Kenji’s breath was steady but tinged with anticipation as he and Olorun continued their cautious advance. The darkened corridor seemed to stretch endlessly before them, the air heavy with oppressive energy. Suddenly, Olorun’s hand shot up, signaling Kenji to halt. “Stop,” Olorun whispered, his tone edged with urgency. Kenji froze, his instincts on high alert. “What is it, man?” Kenji muttered, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. “Shhh…” Olorun crouched low, his eyes narrowing as he peered out from the tunnel’s shadowed entrance. Kenji followed his gaze and saw a figure seated cross-legged on the ground just beyond, bathed in the faint, eerie glow of the overcast sky. It was Taki, meditating, his expression serene and unmoving. Kenji’s fingers twitched toward his weapon, his heart quickening. “I’ll kill him now. I lost to him once—I’m not losing again.” Olorun’s hand gripped Kenji’s arm like a vise, his eyes flashing with caution. “You fool, don’t underestimate him. He’s stronger than you realize. Stronger than me, even. Remember, when we fought, we were evenly matched—and Taki is beyond that. If we’re going to take him down, we need to strike together, smartly. This isn’t just about brute force.” Kenji’s jaw clenched, but he nodded, acknowledging the truth in Olorun’s words. They crept forward, careful not to make a sound. As they moved closer, Kenji’s eyes widened in disbelief. The bridge they stood upon stretched out impossibly far, suspended in a void of gray clouds that churned like a storm waiting to unleash its fury. The sky was a depressing shade of ash, and below, the ground was a wasteland of gray sand that seemed to absorb all light and hope. Kenji leaned in closer to Olorun, his voice barely a whisper. “What is this place? It feels… wrong.” “You’ve gone into portal, right?” Olorun responded, his voice low and steady. Kenji nodded, still scanning the desolate surroundings. “Well,” Olorun continued, “this is my brother’s pocket dimension.” Kenji frowned, not fully grasping the concept. “What the hell is that?” “A pocket dimension,” Olorun explained, “is a small, personal space—a world of its own, created and controlled entirely by its maker. My brother, Babalawo, is the master of this place. He can manipulate everything within it. This world—this bridge, this sky, this sand—it’s all his creation. It’s infinite in its emptiness. And if you get lost here, if you let the despair of this place take you, you’ll be consumed by it. You’ll turn into a hollow—a mere shadow of yourself.” Kenji swallowed hard. “Jesus Christ…” “Yeah, it’s not pretty,” Olorun replied grimly. “So unless you want me to keep explaining, we should get on with this.” Kenji nodded, his resolve hardening. “Let’s take him down.” Without another word, Olorun activated his arc chain. A bolt of lightning crackled from his fingertips, leaping from one invisible point to another until it struck Taki. The electricity wrapped around him, binding him in place, and for a moment, Kenji felt a surge of triumph. But as he prepared to strike, he noticed something unsettling. Taki’s expression hadn’t changed. He seemed... amused. With a swift motion, Kenji unleashed his Gekido Kiba, channeling every ounce of his strength into a ferocious dual-sword attack aimed directly at Taki. The force of the blow would have shattered most defenses, but when his swords met Taki’s skin, it was like striking solid steel. Taki didn’t even flinch. In a single fluid motion, Taki shattered the chains of lightning binding him, then vanished. Before Kenji could react, Taki reappeared behind him, his kick sending Kenji hurtling back toward the entrance. The force of the blow was immense, and Kenji would have been flung into the abyss had Olorun not caught him in the nick of time.“You should have known better,” Taki’s voice echoed ominously as he stood at the edge of the bridge, his eyes glinting with an unsettling calm. “Master Olorun, why are you working with this fool?” Olorun’s gaze was steely. “I’m leaving, Taki. I’ve had enough of this empty existence. I want to see the world and experience life beyond these endless gray skies. I’m telling my brother—I’m done being his puppet.”Taki’s expression hardened, but there was a trace of pity in his eyes. “You know I can’t let you pass. Your brother’s orders were clear.” Olorun’s fists clenched at his sides. “I’m his brother, Taki! Does that mean nothing?” Taki shook his head, regret lacing his words. “Even so, he commanded me not to let anyone through—not even his little brother.” Kenji, struggling to his feet, spat out blood and frustration. “There’s no point in talking, Olorun. We’re not getting through him with words.” Olorun nodded slowly, the resolve in his eyes mirroring Kenji’s. “Then we’ll force our way through.” Taki smirked, lowering into a fighting stance. “You know what? I won’t even use my abilities. Come at me.” Kenji’s lips curled into a grim smile. “That’s fine by me.” With a sudden burst of speed, Kenji launched into his Tora Kiba, his swords moving in a deadly dance, each strike aimed at Taki’s vital points. But Taki was faster, effortlessly dodging each blow, his movements almost too quick to follow. He flipped backward, then lunged at Kenji, ramming into him with the force of a battering ram. But Kenji had anticipated this. As Taki closed in, he grinned, and Olorun seized the moment, teleporting with the speed of lightning behind Taki. The Thunderclap Blink left a shockwave in its wake, and Olorun’s fist collided with Taki’s face, sending him staggering backward. For a brief moment, Taki faltered, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes lit up with something akin to admiration. “Impressive. Very impressive. You’ve both improved.” Kenji snorted, wiping sweat from his brow. “Of course we have. But we’re not done yet.” Olorun’s voice was sharp. “And you’re still cocky as ever.” Taki chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. “And why shouldn’t I be?” The battle intensified, Kenji and Olorun working in tandem, their attacks relentless and precise. But Taki