Chapter 75: The Kurushimi Brothers: The Rise of the Shadow Blessings

  The night before the battle against the NGTNI (New Generation Tori no Ichizoku Cartel), the Kurushimi brothers stood together in the shadowed sanctum of their war room, their gazes intense, eyes gleaming with a mixture of determination and silent anticipation. Their bond, forged in blood and conflict, was as unshakable as ever. Martin, Krishna, Temna, and Takashi—each of them had been through unimaginable trials, but now, facing a new and formidable threat, they were ready for what was to come.

  The air in the room crackled with an unseen energy. The brothers had recently received the "Shadow Blessings" from Deimos, the enigmatic and shadow-wrapped figure who had once been an ally of the Ma Tori bloodline. Known for his mysterious powers and ruthless efficiency, Deimos had seen in the Kurushimi brothers a raw potential that even he couldn’t ignore. Their abilities were already formidable, but the blessings of the shadows granted them new, near-mythical power.

  The Blessing of Shadows

  For the Kurushimi brothers, the Shadow Blessing had unlocked more than just physical prowess—it had unraveled hidden depths within each of them, revealing new dimensions to their combat styles and personal struggles.

  Martin Kurushimi: The Weight of Power

  Though Martin had always been the calm, strategic leader, the newfound power from the Shadow Blessing weighed on him in ways he couldn’t fully articulate. His enhanced strength and godlike reflexes were a blessing on the battlefield, allowing him to execute flawless maneuvers and strikes. Yet, with every victory came the haunting realization that he could no longer maintain the same level of control he once had.

  His connection to the shadows was more profound than ever. They whispered to him, urging him to harness their darkness in ways that challenged his sense of morality. The temptation to push his limits, to dominate every foe with merciless precision, was ever-present, and Martin found himself questioning whether he could maintain the honor of his name or if the shadows would consume him entirely.

  "I’ve always believed power to be a tool, not a curse," Martin said one evening, his voice heavy with doubt. "But now, I’m not sure where the tool ends and the curse begins."

  As he wielded the darkness, Martin saw glimpses of a future where he was not the leader guiding his brothers, but a tyrant—no better than the demons they sought to destroy. The shadows granted him unparalleled power, but it came at a cost, one that threatened to unravel his identity and the purpose that had always driven him.

  Krishna Kurushimi: The Rage Within

  For Krishna, the Shadow Blessing was a perfect match for his nature—his thirst for vengeance, his need for destruction, and his desire to prove his strength were all amplified by the dark power now at his disposal. The shadows fueled his rage, and with every fight, Krishna found himself indulging in the violent, chaotic urges that had always lurked beneath the surface.

  His speed, once unmatched, now reached unnatural levels. In the blink of an eye, he could be on top of his enemy, delivering blows that sent shockwaves through their bodies. His durability had increased to the point where he could withstand blows that would obliterate lesser beings, yet this only served to make his rage more unrelenting. Krishna reveled in the violence, finding joy in the suffering of those who had wronged him and his family.

  But there were moments, fleeting though they were, when the darkness overtook him, and he wondered whether he was still fighting for justice—or if he had become the very thing he despised.

  "I’ll make him bleed until he knows what real pain is," Krishna muttered, his eyes burning with intensity. "And then, I’ll make sure he suffers... just like Father."

  His brothers often had to pull him back from the edge, reminding him that vengeance alone could never bring peace. But Krishna’s hatred for Akuma, for the demons who had shattered their family, ran deep. And with the shadows as his ally, it was hard to imagine anything—anyone—stopping him.

  Temna Kurushimi: The Silent Watcher

  Temna had always been the quiet one, the one who observed and calculated, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. With the Shadow Blessing, his already razor-sharp instincts were elevated to an almost supernatural level. He could read his enemies’ movements, anticipating their actions before they even made them. His teleportation abilities, while not as fast as Krishna’s, allowed him to disappear into the shadows and reappear at just the right moment, delivering devastating blows from the unseen.

