Kazuma rose from beneath the rock debris. A black mark on his neck began to spread like viscous veins, painting an ugly artistic pattern across his face, arms, and down to his fists, symbolizing the breaking of the internal constraint.
The pupil of his left eye shifted to a pure, clear blue, and in its center, a single-pronged shuriken mark was etched, appearing like dark black ink, symbolizing the unleashed power.
Kazuma (With a chilling calm, dripping with resolve):
"I will inevitably change this world. I will choose what is right and best, and I will kill the evil that the worst represents."
Jin (Gritting his teeth, with clear signs of anger and anticipation):
"There! You have brought out the beast latent within you! This is exactly what I wanted. Now... I have a real reason to kill you."
Jin closed his eyes, then reopened them, his pupils now a reddish-brown, with a fiery yellow sword symbol in the center, signifying his readiness for war. Jin placed the red, "blood-like" cloth on his forehead, a symbol of sacrificing the past.
Jin (In a loud, earth-shaking voice):
"Brother, let this be a fight to the death. Let us forget we were ever brothers!"
Kazuma (With deadly coldness, severing all ties):
"And when in my life did I ever consider you my brother, Jin?"
The Narrator (Cinematic Description):
The two launched themselves at the same moment with astonishing speed, storming the distance between them. Kazuma pulled back his right fist, tightened with limitless rage, and Jin pulled back his left fist, equally clenched—both aiming for the other's face.
The First Collision: They exchanged two deafening blows to the face simultaneously.
Kazuma involuntarily staggered backward, while Jin leaped high like a predatory eagle, drawing his powerful left foot towards Kazuma in a blinding strike.
But Kazuma, utilizing his new power, seized Jin's foot mid-air. He planted his own feet firmly on the ground, then spun violently, suddenly releasing Jin to hurl him far into the sky.
Kazuma tightened his right fist backward, now surrounded by a blazing red aura enveloped by bright purple (symbolizing the fusion of Power, Will, and Time).
Kazuma (Screaming at the top of his lungs):
"Take this!"
He thrust his fist forward and opened it, unleashing a gigantic, open Fiery Palm that shot towards Jin.
Jin positioned his arms in a focused defense, but suddenly... the Palm vanished and dissipated seconds before hitting Jin!
In the very moment the Palm vanished, Kazuma appeared before Jin like a shadow.
Kazuma delivered consecutive foot strikes to Jin's abdomen—thousands of blows in a single blink. Jin vomited blood, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets from the concentrated pain.
Kazuma rotated his body and moved his right fist with concentration, striking Jin's face with a force equivalent to a meteor impact.
Jin was violently hurled to the ground with immense power, and dust billowed insanely, covering the entire battlefield.
Kazuma raised his head high, erupting in a resounding laugh laced with absolute arrogance, reflecting his new state:
"I AM THE STRONGEST! No one can rival me! Do you hear me, Jin?"
In contrast, a light, effortless laugh was heard coming from beneath the cloud of dust:
"Hee hee hee... Do you see? You are merely an ordinary human playing the role of the powerful. I, however, am a superior entity, an unrivaled, mighty ruler."
Jin rose from the ground, and surprisingly, he was completely unmarred, his body perfectly intact, proving that Kazuma's meteor-like assault was painful but not decisive.
Jin (With cold sarcasm):
"Brother, it truly is foolish. Why fight for humans who do not deserve freedom?"
Kazuma (With a calmness that countered the madness he had unleashed):
"I don't care about humans! What matters to me now is killing you. Humans are just corrupt beings; some good, some rotten. Humans can never be understood, and I won't waste my time on it."
Jin (Smiling, affirming his philosophy):
"You speak the truth. Humans do not deserve to govern themselves. They certainly do not deserve freedom."
Kazuma placed his hand over his left eye (the Shuriken eye) and covered it, indicating that the new power was exhausting him.
Kazuma:
"My eye is trembling..."
He opened his eye to find that a thick fog partially covered his vision. He quickly closed it again.
Jin (Exploiting the moment of greatest vulnerability to reveal the truth):
"Yes, I killed the clan myself, and I am proud of it."
Kazuma gritted his teeth with raw rage. He began running toward Jin, his arms pulled back, his body tilted forward in preparation for a violent collision. Jin did the same.
