The air in the arena was thick with tension.
Juichi, breath ragged and shoulders heaving, wiped the sweat from his brow. Across from him stood Renji Harasen—calm, unflinching, a crimson blade at his side. His very presence felt like a mountain: vast, unyielding, and utterly immovable.
Sakata leaned lazily against a wooden pillar at the arena's edge, his usual smirk absent for once.
"Well, well… Reckless student, it seems your arrogance just hit a wall. A very, very thick wall."
Juichi's knuckles tightened. "Shut up, pervy sensei. This isn't over."
Renji scoffed, folding his arms. "You have no right to interfere with Harasen Clan affairs. Sakura is returning with us—as is her duty. She vanished for five years, and now that she's been found… her fate is sealed."
Bound in shimmering mana-sealing shackles, Sakura stood silently behind Renji. Her violet eyes flicked to Juichi, a flicker of sorrow behind her composed expression.
"This is beyond you, Juichi," she said softly. "Renji isn't just my brother. He's the clan's voice now. No one defies the Harasen… and walks away unscathed."
Juichi's heart thundered in his chest. He had fought with everything he had—and yet it wasn't enough. He was strong, but Renji… Renji fought with purpose sharpened over years. With duty forged in fire.
But even so—
"I don't care about your clan's rules!" Juichi shouted. "Sakura is my friend! And friends don't abandon each other!"
Renji's gaze narrowed, voice icy. "That foolish resolve will be your undoing."
Without warning, he vanished.
Wind screamed past Juichi's face—and in the next instant, Renji stood behind him, hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade.
Sakata arched a brow. "Ah, the classic 'move-so-fast-you're-suddenly-behind-your-enemy' trick. Always a crowd pleaser." His tone was dry, but his fingers twitched—ready to step in, if need be.
Renji's voice came like a blade unsheathing. "You're weak, Juichi. Recklessness is not strength. But if you truly believe you can change fate… then prove it."
Juichi froze. His instincts screamed attack—but he didn't.
Not this time.
The old Juichi would've lunged forward, fists blazing, ready to lose just to stand tall. But now… he paused. He understood.
"I won't fight you now," Juichi said, lowering his arms. "Not because I'm afraid. Because I'm not a fool. Strength isn't just charging forward. I'll come back for her… and next time—"
His eyes locked with Renji's, unwavering.
"I'll win."
For a breath, there was silence. Renji didn't respond immediately. But there—subtle, fleeting—was the barest flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes.
"Then you'd better not waste time," Renji finally said. "Because the next time we meet… hesitation will mean death."
With a simple gesture, he turned away. His attendants followed silently.
Sakura was led forward. Her wrists remained bound, her steps quiet. As she passed Juichi, her gaze met his one last time. In that glance was a thousand unsaid things—regret, gratitude, hope.
And then, she was gone.
Juichi stood in the empty courtyard, fists clenched and trembling. The fire in his chest raged—not with anger, but with hunger. A promise to himself.
Sakata clapped him on the back with a rare sense of sincerity.
"Not bad, reckless student. You didn't win, but you didn't die either. I'd call that progress."
Juichi exhaled slowly. "Shut up, pervy sensei."
Sakata grinned. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts aren't enough. If you're serious about getting her back, then it's time to stop playing adventurer... and start training like a warrior."
Juichi nodded, eyes fixed on the fading horizon.
"I'm ready."
The battle was lost.
But the war was only beginning.
To be Continued...