  Yet, despite his precision and skill, the shadows had a way of amplifying Temna’s insecurities. The burden of their father’s legacy loomed over him, and the thought of facing the same enemies who had pushed their father to his breaking point weighed heavily on his mind. With the Shadow Blessing, he was now more than capable of avenging his father’s sacrifices, but the guilt of carrying that responsibility often made him hesitate.

  "I won’t miss," he had said, his voice unwavering. "Not this time. Not with him."

  But the doubt lingered, threatening to cloud his resolve. Temna knew that to truly honor his father, he would have to rise above his fear and embrace the power that the shadows had given him. But doing so meant confronting a part of himself he had long tried to suppress—the part that feared becoming just like the demons he fought against.

  Takashi Kurushimi: The Unlikely Hero

  For Takashi, the Shadow Blessing was both a gift and a challenge. His unpredictable fighting style had always made him a wild card in battle, but with the shadows now at his command, he found himself walking a fine line between chaos and control. His physical strength was now at its peak, but it wasn’t just his raw power that made him dangerous—it was his mind. Takashi’s teleportation allowed him to play psychological games, appearing and disappearing at will, keeping his enemies on edge.

  Despite his outward bravado, Takashi’s confidence wavered when the stakes grew higher. He was the youngest, the least experienced, and in many ways, the least prepared for the battles ahead. Yet the shadows had given him a new sense of purpose—a new way of approaching combat that didn’t rely solely on strength or speed, but on strategy and manipulation.

  "If we’re doing this, then we’re doing it together," Takashi had said, his usual cocky grin replaced by a rare moment of sincerity. "No one’s going down alone."

  The Shadow Blessing had unlocked a hidden potential within him, and for the first time, Takashi felt like he was more than just a charming fighter. He was part of something bigger—something that could defeat even the most terrifying of enemies. And despite his fear, despite his doubts, Takashi found himself stepping into the role of a leader, shoulder to shoulder with his brothers, ready to face whatever dark challenges lay ahead.

  The Blessing’s Price

  The power of the shadows came with a cost, one that the Kurushimi brothers could not ignore. While their abilities had been elevated to godlike levels, they found themselves bound by the very darkness they wielded. The shadows whispered, tempting them to embrace their darker sides, to indulge in their rage, their fear, their insecurities. It was a constant struggle to retain their humanity amidst the overwhelming power that now flowed through their veins.

  For Martin, the curse of leadership was no longer just a matter of strategy—it was a matter of self-control. For Krishna, the thirst for vengeance had never been stronger, and the line between justice and madness grew increasingly blurred. For Temna, the shadows had unlocked a terrifying potential, but it also forced him to confront his own fears and doubts. And for Takashi, the blessing had granted him power, but it had also revealed the cost of stepping into the shadows.

  Together, the Kurushimi brothers would have to face not only their enemies, but themselves. And as the darkness grew ever closer, they would have to decide whether the power of the shadows was truly worth the price.

  Preparing for War

  Together, the four brothers stood in the heart of their fortress, their eyes set upon the looming threat of the NGTNI. The New Generation Tori no Ichizoku Cartel (NGTNI) were unlike anything the Kurushimi brothers had faced before—stronger, faster, and more intelligent. They were a cartel built on the remnants of the Tori no Ichizoku bloodline, transformed and empowered by dark and demonic forces. Hybrids, each of them crafted from the worst elements of Hell’s darkest powers, a twisted mix of human and demonic traits designed for one purpose: destruction.

  The NGTNI were no mere band of criminals; they were a force of nature, weaving the old Tori no Ichizoku’s legacy with new, horrifying power. Their strength had become legendary, feared across nations, and now, they had set their sights on the Kurushimi brothers. This battle would be their proving ground.

  But now, with the blessing of Deimos, the Kurushimi brothers had transcended their former limits. They were no longer just warriors. They were legends, walking in the shadows with the fury of the storm and the grace of the night.

  Their weapons were ready, their bodies honed for the fight ahead. The world outside, darkened by the encroaching presence of the NGTNI, would soon be bathed in the blood of their enemies. As they prepared to step into the battlefield, they knew that the time had come to face their most dangerous adversary yet.

