CHAPTER 89 — THE ANCESTORS OF THE BLADE
The Djinn Realm.
Egypt.
Far from the human cities, beyond mountains of sand and ruins that no one visited anymore, stood an enormous black castle.
It towered over the desert like a fortress forgotten by time.
At the very top of the main tower, two figures were sitting on the edge.
Ryussei was smiling, as always.
Beside him, ERROR was crouched down, holding human bones in his hands that he had found somewhere in the depths of the realm.
He casually chewed on them.
CRACK.
Ryussei slightly turned his head toward him.
His smile didn't disappear.
— Thank you.
ERROR stopped.
He looked at Ryussei.
— …Why are you thanking me?
— For the meal.
ERROR simply continued.
— You're welcome.
The two remained silent.
Below them, the Djinn Realm stretched as far as the eye could see.
Destroyed temples.
Abandoned palaces.
Creatures wandering through the streets.
And in the middle of it all, thousands of red lights glowed in the darkness.
Ryussei looked up at the sky.
— The Crown of Ash has started.
ERROR continued staring ahead.
— Yes.
— And we're not even there.
— We have no reason to be.
Ryussei smiled even more.
— That's true.
A voice suddenly came from behind them.
— You're really sitting here doing nothing?
The two turned their heads.
A boy had appeared at the entrance to the terrace.
Oriôn.
He walked forward casually, his hands in his pockets.
He looked at ERROR.
Then at Ryussei.
Then at the bones.
— Seriously?
ERROR slightly raised his eyes.
— What?
— Nothing.
Oriôn approached them.
— You know the Crown of Ash has started, right?
Ryussei nodded.
— We know.
— And you're staying here?
— We don't have a mission.
Oriôn sighed.
— You two really are hopeless cases.
Ryussei let out a small laugh.
— What do you want us to do?
— I don't know. A mission, maybe?
— There isn't one.
— An attack?
— No orders.
— An invasion?
ERROR shook his head.
— Not now.
Oriôn remained silent for a few seconds.
— So you're waiting.
— Exactly.
Ryussei looked out over the desert.
— The Crown of Ash is protected.
Oriôn became more serious.
— By Lee Hang.
Ryussei's smile remained.
— A Seraph.
— And not just any Seraph, ERROR added.
Oriôn crossed his arms.
— The Fumetsu protecting the tournament's coordinates makes any intrusion extremely difficult.
Ryussei rested his chin on his hand.
— Then let's wait.
Oriôn looked at the two of them.
— You guys are really relaxed.
— We have time, Ryussei replied.
Silence settled over them.
Then Oriôn asked:
— Do you think someone will die there?
ERROR stared at the horizon.
— Probably.
Ryussei smiled.
— But that's not our problem.
A few hours later.
New York.
The Crown of Ash arena was packed.
The stands shook beneath the screams of the spectators.
At the center of the enormous circular arena…
Kai and Murata stood facing each other.
Kai stood with his fists clenched.
Murata, meanwhile, held his katana in one hand.
Part of his face was hidden by a cloak covering his eyes.
Silence fell.
The referee raised his hand.
— FIGHT!
BOOM!
Kai disappeared.
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
He reappeared in front of Murata and threw a punch.
Murata pivoted.
The punch passed just a few inches from his face.
Kai smiled.
— Not bad.
Murata didn't answer.
Kai stepped back.
Then raised one hand toward the sky.
The sunlight began concentrating around his body.
Rays of light descended toward Kai.
His body began to glow.
Rodrigue's eyes widened.
— He's absorbing sunlight…
Akamaru smiled.
— It's starting strong!
Zayn, sitting in the stands beside Yojuro, watched carefully.
— Kai isn't messing around.
Yojuro nodded.
— He's accumulating a huge amount of energy.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.
— You guys haven't changed.
The four turned around.
Zayn froze.
Yojuro's eyes widened slightly.
Rodrigue and Akamaru were just as shocked.
— Robin?!
Robin stood behind them.
He looked much better than before.
Zayn immediately stood up.
— Robin… are you okay?
Robin gave him a smile.
— Don't worry. I survived the Labyrinth.
Zayn looked at him for a few seconds.
— So you're healed?
— Yeah. Well… almost.
Akamaru stepped closer.
— But what happened? We thought we wouldn't see you again!
Robin shrugged.
— I got lucky.
He then looked toward the arena.
— But I didn't manage to qualify for the Crown of Ash.
Rodrigue frowned.
— Why?
Robin looked at his arm.
— Because of my injuries. I was still too badly hurt to participate in the qualifiers.
Zayn exhaled.
— What's important is that you're alive.
Robin smiled.
— Yeah.
He looked at Kai.
— And apparently, I arrived at the right time.
BOOM!
A gigantic explosion of light erupted across the arena.
Robin's eyes widened.
— …What is this fight?
Zayn smiled.
— You'll see.
Kai had just launched his solar attack toward Murata.
And the battle resumed with even greater intensity.
Kai extended both hands.
An enormous mass of light formed between his palms.
— MURATA!
He fired the energy.
FWOOM!
A gigantic beam crossed the arena.
Murata remained motionless.
Then…
SHING!
His katana came out of its sheath.
A blue light appeared along the blade.
He swung.
The massive beam of light was cut in two.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion shook the entire arena.
Kai remained standing.
He had absorbed part of his own energy.
He smiled.
— Seriously?
Murata didn't move.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
— You blocked that with a sword?
Murata still didn't answer.
Then a voice echoed.
Not in the arena.
Inside his mind.
— Finally…
Murata froze.
