In a small house near the beach, Ryoma lay on the ground, slowly opening his eyes after receiving a blow from the mysterious old man. He looked around, feeling dizzy, then muttered, "Where am I?" His mind began to recall what had happened, remembering the powerful strike he had taken. "That old man... did he bring me here?"
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and the old man entered, saying, "Kaji Ryoma."
Ryoma stared into his eyes, puzzled. "How does he know my name?" He couldn't hide his surprise, but the old man continued calmly, "I won't harm you, Kaji."
Ryoma sat up cautiously and asked, "What do you want? Why did you bring me here? And how did I even get here?"
The old man did not answer immediately. Instead, he moved with lightning speed, bringing his face dangerously close to Ryoma's. He placed his sharp fingernail on Ryoma's neck, his shadows glowing with Raikono energy, and whispered in a deep voice, "I am an old man... I don't have time for your trivial questions."
He then withdrew and moved toward his bed, speaking in a weary tone, "Don't bother me. I'm going to sleep for a while."
Ryoma remained in place, watching the old man disappear into his room. Five minutes passed. The confined space made Ryoma uneasy, and he decided to leave. As he approached the door, he suddenly remembered the old man's warning. He stopped, tension rising on his face. "If I open this door... I might die. He's not joking. The door must be trapped! He knew I would try to escape while he was asleep... why did he leave me alone?"
He took a step back and murmured softly, "I don't want to die here... not in such a pathetic way."
Hours passed, and night fell. The old man woke up to find Ryoma lying silently on the couch, waiting. The old man narrowed his eyes slightly and thought to himself, "His intelligence isn't bad."
He headed to the kitchen to prepare some food. After finishing, he placed dinner in front of Ryoma without saying a word, then stepped outside the house. Ryoma looked at the food in surprise and muttered, "What a strange old man."
Before he could take a bite, a sudden explosion shattered the door! A massive Ashin burst inside, identical to the one Ryoma had fought before. Before Ryoma could react, a powerful punch sent him flying into the forest, crashing against the mountain before collapsing onto the ground, exhausted.
He tried to get up, but his body wouldn't respond. Looking at the approaching Ashin, he muttered, "He's strong... I have to defeat him, but..."
Raising his head, he glanced at the sky, realizing that night had fallen. "I can't use my power now... I'll have to rely on my body alone!"
The Ashin lunged at him, delivering a series of brutal punches. Ryoma barely dodged the first attacks, but his speed gradually increased. A direct punch to his stomach made him groan in pain. He tried countering with a punch to the Ashin's face, but it had no effect. Instead, the creature laughed hysterically, "Hehehehe!" before delivering another powerful blow, knocking Ryoma to the ground.
Lying on the ground, panting, Ryoma muttered, "Damn him..." Suddenly, he remembered the mysterious dagger and how it had appeared before. His body trembled, and his mind filled with questions. "How did that dagger emerge? How did it happen last time?"
The Ashin gave him no time to think, continuing to strike mercilessly. Each blow increased his bleeding until he was completely covered in blood, barely able to stand.
At the mountain's peak, the old man observed the battle in silence. "He was stronger just moments ago... He can't use his power at night..."
Back in the battlefield, Ryoma was on the verge of losing consciousness. Everything around him became blurry. But then, he recalled how he had fought the Ashin during the test and the confidence he had in that previous battle. Something inside him awakened. Slowly, despite the pain, he stood up again.
A mysterious energy began flowing from his body, concentrating in his hand. The dagger started to form gradually, as if being born from within him. The moment he grasped it, a surge of immense power flowed through his veins, as if the weapon was a part of him, not just a mere tool. Clutching the dagger firmly, he looked at the Ashin and spoke with a strong voice: "If this dagger is powerful..."
Ryoma moved with lightning speed, slashing at the Ashin, who barely dodged. However, what the creature failed to notice was that Ryoma had already appeared behind him at the same instant, as if he had synchronized his movements with the dagger itself. He whispered, "If this dagger is powerful, then I will wield it to its fullest," before delivering a devastating punch, sending the Ashin stumbling backward.
Standing firm, Ryoma summoned the dagger once again, declaring, "I will end this fight!"
The old man watched from a distance, his eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Where did that dagger come from? Is that... his weapon? How did he summon it?"
On the battlefield, Ryoma moved at an insane speed, launching a barrage of dagger strikes that broke through the Ashin's defenses. The creature couldn't dodge or block them. It let out a crazed scream, "KIEEEEEEEHHH!!"
Ryoma did not relent, increasing the intensity of his attacks. In a decisive moment, he leaped into the air and struck down, slicing the Ashin's head off with a single, clean cut!
Breathing deeply, he looked at his blood-covered body and said, "Finally... at least now, I know how to use it."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him: "Kaji Ryoma."
His eyes widened as he slowly turned around to see the old man standing there, staring at him intently.
Scene Transition
At the academy, Akari walked along the path, lost in thought. She passed by a red-haired boy and a younger pink-haired girl, who were talking about Ryoma.
The boy sneered, "How could he die on his first mission?"
The girl replied coldly, "He must have been weak."
Akari heard their conversation and stopped for a moment. She murmured, "Ryoma..." Her eyes clouded over briefly as if she missed him.
She entered a large hall where the Raikono users had gathered. Standing before the supervisors, one of them spoke in an official tone, "After Ryoma's death, you will now work with Aizen from here on."
She turned to Aizen, looking into his eyes... There was something hidden within them... something dangerous.
End of Chapter.