  But they were the Kurushimi brothers, and they had never backed down from a fight. The NGTNI wouldn’t know what hit them.

  The Kurushimi Brothers vs Goji, The Cyborg of Destruction

  The battlefield was a hellish maelstrom of violence, engulfed in choking smoke and the sickly tang of burning oil and blood. Amidst the shattered ruins of a once-thriving cityscape, the Kurushimi brothers stood defiant against their enemy—a grotesque abomination known only as Goji. This was no ordinary foe. Goji was a walking nightmare, a vile fusion of decaying flesh and cold, unyielding metal. His every limb was a churning arsenal of death—barbed blades, missile launchers, and searing lasers intermingled with lethal toxins and explosive charges. His glowing red eyes burned with an unfeeling malice as he surveyed his adversaries, a machine engineered solely for annihilation.

  Yet the brothers, empowered by the relentless might of the Shadow Blessing, faced this mechanical behemoth without a hint of retreat. Dark energies coiled about them like living entities, ready to be unleashed in brutal retribution. They had been tempered in countless battles, their resolve hardened by the endless cycle of violence, and now they would test their full, unholy potential against Goji.

  At the moment the clash erupted, Goji transformed into a blur of motion. His cybernetic legs thundered across the scorched earth with blistering speed while his mechanical arms erupted in a storm of high-velocity bullets. The projectiles streaked through the air like deadly comets, each one intent on rending flesh and shattering bone.

  But Martin Kurushimi was already in motion. In a heartbeat, he teleported behind the onslaught of metal and mayhem, his fist coalescing with the power of darkness. The shadows themselves seemed to surge around him, empowering his every strike. His blow slammed into Goji’s armored chest like a sledgehammer, sending a seismic shockwave rippling through the battlefield. The impact dented the cyborg’s plating with brutal force, denting his metallic hide and sending splinters of alloy scattering. Despite the blast shield protecting Goji’s core, the strike sent ripples of searing pain through his internal circuitry.

  "You may be fast, but you're not invincible," Martin spat, his voice low and venomous as he prepared for the next onslaught.

  With a twisted mockery of a grin, Goji responded by unleashing a rapid extension of serrated blades from his forearms. The blades whistled through the acrid air, slicing at anything in their path. Martin narrowly evaded their razor-sharp edges as they carved cruel arcs across the battlefield, the sound of metal on metal mingling with the brothers' guttural shouts of defiance.

  Krishna Kurushimi burst into the melee like a force of nature. His movements were a whirlwind of destructive fury—a blur of raw, unbridled power. In the midst of chaos, his fists became instruments of devastation. Each blow he delivered struck with the unyielding force of a hurricane, aimed not merely at Goji's exterior but designed to shatter the very circuitry and bone beneath. One savage punch hammered into Goji’s cybernetic arm, cracking through the reinforced metal as sparks erupted in a shower of molten shards. The impact was so violent that it sent shards of scrap flying in every direction, the screeching sound of metal splintering echoing in the ruinous silence.

  "Is that all you've got?" Krishna roared, his voice a feral snarl filled with a burning desire for retribution. His every strike was laced with the ancient darkness of the Shadow Blessing, the power of which turned simple blows into cataclysmic assaults that tore through the enemy’s very essence.

  In retaliation, Goji retaliated with a display of ruthless ingenuity. From compartments in his back, he expelled a volley of explosive bombs that whistled menacingly through the air. They detonated with horrific ferocity, the concussive force ripping chunks from the scorched earth and flinging debris like shrapnel. The shockwaves toppled nearby structures, and the ground trembled as if recoiling from the sheer brutality. Krishna melted into the shadows to evade the explosions, only to reemerge with lethal speed behind Goji. But the cyborg, ever adaptive, had anticipated his maneuver. With a hiss of mechanical precision, Goji discharged a cloud of noxious, corrosive gas from his arm—an acrid miasma that seared flesh and melted armor alike. The poisonous fumes billowed over the battlefield, their toxic embrace burning through exposed skin. Krishna’s enhanced durability kept him on his feet, but his lungs burned as the venomous cloud invaded his senses, every breath a torment.

