The skies thundered above the Southern Docks, and the very air vibrated with tension. Ash, Kaien, Luna, and Koharu lay injured and struggling to rise, surrounded by the wreckage of their failed counterattack. Blood smeared the shattered ground, the remnants of battle painting a grim canvas. From the shadows stepped the enemy's fifth elite—a tall, composed figure with eyes like molten steel.
"Lori is dead," he murmured, glancing briefly at the broken body of his fellow elite. He lifted his gaze to Rei. "Then it's my turn. I am Isamu, Fifth Elite Ranker of the Hero Hunters. You should have stayed down."
But Rei was already changing. The moment Almirah's power surged through him, his body transformed into that of a god—divine markings etched into his glowing skin, golden eyes ablaze, radiant wings spreading behind him like judgment incarnate. The wind howled around him, caught in the divine aura of his ascension.
Isamu vanished, appearing behind Rei in a blink, slicing with a jagged black blade that glowed with cursed energy. But Rei didn't flinch. His hand caught the blade mid-air, and with a surge of light, disintegrated it in his grip.
"You're fast," Rei said calmly.
Isamu backflipped away, already summoning two more blades—one of shadow, one of fire.
"I've killed gods before," Isamu said, charging.
They clashed, the dock shaking from the force. Rei blocked with his forearm, throwing a glowing punch that missed by a hair as Isamu ducked and countered with a slicing kick. Rei slid back, wings flaring.
"Then you've only fought false gods," Rei said. He raised a hand and a column of light burst from the sky, forcing Isamu to dash sideways, barely avoiding it.
Isamu charged again, this time faster. He split into multiple afterimages, surrounding Rei and launching simultaneous attacks. Each afterimage carried real force—a technique meant to confuse and kill in seconds.
But Rei saw through them.
"Pierce."
With a whisper, beams of divine light shot out from his wings, impaling all the afterimages and landing a grazing blow on the real Isamu, who staggered mid-air.
Rei teleported, appearing above him and slamming a downward kick that sent Isamu crashing into the dock. The wood splintered, water surged upward, and for a moment, it seemed Rei had won.
But Isamu laughed.
From the crater rose a new version of him—eyes glowing red, his body surrounded by a sinister aura.
"You forced me to go all out. This power... was a gift from someone far above even your god."
They collided again, faster, harder. Every punch echoed like a cannon blast. Rei's divine aura clashed with Isamu's cursed energy, each blow lighting the battlefield. Explosions rang out, craters forming from every step.
Isamu summoned cursed chains, binding Rei midair and dragging him toward a spike of dark energy. But Rei's wings wrapped around him, shielding him, then flared outward and shattered the chains.
Rei retaliated with a flurry of punches, glowing fists landing squarely on Isamu's chest. The last punch launched Isamu hundreds of meters into the ocean.
But Isamu wasn't done.
From beneath the waves came a colossal surge of darkness. Isamu rose with it, now wielding a cursed spear as long as a tower. He hurled it at Rei with divine-speed.
Rei summoned a sword of light and met it in mid-air. The collision shattered the sky, clouds parting as the blast shook the heavens.
Both warriors descended back to the dock, panting slightly. Blood ran down Rei's forehead, his body scratched and burned. Isamu's arm hung loosely, ribs cracked.
"You're strong," Isamu admitted. "But strength without resolve is useless. What are you fighting for?"
Rei looked back at his fallen friends.
"For them. For the world they still believe in. And for every innocent life you monsters destroyed."
Golden light swirled around him as he called forth the full power of Almirah.
Isamu charged, screaming.
Rei did not move. He raised one hand to the sky.
"Final Light: Divine Judgment."
A celestial sphere formed above, burning brighter than the sun. It descended slowly, steadily, and Isamu tried to destroy it with everything he had—spear throws, dark magic, energy slashes. But nothing worked.
As the orb touched him, the battlefield vanished into blinding white.
When the light faded, Isamu lay unconscious, defeated. The dock, scarred and broken, now stood silent.
Rei stood tall, panting, as his wings slowly faded. He turned to his team, walking back slowly.
He had won.
But at what cost?
Isamu Backstory
Long before he was known as the 5th elite of the Hero Hunters, Isamu was a celebrated hero-in-training from the Eastern Nation. Born into a warrior family, Isamu was raised in a land that worshipped strength and honor. His father was a national hero, a man who had once saved an entire city from destruction during a demonic raid. Isamu idolized him. Every day, he trained under the scorching sun, perfecting his swordsmanship, learning elemental magic, and studying war tactics. By the age of 13, he could defeat trained adult warriors in single combat.
However, everything changed the night his village was burned to the ground.
