"Die!!" Akira launched himself from the tree he was scouting from towards Kurouzu. His punch managed to take him down for a moment. While the rest of Aotori watched in shock looking at the intruder.
Some minutes later, Kurouzu managed to stand up, desperately holding his head because of the severe headache he was experiencing. Realizing Akira in front of him, he suddenly remembers what happened on that fateful night. The house, the blaze, and the people inside it.
"You remembered?" Akira asked him, heating up his fists once again. "The night you murdered my wife and child...? How does it feel right now?" he attacked Kurouzu with questions about what he did.
The team had to act fast as Kurouzu's life was at stake. And so Karito sprang up, grabbed Akira from the back and prevented him from attacking Kurouzu once again, "Kurouzu, run!!" despite Akira's blazing hot arms, Karito tried as he might to hold him from moving.
Kurouzu then ran deeper into the woods, and Akira became more agitated. He managed to shake Karito off, but was greeted by Hikiri's blade right in front of his face. Luckily he dodged it, punched him down to the ground.
Yamato soon joined the fight, the three tried to match Akira who was actually strangely more powerful than all of them. They have never fought someone this strong since Yusuke. Countless slashes and punches were traded, but no blade could penetrate Akira's steel armor that he forged himself.
The Akazaru then managed to escape from Aotori's surroundings by stomping the earth and created a wall around himself with a small opening to chase Kurouzu into the setting sun.
----
Kurouzu ran as far as he could, he arrived at the shore. He thought that he got away from his pursuer, but he couldn't escape the one inside his head. The time has come, his soul was mostly already devoured by Volkus.
Agonizing headache struck him, he screamed into the heavens while holding his head. Once again his ethereal arms spawned from his back, he moved erratically on the white sand illuminated by the last rays of the sunset.
----
"And from there, he vanished. I've never actually seen him again since," Akira (in Kentarou's body) ended his story. The sun in the present was also starting to set, while Kyuuto realized what his ancestor had done. He tried to patch his brother's mistake with another mistake.
While Akira's fists heated up, Natsuki (in Ishigaki's body) stepped in front of Kyuuto to protect him, "Run, Kyuuto..." she whispered. But he didn't move a muscle. Kyuuto just stood there firm while looking Akira in the eyes.
"I won't run," Kyuuto was dead serious, he then stepped ahead of Natsuki, "I understand now that Kurouzu had done terrible things--- to you, and to everyone around him. But I think that there's other way than violence. If Volkus is inside him---" he paused for a slight headache, then continued, "then I'm the one who controls both him and Volkus. We don't know what will happen if any of the two got released,"
Akira realized that Kyuuto has a point, but he couldn't put aside the fact that he knows-- he killed his family, and there's nothing in the world that could bring them back. For the grudge he has for a millennia, there's nothing he could do beside just ending him.
Meanwhile...
----
Yato was in the training forest trying to vent his anger towards the woods until he heard a rustling noise coming from behind. When he turned his head around, he saw... himself.
"Who are you?!" he frantically drew his sword from its scabbard, and sheathed it to the entity that looks exactly like him.
"I'm you," the entity replied with a calm, similar-but slightly deeper-voice. "How does it feel to be betrayed? By the one you thought was your friend, but unable to do anything about it? Do you feel powerless?" the other *Yato proceeded to talk him down. He then walked calmly towards Yato's blade.
Seeing *himself at the other end of the blade, Yato trembled, "W-What do you want?!"
"I want you--- to fight back. Take... revenge..." the other *Yato grinned widely while holding Yato's blade firmly, normally anyone who did this would bleed their own palm, but he didn't.
The real Yato tried to slash him instead, but his sword magically went through his impostor's whole body. Shocked by what he saw, he took some steps back before being grabbed by his imposter by his head.
"In the end--- you're nothing but a vengeful spirit..." *he whispered, sending terror through Yato's body.