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  From a safe distance, Temna Kurushimi observed the carnage with an icy, calculating gaze. His every sense was honed to detect the minutest flaw in Goji’s mechanized armor. In one fluid motion, he hurled a razor-thin throwing knife, its edge glinting malevolently as it cut through the oppressive air. The knife found its mark—slicing into Goji’s mechanical eye with ruthless accuracy. The cyborg’s optic exploded in a spray of sparks and shattered glass, a horrifying display of malfunction that momentarily blinded him. In that instant, a cry of agony—a blend of human despair and mechanical failure—ripped through the cacophony of battle.

  Takashi Kurushimi, ever the wild card, seized the opportunity with a manic grin. Teleporting unpredictably around the chaos, he materialized behind Goji and launched a furious barrage of punches. His strikes were a cacophony of brutal impact, each blow aimed at the joints and vulnerable seams of the cyborg’s armor. His fists pounded into the mechanical crevices, shattering weak points and rending apart synthetic sinew. The violent impacts sent rivulets of oil and sparks cascading from Goji’s damaged body, the sound of crushing metal and breaking circuitry a testament to the sheer brutality of each strike.

  Enraged, Goji’s red eyes burned brighter as he retaliated. With a swift, mechanical pivot, he unleashed a barrage of searing laser beams from his chest. The lasers, intense and focused, cut through the air with a speed that left nothing but scorched earth in their wake. Takashi twisted and contorted his body in an acrobatic display of desperate evasion, but one beam, hotter than the inferno of a thousand suns, grazed his arm. The impact was catastrophic—flesh melted instantly into sizzling pulp, exposing bone beneath a cascade of burning blood. Despite the excruciating agony, Takashi's defiant grin never wavered. "Nice try, tin can," he sneered through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse with pain and determination.

  The brothers, bloodied and battered yet fueled by a shared ferocity, regrouped as the battlefield grew ever more brutal. The air was heavy with smoke and the acrid smell of burnt flesh and burning oil, but their eyes shone with unwavering resolve. Goji’s monstrous form might have been designed for mass destruction, but the Kurushimi brothers were united by the dark, empowering might of the Shadow Blessing—and their unbreakable bond.

  Martin, his gaze steely and his face smeared with grime and blood, teleported directly in front of Goji with a roar that shook the very air. He gathered the full, terrifying power of the shadows into his fist and unleashed a single, cataclysmic punch. The impact was beyond mortal comprehension—a thunderous blow that splintered Goji’s armor like glass. The force of the strike sent the cyborg reeling backward, his systems convulsing as the dark energy of Martin’s attack penetrated deep into his core. For a split second, a cascade of sparks and molten metal erupted from the breach, a window into the fragile circuitry beneath the impenetrable exterior.

  Krishna, never one to hesitate, followed with a relentless barrage. His fists, imbued with a malignant darkness, hammered into Goji’s battered chassis. Each blow was a savage testament to his unquenchable thirst for vengeance—a fury that tore through metal and circuitry alike. The impact of his strikes was so brutal that it forced Goji’s internal systems into chaotic overload. Sparks erupted like fiery shrapnel from ruptured cables, and the red glow in his eyes flickered erratically, betraying the internal collapse that was rapidly unfolding.

  Amid the chaos, Temna’s calculated precision came into play. His keen eyes locked onto the one, singular weak point—a jagged crack in Goji’s armor that had been pried open by the brothers’ combined onslaught. Steadying his breath, Temna aimed his high-powered weapon with the precision of a master marksman. The bullet roared through the shattered air, a streak of death that found its target with brutal accuracy. It tore through the gap and exploded into Goji’s central power core, unleashing an explosion that was as magnificent as it was apocalyptic.

