The cave breathed.
Water dripped in slow, hollow echoes. Thin shafts of light pierced through cracks above, barely touching the stagnant pools below. The air was thick—cold, damp, and wrong.
It was the same place.
The same tunnel where everyone had split apart.
And now—
They were being pulled back together.
---
A leg dropped out of nothingness.
Then a torso.
Then—
Lumei fell through, landing with a splash into the shallow, murky water.
"Bleerrgh—!"
He jerked his leg up instantly, face twisting in disgust as dark stains clung to his pants.
"Great… just great…"
He bent slightly, brushing at it—
Then paused.
Something moved.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
From the walls—
Limbs.
Pale arms pushed outward, stretching unnaturally through solid stone as if the cave itself was rejecting them.
Lumei blinked.
"…What the—"
Still half-disgusted, half-confused, he stepped closer to the one on his right. Without hesitation, he grabbed both arms and yanked.
A body tore free—
—and slammed hard against the ground.
"Ooowwwwwwch!!"
Chella's voice cracked through the cave as she clutched her side, rolling slightly in pain.
From the opposite wall—
another figure burst through.
"Lumei, why?!"
Sora landed lightly, already glaring.
Lumei froze.
"…Ah."
A sheepish smile crept onto his face.
"I'm sorry."
Chella's face tightened, eyes burning.
"Ooooh Lumei… you're getting that back."
Before he could respond—
A scream echoed.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!"
All three snapped their heads toward the sound—
STOMP.
Water exploded upward as a body crashed down between them.
Ichiha.
Sora exhaled sharply. "Nice entrance."
Chella crossed her arms, smirking. "You had to, huh?"
Lumei chuckled. "Well… boys will be boys."
Ichiha groaned, rubbing his head. "I didn't even do anything—I was sitting and then—boom—I'm falling."
Chella stepped forward, eyes dead serious.
"Shuush. No excuses."
---
One by one—
they all reappeared.
Drawn into the same hollow chamber.
No one spoke.
Eyes sharp.
They moved forward as a unit.
Careful.
Alert.
Then—
A voice.
"So that's it… he'll just have to admit."
Calm.
Firm.
Familiar.
Yamato.
---
He stood ahead of them.
Back turned.
Still.
In his hand—
a blade.
Rough. Wooden. Crude.
Lumei frowned. "Hey… Yamato. Did you just get here?"
Yamato turned slightly.
His eyes—
Cold.
Predatory.
Like something that had already chosen its prey.
Chella felt it first. Her voice dropped.
"How did you get here?"
"I walked," Yamato said plainly. "Toward Ozaki's presence."
Sora's brow lifted. "Master... Ozaki..."
Ichiha's jaw tightened. "Yeah… show some respect."
Yamato didn't respond.
Didn't even acknowledge it.
"I followed his aura," he continued. "Then I found this tunnel again."
Lumei's expression hardened slightly.
But he said nothing.
Chella's gaze shifted to the blade.
"What is that?"
"A blade," Yamato replied. "Carved from a tree."
Ichiha blinked. "With what?"
A pause.
"My hands."
Silence fell.
"And it'll break after one use."
No one questioned it.
They just kept moving.
---
The tunnel widened.
Carvings along the walls began to glow faintly, casting an eerie light across the chamber ahead.
And there—
Master Ozaki stood.
Facing Nent.
Nent's head turned first.
She saw them.
Ozaki felt them.
A flicker of tension crossed Nent's face.
Then—
THOOM!!
She bolted.
Crashing through the wall and vanishing into another tunnel.
Gone.
---
Ozaki turned.
His eyes moved across each of them.
Sora. Calm.
Chella. Smiling.
Lumei. Drained—shadows thin, barely clinging to existence.
Then—
Yamato.
Ichiha.
Still.
Composed.
Unshaken.
Ozaki stepped forward.
"This isn't training."
"What?" Ichiha snapped.
"What do you mean?" Chella added.
"It's a mission," Ozaki said evenly. "And you're being paid."
Yamato's eyes narrowed.
"That's why we were picked… even after losing."
A small nod.
"Exactly."
Silence.
Heavy.
"So…" Sora said quietly, "…we could die?"
"Yes."
A beat.
"If you face Kaku alone."