moved with an almost inhuman grace, dodging and countering every strike with devastating efficiency. He was toying with them, Kenji realized with growing frustration.Then, in a blur of motion, Taki struck back. His speed was blinding, his punches landing with pinpoint accuracy. Kenji and Olorun barely had time to react as Taki’s fists drove into their bodies, the force behind each blow sending shockwaves through their bones. In a final, brutal move, Taki slammed their heads together, the impact echoing through the void before he kicked them into the air. As they fell, the pain was almost numbing. Kenji’s vision blurred, the world around him spinning. He could feel the cold grip of despair closing in, the suffocating atmosphere of the pocket dimension gnawing at his spirit. But even as he hurtled back towards the ground, something inside him refused to give in. At that moment, the distant sound of footsteps reached his ears, growing louder by the second. Kenji forced his eyes open, just in time to see Tony Eleo and Rendal the orc charging up the stairs that led to the bridge.“Hey, Mr. Fat Orc!” Tony shouted breathlessly as they reached the top, his young face full of determination.“Watch it, kid,” Rendal growled, his eyes scanning the battlefield. “The name’s Rendal. And what the hell are you guys doing up here?” Tony didn’t miss a beat. “We were looking for a friend’s sword. But now it looks like our friends are in deep trouble.” Rendal’s eyes narrowed, his senses sharp as he took in the scene. “It seems your friends are in a fight with Taki... and Olorun.” Tony’s face lit up with recognition. “Olorun? The lightning guy is working with Kenji?”Eleo nodded, concern in his eyes. “But why? What’s he doing with Kenji?” Rendal shrugged. “Olorun is the brother of Babalawo, the leader here. I don’t know what’s going on in his head, but whatever it is, it’s serious.” Tony’s mind raced as he tried to piece it all together. “We need to help them.” Meanwhile, on the bridge, Kenji and Olorun were struggling to stay on their feet, their bodies battered and bruised. Despite the pain, Kenji refused to back down. He swung his remaining sword at Taki. Taki moved like a phantom, effortlessly dodging Kenji’s attacks with speed that seemed almost inhuman. Each missed strike only fueled Kenji’s frustration, his breathing becoming more labored as exhaustion set in. “Pathetic,” Taki muttered, his voice cold and detached. In one swift motion, he grabbed Kenji’s left arm, his grip tightening with merciless precision. Kenji barely had time to react before a sickening crack filled the air. “When will you learn?” Taki’s voice was devoid of any emotion as he twisted Kenji’s arm, breaking it with a brutal snap. Kenji’s scream of pain was cut short as Taki drove a knee into his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs into a painful gasp. Before Kenji could recover, Taki’s other hand lashed out, shattering the regular sword in Kenji’s grasp, leaving only the Kokuryū no Kogane intact. With a disdainful sneer, Taki hurled Kenji’s battered body toward Olorun. The two collided with a heavy thud, tumbling across the bridge. Taki stood tall, his eyes filled with contempt. “You two are weak,” he declared, his voice dripping with scorn. “Olorun, I’ll break your leg and let you live only because you’re Babalawo’s brother. But you,” he said, turning his gaze back to Kenji, who was struggling to stand, “you blue-haired fool—I’ll be happy to kill you.”With chilling calmness, Taki lifted Kenji off the ground with his right arm, holding him aloft like a ragdoll. Kenji’s eyes widened in pain and fear as Taki’s left arm began to move, fingers poised to strike with deadly intent. “I’ll pierce your heart and end this pathetic struggle,” Taki said, his voice a quiet promise of death. Olorun, despite his own injuries, reached out in desperation, grabbing hold of Taki’s leg in an attempt to stop him. “No!” he shouted, his voice hoarse with pain and determination. But Taki’s response was swift and brutal—a powerful kick to Olorun’s face that sent him crashing to the ground, dazed and bleeding. Taki’s expression remained unchanged as he refocused on Kenji, ready to deliver the final blow. Just as his arm shot forward, aiming for Kenji’s chest, a sudden force slammed into the side of his face. Taki staggered, his grip on Kenji loosening as he was sent reeling.“Get away from him!” Eleo’s voice rang out with fierce determination as he landed the kick, his eyes blazing with righteous anger. In the brief moment of reprieve, Tony rushed forward, quickly pulling Kenji and Olorun back to a safer distance. “Hang on, we’ve got you,” Tony whispered urgently, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to assess their injuries. Olorun groaned, blood trickling from his nose, while Kenji struggled to remain conscious, the pain from his broken arm overwhelming. As Tony tended to them, Rendal, who had been watching the scene unfold from the shadows, stepped forward. He walked with deliberate calmness, moving to the side of the bridge’s entrance. “Oi, Tony,” Rendal called out, his voice gruff yet strangely calm. Tony glanced over, his expression one of surprise. “I’ll be leaving with my bone people. I guess I also want to leave this place and have an adventure of my own.”Tony nodded, understanding the weight of Rendal’s words. “Good luck to you,” Tony replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. Rendal gave a curt nod, his massive form disappearing into the shadows as he walked away. The sound of his footsteps faded into the distance, leaving Tony, Eleo, and the others to face Taki alone. Eleo and Taki locked eyes, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Eleo’s body was tense, every muscle coiled and ready for whatever came next, while Taki’s expression was a mask of cold indifference, but there was a glint of something deeper in his eyes—an acknowledgment of Eleo’s strength, perhaps even a flicker of respect. And then, just as the silence threatened to become unbearable

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