  The impact was devastating. Goji’s massive frame shuddered violently as his internal systems exploded in a torrent of sparks, molten metal, and searing electrical discharges. His limbs jerked uncontrollably as circuits fried and gears ground to a halt. In a final, soul-crushing moment, the cyborg let out a bloodcurdling, mechanical scream—a sound that was part human agony and part the dying wail of a machine—and collapsed in a heap of twisted metal and charred, broken flesh.

  The battlefield fell silent, the only sounds the ragged breaths of the Kurushimi brothers and the crackling of dying circuits. The air was thick with the iron tang of blood mixed with the bitter stench of burning oil and scorched metal. Amidst the wreckage, the fallen form of Goji lay as a testament to the unyielding brutality of the fight. Pieces of shredded armor and jagged metal were scattered like the remnants of a shattered nightmare.

  Martin’s eyes, though filled with the weight of countless battles, burned with a quiet, grim satisfaction. He felt the cold pulse of darkness recede ever so slightly as he surveyed the devastation he had wrought. Yet the toll was visible—his body bore fresh wounds, and his mind was haunted by the echoes of each brutal blow exchanged in the melee.

  Krishna, his fists still trembling with residual fury, surveyed the carnage with a wild, almost feral grin. His body was a canvas of scars and blood, each mark a tribute to his unquenchable thirst for vengeance. The brutal assault had left him battered, his lungs still burning from poisonous fumes, yet his spirit roared like an inferno—a promise that no enemy, however monstrous, would ever break him.

  Temna stood silently, the efficiency of his final shot etched in his calm, unyielding eyes. His body moved with the precision of a coiled spring, every nerve alert and every muscle tensed in anticipation of further conflict. He allowed himself a single, measured breath, acknowledging that even amidst the wreckage, the battle for survival was far from over.

  Takashi, his arm a crimson river of pain and defiant blood, wiped the sweat and gore from his brow with a shaky laugh. His irreverent humor, even in the midst of such overwhelming brutality, was a stark reminder of his unyielding spirit. “That’s one hell of a cyborg,” he muttered, voice rough and ragged, his eyes sparkling with a mix of pain and grim determination.

  The Kurushimi brothers, united by blood and hardened by battle, knew that this victory, as brutal and bloody as it was, was only a prelude to the war that lay ahead. They had decimated the mechanical monstrosity that was Goji—the cyborg of destruction—but the landscape of terror that Akuma had built was vast and unforgiving. More enemies lurked in the shadows, more brutal forces of destruction were waiting to be unleashed upon a world already scarred by blood and darkness.

  As the embers of the final explosion died down, the brothers stood in the ruined silence—a testament to their relentless fury and indomitable bond. They had embraced the power of the Shadow Blessing, wielding it with savage efficiency and a brutality that left nothing but ruin in its wake. And though their bodies ached with the memory of every impact and every cut, their hearts burned with an unyielding resolve to press on.

  For in this brutal new world, where every drop of blood and every shattered piece of metal was a declaration of war, the Kurushimi brothers would meet every challenge head-on. They would forge their destiny in the crucible of relentless violence, with the fury of the shadows and the strength of their unbreakable bond guiding them through the darkness.

  The war was far from over—and as the brothers turned their eyes toward the horizon, they knew that they would face whatever horrors awaited them with a savagery that would echo through the ages. Their next battle was already calling, and they would meet it with the same brutal, unrelenting power that had reduced a cyborg of destruction to a twisted heap of broken metal and scorched flesh.

  And so, in the heart of the desolation, amid the ruin and the remnants of shattered hope, the Kurushimi brothers stood ready—warriors tempered by the Shadow Blessing, unyielding in their resolve, and prepared to unleash a new era of brutality upon those who dared to threaten their legacy.

  Aftermath

  As the Kurushimi brothers sat in a circle, their bodies still aching from the intense battle with Goji, the weight of the fight lingered in the air like a heavy fog. Blood stained their clothes and sweat clung to their skin, but their minds were far from the battle. They had done what was necessary to defeat Goji, but their thoughts wandered to something far more dangerous, far more legendary: Kaizen Hawks.

  The medics hadn’t arrived yet, so the brothers took the moment to recover, but their conversation had turned to Kaizen, Michael Hawks' brother, a name that sent chills down their spines.