Chella staggered back. "No no no—I haven't even—"
She stopped.
Clenched her fists.
"…I'm making it back."
---
Yamato stepped forward.
"Enter God Form."
Then—
"You can teleport, right?"
Ozaki blinked. "How did you—"
"You moved faster than they could see," Yamato said. "But I saw it."
Chella stared.
Ichiha said nothing.
"You were placing markers," Yamato continued. "I'll give you coordinates."
A pause.
Then—
Yamato tapped his shoulder.
No energy surge.
No light.
Just—
understanding.
And in the next instant—
They vanished.
---
They reappeared deep within the cave.
A wide underground arena.
Broken relics.
Faded symbols.
Shadows that moved when they shouldn't.
Nent stood waiting.
Axes formed along her arms.
Her smirk returned—
But her body trembled.
Because she felt it.
Yamato.
Lumei exhaled softly. "Guess we're not the only ones with secrets…"
---
"GOD FORM!"
Power erupted.
All but one.
Yamato remained still.
His grip tightened.
"…Blade Art. Two percent."
---
Chella raised her arms.
"Form One - Bronze Rock Golem!"
The cave shook as stone rose and fused into a towering construct behind her.
Sora moved fluidly.
"Form One - Water God Arrow!"
A massive spiraling arrow formed, humming with compressed force.
Lumei's eyes sharpened.
"Form One - Shadow's Drought."
The shadows stretched—hungry—crawling toward Nent.
Ichiha surged forward.
"Form One - Heal Depravity!"
Ozaki remained still.
Hand resting on his blade.
Watching.
---
Nent grinned.
"Then I'll just hit harder."
Ink flooded her legs.
"Case Three - LegMan."
Her body blurred—
Not moving.
But vibrating with terrifying speed.
Then—
She launched.
Straight for Ichiha.
---
Yamato moved.
One step.
One motion.
SHING—
A single slash.
A flash of silver tore through the cave—
Splitting the golem.
Shattering the arrow.
Erasing the shadows.
Forcing Ichiha back—
And passing clean through Nent.
---
Silence.
Nent froze mid-step.
Then—
Collapsed.
Dead.
---
Dust drifted.
Chella whispered, "Is… she… dead?"
No one answered.
Even Ozaki—
hesitated.
"…Blade Art…?"
---
The wooden blade cracked.
Splintered.
Fell apart in Yamato's hand.
He looked at Ozaki.
"Forgive me."
Then—
He disappeared.
Not teleportation.
Speed.
Pure.
Overwhelming.
His fist drove into Ozaki's torso—
BOOM.
Ozaki flew back, blood bursting from his mouth.
Before anyone could react—
Yamato had Ozaki's blade.
And he was already in front of Ichiha.
---
SHING—
A clean arc.
Too fast to follow.
Ichiha's arm separated—
spinning—
before hitting the ground.
A beat.
Then—
"A—AAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
He dropped hard, clutching the wound, body convulsing as blood poured through his fingers.
His breathing broke—
sharp—
uneven—
his eyes wide—
not just from pain.
Sora staggered back, both hands over her mouth.
"...No…"
Chella collapsed to her knees, staring—frozen.
"...What…?"
Lumei stepped forward—
"Yamato—!"
"Don't."
One word.
Flat.
Lumei stopped instantly.
Yamato stood over Ichiha.
Silent.
Unmoving.
The blade rested against Ichiha's neck.
A thin line of red formed.
Ichiha's breathing shook.
His fingers dug into the ground.
His gaze flickered—
Not at the blade.
Not at the blood.
But at Yamato's face.
Searching.
Desperate.
Then—
He looked away.
His teeth clenched.
Hard.
His shoulders trembled—
not from weakness—
but restraint.
His hand pressed harder against the wound—
as if forcing himself—
to stay still.
To endure.
To not—
—
A sharp inhale.
He shut his eyes.
Just for a second.
Then opened them again.
Clear.
But shaking.
Yamato watched.
Unblinking.
No anger.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just—
decision.
"What's going on."
A slight push of the blade.
A drop of blood slid down Ichiha's neck.
"Talk."
Silence.
The cave held its breath.
Yamato leaned in slightly.
Eyes empty.
Voice lower.
"Or lose your head."