Kazel looked up like the rest, eyes fixed on the sky painted in silver and shadow. The air was still, but every muscle was coiled with anticipation. Another wave was coming—they could feel it.
"That beast could raze this city," Kazel muttered, brows furrowing. "What kind of rarity are we dealing with?"
"Most likely... a Legendary one," Saya replied, her voice tight, a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek.
"She's right," said Nobu, arms crossed, sword still at his side. "Whatever that thing is, the Fang can't take it down."
"But maybe we can banish it..." Saya added quickly, then hesitated, "I hope."
"Does anyone know what kind of beast it is?" Kazel asked, eyes still scanning the moonlit shape above the clouds.
"An adult Ice Roc?" Saya offered.
Nobu shook his head. "No. A single flap from an adult wouldn't put the whole city on edge like this. That's something else."
Kazel fell silent. His gaze didn't leave the clouds, but his thoughts turned inward.
("Shishi, is the space in my soul enough to host a Legendary Spirit Beast?")
The twin Shishi responded together, their voices echoing through his soul space.
("Impossible. We can't even take it down here. Even if we find the carcass, your Soul Space needs refinement. You must evolve it. You must break through.")
Kazel clenched his jaw."I need to break through, then," he muttered under his breath.
"Huh? What did you say?" Saya asked, glancing at him.
Before he could answer—
FWOOOM.
The sky rumbled as another flap came—faster, heavier.The clouds twisted, and the ice returned.
The sky tore again as shards of ice rained down like spears from the heavens.
Each fighter moved—different in stance, in spirit, but united in urgency.
Saya anchored herself, blade flashing as she pivoted with fluid grace. Her strikes were clean, deflecting shards mid-air with swift precision. She grit her teeth—each impact heavy, each step deliberate, her breath fogging from the cold.
Nobu stood firm, his curved blade dancing with deadly elegance. Where Saya intercepted, he redirected—ice crashing against stone as he guided their momentum away. His expression was calm, like a lake unshaken by storm, but his footwork was exact, honed by countless hours on the tatami.
Yasha, ever the unpredictable one, slid back with a smirk. She chewed her petal, then with a flick of her finger, summoned a ripple of defensive soul energy that bent the path of the shards. "Tch. Try harder," she muttered, deflecting a sharp one with her sheath.
The twin black knights from the Shield and Spear held tight formation, raising heavy tower shields coated in dull soul light. Ice splintered harmlessly on their disciplined defense—unmoving, unyielding.
The Punctured, chaotic as ever, danced between the shards, laughing. One of them even used another disciple as a shield before tossing him aside. "Now this is entertainment!" he barked.
Meanwhile, Elder Juni, still atop the weakened tower, had her bow drawn. Her arrows were not loosed randomly—each shot timed between waves, aimed at thinning the next volley before it reached them. Her silver ram spirit beast shimmered faintly behind her, nostrils flaring.
And Kazel…
He stood with his hands behind his back. The ice crunched beneath his sandals, his gray yukata fluttered, but he had yet to draw his halberd. His gaze pierced through the downpour, tracing the pattern of the shards. Where others moved, he remained still—each step taken only when necessary, each movement a whisper.
Then—his eyes narrowed.
He felt it.A killing intent. Focused. Thin, but unmistakable. Like a needle threading through the chaos.
His brows furrowed.
( That wasn't from the beast... )His head turned slightly, his gaze scanning the dark edges of the battlefield.
( Someone's using this as cover. )
After the second wave scattered across the sky, Kazel broke into a run, leaping off the roof and landing gracefully outside the sect grounds.
"Kazel?" Saya called out, stunned, eyes following his vanishing figure.
"Focus!" Nobu barked, eyes sharp as he repositioned himself. Around him, the disciples of the Curved Blade Sect braced atop buildings, shields raised and swords drawn, forming a perimeter to protect the structures from collapse.
The third wave descended—a roaring cascade of ice and fury.
But Kazel was already gone, sprinting through the now-deserted street, his yukata billowing behind him, feet silent over cracked cobblestone.
