Ash stood frozen in the sacred room, his body unresponsive as the adrenaline from the fight began to fade. Katsuo's lifeless body lay crumpled before him, and Takumi's piercing screams of grief echoed in his ears. He tried to move, but his body felt paralyzed, the weight of everything crashing down on him.
"Ash, snap out of it!" Raiden growled as he placed a firm hand on his shoulder. But Ash didn't respond-his body was limp, his mind lost in the chaos of emotions and Takumi's curses.
Raiden sighed, frustration flickering across his face. Without hesitation, he crouched and hoisted Ash onto his back. "Hold on," he muttered, before turning to the entrance of the room where the sound of rushing footsteps was growing louder.
From the shadows, ninjas flooded into the room, their blades glinting in the dim blue light. Takumi stood among them, her father's blood still fresh on the ground. Her eyes, red and swollen, burned with pure hatred. "Kill them both!" she screamed, her voice cracking as she pointed toward Raiden and Ash.
Raiden's gaze hardened. "You want to die here? Fine. But I'm not leaving him behind."
With Ash on his back, Raiden charged forward, lightning crackling at his fingertips. The first wave of ninjas attacked in perfect synchronization, but Raiden's sharp instincts and overwhelming power outmatched them. He spun on his heel, sending bolts of electricity to knock several attackers unConscious. His movements were precise designed to disable, not to kill.
"Out of my way!" Raiden roared, sending a shockwave that threw the next wave of ninjas back into the walls. Sparks danced along his fingertips, the storm inside him unleashed.
Takumi stood at the back, her teeth clenched so tightly that her jaw ached. Her hands trembled as she gripped the hilt of her father's blade. Watching Raiden decimate her comrades made her hatred burn brighter. "You won't escape, she hissed under her breath, tears threatening to fall. "Not after what you've done, Ash."
Raiden blasted through the remaining ninjas and made his way toward the exit, Ash still slumped over his shoulder. As he emerged into the open, the faint light of dawn painted the horizon. The cool morning air hit his face as he leapt onto a nearby rooftop. Behind him, Takumi's enraged voice echoed through the compound.
"Stop them! Don't let them get away!" she bellowed.
Raiden's legs moved swiftly, his boots pounding against the rooftops as he raced toward the shore. The distant crash of waves grew louder with every step. Ash stirred slightly, his head lifting weakly. "Where... where are we going?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"To the shore," Raiden replied, his tone firm. "To my boat."
Ash managed a faint nod before his head dropped again, exhaustion overwhelming him. Raiden's focus remained fixed ahead, but his senses picked up on the presence behind him. He turned his head slightly and saw her-Takumi. Her red-rimmed eyes glared at them, her movements swift and precise as she pursued them.
She leapt from rooftop to rooftop, her grip on her father's sword tight. "You won't escape!" she yelled, her voice filled with rage. She hurled a handful of shurikens, their metallic gleam catching the rising sunlight.
Raiden twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the projectiles. Sparks erupted as a few of the shurikens grazed his lightning aura, falling harmlessly to the ground. He gritted his teeth, increasing his pace.
As he neared the final rooftop As he neared the final rooftop before the shore, Takumi pulled out a small, gleaming needle. She infused it with a deadly poison, her movements precise as she aimed. Her hand trembled for a moment, but her resolve hardened. "This ends now," she whispered, throwing the needle with lethal accuracy.
Raiden caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. Time seemed to slow as he saw the needle hurtling toward Ash. His eyes widened, but before he could react, the needle found its mark. It pierced Ash's neck.
Ash's body jolted slightly, and his breathing became ragged. Purple veins began to spread around the puncture wound, glowing faintly as the poison took hold.
"No!" Raiden shouted, his voice filled with panic. He leapt from the rooftop and landed on the sandy shore. Ahead, his boat bobbed gently in the shallow waves. He sprinted toward it, his heart pounding.
Takumi stopped at the edge of the rooftop, watching as Raiden placed Ash into the boat and began paddling away. Her chest heaved with anger and grief, tears streaming down her face. "You'lI pay for this, Ash!" she screamed into the wind. "l will hunt you down, and l'|l make you suffer!"
Raiden didn't look back. His focus was on Ash, whose face was pale and drenched in sweat. The purple veins around his neck pulsed ominously.
"Stay with me," Raiden muttered, paddling faster. The open sea stretched before them, but the weight of what had just happened threatened to crush him.