The battlefield trembled beneath the storm.
Ryuji stood, his body battered, his breath heavy—but his eyes burned with newfound clarity. The air around him roared, surging with a force he had never felt before. His wounds no longer weighed him down. His exhaustion no longer chained him.
The beast—the towering, golden-eyed entity—took a step back, watching him with something that almost resembled approval.
"Now… you are ready."
A single gust of wind swirled around Ryuji, sharpening into a visible force. His sword, chipped and worn from battle, pulsed in response. The energy inside him was no longer just raw power—it was something greater. Something refined.
For the first time, he wasn't afraid of it.
Akari groaned from where she had landed, barely lifting her head. "Ryuji…"
Daigo stared, eyes wide. "Okay. That's new."
The beast crouched, muscles coiling. "Show me."
And then, it struck.
A Storm Unleashed
Ryuji moved—faster than he ever had before.
The beast's claws sliced through the air, but he was already gone, vanishing in a blur of wind. The moment the strike missed, he reappeared behind the creature, his blade humming with energy.
"Kazekiri."
He slashed.
A crescent of wind shot forward, carving through the battlefield. The beast twisted at the last second, avoiding a fatal hit, but the force sent it skidding back.
For the first time—it bled.
Golden ichor dripped onto the ground.
The beast let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Now, this is more like it."
It lunged again, faster. Stronger. The earth shattered under its force.
But this time, Ryuji met it head-on.
Wind exploded outward as they clashed, shockwaves tearing through the battlefield. Each strike from the beast was met with precise, razor-sharp counterattacks. The sky above them darkened, the air crackling with energy.
It was no longer a fight.
It was a storm.
The Final Strike
The beast struck low, aiming for Ryuji's legs. He flipped backward, avoiding the blow by inches, and retaliated with a fierce downward slash.
The beast blocked with its forearm, but Ryuji was already moving again.
His body was weightless. His instincts were sharper. He wasn't just using the wind—he was one with it.
A final chance.
Ryuji gripped his sword with both hands, pouring everything into a single strike. The wind around him surged, spiraling into a vortex of pure destruction.
The beast's eyes narrowed. "Good."
And then—
"Kaze no Gekirin!" (Wrath of the Wind!)
He slashed.
A howling storm erupted from his blade, tearing through the battlefield like a divine force. The wind screamed, slicing through everything in its path.
The beast let out a final, echoing roar—
And then, the storm swallowed it whole.
Aftermath
The battlefield fell silent.
The wind settled. The dust cleared.
Ryuji stood, panting, his sword lowered. The beast was gone—vanished into the ether, leaving only faint traces of its energy behind.
Akari coughed, pushing herself up. "You… you did it?"
Daigo let out a slow whistle. "Holy hell."
Ryuji exhaled, his heartbeat still thundering in his ears. He felt different. Lighter. Stronger.
But before he could respond—
A deep voice echoed through his mind.
"You have passed the trial. But the true path… has only just begun."
Ryuji's eyes widened.
This wasn't the end.
This was just the beginning.
To be continued…