Zani sat at the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on the floor as if searching for answers in the cracks of the stone. His body ached, not from any visible wound but from the weight of memories that refused to resurface. The dim light of Yashiro's chamber cast flickering shadows across the room, but the air was heavy with the tension of unspoken questions.
Yashiro stood nearby, arms crossed, watching Zani carefully. The general's calm demeanor had always been unshakable, but now there was a vulnerability about him—a rare crack in his armor.
Zani: I just… don't understand. I should have died in that forest. I vividly recall the feeling of looking death in the face.
Yashiro: You said there were two auras. You felt them and everything went dark.
Zani: "Rubbing his temples as if trying to force clarity from the fog in his mind." One was familiar… very familiar-the kind of malice I've encountered before. But the other… It was something else entirely. It wasn't just powerful. It felt like it was protecting me.
Yashiro: How did the foe feel?
Zani: I don't know. Judging by my gut feeling trying to remember that scene, I know one thing for sure. It felt ancient, intimidating. Like I'm engulfed by something out of this world. I rarely ever felt threatened, but this is the most threatened I've ever felt in my entire life.
Yashiro: Yet, against all odds, you're here.
Zani: Yes.
Yashiro: Then, I suggest that we try to close in on that second entity that we believe had protected you back there.
Zani: That could be difficult. We don't have any lead. The only "lead" that we have is that that entity that I believe saved my life, feels very familiar. Could it be…
Before he could voice his thoughts, hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor outside. A soldier burst into the room, his face pale and his breath ragged.
Soldier: Lord Yashiro! General Zani! "The soldier exclaimed, his voice trembling."
Yashiro: What is it?
Soldier: The eastern gate watchtowers have spotted an army- Morfiem forces seem to be marching in on us from the horizon! They will be here within an hour!
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of the soldier's words pressing down like a heavy fog. Zani rose to his feet, his composure returning as if the urgency of battle had reignited the fire within him.
Soldier: We are not ready for another invasion sirs, we haven't even recovered from the past one! We don't have the numbers or the strength to withstand it!.
Yashiro exchanged a glance with Zani: We will have to make with what he have. Gather the council and prepare the defenses. We'll hold the line-no matter what it takes.
Zani placed a hand on Yashiro's shoulder, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him: If they're testing us again, kid, let's make sure we remind them why they failed the first time.
Yashiro: This isn't just another attack. They're trying to finish what they started.
Zani: They can't. Their emperor is still wounded from his battle with Makato. I'm sure they're coming without him, which is a huge handicap for them. Realistically speaking, if he was with them, there would be no number of soldiers saving us.
Yashiro: Is he that strong?
Zani: He runs the biggest empire on the continent, and no one dares to invade his lands, yet he effortlessly crosses borders and sends an all out attack towards us twice within a week. Your Father merely delayed the doom, and without him we're very unlikely to hold off for much longer. Unless you manage to master whatever it is that he had planted inside you.
Yashiro: We will look for answers after this battle is done.
As the danger was looming over the horizon, Zani himself went to the eastern gate watchtower to observe the enemy. Upon returning, he had a few words to say to Yashiro.
Zani: They outnumber us greatly.
Yashiro: Got any plan?
Zani: The best we can do is clash them head on and hope for the best outcome. We need to keep our women and children safe. If we fall, the empire falls. Krug (Capital of Uchimasu) is the heart of our empire. If they came all the way to here via foot, that means that they successfully went through the eastern city of Glevum.
(Info: Glevum is the most eastern city in Uchimasu Empire. It sits near the Cursed pond.)
Yashiro: But that's strange. There should have been a messenger to warn us as that happened.
Zani: I know, but I suspect something else. We will talk later.
The clanging of bells reverberated through the city, a sound that struck fear into the hearts of the citizens of Uchimasu. Vendors abandoned their stalls, parents ushered their children into their homes, and soldiers scrambled to don their armor. The streets, once bustling with the sounds of recovery, were now alive with urgency and dread.
On the palace grounds, Yashiro stood before a gathering of officers and council members, his voice steady despite the unease gripping him. A large map of the city and its surrounding lands was pinned to a board, marked with various red and black symbols representing the advancing Morfiem forces.
"We have less than an hour before they reach our gates," Yashiro said, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "The eastern wall is our weakest point; that's where they'll focus their assault. We need archers stationed there immediately."
Takashi Hoshino, the newly appointed Imperial Lord, stepped forward, his one good hand resting on the pommel of his sword. "I'll take command of the northern wall," he said firmly. "I know it's a gamble, but we'll hold them as long as we can."
Yashiro nodded. "Good. Father Daba, you'll oversee the evacuation of non-combatants to the inner quarters. We can't risk civilian casualties."
The priest bowed. "Consider it done, my lord."
Zani: How many Kiai users do we have here?
(Info: Kiai, the type of energy used by people in order to channel their powers.)
Squad leader: Only about fifty, but all of them are, for the most part, beginners and aren't very proficient.
Zani: Pride of Uchimasu rests on our ability to utilize natural energy. So soldiers, no matter how small or insignificant it is, it all adds up to one great deed which is protecting everything we hold dear behind those walls, and even beyond them. Most of us won't live to see tomorrow, but for those who do, this battle will pave the road they will walk on. I took a look earlier today into their forces. They are not lead by their emperor. Instead who leads them is one of their Stormbreakers. I've encountered him before, he's a ruthless, very powerful individual who has full control of the power of the skies. Although his skills are not up to that of the Winged King, we should still be vary of him. Young Lord and I will try to take him on. The rest of you, best of luck, they're here.
(Info: Stormbreakers Generals: Elite commanders skilled in the harnessing of destructive forces like tornadoes, hurricanes, and intense thunderstorms.)
