The Forest Explodes Into Motion
Leaves scatter violently.
Branches crack.
Pressure erupts from every direction.
"ABOVE—!"
Kenzaku reacts first.
CLANG
Steel collides midair.
One assassin appears above him—
Blade aimed directly for his throat.
Kenzaku blocks barely in time
Skidding backward through dirt.
"…Fast."
Meanwhile—
Akari ducks instantly
A blade slices through the air where her head was moments ago.
"…RUDE!"
She counters immediately
A brutal kick toward the assassin's ribs—
Impact
But—
The assassin blocks it cleanly
Sliding back only slightly.
Akari's eyes widen
"…Oh, you're serious serious."
Yui freezes briefly
Too many movements.
Too fast.
Then—
Goro appears beside her instantly
Blocking an incoming strike with one arm.
CRACK
The force shatters the ground beneath them.
Goro's eyes sharpen
"…Stay behind me."
Back to Hiroto
The lead assassin appears directly in front of him
No wasted motion.
Straight for the kill.
Hiroto reacts instantly
CLASH
The impact sends shockwaves through the trees
The assassin presses harder
"…You're slower than expected."
Hiroto grits his teeth
"…Then stop talking and test it."
The assassin's eyes narrow slightly
A second strike comes immediately
Faster.
Sharper.
Hiroto barely avoids it
A shallow cut opens across his cheek.
Blood drips
The assassin smiles faintly
"…There it is."
Hiroto's expression hardens
"…What?"
The assassin steps forward again
"…Killing intent."
CLASH
The fight intensifies instantly
Strike after strike tears through the forest
Hiroto improves mid-fight again
Reading movement faster.
Adjusting quicker.
The blade pulses with every collision
The assassin notices
"…The synchronization is increasing…"
That phrase irritates Hiroto immediately
"…Stop talking about me like I'm a weapon!"
He surges forward harder
A clean strike finally lands
SLASH
The assassin jumps back
A cut across their shoulder.
Silence
Akari notices instantly
"…HE HIT HIM?!"
Kenzaku blocks another attack nearby
But even he glances over briefly.
The assassin touches the wound slowly
Then laughs quietly
Not mocking.
Interested.
"…Now I understand."
Suddenly—
A massive pressure crashes over the forest
Everyone freezes briefly
Tamagichi
His presence fully unleashed
The trees around him crack violently
The assassins immediately react
For the first time—
Caution
Tamagichi's voice echoes coldly
"…You've overstayed your welcome."
The lead assassin steps back slowly
Still watching Hiroto.
Then says quietly—
"…So the awakening is real."
Tamagichi's eyes sharpen dangerously
The assassin continues
"…The Black Daimyo will be pleased."*
Silence
Hiroto's eyes narrow immediately
"…Black… Daimyo?"
The assassin smiles beneath the mask
"…Remember that name."
Then—
All three assassins vanish into the forest instantly
Gone.
Like they were never there.
Only silence remains
Broken trees.
Blood.
Heavy breathing.
Akari looks furious
"…I REALLY hate mysterious people."
Yui collapses to her knees slightly
"…What even was that…"
Kenzaku lowers his weapon slowly
"…A warning."
Hiroto stands still
Thinking about the name.
Black Daimyo.
Tamagichi watches him carefully
Too carefully.
Far away—
Inside a throne room drowned in darkness—
A figure clad in black armor sits silently.
And slowly—
A faint smile appears beneath the shadows.
To Be Continued