As Kurohana finished speaking, she raised her hand with a deliberate grace, and Kagetsu's sword seemed to gleam in the dim light of the portal. He moved forward—but it was a feint. Almost instantly, his entire form blurred, like the world slowed around him. One heartbeat later, he was behind me. Before I could even react, I felt his cold breath against my ear.

  "You're weak," he whispered, the words like ice sinking into my spine.

  And then, a fist exploded into my temple. Pain ripped through my skull like lightning, white-hot and sharp. I went flying backward, tumbling into the sand. The grains dug into my arms and face, but they couldn't dull the sting in my head. My vision blurred, my ears rang, and for a moment, I couldn't even tell which way was up.

  Jordan and Cameron were on him immediately. Cameron's body crackled with electricity, sparks dancing across the black fabric of his shinobi gi. His staff arced with energy, lightning snapping from it as he unleashed a furious barrage. He moved with a desperate rhythm, striking and spinning, every blow meant to pin Kagetsu down.

  Kagetsu didn't flinch. He moved like water, slipping past every strike. Faster than lightning, faster than thought. Cameron's fury strikes shattered the sand beneath him, but Kagetsu was already behind him, delivering a brutal kick to his back that sent him crashing forward.

  Jordan didn't hesitate. She called upon the earth beneath her feet. A cage of jagged stone erupted, trying to trap him. Kagetsu didn't even pause—he ripped through it as if it were paper. The ground shook, stones splintered, and dust rose in a choking cloud.

  Maya stayed back, hovering just above the ground in her protective bubble, watching helplessly. She couldn't fight. Not yet. Her face was pale, fear flickering in her eyes as she saw Kagetsu dismantle our formation like a storm tearing through a village.

  I staggered to my feet, gripping my sword tightly, legs shaking from the impact. I forced myself to steady my breathing as Kagetsu turned toward Maya, fists poised. I threw myself in front of her, blocking the strike. Metal met metal with a resounding clang, sparks flying as our blades ground together.

  We traded blows, our swords dancing in a deadly rhythm. I pushed harder, my training, my heart, everything inside me fueling the strike. For a moment, I thought I had an opening—my power surged, stronger than his, faster than him. But that illusion shattered the moment he drew his own sword.

  Time seemed to stretch as his weapon arced through the air, precise, merciless. I swung to meet him, but he parried effortlessly. The back of his hilt connected with my temple with a crack that made my vision fracture. Pain exploded across my skull. Stars danced in my eyes. My knees buckled.

  I tried to stay conscious, tried to focus, but the world tilted violently. The sand beneath me became a blur, the air screamed with the sound of wind and the hum of energy. My sword slipped from my grip for a heartbeat, and I knew I was on the edge.

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  Then, through the chaos, I saw it. Not him. Not the strikes, not the blows—but Maya, trembling in her bubble, and Cameron, sparks flying across his gi, his teeth gritted. They weren't giving up. They couldn't give up.

  I pushed myself upward, every muscle screaming in protest. Sweat, blood, and sand clung to my skin. Kagetsu's next strike came like a hammer, but I met it with my sword again. Sparks flew. The reverberation echoed across the beach, and the sound of metal clashing against metal drowned out everything else—the waves, the wind, even my own heartbeat.

  He smirked, like he could read my thoughts. Every strike, every movement, calculated. Faster, faster, faster. I felt myself getting trapped in the rhythm, like I was dancing to his tune instead of my own.

  Cameron unleashed a lightning surge, his staff stabbing into the sand as arcs of electricity split the air. Kagetsu deflected it with a flick of his blade, the force sending Cameron skidding backward.

  Jordan charged him from the side, spinning with acrobatic precision. She ducked under a punch and kicked at his side, but he pivoted like he had eyes on the back of his head, twisting her away before she could land a real hit. He elbowed her in the gut, and she collapsed onto the sand, wind knocked out of her, her teeth gritting through the pain.

  I couldn't stand by. My sword felt heavy in my hands, but I steadied myself. I lunged at him, meeting him blow for blow. The power coursing through me made the air crackle around my blade. For a second, I thought I could overpower him.

  But Kagetsu didn't fight fair. He drew his sword fully, and in a blink, my strike was parried. The back of his hilt slammed into my temple again, and this time I couldn't hold on. My knees gave way. My body sagged. Darkness crept over the edges of my vision. My grip loosened.

  And yet… in that moment, just as I felt myself slipping completely, a strange clarity hit me. The world slowed. I wasn't just fighting Kagetsu anymore. I was fighting for Maya, for Cameron, for Jordan, for everyone depending on us. My heart screamed through the ringing in my ears. Pain, fear, anger—they all became one.

  I forced my eyes open, just enough to see him standing over me. The sand was scorched around our battle, marks of destruction etched into the beach. Sparks of electricity still lingered in the air from Cameron's assault. Jordan was picking herself up. Maya's bubble shimmered weakly, but she was still there, still alive.

  This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. And deep inside, I knew: I had to get up. No matter the pain, no matter the power of Kagetsu, we weren't losing—not now, not ever.