  “I still can’t believe we took down Goji,” Takashi muttered, rubbing his neck. “That guy had it all—guns, blades, bombs, everything. But he still wasn’t enough to hold us off. And yet… Kaizen…” He trailed off, shaking his head, as if the thought of the man was enough to silence him.

  Krishna let out a low chuckle, but it was hollow, filled with awe and fear. “Goji was a beast, yeah. But he’s nothing compared to Kaizen. That guy’s a different kind of monster.”

  Temna leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. “I’ve heard the stories. The stuff that man has done—it's not even human. Kaizen isn’t just a fighter. He’s a walking nightmare. It’s like he was born to kill, born to destroy.”

  Martin, ever the stoic one, nodded slightly, his gaze distant. “I’ve heard the rumors. The fact that he took down Toya Kurai says it all. Toya Kurai was way stronger than Goji. His cunning, his planning—he was a master at war. Goji couldn’t have even dreamed of matching Toya in strategy and lethality.”

  “Yeah,” Krishna muttered, his voice dark. “Toya wasn’t like any other fighter we’ve come up against. Goji had the advantage of weapons, sure, but Toya… Toya could outthink his enemies. He could make anyone walk into a trap and never even know they were caught. He was deadly because he never let anyone get the jump on him.”

  Temna’s eyes flashed. “That’s the thing with Kaizen though. He didn’t just kill Toya Kurai because he was stronger. No, Kaizen is all about chaos. He’s not a fighter, he’s a disaster. A storm. Toya Kurai couldn’t plan his way out of that madness.”

  The brothers grew quiet, the weight of the conversation sinking in deeper. Kaizen wasn’t just a killer. He was a force of nature, someone who left nothing standing in his wake. The stories of his ruthlessness were legendary.

  “Did you guys ever hear about the duel double sawed-off shotguns?” Takashi’s voice broke the silence, his eyes wide as he recounted one of the many stories that had circulated about Kaizen. “This guy carries two sawed-off shotguns, right? Each one with eight slugs per barrel. That’s thirty-two slugs—thirty-two—fired at someone at once before reloading. And he doesn’t even flinch. Just keeps shooting until everything in his path is torn to pieces.”

  Krishna scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s insane. I don’t care how good you are, no one should have to fight against that kind of firepower. But that’s Kaizen. It’s not just about the guns; it’s the way he fights. He’s always been a madman.”

  Temna added, “And let’s not forget the steel mace and axe he uses. The man doesn’t even need the guns. He’ll cleave someone in half with that thing. His strength is... it’s beyond anything I've ever seen. It’s like the dude’s made of iron.”

  “I heard he even used the mace to crush through walls," Martin said quietly, a grim tone in his voice. “The man fights like he’s already dead. Like there’s nothing left for him but the destruction he leaves behind.”

  Krishna clenched his fists, his frustration palpable. “It took us all four of us to take down Goji. And that’s with all the tools and tricks we have. But Kaizen? He’s something else entirely. Even without the rage toxin, he could wipe out any one of us without breaking a sweat. He doesn’t fight fair; he doesn’t fight like anyone else. He fights like a hurricane, just tearing through everything in his path, and he doesn’t care about the consequences.”

  Temna closed his eyes, his mind replaying the stories, the rumors, and the images of Kaizen’s sheer brutality. “I think that’s what makes him so dangerous. It’s not just his power. It’s his mindset. He doesn’t have limits. He doesn’t follow the rules. Everything he does is calculated chaos. There’s no pattern to it—just carnage.”

  Takashi leaned forward, his expression serious. “What we’re facing... it’s not just about raw strength or speed. It’s the mentality. Kaizen fights to destroy everything, including the minds of those who face him. He’s not just out to kill—you’d wish that was all he wanted. He wants to break you. Break your will, your sanity, and your hope.”

  The four of them fell silent, the heavy weight of Kaizen’s legend hanging in the air. Each of them had fought to the edge of their limits, had tested their strength and cunning time and time again. But facing someone like Kaizen Hawks... it felt like looking into the abyss, knowing there was nothing left but darkness.

