The sun had long set, painting the sky in a deep, velvety shade of midnight blue, speckled with faint stars. The towering trees around them stretched toward the heavens, their dark silhouettes swaying slightly against the cool night breeze.
The forest was alive—not with animals, but with the subtle whispers of the wind, the rustling of leaves, and the distant hoots of nocturnal birds.
Their journey to the Kasai Clan's domain had taken longer than expected due to the battle at the bridge, and now, they were behind schedule.
Kenshiro knew that Homurakage needed to be informed immediately.
Without hesitation, he summoned a ninja hound, a sleek black wolf-like creature with piercing golden eyes, and tied a sealed message to its collar.
"Take this to Homurakage," Kenshiro ordered in a firm yet quiet voice.
The hound nodded once, then dashed off into the darkness, disappearing between the dense trees.
Jasper, meanwhile, stretched lazily, leaning against a tree, completely ignoring Seinna—again.
Seinna, sitting a few feet away, sighed softly, but a small, knowing smile played at her lips.
"Still ignoring me, huh? Let's see how long you last."
She wasn't giving up.
Jasper had convinced himself that if he kept up this act, Seinna would eventually hate him.
But Seinna…
She was patient.
And she knew—Jasper would break.
The group continued moving until Kenshiro raised his hand, signaling a stop.
"We'll set up camp here."
They had reached a small clearing in the middle of the forest, surrounded by thick trees.
Kenshiro surveyed the area, his sharp eyes scanning for any potential threats.
"It's quiet." He exhaled slightly. "There are no signs of wild animals. It's safe to stay the night."
Within minutes, the team got to work.
Two tents were set up—one for the men, one for the women.
Kenshiro built a fire, placing a ring of wooden sticks around it to keep the flames contained.
He pulled out their supplies, unpacking vacuum-sealed meat, seafood, and a few sweets for dessert.
As the fire crackled and cast flickering shadows across their faces, there was an odd sense of… peace.
Even after everything they had gone through.
Even after the bloodshed.
For just a moment, they could breathe.
***
While the others settled in, Kai sat perched on the highest branch of a tree, his arms crossed, his Yamigan glowing faintly in the dark.
He wasn't tired.
Not physically.
But his mind wouldn't rest.
"How the hell did Ryuji save me?"
It made no sense.
Ryuji had always been an idiot, an overly energetic, hotheaded fool who relied on dumb luck.
Yet, when it mattered most—
Kai had been the one who collapsed.
And Ryuji had been the one standing.
His fists clenched.
"That won't happen again."
He needed to become stronger.
Stronger than Ryuji, Jasper, even Kenshiro.
He wouldn't lose again.
Beneath the same tree, Jasper and Ryuji sat on the ground, the fire's glow casting their shadows across the dirt.
Ryuji, still full of energy despite everything, poked at Jasper's arm.
"Hey, Jasper!"
Jasper, who had been relaxing against the tree trunk, grunted.
"What do you want, idiot?"
Ryuji grinned, his blue eyes glimmering with curiosity.
"How do I make a sword like yours?"
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"I mean—" Ryuji gestured at Dragonis, which rested beside Jasper, its blade faintly humming with energy.
"You made that sword yourself, right? How do I make one? And how do I fight like you?"
Jasper let out a low chuckle.
"Tch. You? With a sword? You'd probably drop it in battle."
"HEY!" Ryuji pouted. "That's not true! I just wanna get stronger!"
Jasper exhaled and finally looked at him.
"It's not just about the sword, dumbass. It's about understanding the blade—what it is, what it means. Anyone can swing a sword. But not everyone can wield one."
Ryuji's brows furrowed, deep in thought.
Jasper smirked. "I'll think about teaching you. Maybe."
"YES!" Ryuji pumped his fist in the air, excited.
Kai, still in the tree, rolled his eyes.
"Idiot."
Inside the tent, Seinna was busy typing away on her holographic panel, sending reports to ISA HQ.
She had collected an overwhelming amount of data—especially regarding:
Kai's Yamigan abilities
Kenshiro's Akarugan and how Daimyo melted down just by looking at it
Ryuji's unnatural transformation and the dark energy surrounding him
Something wasn't adding up.
As her fingers glided over the transparent interface, her silver eyes narrowed.
"Ryuji's transformation… that energy felt familiar."
She glanced toward Jasper's sword, Dragonis.
"And why did Dragonis react to it?"
Something was connecting all of these pieces together.
She just didn't know what yet.
Serena walked into the tent and flopped down beside Seinna, stretching out.
"Ughhh, I feel exhausted."
She lazily rubbed her stomach, a slight discomfort visible on her face.
Seinna glanced at her. "You? Weak? Now that's surprising."
Serena huffed. "I still have energy, but I dunno… my body feels weird. Like, kinda… off."
Seinna's fingers hovered over her wrist panel, quickly running a scan on Serena's vitals.
Nothing dangerous.
Just… an imbalance.
"It's normal," Seinna said calmly. "Our bodies have adapted to artificial space environments. We live in space cities, travel across different worlds. But now? We're on a fully natural planet. Your body is recalibrating."
Serena groaned.
"Ughh, so what you're saying is, Earth is bullying me?"
Seinna smirked.
"Pretty much."
Serena rolled onto her back, groaning.
"Damn it, nature."