Blood Drips Onto the Ground
Slowly.
Steadily.
Hiroto Stands Anyway
Body shaking.
Breathing unstable.
But his grip—
Unbreakable.
The Enemy Watches Quietly
No mocking.
No arrogance.
Just observation.
"…You should've stayed down."
Hiroto Wipes Blood From His Mouth
"…Not happening."
The Blade Pulses Again
Stronger.
Louder.
Not physically—
Inside him
Akari feels it immediately
"…What is that pressure…?"
Kenzaku narrows his eyes
"…The blade's reacting harder now…"
Yui steps back slightly
"…It feels… unstable…"
Goro watches silently
But even he—
Looks tense now
Back to Hiroto
The Enemy Moves First This Time
Instant acceleration.
Impact incoming—
Hiroto reacts instantly
CLASH
Shockwave erupts outward
The ground cracks beneath Hiroto's feet
But this time—
He doesn't get blown away
The enemy notices immediately
"…Hm."
Hiroto pushes forward
Roaring now—
Not calmly anymore.
Strike after strike rains down
Faster
Sharper
Wild—but evolving
The blade leaves streaks through the air
CLASH—CLASH—CLASH
The enemy blocks continuously
But now—
Actually pressured
Akari's eyes widen
"…He's keeping up…?!"
Kenzaku answers immediately
"…No…"
A pause.
"…He's forcing himself to."
Hiroto's body begins breaking down
Arms trembling.
Muscles tearing.
Breathing collapsing.
But he keeps moving
The Blade Pulses Harder
Then—
A sudden flash
For a split second—
Hiroto sees something
Not the battlefield.
Not the enemy.
A figure
Standing in endless darkness.
Holding the same blade.
Eyes unseen
Voice unclear.
"…Rise…"
Hiroto's eyes widen
"…What… was…?!"
The enemy attacks instantly
A direct strike toward Hiroto's chest
Too fast to evade
Tamagichi's eyes sharpen
"…Move."
But Hiroto—
Doesn't retreat
Instead—
The blade moves on its own
CLANG
The strike is blocked
Perfectly.
Silence hits instantly
Even the enemy pauses
Hiroto stares at his own blade
"…I… didn't…"
The enemy steps back slightly
For the first time—
True caution appears
"…So it's begun."
Tamagichi hears that clearly
His expression hardens immediately
"…Enough."
And suddenly—
Tamagichi appears between them
Pressure erupts outward
The enemy's eyes narrow slightly
"…You're stopping this?"
Tamagichi answers coldly
"…You've seen enough."
A tense silence
Then—
The enemy looks past him
At Hiroto.
A long pause
Then says—
"…You're beginning to awaken."
Hiroto's breathing sharpens
"…Awaken…?"
No answer
The enemy turns away slowly
"…Grow stronger."
A pause.
"…Or that blade will consume you."
And then—
Gone
Silence returns again
Hiroto's legs finally give out
He collapses
Akari rushes forward
"HIROTO!"
Kenzaku catches him before he fully hits the ground
Yui looks terrified
"…What did he mean by consume…?"
Tamagichi stands still
Silent.
Too silent.
As Hiroto loses consciousness—
The blade gives one final pulse.
And deep within the darkness—
A voice whispers again.
"…Not yet…"
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
Until Next Time On Blade of the Vanished Era.