Raiden surveyed the Swordsmith Village below, unease tightening in his chest. The cursed ice poison was already spreading through the village's artisans. Soon, there would be no one left. What fate awaited the survivors — if there were any at all? How would Raiden react when he learned the truth? Anger was relentless, and when anger took hold, words could become as sharp as blades.
The village was dull, devoid of beauty or warmth. No lively voices, no cheerful faces — just the cold hush of death creeping closer.
Across from him, Doma laughed with Gyokko, their voices light and unconcerned. The sight made Raiden's unease deepen. He was about to step forward and extract whatever information he could from Doma when a sudden gale ripped through the woods below.
Wind howled with furious intensity, bending trees and snapping thick branches. Dust and leaves churned into the air, blotting out visibility. Raiden braced himself until the chaos subsided, eventually revealing two figures being thrown toward them.
One landed lightly, as graceful as a swallow settling on a branch. The other crashed hard against a tree, groaning with impact.
"Muichiro? And Inosuke?" Raiden recognized them instantly. It made sense that Muichiro had been blown this far. But why Inosuke?
Muichiro stood a short distance to Raiden's left, reflexes razor‑sharp as he drew his Nichirin sword. His gaze, vacant but focused, tracked Doma and Gyokko. Both demons radiated power — far stronger than anything he had faced before.
Why were they here? Were they fighting?
Muichiro's eyes flicked toward Raiden for only a heartbeat before darting back to the two demons.
Meanwhile, Inosuke shook his head and readjusted his Beast Breathing mask. Frustration laced his voice.
"Stupid broken fan. Blew this great king clear across the woods!"
"Huh? Raiden? Fake‑smiling demon? What's that? Weird face!"
Before he could gather more thought, Inosuke leapt forward, gripping his blades.
"Beast Breathing! Beast Breathing!"
But Raiden's hand landed firmly on Inosuke's shoulder, halting him.
"Don't charge in. It's not your fight yet."
If this had been the Inosuke from the Infinity Castle, Raiden might have hesitated. After all, Doma was responsible for Inosuke's mother's death. But now, Inosuke's strength was nowhere near enough to challenge Doma. A single misstep could cost them everything.
Inosuke glared, frustration burning behind his mask, but Raiden didn't relent. He was still uncertain what Doma's true capability might be.
"Muichiro, that Gyokko demon is your target. The fan demon — that thing — is mine."
Muichiro blinked, confusion flickering in his eyes. He seemed certain he had never met Raiden before. Yet something about him felt oddly familiar. The memory of training together two days ago surfaced, though hazy.
He nodded after a moment.
Inosuke, however, slammed his blades together and shouted with fiery energy.
"What about me? Who do I fight? I'll tear them to pieces!"
Raiden pointed toward the swordsmith with the iron‑clad tail — Iron Tail.
"You see that man? Your mission is to protect him. He's vital. This isn't a simple assignment, Inosuke. Can you handle it?"
Inosuke's bravado faltered. He wanted to refuse, but Raiden's next words shifted something in him. His eyes hardened, and he placed a blade hilt against his chest with dramatic flair.
"As expected, the hardest mission falls to the greatest king. Don't worry… leave it to me!"
Doma's rainbow eyes flickered — amusement or calculation, it was hard to tell.
Just then, Doma's body blurred, appearing beside Inosuke, who braced to move toward Iron Tail. From Raiden's perspective, the masked youth clearly mattered to him. Doma would exploit that first, to try and draw Raiden out.
Just as Doma's hand touched Inosuke's mask, lightning ripped through the forest — pure white fire in the sky, brilliant and sharp.
Raiden's eyes narrowed. With a flourish of steel, he struck out at Doma's arm like thunder split open.
The impact was deafening. A torrent of crackling electric energy exploded around them, dazzling and fierce. Before Doma could wrench his hand free, Raiden's blade had severed it. Blood sprayed, and the sound echoed like rolling thunder.
Gyokko, who had been watching, stared wide‑eyed. What was this power? Was it Raiden's doing? How much had he truly been holding back?
Even without seeing Raiden's precise movements, Gyokko felt the raw destructive force — immense, unpredictable, terrifying.
Doma staggered back, arm lost, but he wore a playful smile.
"Oh come now, Raiden, I just wanted to be friends with him."
Raiden didn't answer. In the struggle, Doma had knocked Inosuke's mask off. Inosuke's face was revealed — softer than expected, eyes fierce with life. Raiden froze, the connection clicking instantly. He now knew Doma was the demon who had torn Inosuke's mother from this world.
He had planned to kill Doma outright, erase the truth and the memories tied to it. But now that fate had shown itself, Raiden had no choice but to let the truth stand.
"Hold on… let me think," Doma said, slender fingers tapping the side of his head as if unraveling a puzzle. "There was a woman who looked just like him… your mother, right? Her eyes were beautiful. I hadn't planned on eating her…"
"You can tell those stories after you're dead," Raiden growled, blade ready.
Doma danced back, nimble and unbothered by the missing arm.
"Right, not just him, Raiden. I nearly forgot. When I visited, I left behind some icemen in the village. They should be stirring by now, shouldn't they?"
A grin played across Doma's lips, his eyes glittering with anticipation as he watched Raiden's reaction.
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