The air felt… wrong.
Not heavy like pressure.
Not cold like fear.
It was empty.
As if something around them no longer existed.
The man stood in the distance, his figure calm, almost relaxed but everything about him felt unnatural. His eyes carried something deeper than anger… something hollow.
Yoshiro Kagetsu.
For a moment, no one moved.
Even Tyouro, who usually joked around, stayed quiet.
Kairo took a small step forward, clenching his fist.
"…You did this?"
Yoshiro tilted his head slightly.
"…Did what?"
Kairo's jaw tightened.
"This village."
A pause.
Then
"…Yes."
No hesitation.
No emotion.
Just truth.
Tyouro cracked his neck.
"…You're crazy."
Yoshiro looked at him.
"…Maybe."
Yura stepped forward, her voice calm.
"Why?"
Silence.
For a brief moment… Yoshiro's expression changed.
Not anger.
Not rage.
Just…
Something distant.
"…Because I can."
Kairo frowned.
"That's it?"
"…No."
Yoshiro slowly raised his hand, staring at it.
"…Because this world took everything from me."
The wind moved faintly.
"…So I'll take everything from it."
Kimimaru stepped forward slightly, placing his hand on his sword.
"…He's not normal."
"Yeah, no kidding," Tyouro whispered.
Yura raised her hand slightly, signaling the team.
Formation.
Kairo shifted to the front.
Tyouro moved to the right.
Kimimaru to the left.
Yura stayed behind watching.
Analyzing.
"…Don't rush," she said quietly.
Kairo nodded.
"…Yeah."
But even as they prepared
Yoshiro didn't move.
He just stood there.
Watching them.
Like they weren't a threat.
That alone irritated Kairo.
"…Don't look down on us."
Yoshiro blinked once.
"…I'm not."
A pause.
"…I just don't see you."
Kairo moved.
Fast.
His body surged forward with Reikou Energy, closing the distance in an instant. His fist tightened as energy gathered around it, glowing faintly.
"Then look at me!"
He swung.
For a split second
Everything felt normal.
Then
Kairo's eyes widened.
"…What?"
His punch didn't land.
It didn't get blocked.
It didn't miss
It disappeared.
"…!"
Kairo immediately jumped back, his instincts screaming.
"What the hell?!"
He looked at his hand.
The energy around his fist was gone.
Completely gone.
Yoshiro lowered his hand slightly.
"…That was an attack."
His voice was calm.
"…I erased it."
Silence hit the group.
Tyouro's smile faded.
"…Okay… that's not normal at all."
Yura's eyes sharpened.
"…So it's true."
Kimimaru spoke quietly.
"…Anything he touches…"
"…doesn't exist anymore," Yura finished.
Kairo clenched his fist again.
"…Then we don't let him touch us."
Yura shook her head slightly.
"…It's not that simple."
Yoshiro took a step forward.
Just one.
But the ground beneath his foot
Vanished.
Not cracked.
Not broken.
Gone.
"…You understand a little," he said.
"…Good."
Tyouro smirked again, forcing his usual confidence back.
"Alright then… let's test it."
He stepped forward, raising his hand.
Blast Energy gathered instantly dense, compressed, vibrating with power.
"Let's see how much you can erase."
He fired.
A massive blast shot forward, tearing through the air toward Yoshiro.
The ground cracked from the pressure alone.
Yoshiro didn't dodge.
He didn't block.
He simply raised his hand.
The blast reached him
And vanished.
No explosion.
No impact.
Nothing.
Tyouro blinked.
"…Bro."
Yoshiro tilted his head slightly.
"…Too slow."
In the next instant
He moved.
"…!"
Kairo's eyes widened.
"HE'S FAST"
Yoshiro appeared in front of Tyouro.
No sound.
No warning.
Just there.
Tyouro reacted instantly, jumping back but his sleeve
Disappeared.
"…!"
He landed, staring at his arm.
"…It didn't even tear…"
Kairo shouted.
"TYOURO!"
"I'm good!" Tyouro replied quickly, but his voice had tension now.
"…That was close."
Yura stepped forward slightly, her expression serious now.
"…His speed is high."
Kimimaru nodded.
"…And no movement cue."
Yoshiro looked at his hand again.
"…I missed."
His tone didn't change.
But something about it felt… irritated.
Kairo exhaled slowly.
"…Alright."
He stepped forward again, this time slower.
"…We can't fight him normally."
Yura nodded.
"…We adapt."
Her eyes focused sharply on Yoshiro.
"…We don't attack directly."
Tyouro raised an eyebrow.
"…Then what? Talk him to death?"
"…We pressure him."
Kimimaru added quietly.
"…Make him use more energy."
Kairo smirked slightly.
"…So we outlast him."
Yura nodded.
"…Exactly."
For the first time
Yoshiro's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…You're thinking."
The air shifted again.
This time
More dangerous.
"…Good."
He raised his hand again.
"…Try to survive."
The ground around them
Started disappearing.