Sorata charged towards Kojin with a massive amount of destructive energy that formed a tiger, the sheer heat alone scorched the ground as he flew towards Kojin. His purple destructive energy took the shape of a tiger "SPECIAL TECHNIQUE: BEAST OF DESTRUCTION!".
Kojin's eyes widened. "That's my move… Beast of Destruction… Are you telling me he learned it just by watching me do it?!", Kojin thought to himself with shock.
With a twisted grin, Sorata launched forward. His speed was far faster than usual. Levi and Tomoa turned around and chased after Sorata "NOT GOOD! WE CANT LET HIM GET TO KOJIN!", Levi exclaimed as he and Tomoa chased after Sorata "I KNOW GODDAMMIT!", Tomoa replied with annoyance.
Levi's blaster-arm hummed a massive amount of energy and was ready to blast at Sorata. Tomoa's magic circles spun open, ready to unleash a barrage of destructive orbs.
But before they could act—
SHNK!
A blazing arrow of light blasted a huge hole on Tomoa's chest. His mouth opened in shock, blood dripping down his mouth and chest "What the...? But from where?!", Tomoa collapsed to the ground in slow motion with a look of sadness and disappointment before he died
"TOMOAAA!" Levi screamed.
He barely had time to turn before a blur shot out of the sky.
SLASH!
Zora's blade carved clean through Levi's torso, blood spraying across the battlefield. Levi's eyes widened in shock "Gah! No way!!", he gasped before he collapsed to the ground, gasping.
"Sorry," Zora smirkes as he stood above him. "But we can't have you interfering.". Levi gasped for air for a few moments before his eyes closed up "Sukuna. Baraka..! Kinto....!", he muttered the name of his student before he closed his eyes in death.
Sorata moved like lightning, purple energy flaring wildly. Kojin's breath caught, his body locked in place.
"I can't move… I can't even breathe.!"
Memories rushed into his mind. A child crying. His own harsh words. Sorata—no, Saito—struggling to stand beneath the weight of his father's judgment.
"It's my fault. All of it. If only I had been kinder… if only I wasn't so harsh on him...! if only I hadn't been so cruel…!", Kojin blamed himself in his head.
Sorata's tiger of destructive energy roared, his fist pulled back for the killing strike.
he yelled out "Beast of Destruction!!"
Before he could strike Kojin, FWOOOSH!
A massive fireball cut across the battlefield, slamming into Sorata's path. He halted midair, forced back by the sudden explosion of flames.
His eyes flicked up—
And there was Sōn, blazing forward with fire wrapped around his body.
Sorata's grin spread instantly. "Sōn!! About damn time little brother, it's good to see you again!", Sorata exclaimed with excitement.
Kojin was stunned "Sōn?!", he questioned himself. But before he knew it, he saw that Alex had appeared above. His blade of death glowing in his hand, aimed straight at Sorata from above
"Die!" Alex roared as he darted downwards with his blade of death.
BOOOM!
Sorata countered with a massive burst of destructive energy, the clash exploding between them. The shockwave hurled both of them backward, tearing craters into the ground.
When the smoke cleared, Sorata's smile had faded. His face twisted with annoyance as his energy flickered violently around him.
"Demon boy," he hissed at Alex as he flew backwards while preparing a blast of destructive energy. "Sorry, but we ain't here for you!", he exclaimed with annoyance.
He unleashed a storm of glowing arrows made of destructive energy at Alex.
Alex's eyes narrowed. In an instant, he summoned a dozen blades of death, launching them like missiles to intercept the arrows of destructive energy. The air shattered in bursts of purple and red explosions due to the rapid fire clash between Alex and Sorata's attacks.
Meanwhile, Sōn rushed down to Kojin, falling to his knees. "Dad! Are you okay?!"
Kojin, still trembling, forced a breath. "I'm fine… but Tomoa and Levi…"
His gaze shifted—and froze.
There they were. Tomoa, lying motionless, blood pooling beneath him. Levi, his body broken and still, eyes closed.
"No…" Kojin whispered. His voice cracked. "No… it can't be. Are they… dead?"
"Tomoa! Levi!" Sōn cried, his voice echoing in the ruined battlefield. He reached toward them, but there was no response. His heart pounded in disbelief and grief.
Sorata leapt backward, shaking his head in irritation. "Damn! I've wasted too much time here already."
"Sorata!" Zora's voice cut in sharply. He stood by a swirling portal, his blade still dripping with Levi's blood. "It's time to go."
The portal widened. Sorata landed beside Zora, his expression unreadable.
As his feet sank into the portal, Sorata looked back at Kojin, his grin returning—dark and unhinged.
"Hey, Kojin! In a month's time, there will be war. I'll burn this city, and destroy everything you hold dear. And then…" His eyes narrowed, glowing with malice. "I'll come for you."
The ground cracked as his aura flared one last time. Sorata yelled out
"YOU BETTER NOT GET YOURSELF KILLED BEFORE THEN, COZ I'LL BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME?!".
"Wait!" Sōn's voice broke as he sprinted toward the portal. "Saito! Don't do this!"
But his brother was already gone. The portal sealed shut with a violent crack, leaving only silence.
Sōn collapsed to his knees, his fists slamming the ground.
Meanwhile, far away in the Iron Country, Lord Yamamoto sat in his dim office, flanked by Shouya and Rin. The air was heavy with tension.
"I have something to tell you," Yamamoto began gravely. "And it concerns Kenji."
Shouya's eyes narrowed. "Kenji? After everything he's done, why would we want to hear anything about him?"
Yamamoto leaned forward. "Because it's our fault he is the way he is."
The room fell silent.
Frowning with concern, Rin asked, "What do you mean?"
Yamamoto sighed deeply. "Fifteen years ago, the Iron Country was divided in two—the Land of Iron, and the Elemental Clan. The Elemental Clan were gifted. They could command fire, lightning, water, wind… the very phenomena of life itself. The Land of Iron feared them. We feared they would one day rise against us. So we acted first. We launched a coup… and we slaughtered them."
Rin's eyes widened. Shouya didn't flinch at all.
"We killed everyone," Yamamoto continued bitterly. "Men, women, children. All except one. A boy. Seven years old at the time. His name was Kenji Hagamura."
Shouya's eyes narrowed.
"His control over lightning and fire was already terrifying," Yamamoto said. "So we took him in. Molded him. Trained him as an assassin. We used him until he became the perfect weapon. But that boy… That boy wants nothing but revenge. And it's the Iron Country's fault for making him turn his back on us."
Rin and Shouya exchanged a stunned look.
The door creaked open. Kazu stepped inside, bandages wrapped around his arm and eye. His face was twisted with fury.
"So what?" he snapped. "We're supposed to just let him destroy our home because of some tragic sob story?!" He slammed his fist against the wall. "I'll fight him. I'll kill him myself."
Shouya scoffed. "Aren't you tired of losing, Kazu? He's humiliated you twice already. And you still want to throw yourself at him?"
Kazu's face flushed with rage. "Shut up!"
Rin crossed her arms, frowning. "If even Kazu—our strongest soldier—can't beat Kenji, then we need help. Reinforcements from other nations sounds like the best option, right?."
Yamamoto closed his eyes, his voice low. "I know what to do. I'll ask Kojin to lend us one of his soldiers. Perhaps Kinto. The people here are more familiar with him.". Rin thought to herself "Kinto, huh?". She remembered the fight she had against him during the assassination exams, as well as the missions he had in the city of steel "From what I've seen, he's not a bad choice.", she thought to herself.
Silence hung in the office as the weight of Yamamoto's words sank in. Outside, the winds of war were already beginning to stir.
End of Chapter 7