cosmic outbreak

The world seemed to stand still. The moment Akari fell, her lifeless body struck the cold ground, and an eerie silence filled the air. The battlefield, once alive with the clash of steel and explosions of power, was now nothing but a frozen moment in time. Everyone stood like statues, their eyes wide in horror, their minds refusing to process what had just happened.

Then, a crackling sound echoed through the air. From above, Daiki hovered in the sky, lightning crackling around his form like a deity descending upon the mortal realm. His expression was void of emotion, his eyes vacant, devoid of the warmth they once held.

"Daiki…?" Hikaru muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Before anyone could react, another bolt of lightning descended, aiming for them. But Emi was quick. She raised her hands, summoning a powerful barrage that absorbed the strike, shielding everyone from the devastating blow.

"He's been chipped," Hikaru realized, clenching his fists. "We have to remove it… without hurting him too much."

For a moment, they thought they could handle him easily, but then—

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

A voice filled with anguish and rage echoed through the air. Kiyoshi, his body trembling, his eyes filled with tears, stepped forward. He had always harbored feelings for Akari but had never mustered the courage to confess. And now, she was gone. Murdered before his very eyes. His sorrow twisted into fury, consuming him whole.

Without warning, Kiyoshi lunged at Daiki, his fists clenched tight. The punch connected, sending Daiki reeling back.

"Kiyoshi! Stop!" Renji shouted, trying to intervene.

But Emi placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "Let him be. He won't kill him."

Kiyoshi didn't stop. He attacked with relentless precision, his movements fluid, as if guided by raw instinct. Jab, cross, hook, uppercut—each strike faster than the last. Daiki retaliated, sending a thunderous punch toward Kiyoshi, but he dodged at the last moment. His body moved in a state of pure flow, reacting without thought, driven by pure emotion.

Then, from the swirling smoke of battle, an ominous voice rang out.

"Oh? My precious servant… you failed to mention you had such powerful friends."

Zorlak.

Alongside him stood Xander, their presence exuding an overwhelming aura of power. Without hesitation, Zorlak turned to Daiki and struck him. Again. And again. The once-mighty Daiki, now nothing but a tool, a broken puppet in their hands.

"You lied to us," Zorlak sneered, treating him like nothing more than a disobedient pet.

Daiki, no longer in control of his own actions, turned his wrath toward Kiyoshi, this time with murderous intent. With a flicker of lightning, he charged forward, his eyes void of recognition. Kiyoshi barely had time to react as the attack came at him with relentless force.

Emi quickly erected another barrage, shielding Kiyoshi from the brunt of the assault.

Hiroshi stepped forward, slamming his hands into the ground. The earth beneath them rumbled before shifting, forming into a massive sphere of solid rock. "Earth Sphere!" he called, launching it toward Xander. But the illusionist was quick, vanishing just as the attack struck.

"You think you can touch me?" Xander's voice echoed from every direction at once.

Before he could cast another illusion, Kaito countered with a powerful windstorm, trapping Xander in a tornado of razor-sharp gales.

The battlefield ignited once more, the fights breaking into separate skirmishes:

Xander vs. Kaito, Hiroshi, Aoi, and Takeshi.

Daiki vs. Kiyoshi, Emi, Akito, Kuroshin, and Takeshi.

Zorlak vs. Hikaru, Toma, Shinji, and Asahi.

The war had just only begin.