The ruins were collapsing faster now.
Entire pillars crumbled into the abyss below while ancient structures split apart under the pressure radiating from both the Black Daimyo and the chained guardian. Dust and fragments of stone filled the air, turning the ruined city beneath the mountain into a dying battlefield.
Yet in the center of that chaos—
Hiroto stood frozen.
Not because of fear.
Because of the blade.
It was changing.
The crimson glow spreading across its surface had grown brighter than ever before, illuminating the ancient markings engraved along the weapon. Symbols Hiroto had never noticed now burned vividly across the steel, pulsing like veins beneath skin.
And with every pulse—
he heard voices.
Fragments.
Memories.
"Hold the line!"
"Protect the gate!"
"Don't let the shadows cross!"
The sounds crashed violently through his mind.
Hiroto grabbed his head, struggling to breathe.
"Hiroto!" Akari shouted.
She tried to reach him again, but Tamagichi immediately stopped her.
"Don't interfere."
Akari glared at him. "He's clearly suffering!"
"I know."
His answer came instantly.
But Tamagichi's eyes never left the blade.
"And if we interrupt this now," he said quietly, "it may kill him."
Those words silenced everyone.
The ancient guardian continued forcing itself through the shattered gate behind them. Massive chains snapped apart one after another as its colossal body emerged further into the ruins.
But even it had stopped focusing on escape.
Its golden eye remained locked on Hiroto.
Watching.
Waiting.
The Black Daimyo stood atop the broken cliffside in complete silence.
Unlike the others, he showed no surprise.
Only interest.
"So it finally begins," he murmured.
Dark energy continued flowing from his armor like smoke drifting through the ruins. The pressure alone warped the air around him, yet Hiroto barely noticed anymore.
Because the blade was pulling him somewhere else entirely.
Another battlefield.
Another era.
He could see fire consuming entire cities beneath a crimson sky. Thousands of warriors clashed against towering shadows that barely resembled human beings.
And standing at the center of that endless war—
was a man holding the same blade.
His face remained unclear.
But his presence alone shook the battlefield.
Every enemy around him feared him.
Not because of strength.
Because of what he represented.
The end of something.
Then the figure suddenly turned.
As though he could see Hiroto watching him across time itself.
And for a brief second—
their eyes met.
Hiroto's breath caught in his throat.
The man spoke.
Only one sentence.
"Do not let them control the gate."
The vision shattered instantly.
Hiroto snapped back to reality with a violent gasp.
The blade's glow exploded outward.
A shockwave tore across the ruins.
Akari and Yui nearly lost their footing while Kenzaku instinctively shielded them from flying debris. Even the ancient guardian narrowed its eye slightly at the sudden surge of power.
Then Hiroto slowly lifted the blade.
The weapon felt different now.
Lighter.
Alive.
The Black Daimyo finally moved.
One step.
That alone sent cracks spreading through the cliff beneath him.
"Interesting," he said quietly.
For the first time since meeting him, Hiroto could feel genuine attention behind those words.
Not mockery.
Not curiosity.
Recognition.
Tamagichi's expression darkened instantly.
"Everyone fall back," he ordered.
Goro immediately understood.
"He's serious now."
The atmosphere shifted violently.
The Black Daimyo descended from the cliff in a single motion, landing within the ruins with almost no sound despite the force behind it.
Hiroto's instincts screamed immediately.
Danger.
Real danger.
The armored man slowly approached him through the collapsing ruins, black smoke drifting from his armor with every step.
Then he stopped only a few meters away.
Close enough now for Hiroto to feel the terrifying pressure pouring from him directly.
The Black Daimyo looked at the glowing blade silently.
Then he spoke.
"So this is the successor chosen after all these years."
Hiroto tightened his grip. "Stop calling me that."
A faint chuckle echoed beneath the helmet.
"You still don't understand anything," the Black Daimyo replied.
The darkness around him thickened.
"But that ignorance may yet save you."
Before Hiroto could respond—
the armored figure vanished.
Hiroto's eyes widened.
Too fast.
Instinct moved before thought.
He raised the blade instantly.
CLANG.
The impact detonated across the ruins.
The force behind the strike shattered the ground beneath Hiroto's feet and sent cracks racing through nearby pillars. His arms screamed in pain from the collision alone.
And standing directly before him now—
was the Black Daimyo.
One hand resting calmly against Hiroto's blade.
Blocked effortlessly.
The armored man tilted his head slightly.
"…Too slow."
Then Hiroto felt it.
For the first time since this journey began—
true terror.
To Be Continued