"No… Who did this…!?" Tetsuya's voice were trembling.
Ryuuji's body was pinned to a huge rock, his skin stitched with magical strings. Blood stained the walls, and his lifeless eyes stared into the distance. He had died, still smiling.
"N-no… This can't be" Haru said, he started crying blaming himself, "This was all my fault, if I had fought back and escape, this wouldn't happen…!"
"It's not your fault Haru" Aiko replied, but Tetsuya's breath caught in his throat, the shock too much to bear. Aiko looked at him with fear and sadness "Tetsuya… I'm sorry" Aiko sobbed, but in the midst of his pain, all that remained was a burning fury. "Father…" then, tears began falling on his eyes
Tetsuya's body trembled and fell on his knees, and out of nowhere an overwhelming surge of purple energy began slowly spiraling out of him. "I won't forgive them… I'll kill them, without mercy!" his voice growled, as he slowly stood up the power radiated from him in waves, creating a violent cyclone that ripped through the grass and shattered the earth beneath his feet.
"I wouldn't spare a stare at them to beg for their lives…!" Tetsuya's voice growled with anger and fear.
Aiko barely managed to shield her face with her arm, the wind biting at her skin. Her voice barely inaudible as she shouted, "TETSUYA!"
The storm only intensified, and both Aiko and Haru struggled to stay upright against the force of it. The wind made it harder than usual, draining her energy faster than she expected. "Haru, I have an idea… And I need your help!" she called, her voice barely carrying over the howling wind.
Haru quickly reacted, his flames ignited in his palms. With a firm movement, he created a barrier of fire around them, the flames cracking and popping as they pushed back against the violent winds. "I've got us covered, Aiko! Just focus on whatever you have to do!"
Aiko nodded quickly, narrowing her focus. Her hands trembled as she shaped the shard into a solid, sharp icicle. It had to be strong enough to support her, to anchor her against the aggressive wind. It wasn't easy, her Mana slowly drained but she forced herself to keep going.
The wind howled louder, and the pressure of it made her heart race. But finally, the icicle was ready. "Alright, I'm going!" she called over her shoulder to Haru, gripping the icicle to her hands tightly.
As soon as she stepped out of the fire shield, the wind slammed into her, nearly knocking her off her feet. She thrust the icicle into the ground, using it like a pickaxe to anchor herself, her boots scraping against the earth. She could barely hold her ground. With every step, the wind pushed back harder, threatening to send her flying.
"Tetsuya!" Aiko yelled, struggling against the wind. She pulled the icicle free and stabbed it into the ground again, inching her way forward.
Haru's fire shield flickered behind her, the flames roaring and bending with the force of the wind. "Be careful, Aiko!" he warned, his voice strained.
Tetsuya stood at the center of the chaos, frozen, his purple eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. His fists clenched, and the wind around him seemed to pulse with every beat of his heart. The village gate was in the distance, and Tetsuya's gaze turned toward it, fury bubbling up within him. His entire body began to glow with that same terrifying power.
"No…" Aiko whispered, her heart sinking. "He's going to…"
In a final push, Aiko charged forward, the pendant prepared tight in her hand and she wore it to Tetsuya, placing it onto his chest just as his energy reached its peak.
But the moment Aiko touched Tetsuya's chest with the pendant, the force of the wind blasted her away, sending her flying backward. She tumbled through the air, the wind nearly tearing her from the ground.
But just as quickly as the wind sent her flying but luckily she was caught with Haru and the wind stopped instantly, and Tetsuya's body stiffened, the glow in his eyes dimming.
"Tetsuya!" Aiko worried, catching him as he crumpled to the ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His skin was pale, and exhaustion weighed heavily on him.
"Aiko…" Tetsuya whispered, his voice weak. "You… saved me…"
Aiko held him in her arms, worried "You scared me, Tetsuya. Don't ever let that happen again."
Haru finally caught up, his fire shield flickering out as the winds calmed. He sat to his knees beside them, "What just happened?" he asked, bewildered. "What did you do?"
Aiko held up the pendant, her hands still trembling. "Ryuuji-san gave this to me," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "He said… if Tetsuya was consumed with rage and ever lost control, I'll have to place it on Tetsuya, I didn't know what he meant until now."
Tetsuya slowly processed her words, and tears welled up in his eyes. "Old man… He… he was always protecting me… even now…" His voice faltered, and he lowered his head, guilt clouding his expression.
Aiko placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering him a small, steady comfort. "We'll figure this out, Tetsuya. But we need to keep moving." Aiko changed to serious expression, "Ryuuji wanted us to find Archmage Julia."
"Julia?" Haru asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She's an old friend of Ryuuji-san," Aiko explained. "If anyone can help us understand what's happening to Tetsuya, it's her."
Tetsuya nodded faintly, a sad resolve in his voice. "If my father trusted her, then I'll trust her too."
"Hey, do you hear that noise outside?"
"Yeah, I think it's a storm but it's gone..!"
"Call the guards and start investigating outside...!"
Haru glanced back toward the village, where faint sounds of villagers could be heard in the distance. "We can't stay here," he said firmly. "Let's go before they find out what happened."
Aiko and Haru helped Tetsuya to his feet, and together they began to move, leaving the wreckage of the storm behind them.
Tetsuya stopped and turned around to glance at his father one last time before going, "I will avenge you… I will find out who dod this to you!" Tetsuya whispred then catching up with Haru and Aiko
Tetsuya's heart was heavy with regret, but as they walk, he knew there was no time to dwell on the past. For Ryuuji's sake, they had to keep going.
(Unfinished)