after us, right? Was it an attempt to get us out of the picture and make executing your plan easier?"
"Yes. And it worked perfectly. Hashira is dead, and the rest of you will be joining him shortly."
"Then, you aren't expecting any mercy, right?"
"Mercy?" Tensai erupted into boisterous laughter.
"Do not misunderstand," Tensai released his ash-colored aura, "Sending those creatures after you instead of dealing with you myself.
"That was mercy."
***
Warui crossed his arms, staring down at Gado and the others. "Leaving me to do your dirty work," he muttered, "Fuck you, Tensai."
"But I have no choice but to comply," Warui flicked his wrist, signaling to his clan to begin their charge.
Warui stayed on the summit, watching his family engage the Shi in battle. Neither clan yielded to the other.
Gado glared up at Warui, distant from the chaos ensuing around him.
"Warui," Gado scowled, "Now that is a name I haven't heard in years."
"Oh?" Warui reacted, "Allow me to jog your memory a bit."
Warui's words barely reached Gado's ears when Gado felt his ribs smash inwards from the impact of a fist.
"When did he-"
Warui attacked again, crushing Gado's vocal cords with a simple knee to the throat.
Gado tumbled across the ground, barely managing to breathe, let alone stand on his own two feet.
Warui closed in on him, hurling his arms and legs at unbelievable speeds.
Gado blocked as many hits as possible, his arms jarring in their joints every time he was successful, and his chest and face blooming with pain every time he failed.
He stumbled back through the deforested plain until Warui cornered him against a tall tree stump.
Warui cocked his arm back, striking Gado with a fist that could have been mistaken for a battering ram.
Gado reeled back, eyeing Warui carefully as he coughed blood onto the blackened dirt.
Warui grabbed Gado by the neck, lifting him into the air with one hand.
Gado squirmed and kicked to no avail. His nose was broken and bleeding, his ribs shattered and bruised, his eyes and face darkened with blood, and his lips ripped into an oozing gash.
"Have you begun to remember who I am?" Warui asked.
Gado tried to force his battered throat to work but only managed a muffled squeal.
Warui drew back a bloody fist and struck another blow. Enough to hurt, but not kill.
"I asked you a question."
Gado stopped squirming. He puckered his lips and spat at Warui.
Warui simply tilted his head, avoiding Gado's feeble attempt at salvation.
Warui heard the white noise of running water. Still holding Gado by the neck, he turned to the source.
"The Takoizu River. It's as bright and beautiful as ever. The perfect funeral home."
Warui dunked Gado's head into the river, submerging him in the bright blue water.
Cold water filled Gado's lungs, and blood pounded behind his eyes. Each movement was more agonizingly painful than the last.
Gado flailed his limbs helplessly, like a newborn learning to swim. But despite his efforts, Warui never lessened his grip.
In due time, Gado stopped resisting. His pulse grew slow, and his blood went cold. The water pushed down on him from all directions, and he sank to the bottom of the pool, the water pressure crushing him like an eggshell.
His blood mixed with the river water, combining into a thick red solute.
Warui walked down the river to a spot the blood had not yet reached.
He knelt and rinsed Gado's blood from his hands, still baring a pissed-off expression.
"Surely you remember me now."