The Second Collision:
As they approached each other, the two-sword symbol within Jin's eyes shifted into sharp blades pointing to the left.
When the two reached zero distance, Jin suddenly stopped and extended his left palm. From thin air, sharp swords formed from Jin's transcendent energy, affixing themselves to Kazuma's body with lethal precision: swords pierced both his thighs, and a sharp sword penetrated the center of his abdomen.
Jin advanced with steady, confident steps, as if giving a speech, not fighting.
Jin:
"After I fully merge with the Texxus Crystal, I will truly become immortal. But that is not now. I still need to train my body to adapt to it."
A burst of arrogant laughter was heard from Kazuma, and the fog that covered his eyes disappeared. The black veins still clung to his body. Kazuma ripped out the swords embedded in his thighs and abdomen, while drops of blood leaked from his mouth.
Kazuma (With strict composure):
"Don't get ahead of yourself, you delusional being. This will be your last strike."
In the Palace Garden (Rapid Transition)
Nelson was absent. In the palace garden, Lex was standing while Kagi was kneeling on the ground, coughing violently.
Lex (Approaching and gently kissing Kagi's head with unexpected tenderness):
"Don't be afraid, Uncle. You will be fine. I promise I will repay you for saving me."
Kagi continued to cough, and blood came out with it.
Returning to the Battle
Kazuma (In a calm voice that carried the weight of vengeance):
"I will avenge the death of my clan upon you, you lunatic!"
Kazuma leaped toward Jin, his right fist clenched and surrounded by a dense, armored black viscous substance (an embodiment of the dark power he unleashed).
Jin stood confidently and straight, seemingly accepting the incoming attack. He suddenly widened his eyes, and in a blink, Jin vanished from his spot!
In the moment Kazuma was directing his dark punch toward Jin's chest, Kagi (who was in the palace garden seconds ago) appeared in his place.
Kazuma had pierced Kagi's heart!
Kagi fell kneeling to the ground, coughing up bright red blood. Kazuma's eyes widened beyond description with shock and astonishment.
Jin (Appearing behind Kazuma with cold calmness, his voice sounding like fate itself):
"He was useful to me. Thank you, little brother, for eliminating another witness."
Kazuma collapsed to his knees at the location where Kagi was killed. The black, viscous veins began to recede from his body, returning to the black spot on his neck, like a snake retreating into its dark hole.
Kazuma knelt, his palms touching the rock-covered ground. Kagi's blood covered his face, and his eyes were completely empty, devoid of any hope or awareness of reality.
In the Palace Garden (The Aftermath):
Jin returned to the garden calmly. Tami was sitting beneath a tree, with Rin on his left, and Touji and Harry on his right.
Rin quickly rose from her spot, her eyes fixed on Jin.
Rin (With stern calmness):
"Don't tell me you killed him... (referring to Kazuma)."
Jin:
"No. But I killed him psychologically."
Rin (With a warning composure):
"Why are you like this, Jin? A day will come... and you will die."
Jin:
"But I killed him psychologically, and tomorrow, I will finish him completely."
Touji (Shouting violently):
"If you touch a single hair on Kazuma, I will have a real reason to kill you!"
Lex arrived, carrying a flask of water. He raised his eyebrows in concern when he didn't find Kagi.
Lex:
"Where is Uncle?" Then he looked directly at Jin: "Don't tell me you killed him! Where is my uncle?"
Jin (With extreme calmness):
"Kazuma killed your uncle."
Rin's and Touji's eyes widened in profound shock.
Lex (With terrifying quietness, appearing to accept the facts):
"Where is he now?"
Jin quietly pointed his finger upwards, toward the rocky, wind-swept mountains.
Nine Minutes Later...
Kazuma remained in the same collapsed state. Lex arrived at the site. As soon as he saw the scene (Kagi murdered and Kazuma drenched in his blood), his pupils widened drastically in sheer shock. Lex fell to his knees.
Lex (His voice a mixture of anger and bewilderment):
"You...!" He opened his mouth in silent astonishment.
Lex (With cruel calmness):
"You are the young man I quarreled with in the market..."
Lex (Screaming loudly, tearing the silence):
"I knew it! I knew you would do something like this someday!" He then struck the ground with both hands, expressing the madness of his hatred: "I knew your filthy clan's blood filled your veins, you are nothing but a corrupt killer!"