They oversee operations where the manipulation of powerful atmospheric phenomena is required.
As Zani delivered last words of his speech in an attempt to raise his army morale, Morfiem forces advanced close enough and the battle begins.
Stormbreaker Rengoku: Zani. It's been a long time since I saw you.
Zani: I don't care.
Stormbreaker Rengoku: Hard-headed as ever. It doesn't matter. Die.
The battle started raging, with Morfiem forces gaining upper hand on the battle early on, but not so fast.
Zani: Everyone, MOVE!
As discussed in their preparation for the battle, the frontline quickly left the site after managing to attract quite a few of Morfiem soldiers, and Zani quietly mumbled his words: "Ashen rune level 1, release!" (Ashen rune level 1 is an ashen technique where the caster plants combustable ashes that upon releasing cause an explosion that destroys everything within the radius of 10 meters.)
Upon doing that, everything in a radius of ten meters got blown away.
Stormbreaker Rengoku: You sneaky bastard!
Yashiro: You should watch over here!
Yashiro launched himself into the air, his leg arcing toward Rengoku with lethal precision. But as his strike connected, Rengoku's form dissolved into a swirling mist, leaving Yashiro's momentum to carry him through empty air. Before he could even pivot to face his foe, Rengoku had already reformed behind him, his voice cold and commanding as he unleashed his technique: "Heaven Manipulation: Cloud Spear Storm."
The skies darkened in response, and in an instant, hundreds of spectral spears forged from swirling clouds descended upon Yashiro like a tempest. Each strike tore into him, carving deep wounds and leaving him staggering beneath the relentless assault.
Zani: Yashirooooo!
Stormbreaker Rengoku: And you're next!
When Rengoku said those words, he used yet another technique in order to overpower Stormbreaker Rengoku: "Heaven Manipulation Skyborn Wrath: Spear of the Azure Emperor".
In an instant a massive spear of condensed azure energy is hurled from the heavens with devastating force, creating shockwaves that annihilate everything in its path upon impact. Upon explosion, as the mist clears up, the clearance reveals Zani still standing, surrounded by the hardened ashes over his head that protected him from certain death.
Zani: You're not the only one with an ace up their sleeve Rengoku.
Zani slammed his palm into the ground, his eyes narrowing with focus as he channeled his energy.
Zani: "Ashen Quake!"
The earth beneath the battlefield trembled violently, fissures cracking open as a powerful underground explosion erupted. The shockwave destabilized everyone, including Rengoku, who staggered as the ground buckled beneath his feet.
(Info: Ashen Quake: A power to trigger seismic disturbances by manipulating ashes underground. This ability could cause tremors, collapse terrain, and create destructive shockwaves, shaking the ground violently to destabilize opponents.**)
Seizing the opening, Zani rose to his full height, his voice steady and commanding as he extended his hand forward.
Zani: "Ashen Obliteration."
(Info: Ashen Obliteration: An extremely potent power that allows the user to disperse a cloud of highly concentrated and volatile ashes. When triggered, this cloud can explode into a catastrophic shockwave, devastating everything in its path with overwhelming force.**)
The battlefield was engulfed in chaos as the remnants of Zani's Ashen Obliteration lingered in the air—a thick, suffocating haze of smoldering ash and swirling embers. The ground was scorched black, deep craters marking the epicenter of the explosion. Rengoku staggered amidst the devastation, his once-imposing figure now battered and singed. His armor was cracked, fragments of it hanging loosely, and his breathing was uneven, a testament to the sheer force of the attack. Despite the immense power unleashed upon him, his piercing gaze remained unbroken, glowing with fury and resolve. The once-pristine battlefield had become a wasteland of ash and ruin, but the sight of Rengoku still standing sent a chill down the spines of the Uchimasu soldiers watching from the distance.
Stormbreaker Rengoku: "Panting." "You've still got plenty of fight left in you, I see."
Zani notices that the way Rengoku speaks has changed, it doesn't seem like him anymore.
Zani: What are you talking about? How are you still standing?
Stormbreaker Rengoku: It's been so long since I last saw you. You've aged. However now that you don't have him on your side anymore, your death is eminent.
Zani: Are you talking about Makato?
Stormbreaker Rengoku: Sharp mind like always. Don't waster your strength asking more questions, just come at me with everything you got so I can get rid of you too!
Zani: What is this sudden change of attitude?
Stormbreaker Rengoku: I SAID NO MORE QUESTIONS!
Without saying any words, Rengoku raised his arm towards the sky. The sky began to darken, the clouds started colliding. What was about to unfold was one of the most devastating Heaven Manipulation techniques known to man.
(Info: To cast a technique, an individual must recite its name aloud. This process utilizes specialized pathways within the lungs that, when activated, open the user's Kiai points. These points channel the Kiai energy needed to manifest the technique. Only the most powerful and extraordinary individuals possess the ability to cast techniques silently, without uttering a single word.**)
But in the middle of Rengoku trying to crash heaven onto Uchimasu, in an instant, like everything had stopped. Everyone was blinded by an extremely bright flash which staggered everyone.
And when everyone recovered from it, they were in shock. Every single one of Morfiem's troops were laying on the ground, rendered of life. The only one standing-Rengoku.
Stormbreaker Rengoku: What just happened?!
Zani: I don't know, but you seem unable to move.
Stormbreaker Rengoku: Damn you, we will meet again!
Zani: No we won't.
As Zani said those words, he launched himself into Rengoku, impaling him with his assassin dagger, ultimately killing him.
When the battle finally ended, rain began to fall, its cool droplets washing away the blood and ash from the battlefield. Zani hurried to Yashiro's side, his heart pounding with worry. Yet, to his astonishment, there were no visible wounds on the young lord's body. Slowly, Yashiro stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he regained consciousness.