The Blackstone Wasteland lay beneath a sky swallowed by heavy clouds. Towering cliffs encircled the barren land, their weathered surfaces scarred by battles that history had long forgotten. Not a single tree stood upon the endless plain. Only cracked earth, scattered boulders, and the constant howl of the wind remained.
It was a place where no innocent life would be caught in the crossfire.
A battlefield chosen on purpose.
At the center of the wasteland stood a lone woman.
Lady Chõko quietly finished the last bite of a sweet rice bun before carefully folding the empty wrapper and slipping it into the sleeve of her robe.
"...Can't litter."
She smiled to herself.
The wind gently lifted a few strands of her hair as she looked toward the distant horizon.
Six figures slowly emerged from the mountain pass.
Their footsteps echoed against the stone cliffs with calm confidence.
Raizen walked at the front, his black cloak swaying behind him while the Dimensional Sword rested across his shoulder. Hiroshi followed with the composed posture of a scholar, his eyes already observing the terrain. Yurota calmly studied the battlefield as if memorizing every grain of sand beneath his feet.
Haruto walked silently behind them, his gaze fixed on the woman waiting in the distance.
Ayame's graceful steps barely disturbed the dust beneath her feet.
At the very back...
Kaizen quietly watched everything.
Not just Lady Chõko.
The wind.
The cliffs.
The angle of the sunlight.
The distance between every rock.
Every detail entered his calculations.
The six finally stopped.
Several dozen meters separated both sides.
For a long moment...
No one moved.
Only the wind continued its endless journey across the wasteland.
Lady Chõko smiled first.
"You made good time."
Raizen answered with a grin.
"I don't like keeping people waiting."
"That's polite."
"I have my moments."
A brief silence followed.
Lady Chõko looked around.
"...One's missing."
"Kronos."
Raizen nodded.
"He's busy."
"I know."
Her answer came so naturally that even Kaizen glanced up from his calculations.
"You knew?"
"I guessed."
She shrugged lightly.
"If all seven came..."
"...this place would've been too crowded."
Raizen couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha!"
"I like the way you talk."
Lady Chõko pointed at him.
"You laugh loudly."
"I've been told."
"It's not a complaint."
"It's a compliment."
Ayame covered her mouth, hiding a quiet chuckle.
Even Hiroshi smiled faintly.
The atmosphere was strangely relaxed.
As if two groups of old acquaintances had simply met by chance.
Yet beneath that calm...
Neither side lowered their guard.
Haruto's Soul Resonance quietly observed the rhythm of Lady Chõko's spirit.
Steady.
Gentle.
Unshaken.
"...She's calm."
Haruto murmured.
"Not calm."
Hiroshi corrected without taking his eyes off her.
"...Confident."
Kaizen remained silent.
Millions of possibilities flowed through his mind every second.
Attack first.
Wait.
Retreat.
Flank.
None of the outcomes felt complete.
For the first time in years...
He disliked his own predictions.
Lady Chõko looked directly at him.
"You've been thinking an awful lot."
Kaizen blinked.
"...You noticed?"
"You've frowned three times."
She smiled innocently.
"People usually do that when they're thinking too hard."
Raizen glanced sideways.
"...She's observant."
"No..."
Kaizen quietly replied.
"...She's paying attention."
The wind suddenly became stronger, sending dust swirling between both sides.
No aura erupted.
No techniques were activated.
Yet the pressure slowly grew heavier.
Not because of power...
But because everyone understood the truth.
The first move...
Would decide the rhythm of the entire battle.
Raizen rested his hand on the hilt of the Dimensional Sword.
"I've got one question."
Lady Chõko tilted her head.
"Hm?"
"Why come here alone?"
She looked around the empty wasteland before answering.
"If we fought near Reikosha..."
"...people would get hurt."
Raizen nodded slowly.
"So you intended to protect them."
"I like the academy."
She smiled.
"I'd rather not see it become rubble."
Haruto quietly looked at her.
"...You planned this from the beginning."
"I did."
Ayame folded her arms.
"You knew we'd follow."
"I hoped you would."
Another silence settled over the battlefield.
The clouds above grew darker.
A distant rumble of thunder rolled across the mountains.
Raizen slowly unsheathed the Dimensional Sword.
The blade reflected the gray sky without releasing a single trace of power.
It was simply...
A warrior preparing himself.
Lady Chõko raised both hands with a cheerful smile.
"Don't worry."
"I'll fight properly."
Raizen smiled back.
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't."
No one interrupted.
No one spoke.
The wind stopped.
For one fleeting heartbeat...
The entire Blackstone Wasteland became completely still.
Then...
Raizen took one step forward.
Lady Chõko did the same.
The distance between two legends began to close...
Not with overwhelming techniques.
Not with impossible power.
But with the quiet confidence of warriors who knew that one mistake...
Could change the fate of an entire era.