The atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness. Shingo and Fate were celebrating the liberation of the slaves, laughter and hope filled the air.
Kate then raised her hand, calming everyone down. "Listen," she said. "As we speak, their captain is fighting Draken for our sake."
Immediately, a deep voice echoed from within the fog. "I guess not, lady."
Everyone turned toward the sound, and there stood Draken, holding a heart in his right hand.
He smirked and said, "Do you know whose heart this is? Well?"
Kate's eyes trembled in fear. No… Yamato, you're not dead, right? she thought desperately.
Draken then said, "It belongs to your so-called savior… Yamato Ishida."
Fate shouted, "No! That's not true! Yamato isn't the kind of person to go down easily!"
Shingo clenched his fists, thinking, Tsk… I can't sense his aura at all. Don't tell me… you're down already, Yamato.
Fate gritted his teeth. Damn it… I've already used my Senkai. If I try again without properly restoring my energy, it'll be dangerous.
Fear swept through the crowd. The slaves trembled in sorrow, cries and despair filled the night.
Fate suddenly charged at Draken, releasing a blinding light beam without even removing his scarf this time.
"Titan Vein — Third Stage," said Draken, his body growing even more gigantic. He shattered Fate's light beam effortlessly as if it were nothing.
Fate dashed forward, but Draken's fist struck him before he could react, sending him flying through the air.
As Fate spun through the sky, bleeding and barely conscious, he thought, Yamato… please… don't die on us just yet.
He crashed into a nearby building, the impact sending shockwaves that split the ground and released waves of hot lava from Draken's attack.
"Fate!" Shingo shouted as he rushed toward Draken at full speed.
"Demon Flames, Second Technique, Inferno!"
Flames gathered around Shingo's fists as he swung at Draken, but Draken caught his hands effortlessly and slammed his head into the ground, burying half his body beneath the earth, leaving only his waist and legs visible.
Draken looked down at him and smirked, then turned to face the trembling slaves.
"Just like I said," he declared. "No one is coming to save you."
"You're wrong!" Kate shouted boldly as she walked closer. She slapped Draken across the face.
Draken touched his cheek in disbelief, then grinned with rage. He grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up.
"I'll kill you soon," he said coldly, "so you can join your father and sister. Don't worry, you'll all be together soon."
The slaves screamed Kate's name, pleading for her safety. A young boy cried out, "Someone please save her!"
Draken raised his hand toward her face, but before he could touch her, he froze. His eyes widened.
He quickly released her and stumbled backward, trembling as he looked at his hand.
"If I wasn't careful…" he muttered, "I would've lost my hand. What's going on?"
He turned toward the fog he'd emerged from. A crushing pressure filled the air, falling like heavy rain. Sweat ran down his face.
"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice shaking. This pressure… it feels like the power of a higher commander from the Adams. Just what is this?
Kate stared into the fog, shocked. Shingo forced himself out of the ground, a faint smile on his bruised face. Fate, covered in dust, also grinned faintly as his hair shadowed his eyes.
"He's here," Kate whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, her face glowing with relief and hope.
Out of the fog, a figure appeared, blue fire blazing around his body, his shirt torn apart.
"So this… is his true Senkai," Draken muttered, fear rising in his voice. "I ripped out his heart, didn't I? Then how… how is he still alive?"
Out of the fog stepped Yamato, blue flames burning fiercely around his body a presence so powerful it seemed to shake the air itself.
Kate's eyes widened as tears streamed down her cheeks. Yamato was still standing.
A whisper escaped his lips, his face hidden beneath shadows, the only light coming from the bright blue glow of his left eye. "I will protect Kate and the slaves… and no one will stop me."
Kate pressed her hand to her chest, trembling as she heard his voice. "You remembered…" she said, crying softly.
As Yamato walked into the open, his eyes glowed even brighter — a vast galaxy of light-blue energy seemed to swirl within them.
Draken trembled, his hands shaking. "I… I ripped out his heart. The hole's still there, how the hell is he breathing?"
Yamato suddenly turned his gaze toward the others. "Shingo. Fate. Get these people out of here."
They obeyed without question. "This way!" Shingo shouted as they guided the slaves to safety.
Draken's heartbeat quickened the moment Yamato's voice echoed again. "Hey. You're holding something that belongs to me."
Draken looked down at the heart in his hand, disbelief flashing across his face. Then he smirked. "Then I'll just crush it." Before he could move, Yamato appeared before him in an instant, and with a single kick, sent Draken flying across the island. The heart slipped from his grip.
Yamato walked forward, picked up his heart, and placed it back into his chest. The wound sealed instantly.
He crouched low. The ground beneath him cracked and shattered as he launched himself toward Draken's location.
Draken landed hard, barely staying upright. The sheer force of Yamato's kick had shaken the entire island. "Such power," he thought, gasping. "So this is the true strength of the First Eye of the Six Eyes."
A fist burst out of the dust, Yamato's fist, slamming into Draken's chest and sending him hurtling again. Everything he touched melted into lava, even the ground beneath him.
