Elias didn't use his wooden Naginata this time.
The wood had burned to ashes during the fight.
He only had his bare hands and the massive, angry magic boiling inside his chest.
The Elders and the Fallen Angels tried to run. They turned to fly or teleport away.
"You don't get to leave,"
Elias said. His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a heavy stone dropping into a quiet lake.
Elias stomped his foot on the ground.
A huge wave of blue fire rushed outward, wrapping around the entire yard like a tall wall. No one could escape.
A Fallen Angel dived at him in a panic.
Elias didn't even blink. He reached up, caught the Angel by the throat, and squeezed.
The holy light inside the Angel flickered and died. Elias dropped the body to the grass.
The Elders screamed and threw every spell they knew.
Fire, ice, poison, and crushing gravity.
Elias walked right through all of it.
He felt the magic hit him, but it didn't hurt. He reached the first Elder, grabbed the old man's staff, and shattered it.
With one punch, the Elder fell backward, lifeless.
The second Elder tried to stab him with a hidden knife.
Elias caught the blade with two fingers. It broke instantly.
He grabbed the Elder by the robes and threw him so hard into a stone lantern that the lantern broke into pieces.
The Elder didn't get up.
The last Elder fell to his knees, begging for mercy.
"P-Please! Spare me! We will never come back! We will leave them alone!"
Elias looked down at the old man.
His eyes were completely cold.
He didn't feel angry anymore. He didn't feel scared. He didn't feel anything at all.
His Adaptivity power hadn't just changed his body; it had changed his mind.
To protect him from the terrible stress of dying and killing, his brain had simply shut off all his emotions temporarily.
He felt completely numb.
"You tried to kill my family,"
Elias stated, showing no emotion.
He raised his hand.
A bright, powerful flash of purple fire—the same fire they used to kill him—shot from his fingers.
The last Elder was gone in an instant.
The garden was silent again. The blue fire wall faded away.
Elias stood alone among the bodies.
He looked at his hands. They were covered in dirt and ash, but they weren't shaking.
He had just killed several powerful beings, and he didn't feel guilty. He didn't feel sad. He just felt empty.
"I protected them,"
Elias whispered to himself, trying to find a feeling inside his heart.
Suddenly, the sky above the shrine ripped open with a loud, tearing sound.
A massive circle of golden magic appeared. A man fell from the sky, landing heavily on his knees in the middle of the garden.
The man was huge, with broad shoulders and a wild, dark beard.
He had six giant, black-feathered wings on his back.
He was breathing hard, covered in sweat and cuts.
It looked like he had been fighting non-stop for weeks.
It was Baraqiel. He was a leader of the Fallen Angels. He was also Akeno's father.
Baraqiel scrambled to his feet. His eyes were wide with pure panic.
"Shuri! Akeno!"
He yelled, his voice cracking with fear.
Someone inside his own group had betrayed him.
They had sent him on a fake mission far away and trapped him there.
It had taken him months to fight his way out.
When he finally realized it was a trick to leave his family unprotected, he flew back as fast as his wings could carry him.
He was terrified he was too late. He was terrified he would only find their graves.
Baraqiel looked around the garden.
He saw the broken stone lantern. He saw the dead assassins. He saw the bodies of the Himejima Elders and the traitor Fallen Angels.
And then, he saw a teenage boy standing calmly in the middle of it all.
Baraqiel stared at Elias. He could feel the leftover heat of the battle.
He could feel the impossible, heavy magic rolling off the boy's skin.
"Who... who are you?"
Baraqiel asked, stepping forward cautiously. He kept his hands raised, showing he didn't want to fight.
"Did you... did you do all this?"
Elias looked at the giant man. He recognized the black wings, but he didn't attack. His sharp senses told him this man wasn't an enemy.
"I am Elias,"
He answered simply.
"I am Akeno's big brother."
Elias pointed his thumb toward the quiet shrine behind him.
"Shuri-san and Akeno are inside. They are asleep. They are safe."
Baraqiel's tough, angry face instantly melted. The giant warrior dropped to his knees in the dirt.
He covered his face with his large hands, and his shoulders shook as he began to cry tears of absolute relief.
"Thank you,"
Baraqiel sobbed loudly into the quiet night.
"Thank you... whoever you are. You saved my world."
Inside the quiet shrine, the paper door slid open with a soft sound.
Dee walked into the bedroom. She gently touched Shuri's shoulder.
"Shuri,"
Dee whispered warmly.
"Wake up."
Shuri opened her eyes quickly. She gasped and immediately looked at Akeno's bed.
The little girl was still fast asleep.
She was hugging her pillow, completely safe and dreaming peacefully thanks to Dee's magic.
"Come outside,"
Dee smiled softly, helping Shuri stand up.
"There is someone here to see you."
Shuri hurried out to the wooden porch.
She stopped in her tracks. Her hands flew to cover her mouth.
The garden was a mess. There were burn marks on the grass and broken stones everywhere.
But that wasn't what made her stop.
In the middle of the yard, a giant man with black wings was crying on his knees.
"Baraqiel?"
Shuri breathed.
Baraqiel looked up. When he saw his beautiful wife standing on the porch, perfectly safe, more tears spilled down his face.
For a long time, Shuri had felt a deep pain in her heart. She had thought Baraqiel abandoned them.
She thought he cared more about his job as a Fallen Angel leader than his human wife and half-blood daughter.
But looking at him now, she knew she was wrong.
His clothes were torn to shreds. His face was covered in dirt and dried blood.
He looked completely exhausted, haggard, and broken.
He hadn't abandoned them.
Something terrible had happened to him.
Shuri ran down the wooden steps.
She didn't care about the dirt or the blood. She threw her arms around his large neck.
Baraqiel wrapped his giant arms around her, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the universe.
"I am so sorry,"
Baraqiel cried into her shoulder.
"I didn't leave you, Shuri. I swear. Someone in my group tricked me. They sent me to a fake mission far away and trapped me in a magical prison. I fought every single day for months to get out. I flew as fast as I could."
Shuri rubbed his back gently. Her own tears soaked his torn shirt.
"I know,"
She whispered.
"I understand. You are home now. We are safe."
After a long moment, Shuri pulled away. She wiped her eyes and turned around.
Elias was standing a few feet away.
His face was still blank and numb.
He was watching the reunion quietly, covered in ash and holding his empty, dirty hands at his sides.
Shuri knew what that ash meant.
She saw the powerful, dangerous enemies lying dead on the grass.
She knew Elias didn't just fight them.
She knew he had to die, probably multiple times, to adapt and become strong enough to beat them all.
He had suffered terrible pain so her family could live.
Shuri walked over to Elias.
Without saying a word, she pulled the teenage boy into a deep, tight hug.
"Thank you, my brave boy,"
Shuri whispered, kissing the top of his head.
"Thank you for saving us."
When Shuri hugged him, the cold, numb feeling in Elias's brain finally cracked.
Her touch was so warm. It was full of pure, unconditional love.
His Adaptivity power realized the danger was over, and it finally let his emotions turn back on.
Elias let out a shaky breath. His arms slowly came up, and he hugged Shuri back tightly.
He buried his face in her shoulder.
He felt a profound, overwhelming happiness bloom in his chest.
Back in the old world, he never had a mother waiting for him. He never had someone cry tears of relief just because he was safe.
But right here, in this strange, magical world, he did. Shuri was like a real mother to him now.
Dee stood on the porch, watching them. She smiled brightly, her dark eyes shining with joy.