(Moments later… Hikaru and Kyoji are led through the corridors under heavy guard.)Men surround them, escorting them through a long passage until they reach a vast hall deep within the mountain. The walls are lined with black stones, and torches cast flickering light across the space. At the head of the hall is a stone throne, upon which sits a broad-shouldered man with long hair and eyes like holes in the night.
The gang leader… named "Gensho."
Beside him stands Raizen, silent.Hikaru stares at the throne… his face freezes.
Hikaru (hoarsely):"…You… you're the one who started it all."
Gensho (with a calm smile):"Ah… you must be from one of those poor villages I burned."
He rises from his throne, walking with such weight that the ground seems to tremble beneath his steps.
Gensho:"You were just a child when you saw me, weren't you?"
Kyoji (shouting):"I'll tear you apart before you finish your next sentence!"
Gensho (turning to him with disdain):"And you? The loyal friend? Ah, how I adore the faithful fools."
He takes another step forward, then draws a massive sword with a black blade—like a frozen tongue of flame.
Gensho:"Come now… show me what the massacres taught you, Hikaru."
(The battle begins.)Kyoji lunges first, moving at incredible speed, clashing with Raizen who intercepts him. Hikaru stands still for a moment, then charges at Gensho. Their swords clash with a resounding crash.
Gensho (as he parries the strikes):"Your rage is beautiful… but scattered."
Hikaru (with a sharp voice):"And you… will taste it tonight."
The battle turns frenzied. Kyoji wounds Raizen in the shoulder but takes a heavy blow that knocks him down.Hikaru attacks with fury—madness—striking with the pain of years inside him.But Gensho fights with the cold calm of a killer… evading, blocking, then landing a blow to Hikaru's chest that brings him to his knees.
Gensho (raising his sword):"I expected more than this."
Then he strikes him on the head—hard. Darkness falls.Kyoji screams, tries to rise, but Raizen knocks him down again.
Hikaru is unconscious…Darkness… silence.
Suddenly:The crackling of fire… his grandfather's voice… a child crying…The village is burning again.
Grandfather's voice (whispering):"Get up, Hikaru… don't let them take what's left of you."
Then he sees Kyoji's face calling to him… then the faces of the children who died…Then an image of himself—young, crying, burning… but without a sound.
He approaches… whispers:
Young Hikaru:"Either die here… or rise to end it all."
(Back to reality)In the hallAmid the chaos of battle, a dark force awakens within Hikaru, consuming him. A dense black aura radiates death and recognizes neither friend nor foe. For a moment, everyone freezes, shivering as if death itself had descended to claim their souls. His eyes turn pitch black—as if voids from the depths of darkness have opened within them. He raises his hand toward his sword, and the weapon flies to him with blinding speed—too fast for the eye to follow—landing in his palm as if pulled by an invisible force.
Hikaru now stands in the center of the hall, his eyes black as the void, a deadly aura swirling around him like a sea of death.He scans his surroundings with a cold, lifeless gaze—unable to distinguish between ally or enemy.
Suddenly, he moves—like a released arrow—attacking the surrounding men.
One strike… and a man's head falls.Another… and a sword severs an arm.No one can face him. No one dares to get close.
The men fall one after another—only the screams of agony and the screech of steel remain.Hikaru moves like a deadly shadow, leaving no one alive.
When the last enemy falls, silence suddenly fills the hall. Only the sound of breath echoes in the heavy stillness.
Kyoji stumbles toward him, eyes full of tears, his voice choked with sobs.
Kyoji (in a broken voice):"Hikaru… stop… please… give him back to me… give me back my friend…"
Hikaru does not respond. He stares blankly, like a spirit no longer belonging to this world.
Kyoji steps closer, gently touches his shoulder, trying to pull Hikaru back from the darkness.
His tears fall as he whispers with deep sorrow:
Kyoji:"Don't leave me alone… don't leave me here… please…"
Suddenly, Hikaru begins to tremble, lets out a muffled cry, then collapses to the ground unconscious.
Kyoji catches him in his arms, holding him tightly, trying to stop the bleeding of his soul.
The hall is filled with heavy silence, and the shadows slowly recede from Hikaru's body… but the heart still beats—faintly… waiting for the light to return.