The government, corrupted and terrified of Isamu's growing power and popularity, labeled his father a traitor, accusing him of conspiring with enemies of the nation. The real reason: his father had uncovered high-level secrets that exposed a hero trafficking network controlled by top officials. Fearing exposure, they sent assassins. Isamu watched helplessly as his father was killed in front of him, stabbed in the back not by enemies, but by fellow heroes.
He fought back, burning with rage, killing three of them using an ancient forbidden technique. That night, he was branded a criminal.
Alone, hunted, and betrayed by the very system he once believed in, Isamu vanished.
For years, he wandered the dark underworld, honing his skills and burying his heart in steel and silence. He joined the Hero Hunters not because he hated all heroes—but because he wanted revenge against the corrupted hierarchy. He believed only through destroying the illusion of heroism could the truth be revealed.
Among the elite, he quickly rose in rank. His calm demeanor, unrivaled swordsmanship, and powerful dark-flame magic earned him the title:
"The Black Fang of Judgment."
Yet deep inside, Isamu still carried a photograph—torn and faded—of his family.
Sometimes, on quiet nights, he would whisper:
"I will burn the world until only truth remains."
Rei's divine form stood tall, his aura glowing with heavenly brilliance. Isamu, bruised and bloodied, his black blade trembling in his hand, panted heavily. The battlefield was scorched, shattered from their previous clash.
Rei stepped forward. "Why are you doing this? You weren't always like this."
Isamu's eyes narrowed. "You know nothing of me."
"I saw it," Rei said. "In your blade... in your hesitation. You had a chance to kill me just now. But you didn't."
Silence.
Isamu looked down at his trembling hand. Blood dripped from his knuckles, mixing with dirt. A memory flickered.
He saw his father—standing tall under the cherry blossoms, handing him a wooden sword.
"A warrior's blade is not for vengeance, Isamu. It is for protection. One day, you'll understand that."
Isamu clenched his jaw. "Don't speak of him."
"I know what they did to your father," Rei said quietly. "I know the government covered it up. And I know he died protecting the truth."
Isamu's blade lowered just slightly.
Rei continued, "But is this what he wanted? For you to become what he hated most?"
"Shut up!" Isamu roared, flames bursting around him. "You don't know the pain! The betrayal! I had to become this—this monster—to survive!"
Rei didn't move. "You didn't become a monster. You chose it."
Tears welled in Isamu's eyes, hidden by ash and fire. For a moment, the battlefield fell silent. His grip faltered.
He looked at Rei, the radiant warrior, and saw not an enemy... but the boy he once was—brave, hopeful, unbroken.
Isamu dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
"Father... I failed you, didn't I?"
Rei lowered his weapon. "It's not too late."
But then—
Boom!
A black dagger pierced the ground between them.
A voice echoed from the shadows:
"Isamu. Finish the mission. Or be finished."
Isamu looked back—his superior, one of the Top 3 Hero Hunter Commanders, had arrived.
The moment was over.
Isamu rose, eyes dead again, heart sealed.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, before igniting his blade once more.
The battlefield was soaked in blood, magic residue crackling faintly in the air. Craters scarred the ground, and the night sky loomed heavy overhead.
Misaki knelt beside Koharu, her hands glowing with soft green light. The wounds on Koharu's abdomen slowly began to close, but sweat poured down Misaki's brow.
"Just a bit more…" she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Nearby, Ash sat silently, his body scorched and bleeding. Kaien lay unconscious with a deep gash across his side. Luna's arm was twisted unnaturally, her breathing shallow.
Misaki moved to the next.
Her vision blurred.
Each spell took more out of her. Every time she stitched flesh or mended bone, it was like a knife digging into her own soul. Her magic power reserves were nearly depleted, and her body trembled from overexertion.
Still, she didn't stop.
"Please… live," she murmured as she placed her hands over Rei's broken ribs.
A faint cough escaped him. He was alive. But barely.
"You've done enough, Misaki…"
A voice in her head, her own conscience, pleaded for rest.
"No," she whispered. "They need me. I can't stop… not yet."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Blood on her hands. Burns on her skin. Her legs buckled.
She collapsed beside Rei, trying to crawl toward Drax's still body.
But it was too late for him.
"I couldn't save him…" she sobbed.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught her—Naoto Yatsuki had arrived, gripping her gently.
"That's enough," he said firmly. "You've done more than anyone could."
Misaki shook her head. "But what if someone else dies? What if I fail again?"
"You didn't fail," Naoto said. "You kept us alive."
Misaki looked around—her team broken, but breathing. Her hands trembled, and then finally, she passed out in Naoto's arms.