The air thickened with tension, crackling as the sigils beneath Kazuki and his party began to glow—a radiant, ethereal light that pulsed with raw energy. At first, the glow was subtle, like the dawn light creeping across the horizon, but it soon intensified, spreading out from the marks on the ground to the very souls of the ones who stood within the formation.

  The sigils beneath Kazuki’s feet flared with an incandescent blaze, growing larger with each passing second, until they were massive, glowing like ancient runes, their light reflecting off the jagged mountain peaks and shaking the very core of the earth.

  His aura, already powerful and swirling with unrelenting force, began to expand. It shot upward, spiraling in a violent vortex, turning into a towering pillar of crimson energy—a force so immense that it could be seen for miles. The air distorted, creating whirlwinds of flame and ash, as the earth trembled beneath the weight of his power.

  Kazuki’s body surged with power, his veins coursing with a flow of fiery mana, as though his very blood had been replaced with molten fire. The red aura that enveloped him intensified into a blinding wave of power—the very essence of destruction and creation, blending in a stunning display of sheer might. His hair, now almost a blinding white, waved like a cosmic flame, each strand alive with raw energy.

  His sigil beneath him became a starry spiral, pulsating with celestial power, as if it were a gate between dimensions itself. The air around him crackled with energy, buzzing like an electric storm. Every step he took sent ripples through the fabric of reality, as though he were tethered to the very stars.

  Each of his party members felt the weight of the power surging through Kazuki. Rinara, Elara, Garron, and Drake exchanged solemn glances, understanding the gravity of the moment. They stepped back, their bodies shuddering under the pressure of his escalating aura.

  Rinara was the first to speak, her voice full of conviction as she raised her hand toward Kazuki. “Good luck,” she said softly, her eyes filled with both pride and worry. Elara followed suit, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of uncertainty. “We’ll hold the line here, Kazuki. We trust you.”

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  Garron, ever the warrior, placed a hand on Kazuki’s shoulder, his expression fierce and resolute. “Make it count, Kazuki. Show them what you’ve become.”

  Drake gave Kazuki a brief nod, his eyes focused. “We’ve got your back, even from here.”

  Kazuki didn’t respond. He merely nodded, his lips curling into a faint smile. Without a word, his party turned, their sigils glowing as they moved down the mountain, heading toward the battlefield below. The mountain shook beneath their footsteps, but Kazuki remained still—focusing, gathering all of his power.

  His aura continued to grow, twisting into a massive, unrelenting pillar of red energy—rivaling Kairyuuha’s own aura, which now towered on the opposite peak in a violet storm of crackling electricity. The winds howled as the sky became a warzone of light and shadows, the heavens torn between the forces of the two beings. Electric arcs of energy lashed out from Kairyuuha’s aura, crackling like thunderbolts, each one sizzling through the air with the intent to destroy.

  Kazuki's power matched that energy.

  He was ready.

  The scene shifted dramatically. The gods watched from their heavenly domains, their eyes drawn to the massive energies radiating from the mortal realm below. Their voices were low, resonating with ancient wisdom.

  > “It is not yet time,” one of them spoke, his voice deep and eternal. “Their battle is but the beginning.”

  A second god, his divine form radiant like a comet, nodded. “The Custodians still watch. The time will come when we can descend and fulfill our purpose. But for now... we must wait.”

  The third god, their aura a chaotic fusion of light and darkness, looked down at the world below, their eyes glowing with the knowledge of the ancient past. “The boy... Kazuki. He is more than just a mortal. He’s been changed, empowered. But it will take more than power to survive the storm that Kairyuuha brings.”

  The first god’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “That’s why he’s chosen. The fate of this world rests on the outcome of their battle.”

  Behind them, a group of Custodians stood at attention, their forms ever-shifting, intertwined with the very crystals that had absorbed Kairyuuha’s power. The merging of their essence with the crystals was a sign of their readiness—a new era was upon them. The Custodians could now descend when the time was right. But until then, they remained silent observers, waiting to play their part in the grand cycle of the universe.

  The first god turned to face them. “Prepare yourselves. The battle begins here. But the war is yet to unfold.”

  And so, the stage was set—the heavens watched in anticipation, the forces below assembled, and Kazuki stood alone, his power reaching heights unimaginable. Kairyuuha’s storm of purple lightning was coming. The final clash between two ancient forces was about to begin.