The winds howled like tormented souls as the sky darkened, swirling with crimson streaks of energy. The world itself seemed to react to the presence of Ryuketsu, now fully awakened in Zyphor’s body. His aura twisted reality, bending the air with suffocating pressure.

  At the edge of a ruined battlefield, Tenzir stood alone.

  Raizo was nowhere in sight.

  The weight of the moment was crushing. The corrupted army Ryuketsu had summoned was already reduced to dust, wiped out in an instant by the sheer force of his power. Now, only one warrior remained in his way.

  Tenzir narrowed his eyes. His mind raced through potential strategies, but deep down, he knew—this was not the same Zyphor.

  This was something far worse.

  Ryuketsu—the entity of destruction—had fully taken over.

  A chilling voice cut through the silence.

  “It begins.”

  Ryuketsu took a step forward, the ground beneath him cracking. His crimson eyes locked onto Tenzir, a cruel smirk spreading across his face.

  "For too long, this world has been ruled by pretenders. Weaklings clinging to their fragile kingdoms, believing they hold power."

  He raised a hand, and the very air twisted, forming dark tendrils of energy that pulsed with malice.

  "But now… it is my time. My era."

  His voice grew deeper, echoing with unnatural authority. The shadows stretched, swirling behind him like an abyss waiting to swallow everything.

  "The world will now tremble beneath a new reign…

  The Dangerous Age has begun.”

  Tenzir exhaled sharply. "Yeah, that’s a nice speech and all, but let’s see if you can actually back it up."

  He snapped his fingers. Instantly, golden runes ignited across the battlefield, forming intricate barriers and warping the space around them.

  But Ryuketsu didn’t even flinch.

  With a flick of his wrist, the golden symbols shattered into dust.

  Tenzir’s smirk faded. "Well… that’s not good."

  Before Tenzir could react, Ryuketsu vanished.

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  A split second later, he reappeared behind him.

  BOOM!

  A devastating strike slammed into Tenzir’s back, sending him crashing through stone and metal, tearing through what was left of the battlefield. The force of the attack was monstrous—Tenzir barely had time to summon a barrier before he was buried beneath a mountain of debris.

  The ground trembled. Ryuketsu hovered above the wreckage, his arms crossed.

  "You are weaker than I expected."

  The rubble shifted. Tenzir emerged, blood dripping from his forehead. His coat was torn, and his usual calm expression had been replaced with something far more serious.

  "You talk too much," he muttered, wiping the blood from his mouth.

  Without hesitation, he teleported, reappearing behind Ryuketsu in an instant. He thrust his palm forward—a massive sphere of energy erupted at point-blank range.

  The explosion consumed everything in a blinding light.

  For a moment, nothing moved.

  Then—a gust of wind blew the smoke away.

  Ryuketsu stood unscathed.

  He tilted his head, almost amused. "That tickled."

  Before Tenzir could react, Ryuketsu raised his hand and unleashed a shockwave. The force sent Tenzir flying, slamming him into the ground with an impact that shattered the earth itself.

  Tenzir gasped in pain. His ribs—cracked. His arm—barely responsive.

  He tried to push himself up, but a shadow loomed over him.

  Ryuketsu pressed his foot down on Tenzir’s chest, pinning him.

  Tenzir let out a pained grunt, his body refusing to move.

  Ryuketsu leaned down slightly, his glowing crimson eyes peering into Tenzir’s.

  "Is this all you have? I expected more from you."

  Tenzir gritted his teeth. "Screw you."

  Ryuketsu smirked. "How disappointing."

  Dark energy swirled around his palm, forming a blade of pure destruction. He raised it above Tenzir’s head.

  "Goodbye."

  Just as Ryuketsu was about to strike—

  A gust of wind blew through the battlefield.

  It carried a voice. A voice filled with calm confidence.

  "Oi, I leave for one minute, and you’re already getting beat up?"

  The temperature shifted. The energy in the air changed.

  Ryuketsu paused. His eyes flickered toward the source of the voice.

  From the distance, standing on the edge of the ruined battlefield, was Raizo.

  He held a bottle of soda in one hand, casually sipping it as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

  His crimson coat swayed in the wind, and his piercing gaze locked onto Ryuketsu with an expression that was equal parts amusement and irritation.

  He took another sip, then exhaled.

  "Man… that really hit the spot."

  He crushed the empty bottle in his hand. The atmosphere shifted instantly.

  Raizo vanished.

  A moment later—

  BOOM!

  A shockwave tore through the battlefield as Raizo’s fist collided with Ryuketsu’s face, sending him flying.

  The sheer force of the impact shattered the ground, splitting the battlefield apart as Raizo landed beside Tenzir, cracking his knuckles.

  Tenzir coughed. "Took you long enough."

  Raizo smirked. "Hey, priorities. You can’t fight on an empty stomach."

  Tenzir groaned. "You were drinking soda."

  Raizo shrugged. "Same thing."

  Then, his smile faded as he turned toward where Ryuketsu had landed. The dust settled, revealing the tyrant slowly rising from the wreckage, wiping his mouth.

  For the first time, Ryuketsu’s smirk had vanished.

  He studied Raizo carefully.

  Then, he chuckled. "Ah… now things are getting interesting."

  Raizo rolled his shoulders, eyes burning with raw, untamed power.

  "Yeah," he muttered. "Let’s finish this."

  The real battle had just begun.