  Finally, Krishna spoke, his voice laced with a quiet determination. “Then we train harder. We become that storm. Kaizen won’t be the only one who can break the world. We’ll shatter it too.”

  Takashi grinned, a fire igniting in his eyes. “You know what they say: If you can’t beat the storm, you become the storm. Kaizen better get ready to meet the Kurushimi brothers. And when we do, we’re bringing hell with us.”

  The others nodded in agreement, their resolve hardening. Kaizen Hawks might be the stuff of nightmares, but the Kurushimi brothers were about to turn those nightmares into a reality of their own

  Krishna's voice broke the silence with a heavy weight, the truth in his words sinking deep into the hearts of the brothers. His gaze hardened as he looked into the distance, as if the mere thought of Kaizen and Michael stirred something primal in him.

  "Kaizen was #1," Krishna said, his tone unflinching. "And Michael was #2. We all know why."

  The brothers looked at each other, their eyes heavy with the understanding of what those words meant. Kaizen, the chaos incarnate, the savage madman who left nothing standing in his wake. Michael, the cold, calculated, and methodical assassin who had honed his skills to perfection.

  Krishna leaned forward, his fists tightening. "Kaizen was unstoppable because he was born from madness, from destruction itself. He didn’t follow the rules. There was no predictability to his actions. He fought like an animal, like a beast that couldn’t be tamed. People feared him not because of his strength alone but because of his unpredictability. His very presence brought terror to his enemies. No one knew what was coming next—he was a storm that couldn’t be controlled."

  He paused, letting the words settle before continuing, his voice lowering with respect. "But Michael… Michael wasn’t just a beast. He was a monster in his own right, but a calculated one. A force of nature who didn’t need to rely on chaos or madness. He used his mind, his discipline, his strategy. And that’s what made him so damn terrifying. Michael wasn’t just good—he was perfect. Every move he made was deliberate, every strike calculated. He knew his opponents better than they knew themselves, and he didn’t need the rage toxin to unleash hell."

  Krishna shook his head, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "It’s why Michael was #2, and Kaizen was #1. Kaizen was chaos, pure and simple. But Michael was precision, strategy, and control. He didn’t just fight to win. He fought to end everything. He wasn’t just about killing; he was about leaving no trace of who you were. Kaizen might have wiped out armies, but Michael wiped out legacies. He destroyed everything you were—and made sure no one would ever remember you."

  The brothers fell silent for a moment, each lost in their thoughts. Martin’s expression darkened, while Temna’s sharp eyes seemed to pierce the air. Takashi, usually the cocky one, had a rare solemnity in his gaze.

  Krishna continued, his voice steady. "We’re here because we survived—because we’ve seen the worst of the worst. But Michael and Kaizen… they defined what it meant to be unstoppable. And it wasn’t just strength. It was what was inside them. Their will, their drive. Michael didn’t need chaos to be powerful, and Kaizen didn’t need discipline. They were two sides of the same coin—two titans who could never truly be measured against each other."

  Krishna's eyes locked with each of his brothers, his gaze intense. "But we’re not weak. We’re the Kurushimi brothers. We’ve got what it takes. It might have taken all four of us to beat Goji, and it might take all of us to face Kaizen. But we’re going to do it. We’ll become the next generation. And when we do, we’ll make sure the world knows that there’s more than just Michael and Kaizen. We’ll carve our own legacy."

  There was a quiet moment of understanding between them. They weren’t just fighting to survive anymore—they were fighting to define themselves. To leave their mark in a world that had been shaped by legends like Michael and Kaizen.

  Takashi cracked a grin, the fire of competition gleaming in his eyes. "Yeah. They might’ve been legends, but we're the future. And when we’re done, people will remember the name Kurushimi."

  With those words, the brothers stood up, their resolve solidifying. Kaizen and Michael might have been the gods of their time, but the Kurushimi brothers were determined to make their own fate. And in the end, they would prove that the next generation of legends had arrived.

  .