The cold wind solidified into ice as Kilua entered the laboratory. The man asked no questions upon arrival, instantly unleashing a wave of frost that spread across the floor. Icy pillars formed on the ceiling, but unlike the rounded and slender shapes of Kimiko's training, these were sharp and blade-like.
Shion was no genius, but he knew he was no match for someone powerful enough to alter the environment around them. Such power was rare, known in Niray as Domain Expansion, where one's abilities transformed the battlefield to their advantage. Someone of this level was the perfect excuse for Shion to feign that Kimiko had escaped amidst the chaos.
With a single gesture from Kilua's hand, half of the shadow ninjas were executed. Men and women were impaled alive by icy stakes that erupted from the frozen ground of the laboratory. Some ninjas managed to dodge the spikes, but they were quickly caught by others that rose consecutively wherever they stepped. The white-haired man advanced toward Shion and Kimiko, while the brother of the Shadow Dictator watched his comrades being brutally slaughtered. Shion now wondered if he could escape this frozen hell alive.
Sensing Kilua's intent to save Kimiko, Shion shoved her toward their enemy. A large hand made of soft snow emerged from the ground, gently catching Kimiko before she could touch the icy floor. The snowy hand transformed into a shield, protecting her.
The girl felt immense gratitude toward her cousin. She had already expended much energy during earlier training, and even at full strength, she couldn't have matched a group of shadow ninjas—especially one that secretly included someone as formidable as Shion.
A small fraction of the shadow ninjas managed to flee the laboratory, only to find Thunder Kingdom soldiers waiting for them outside. A new battlefront emerged, with the shadow ninjas gaining the upper hand due to their lethal combat intent. The Thunder Kingdom soldiers, untrained for assassination, began to falter. However, reinforcements soon arrived, tipping the balance in favor of the home defenders.
Inside the laboratory, Kilua summoned numerous sharp ice pillars aimed at killing the ninja who had earlier threatened his cousin with a dagger. The ninja attempted to evade by executing consecutive cartwheels. Exhausted and wary of having his identity revealed, Shion realized he needed to flee. If it became known that the brother of the Shadow Kingdom's dictator was involved, a war between the two kingdoms would surely erupt. Given the Shadow Kingdom's technological inferiority to the Thunder Kingdom, defeat was inevitable.
Being captured by Kilua was not an option for Shion, but he also couldn't afford to fail his mission. Growing up in the shadow of his older brother, the black-haired man hidden beneath his shadow ninja attire harbored a growing hatred for Solaria. He viewed Solaria as exploiting the weaknesses of kingdoms that had been ravaged by war years ago. Both the Shadow Kingdom and the Metal Kingdom were enslaved by the malicious Solaria. Nevertheless, Shion couldn't fail to neutralize the Thunder Kingdom's missile, as his brother would see it as a disgrace to their family.
In another display of superior power, Kilua shattered all the ice pillars he had created, transforming them into dagger-sized shards. With the cold wind at his command, the brown-skinned, white-haired man launched the shards toward Shion. Though one of the fastest men in Niray, Shion couldn't evade them all and was pierced by two shards in his right arm.
The Thunder Kingdom's counselor was surprised. Not only had the shadow ninja dodged earlier attacks, but he had also survived such an overwhelming ability. Kilua realized he was dealing with someone far beyond an ordinary shadow ninja. Intrigued, he asked:
"Who are you?"
The mysterious ninja didn't reply, instead seizing the moment to throw a dagger at Kilua. As Kilua raised a barrier to block the weapon, Shion dashed to a safe distance and hurled a device at the missile, which appeared to be under construction. Kilua, stretching out his hands, was about to freeze the device—a bomb, clearly—when two red eyes appeared in the darkness behind him. Shion moved so swiftly in the shadows that it was impossible to tell if he ran there or teleported. With another dagger in hand, the ninja lunged to stab Kilua but failed miserably as Kilua noticed him at the last moment.
The white-haired man caused the ice shards in Shion's arm to grow, slowly freezing the ninja. Overwhelmed by pain, Shion collapsed to the ground in agony. Kilua extended a hand to remove the ninja's mask and said:
"Now, let me see who you are."
As Kilua reached for the mask, the device detonated, causing a massive explosion that echoed across the Thunder Kingdom. Startled citizens left their homes, while others gazed out their windows at the smoke rising from the laboratory.
Kilua easily shielded himself and Kimiko with his powers, but when he looked around, the mysterious shadow ninja was gone—leaving behind only a few drops of blood.
With the explosion and the arrival of more soldiers, the remaining shadow ninjas began fleeing through the gates of the Storm Kingdom. Soldiers pursued them to the borderlands but eventually retreated. The shadow ninjas assumed the soldiers feared entering the Metal Kingdom, home to the shadowy suburb known as the Shadow Kingdom.
The soldiers, however, had a different reason for retreating. Kazuki had been awakened by the explosion. Enraged by the invasion, he made his way to the route the surviving ninjas would inevitably take. Hiding in a bush, he used a technological device to order his troops to withdraw 200 meters.
Standing in the middle of the border road, Kazuki knelt, looking into the eyes of the ninjas who had yet to realize their doom.
Kazuki touched the ground with one hand. In that instant, all lights in Niray flickered for a second. Donning his heavy gloves, he watched as the wind scattered the ashes of those who dared to challenge him.
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In Solaria:
Hayato sat in the meeting room, watching the lights flicker. Turning to Itoku, he listened as the Solar King said:
"Good work. By tomorrow, we'll have all the information about what happened. If he used his powers, it means he's angry—which, to me, is a victory."
Smiling, the king issued a familiar command to his servant:
"Now, come to me and kneel before your king."
Hayato fought back tears as he obeyed, the imposing man kneeling as Itoku removed his robes.
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In the suburb of Niray:
The Shadow Kingdom also experienced electrical instability. Believing his brother had perished, Gaio was stunned when the severely injured Shion stumbled into the castle. The bloodied young man struggled to the table, poured himself some rum, removed his mask, and began drinking.
After finishing, he turned to his brother and said:
"Mission accomplished."