The scent of charred wood and dried blood lingered in the cold night air. Faint embers flickered against the ancient stone pillars, remnants of a violent struggle. Shadows danced under the waning moon, painting eerie shapes across the temple's desolate courtyard.
Pit's breath came in short gasps as he scrambled backward, his geta sandals slipping against the slick stone pavement. His heart pounded like a taiko drum in his chest. Panic surged through his veins as he shoved his gang members forward, using them as a shield against the menace before them.
"I-I'm the boss here! Y-you all go and stop him!" Pit stammered, his voice cracking as he pointed a trembling finger at Katsuo.
His gang hesitated, exchanging nervous glances. Their loyalty wavered, but survival instinct was stronger. A handful of them stepped forward, gripping their weapons—rusty katanas, wooden staffs, and crude daggers.
Katsuo exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. His steel-gray eyes, devoid of warmth, swept over the pitiful opposition before him. With an effortless grunt, he gripped a broken pillar beside him and, with monstrous strength, heaved it into the air.
CRASH!
The pillar shattered against their bodies, sending blood and shattered bones spraying across the temple grounds. The few who remained standing were paralyzed, their bodies trembling with unspoken horror.
"Disgraceful," Katsuo muttered, spitting onto the crimson-stained ground. He dusted off his blackened haori, shaking loose the debris clinging to his tattered sleeves. "You call yourself a leader? You're nothing but a coward."
Pit staggered backward, his knees threatening to buckle. His lips quivered, trying to form words, but only garbled whimpers escaped. He reached inward for his arc, his spiritual energy, but his fear had completely suppressed it.
"P-please…" Pit whispered, his voice barely audible. "If I… If I cry, w-will you let me go…?"
Katsuo arched an eyebrow, his lip curling in disgust. "Pathetic."
Suddenly—
A sharp whistling sound sliced through the air.
Katsuo reacted instinctively, pivoting just in time to evade a flurry of razor-sharp projectiles. They embedded into the stone behind him, hissing with residual energy. As the dust settled, a lone figure stepped forward from the shadows.
Sosai stood tall, His empire-issued body armor gleamed dully beneath the moonlight, and his freshly cut hair revealed sharp, defined features. He no longer looked like the disgraced drunkard from before—he was a warrior reborn.
Pit's eyes widened in disbelief. The old man who once drowned his sorrow in sake now stood before them like a legendary soldier from forgotten times.
"Go." Sosai's voice was firm, carrying the weight of unspoken promises. "Leave now. A life for a life. If you survive this, you will do better with my orphans, you look after Ichigo and the others. That is my price."
Pit's mouth opened and closed as he processed the words. Then, without hesitation, he turned and fled, his legs carrying him away from the nightmare unfolding behind him. "Thank you… Thank you!" he sobbed as he disappeared into the night.
Katsuo cracked his neck, his knuckles flexing in anticipation. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up," he said, his voice carrying a lazy amusement.
Sosai said nothing. He reached into his armor, pulled out a bag of coins, and tossed it at Katsuo's feet.
"Take your payment. Leave the chest. Leave Sakai, Tell your master you saw nothing."
Katsuo glanced at the bag before letting out a slow, mocking chuckle. "Leave Sakai, Oh, now I see… This all began because of you." His gaze shifted toward the ornate gold and red chest behind him. "That thing brought him here because you failed to keep our little agreement!"
He bent down, tracing his fingers over the blood-smeared engravings on the box's surface. His smirk widened.
"You're honorable, I'll give you that. But I wonder what made you turn around, love, family, the dirt and filth of this wash out port?" Katsuo straightened, his aura shifting into something darker, more dangerous. He clenched his fists, and a ripple of arc energy erupted around him. "Whatever it is, It won't save you from this."
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the temple ruins as Katsuo unleashed his fighting spirit. His arc—the Rhinoceros—materialized behind him, its spectral form coiling with untamed energy.
Sosai exhaled, tightening his grip on his weapon. There was no turning back.
The two warriors lunged.
Only one would leave this battle alive. For a moment he had a quick flash back - getting assigned to observe and explore the port, leaving the capital city, making a deal with a bunch of criminals, coming to the port, finding the chest, finding something else - peace, surrendering the chest to the mountain monks, finding Ichigo. Finding the orphans.
There was peace, such he had never felt. It was his time.
... Elsewhere – The Marketplace...
"Eat as much as you like! This young lady here has paid for everything!"
The cheerful voice of Baker Ba rang through the lively night market. The scent of grilled fish, fresh rice, and sweet red bean paste filled the air, making Teigen's stomach growl with anticipation.
Ichigo's eyes sparkled as the banquet spread before him. "This… this is better than the dream feast I had last night!" Tears streamed down his face as he clutched a skewer of sizzling yakitori.
Beside him, Teigen's sister had already buried her face into a steaming strawberry pie. "What are we waiting for?! The end of the world?!" she cried between mouthfuls.
Mizaki, sitting across from them, watched with quiet amusement. Despite the chaos, these strange misfits brought a sense of warmth to her otherwise rigid world.
Ichigo turned to her, grinning with his mouth full. "Oi, Rice Girl! I owe you for this! I swear, one day, when I become the greatest fighter in Japan—you'll see! Believe it!"
Mizaki paused, her chopsticks hovering mid-air.
Greatest fighter…?
For a fleeting moment, she saw another face—Daizen. The same fiery ambition, the same reckless determination. It was almost painful how much Ichigo reminded her of him.
She lowered her eyes.
Daizen…
Somewhere, on the ship, her brother was plotting. He had sent her away under the pretense of giving her freedom, but she wasn't naïve. Something was brewing—something big.
"Hey, Rice Girl!" Teigen's sister waved a spoon in Mizaki's direction. "You better dig in before these animals devour everything!"
Mizaki snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. She reached for a cup of ice cream, deciding, for now, not to worry about Daizen.
For tonight, she would enjoy this moment.