Masato and the others preparing for their final assault on the Ancient's stronghold. Aiko stands before them, her face etched with determination. "This is it, everyone. We've come too far to turn back now. Whatever happens, we have to stop Akuma and seal that portal for good."
Masato nods, his eyes filled with a steely resolve. "I'm with you, Aiko. To the end." The others voice their agreement, their cursed energy crackling around them.
The scene shifts to the temple, where Akuma stands before the glowing rift in the sky. "Soon, my brethren will arrive. And this world will be ours." It turns as the heroes burst through the doors, their weapons drawn.
"Not if we have anything to say about it," Masato growls, his body glowing with the cursed tool's power. Akuma lets out a rumbling laugh. "So, you've come to face your doom, sorcerer?"
The two titans clash, their battle shaking the very foundations of the temple. Masato summons his ice dragon, its jaws gaping wide. But Akuma is ready, slamming its fist into the dragon's face and shattering it to pieces.
Masato staggers, his body wracked with pain. The cursed tool is killing him, his life force draining away with each passing moment. But he refuses to give up, pouring the last of his strength into one final attack.
The scene shifts back to Aiko and the others, gathered before the portal. They begin the ritual, their cursed energy flowing into the glowing rift. The portal begins to shrink, the rift closing inch by inch.
Suddenly, a massive tremor shakes the earth, and Akuma comes crashing through the temple wall. It charges towards the ritual, its claws outstretched. Masato appears behind it, his body a broken ruin. "Not...this time," he whispers, and unleashes his ultimate attack.
The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, with Masato's sacrifice hanging in the balance and the fate of the world still uncertain. The ritual continues, but Akuma is closing in, determined to stop them at any cost.