Rokuya took a bamboo whistle from inside his clothes and blew hard. A jet-black Kasugai Crow flew down from the night sky and landed on his shoulder.
"Listen, stay in the air and keep a close eye on Kanae. If she runs into danger, come find me immediately," Rokuya ordered the Kasugai Crow. The crow nodded, flapped its wings, and flew high into the sky.
Rokuya looked at Kanae, his tone firm.
"Kanae, I'm leaving this place to you. Keep yourselves safe. I'll deal with the source. Wait for me to come back."
Kanae looked at him gently. She lightly tapped her chin with a finger.
"Go on, Rokuya. We won't lose to these guys."
Rokuya hesitated no longer. He put away his Energy Blade and pushed off hard with both legs. He became a streak of black lightning, racing toward that terrifying presence. Within a few bounds, he vanished into the dark depths of the Deep Mountains.
Sekido looked in the direction Rokuya had left. He roared in fury.
"How dare he ignore us! Bring him back!"
Sekido was about to give chase when Mitsuri swung her flexible sword and blocked his path. The pink blade traced bizarre curves through the air.
"We're your opponents!" Mitsuri called out.
Battle erupted in the ruins once more.
The view shifted to the other side of the mountain behind the Swordsmith Village.
The night was dark. The woods were frighteningly quiet. Yuichiro Tokito darted through the dense forest.
His breathing was rapid. His eyes carefully searched the darkness for any trace of his younger brother, Muichiro.
That terrifying blast of wind had blown Muichiro far away, and Yuichiro was filled with anxiety.
He leaped between branches. Broken trees and torn-up earth pointed the way.
After several minutes of searching, he finally heard