Then—a presence.
A shadow, fast and murderous, pursued from the rooftops. It dropped silently behind him with the silence of an assassin's vow, blade already extended—drawn toward Kazel's nape.
The figure struck.
"I've been expecting you," Kazel said, his voice calm—chilling.
The assassin's eyes widened.He had seen Kazel's glance—just over the shoulder. Not panic. Not surprise.Recognition.
A cold chill crawled up the assassin's spine, a primal warning screaming too late.
Kazel pivoted.
One foot grounded, the other sweeping low.
His body spun with measured violence, ducking under the incoming blade and slamming his fist straight into the attacker's gut—disarming the weapon in the same motion.
The blade flew from the assassin's hand and Kazel caught it mid-air, flipping it backward into a reversed grip.
Then—
CRASH!
The third wave of ice shards slammed into the earth—but none touched him.
With a single twist of the wrist and perfect footwork, Kazel used the stolen blade to deflect the incoming hail, carving a protective arc around himself as the shards exploded into the ground around him.
The assassin stumbled, eyes wide—not at the missed attack, but at the ice shards raining down on him.
Kazel didn't even look back.His gaze was still toward the sky.
"Hmm."Kazel stared at the dull blade in his hand, then at the mangled corpse of the assassin—torn apart by the merciless rain of ice shards. Only a mess of flesh, crushed bones, and tattered robes remained.
"Amateur."He muttered it with disdain before driving the blade downward, embedding it cleanly into the remains of the skull—or what little was left of it.
But then—his eyes narrowed."Hm?!"
He turned sharply toward the tower where Juni had taken position.The atmosphere had shifted.
At the very top of the tower, Juni stood alone, her posture straight, unwavering. The breeze swept by, fluttering her robe. Blood dried across her cheek like a war mark. Her bow was already in hand.
Though her face was calm, the soul energy radiating from her was tangible—it pressed against the skin like static, felt by the entire town.
She opened her eyes.
Her expression carried fury wrapped in stillness.
She pulled the string of her bow taut—no arrow was nocked, but one formed on its own, born of pure Soul Energy, humming with crystalline sharpness. Her muscles flexed with perfect tension, and the Silver Ram flared behind her like a constellation coming to life.
"Nebula Shot."
The word left her lips like a command to the heavens.
The moment she released the string, the entire tower shook—a violent rumble tearing through its core. The recoil knocked her off balance, and she began to fall, but her gaze never left the sky.
The arrow shot forth with thunderous momentum, a radiant trail of soul light in its wake. Mid-flight, it split—shattering into countless silver streaks like a birth of stars, each streak burning a hole into the clouds above.
Then—BOOM!
A colossal explosion echoed through the night, shaking buildings and hearts alike. The clouds tore open, and light spilled across the sky in jagged lines.
All eyes turned upward.
The beast, though mostly hidden, could no longer shroud itself in safety.
And for the first time—
It screeched in pain.
Above the clouds, the world was silent—except for the furious wind thrashing against Kazel's face, whipping his hair back like wildfire.
His gaze, cold and unwavering, locked onto the phoenix's right eye.
He was neither amused, nor afraid.
"You're intelligent enough to understand me," Kazel said flatly.
Then, his aura shifted.
A chilling killing intent flared.
"I'm about to ruin your night."
In a flash of soul energy, Kazel summoned his halberd into his right hand—its shaft steady, its blade gleaming in the moonlight.
And with no hesitation, he drove it straight into the phoenix's eye.
The beast let out a bloodcurdling screech, its cry splitting the heavens. The pain wrenched it into a wild twist, and Kazel was yanked loose from its beak—flung backward into the sky.
Below, the entire Fang was soaked in the echo of that cry. Even those who could not see the battle above could feel it in their bones.
Then came the sound of flapping wings, heavy and shaken, slowly fading into the distance.
Kazel fell.
The cold bit at his skin as the clouds rushed up to meet him.
Above, the crescent moon hung like a silver fang in the sky.
Below, nothing but wind, silence, and the long drop back to the world.