Ash drifted through the ruined streets of Zenin City, carried by a cold, restless wind. Low clouds pressed against the sky, suffocating the moonlight as dying flames flickered weakly among shattered buildings. Thunder rumbled in the distance—not from the storm alone, but from the lingering pressure of overwhelming auras clashing across the city.
The battlefield was drenched in silence.
Only the faint crackle of burning debris and the whisper of the wind remained.
Rin Kurogane lay on broken stone, her vision blurred, her chest rising unevenly with each breath. Blood soaked the ground beneath her, warm against the cold ruin.
Darka stood over her, flames twisting unnaturally around her body, her very presence corrupting the air.
"Now…" Darka said slowly, lifting her hand as dark energy condensed around her fingers.
"Die."
Before the words could finish—
Steel flashed.
A clean arc sliced through the air.
Darka's arm was severed mid-motion, blackened blood hissing as it struck the ground.
"Samurai's Water Style."
Tomioka Zeki stood between them, blade lowered. Rain began to fall around him, as if the sky itself had answered his presence.
Darka staggered back, shock tearing through her composure.
"What…?!"
She stared at her severed arm, disbelief flooding her eyes.
"He cut it… with a basic technique? He didn't even activate a samurai stage…!"
Her gaze trembled as she sensed him fully.
"This aura… it's stronger than Ryu, Big Brother… Who in the world is he?!"
Tomioka ignored her completely and knelt beside Rin.
"Rin," he said calmly. "Are you alright?"
Her eyes slowly opened.
"Lord Zenin…" she whispered, then clenched her jaw. "Yes… I have to defeat her."
Despite the pain screaming through her body, Rin forced herself up. Her hands trembled slightly as she tightened her grip around her sword, but her stance remained steady.
Silver rushed in, rain dripping from his armor.
"What happened to Aiken?!"
Rin didn't look away from Darka.
"Don't worry… he's alive. Silver-senpai, take him to the medics."
Tomioka frowned. "You're injured as well."
"I'll handle her," Rin replied instantly.
Her eyes locked onto Darka's—fearless, unwavering.
"Lord Zenin… I can sense two powerful presences approaching from different directions," Rin said quietly. "Please… handle them."
Tomioka's expression hardened.
"You're planning to face her alone?"
He paused. "She's the daughter of the ancient demon Xaphan, Rin."
"I can handle it."
"But Rin—"
"Please," she said firmly, bowing her head just enough to show respect. "Give me this chance."
Rain fell heavier now.
Tomioka closed his eyes, the weight of command pressing down on him like the storm above.
"…Very well," he said at last. "I'm counting on you. Make it back alive."
Rin allowed herself a faint smile.
"You have my word."
As Tomioka turned away, a suffocating aura surged from the heart of Zenin City. He stopped briefly, his expression darkening.
"I have to make it in time…"
He vanished into the storm.
The moment he left—
Darka laughed.
"So… the guardian leaves," she said, flames rising violently around her. "Do you truly believe you can face me alone?"
Rin exhaled slowly.
The rain stopped touching her.
The sound of the battlefield faded.
"Samurai's Fifth Stage—Silence."
In an instant, Rin's presence vanished.
Darka's smile faltered.
"What…? Where did she—"
Rin appeared behind her.
Steel clashed against corruption as Rin struck, her blade cutting cleanly through Darka's defenses. Darka barely blocked in time, skidding across the soaked ground.
"This feeling…" Darka snarled. "It's like you don't exist!"
Rin moved again—soundless, weightless, absent.
Strike after strike landed, each one precise and relentless. Darka's flames flared wildly, corruption spreading outward, warping the ground beneath her feet.
"Corruption!" Darka roared.
Dark energy exploded outward, forcing Rin back. The pressure slammed into her body, blood spraying from her mouth as she crashed into a broken wall.
"Silence won't save you," Darka said, approaching slowly. "Your body is already breaking."
Rin struggled to stand.
Her vision blurred.
Her limbs felt… heavy.
No…
Why does everything feel heavier?
Then she felt it.
Not from Darka—
From herself.
Her heart pounded violently as her aura shifted.
"What… is this…?" Rin whispered, eyes widening.
The rain froze mid-air.
Darka's steps slowed.
Her expression twisted in shock.
"My body…!" Darka snarled. "Why can't I move?!"
Rin's knees trembled as power surged uncontrollably through her.
Did I… unlock another stage?
Her sword felt impossibly heavy—yet perfectly balanced.
"Samurai's Seventh Stage—Weight."
The world seemed to sink.
Darka dropped to one knee, her corruption trembling violently.
"This pressure…!" Darka growled. "It feels like the world itself is crushing me!"
Rin stared at her own trembling hands.
"So… this is the Seventh Stage…" she whispered.
"I didn't even mean to—"
Her breath shook.
Fear.
Awe.
And resolve collided within her chest.
I can't lose control.
If I fall here… everyone dies.
Rin lifted her blade again. The rain crashed back to the ground as the storm roared overhead.
She took one step forward.
The stone beneath her foot cracked.
Darka gasped, her knee slamming fully into the ruined ground as invisible pressure intensified. Her flames flickered violently, corruption leaking from her body like unstable smoke.
"Impossible…!" Darka snarled. "This isn't just weight… it's intent!"
Rin's breathing grew uneven. Every movement felt like walking through deep water.
It's crushing me too…
Dark energy erupted outward in defiance. The shockwave tore through the ruins, forcing Rin back as the Seventh Stage wavered.
She fell to one knee.
The pressure vanished.
Both warriors froze, breathing heavily as rain poured between them.
Rin lowered her blade slightly, chest burning.
I can't maintain it… not yet.
Darka staggered back to her feet, flames unstable but alive.
"Remember this, Rin Kurogane," Darka said coldly. "The next time we meet… you won't be standing."
Corruption swallowed her form.
The wind screamed once—
And she vanished.
Silence returned.
Only rain remained.
Rin planted her sword into the ground, barely keeping herself upright.
"…I'm alive," she whispered.
Her hands trembled.
Seventh Stage… that power almost crushed me.
She looked toward the heart of Zenin City, where suffocating auras still clashed beyond sight.
"Lord Zenin… please be safe."
Far beyond the outer wall, two figures crossed the horizon like silver blades.
"I'll move west," Diablo said coldly. "You head for the palace."
Ryu smirked, eyes gleaming with hunger.
"So you're letting me hunt the strongest prey?"
"Don't misunderstand," Diablo replied. "There's someone as strong as Zenin. Rumors say he was once a student of Shin Shizugawa—one of the men who sealed our father."
Ryu laughed softly.
"Hah… so that's why. Very well. I'll make sure to bring Khronos."
They vanished in opposite directions—each chasing vengeance.
Deep within the forest, a lone man observed the storm.
"So this is how Zenin City once looked…" he murmured. "The past was far better than the future."
A faint smile formed.
"Well… time to do my work."
Zen.