Yamato kept walking, calm but terrifying, his gaze fixed on Draken's broken form.
Draken coughed blood, then laughed weakly. "Magnificent… strength. I've never fought anyone like you before. This… this is a new challenge."
Yamato said nothing, hovering silently above him, his expression cold and unreadable.
At the far edge of the island, Shingo and Fate could hear the battle raging behind them. Kate clasped her hands together. "Yamato… please be alright."
But Shingo and Fate smiled. "Don't worry," Shingo said. "He'll be fine." "Yeah," Fate added. "I doubt there's anyone out there who could beat Yamato that easily."
As they ran, the fog cleared, a Koruzan ship appeared in the distance. "Look! Everyone, that's a ship!" one of the slaves shouted.
The slaves burst into tears and laughter. "Never in my life did I think I'd live as a free human again," one cried.
Joy spread among them as they ran toward the ship.
Back on the island, the ground was in ruins, buildings destroyed, the earth split open. Dust filled the sky.
Draken struggled to his feet, while Yamato hovered above, silent and glowing.
Draken smirked through the pain. "You're gonna die today… though I'll admit, I'm impressed. I never thought you'd reach this level."
Yamato still didn't reply.
Then Draken's expression hardened. "Heaven's Gate — Titan's Vein: Final Form!"
His body ignited in raging flames, forcing even Yamato to move back. The fire rose to the heavens, parting the clouds as if the sky itself feared his power.
Yamato slowly removed the headband Sen Bo Ra had given him in North Korea and placed it safely into his tech box.
At that instant, a blazing-hot hand grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground. A massive crack split the island nearly in two.
Draken laughed as he landed beside him. "This is Titan's Vein Final Form! It boosts my combat power, speed, stamina, Senkai flow, and agility. Prepare to die, Yamato!"
He charged forward. But before he could strike, Yamato was already on his feet, blocking the blow.
Inside his mind, Yamato thought, "My body feels light… these flames... they're burning me from the inside out. It's like I'm on fire. I can read his every move… his Senkai flow, it's clear as glass."
Now, Yamato wasn't just matching Draken's strength, he was surpassing it, predicting each attack before it landed and countering with perfect precision.
Their fight tore through the island, dust swirling, lava spilling, lightning flashing blue and orange across the sky.
"Such power," one slave whispered in awe. "If this keeps up… the island will be destroyed!" another cried.
Shingo barked an order. "Start the ship! Get it away from the island!"
But Kate jumped from the ship, running back. "Kate! What are you doing?! It's too dangerous!" Shingo shouted.
She didn't stop.
Shingo sighed. "Tch… this is troublesome. Fate, stay with them — the rest is on you."
"Understood," Fate replied, as Shingo dashed after Kate toward the battlefield.
The battle raged on. Both Yamato and Draken were exhausted, their bodies breaking under the strain.
Draken gritted his teeth. "You're strong, Yamato. But a king like me shouldn't lose to the likes of you."
Yamato's eyes burned. "A king? A king should protect, not destroy. You're nothing more than a murderer."
Draken smirked weakly. "You must really hate me, then. Let's end this."
"I don't hate anyone," Yamato said firmly. "I only dislike their character. But if you still don't understand… I'll carve it into your head."
Draken roared, "Titan's Vein — Fist of the Emperor!"
The heat from his fists melted the very ground beneath him.
Yamato gathered his power. "Gigantic Kyuo!"
This time, his Kyuo was massive as tall as a building. The two charged, Draken's twin fists against Yamato's colossal blast.
Their attacks collided — light and fire consuming the island. The explosion tore the ground apart, uprooted trees, and swallowed everything in white light.
The shockwave hurled Kate and Shingo away, their screams lost in the wind. The island began to sink into the sea.
On a floating fragment of land, Yamato and Draken lay motionless. Yamato was badly wounded. Draken's body was destroyed from the waist down.
As he took his final breaths, memories flooded Draken's mind, the villagers he once thought despised him were actually praising him. "Mr. Henry is too kind," one voice said. "Let's all do our best for him."
Draken saw his younger self, confused. "I thought… they said bad things about us."
Children ran toward him, laughing. "Hey, Draken! Come play with us!"
"But… I thought they beat me up…" he whispered.
Then he remembered, the man who had given him his power. The one who had twisted his memories.
Tears streamed down Draken's face as Kate and Shingo arrived.
"Kate… I'm sorry," he said weakly. "I killed Heline… your sister… and your father…"
Kate froze, tears falling freely. She turned away. "I will never forgive you. Shingo, carry Yamato. Let's leave."
Even Shingo, who had never seen Kate like this, couldn't blame her.
As they began to walk away, Draken called out. "Yamato… I know I did horrible things. But I didn't know I was brainwashed. Please… avenge me… and my family. The one who gave me my powers… his name is Chichu Soske."
The moment Yamato heard the name, his eyes widened in fury. "That bastard!" he shouted, as the island sank beneath the waves.