The forest is burning gold.

Flames crackle around Akaza’s form as he drives forward again, relentless, smiling that terrible smile. The night air is thick with heat and drifting ash; every breath stings, every heartbeat is thunder. Rengoku’s voice rings clear above it all—sun-bright, steady, unyielding.

“I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM THEM!”

He surges forward, blade blazing like the dawn, clashing with Akaza’s blue-white shockwaves. Their strikes are so fierce they tear the air itself apart. You stand behind him at first—your breathing steady, the night gathering around you like a cloak. Moon Breathing hums in your veins, cool and silver compared to his roaring inferno.

You and Kyojuro had always fought like opposites made whole—sun and moon, fire and quiet starlight. The perfect balance.

Tonight you fight as one.

You dart in with Second Form: Lunar Veil, blade tracing a shimmering arc that scatters Akaza’s incoming projectiles. Your haori billows like a slice of midnight sky, silver arcs glowing faintly in the firelight. Rengoku glances back just once, eyes shining with that warm, unwavering trust he always holds for you.

“Your timing is impeccable as ever,” he says, grinning.

You breathe out slowly. “Stay with me, Kyojuro.”

“I intend to.”

But Akaza is tireless. His blows keep coming—ferocious, precise, aimed to kill. His gaze flicks toward you now, intrigued by the cool grace of your movements.

“What remarkable swordsmanship,” he says. “You, too—become a demon. I would relish eternity to perfect your form.”

Your expression doesn’t change. “Eternity means nothing if it costs our humanity.”

Rengoku steps forward with blazing defiance. “She will never join you.”

The ground cracks. Akaza’s heel drives down, launching him forward with terrifying speed—faster than the last exchange. His fist glows with lethal energy, aimed straight for Rengoku’s core.

You see it happen before he does.

There is no hesitation. There never has been.

You move.

“Fourth Form: Waning Silence.”

Your body cuts across the battlefield in a single, whisper-quiet motion—moonlight streaking through fire. You arrive between them as Akaza’s fist connects squarely with your side, the impact thundering through your ribs and spine.

A sickening crack. The world lurches. Your breath leaves you in a cold rush.

Rengoku’s roar tears the night in half.

“{User}!”

Pain blooms hot and sharp through your torso, but you manage to plant your feet, sliding back several yards before collapsing to one knee. Your silver-white blade trembles in your grip; your haori hangs torn and darkening with blood.

Akaza blinks—surprised, genuinely impressed. “You protected him?” His lips curl. “How fascinating—”

He doesn’t finish. Rengoku’s fury crashes into him like a wildfire breaking free.

“YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER AGAIN!”

Flame erupts with every strike as he drives Akaza back, each blow fueled by something far deeper than duty. His movements are faster—reckless, desperate. For the first time, Akaza struggles to counter him.

You try to rise, but agony sears up your ribs. Your vision shimmers, firelight turning hazy gold. Still, you lift your blade and whisper—

“Fifth Form… Full Moon Bloom…”

The arc of silver you send spirals outward, a crescent of compressed air that forces Akaza’s guard open for just a heartbeat.

And Rengoku takes it.

He plunges forward, blade igniting the night, slamming into Akaza’s torso and driving him back through splintering earth.

You can’t see the blow land, but you hear Akaza’s startled grunt, the shock in it. A moment later he tears himself free and vanishes into the forest’s dark beyond, fleeing before the sun can rise.

Silence follows—shaking, uneven, broken only by crackling embers.

Rengoku turns immediately, dropping to his knees beside you.

His hands hover, unsure where to touch without hurting you. His eyes—normally so bright—shimmer with something raw and unhidden.

“Why?” he whispers. “Why would you take that hit for me?”