— What…?
A second voice appeared.
— We are awake.
Murata tightened his grip on his katana.
— Who are you?
The blade began to tremble.
Blue energy traveled along the handle.
Then several voices began to echo.
— We are those who wielded this blade before you.
— Those who fought with it.
— Those who were sealed inside its steel.
Murata remained still.
— You are…
A deeper voice answered:
— Your ancestors.
Murata's eyes widened.
— My… ancestors?
The voices replied together:
— Every one of us who used this sword before you was sealed inside.
Murata looked at his katana.
— Why?
Silence.
Then one voice spoke a name.
— Gabriel.
Murata frowned.
— Gabriel?
The voices answered together:
— We will explain later.
Murata clenched his teeth.
— Then why now?
— Because you must win.
— You are our final wielder.
— And we do not want this blade to fall.
An energy began flowing through Murata's body.
— We will give you our strength.
Murata felt his body becoming heavier.
Then stronger.
— Five percent.
He slightly opened his eyes.
— Only five?
— It is enough.
The energy exploded around him.
FWOOM!
A blue-and-black aura surrounded Murata.
In the stands, Zayn straightened up.
— What the hell is that?
Yojuro stared at Murata.
His expression became serious.
— His Fumetsu just changed.
Rodrigue swallowed.
— But he hadn't shown anything until now…
Akamaru:
— He was hiding all of that?
At the center of the arena…
Murata slowly raised one hand toward his cloak.
Then he lifted it slightly.
His eyes were still covered.
But something had changed.
He could see.
Through the fabric.
Through obstacles.
Through movements.
He could now see Kai perfectly.
Murata remained silent.
— I can…
He looked at his own hands.
— …see.
Kai smiled.
— Now you can finally look me in the eyes.
Murata turned his head slightly toward him.
— Yes.
Kai disappeared.
BOOM!
He reappeared above Murata.
— BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO KEEP UP!
He sent his fist toward the ground.
Murata raised his katana.
CLANG!
The impact shook the arena.
Kai jumped back.
— Oh.
Murata slid several meters.
But he remained standing.
Kai smiled.
— Impressive.
Murata raised his katana.
The blue-and-black energy concentrated along the blade.
Kai raised his arms.
— Then we're raising the level.
He inhaled.
All the energy around him gathered.
Then he opened his hands.
— Z-ENERGY VESSELS!
Rodrigue blinked.
— The what?
Zayn burst out laughing.
— Did he really just call them that?
Akamaru:
— THE Z-ENERGY VESSELS!!!
A multitude of glowing rings appeared around Kai.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
They looked like enormous energy circles spinning through the air.
Kai pointed at Murata.
— Go!
WHOOSH!
The rings rushed toward him.
Murata remained still.
Then…
The katana moved.
By itself.
SHING!
The first ring was sliced apart.
SHING!
The second.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The rings were cut apart one after another.
Kai's eyes widened.
— Huh?
The katana spun around Murata as if it possessed a will of its own.
Then the blade disappeared.
Murata took one step.
— Too slow.
SLASH!
A blue slash tore through the air.
Kai ducked.
Another came.
He dodged.
A third.
Then ten.
Then fifty.
Then hundreds.
The entire arena seemed filled with blue blades.
Kai kept retreating.
One attack passed in front of his face.
Another struck the ground.
BOOM!
He jumped.
A third slash came.
Kai turned just in time.
BOOM!
He blocked it with both hands.
The impact sent him sliding several meters backward.
His shoes left two long marks across the ground.
Kai breathed harder.
Murata advanced.
Slowly.
Without running.
Without shouting.
His katana floated slightly in front of him.
The voices continued whispering inside his mind.
— Again.
— Faster.
— Use our memories.
— We have fought for generations.
Murata clenched his teeth.
— I am not you.
The blade trembled.
— No.
— You are our heir.
Murata stared at Kai.
— Then I'll win with my own strength.
Kai slowly stood back up.
His smile had disappeared.
He looked at the thousands of blue traces left across the arena.
— Five percent…
He wiped a small mark from his face.
— And that's enough to put me in this much trouble?
In the stands, Zayn wasn't joking anymore.
— Kai…
Yojuro watched carefully.
— He's starting to be overwhelmed.
Rodrigue clenched his fists.
— But Kai hasn't even used all his energy yet.
Yojuro slightly shook his head.
— His energy isn't the problem.
Zayn looked at him.
— Then what is?
Yojuro stared at Murata.
— His sword.
Another series of blue slashes appeared.
Kai jumped.
He avoided the first.
Then the second.
The third passed beneath his arm.
The fourth came from behind.
Kai turned just in time.
BOOM!
He blocked it with both hands.
Murata stopped.
The katana floated beside him.
The voices continued whispering.
Kai raised his eyes.
— I understand.
Murata stopped.
— What?
Kai clenched his fists.
A new amount of energy began accumulating around him.
— You're not just wielding your sword.
The solar energy exploded around his body.
— YOUR SWORD IS WIELDING YOU TOO!
Murata remained silent.
Then he smiled slightly.
— Maybe.
Kai took a fighting stance.
— Then come.
Murata raised his katana.
The blue-and-black energy exploded.
Kai did the same.
Two opposing powers now stood facing each other.
Light against the blade.
Energy against Fumetsu.
And for the first time since the beginning of the fight…
Kai had a thought cross his mind.
I might actually lose.
He clenched his teeth.
Then smiled.
— Finally…
He charged.
— This is getting interesting!
Murata disappeared as well.
The two silhouettes collided in the center of the arena.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire stadium.