Chapter 7 – "Sword of the Fallen Flame" (Continued)

  “EXCALIBAR!!”

  Takiomi's roar split the skies as golden light engulfed his blade, transforming Mugen into its legendary form. His feet vanished from the ground with a sonic crack, and in a blink, he was face-to-face with the Executioner.

  CLANG! CLANG! SHHHING!

  A violent storm of strikes rained down on the Executioner, each blow faster, heavier, more savage than the last. The masked villain staggered, struggling to parry the fury unleashed before him.

  The sheer force of Takiomi's slashes shattered stone, tore through steel, and cracked the earth beneath their feet.

  But Takiomi wasn't fighting with technique anymore—

  He was fighting with wrath.

  His eyes blazed pale crimson, empty of emotion, and overflowing with something ancient… and terrifying.

  "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER!" he roared, his voice layered—almost as if another presence spoke with him.

  Each time the Executioner recovered, another flurry of slashes forced him back. Cuts tore through his armor. Blood dripped onto the ground.

  And yet—

  The Executioner smirked beneath his shattered mask.

  "Yes... show me the real you..."

  But in the final moment—just as Takiomi raised Excalibar for the finishing blow to pierce his enemy’s throat—

  He saw her.

  Aki. Bruised. Barely conscious. Still breathing.

  That was enough.

  His hands trembled.

  The red glow in his eyes dimmed.

  The overwhelming aura around him flickered, then died.

  His black robe turned to dust, scattering into the wind.

  Excalibar shimmered—then faded—returning to the simple, familiar form of Mugen.

  Takiomi stood there, sword hovering inches from the Executioner's neck. His breath heavy. Sweat dripping. Rage replaced with silence.

  "I... I won’t become what I hate," he whispered.

  The Executioner looked at him, chest rising and falling with pain. He didn’t speak.

  He didn’t need to.

  Because in that moment… he understood.

  And from the shadows... someone else had been watching.

  The battlefield was quiet.

  The Executioner dropped to one knee, blood trailing from his wounds. Yet he was still breathing. Still alive.

  A few feet away, Aki groaned, struggling to lift herself. Takiomi rushed to her side, gently holding her up.

  “You’re safe now… I’m sorry I lost control.”

  Her fingers lightly gripped his sleeve.

  “You didn’t… you chose to stop. That’s what makes you different, Takiomi.”

  But behind the warmth of her words, Takiomi’s mind churned.

  He didn’t stop because he wanted to. He stopped because something deep inside begged him to.

  The image of his past self—Taki Omen, the legendary killer—flashed in his mind.

  “I was inches away,” he muttered. “One more second and I would’ve—”

  Before he could finish, the sound of footsteps echoed across the ruined training ground.

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  A squad of medics rushed toward Aki and the Executioner, followed by one man whose very presence made the air feel heavier:

  Pro Hero Kinetic.

  His sharp eyes scanned the damage, the scorched ground, and the battered students.

  Then he stopped in front of Takiomi.

  “So… you held back,” Kinetic said flatly. “Most would’ve finished the job.”

  Takiomi didn’t respond. He was still shaken.

  Kinetic leaned in slightly, voice low enough that only Takiomi could hear.

  “You're more dangerous than you realize. And not just to others… but to yourself.”

  Then, turning to the medics, Kinetic barked, “Get them out. Class is done for the day.”

  Later That Night…

  The dorms were quiet. Takiomi sat alone on the rooftop, wind brushing through his dark hair.

  Mugen rested beside him, its edge reflecting the moonlight.

  Suddenly—

  A presence.

  He turned. A figure stood in the darkness behind him.

  Clapping slowly.

  “Impressive. Even after all this time, you still hesitate at the final moment.”

  Takiomi’s eyes narrowed.

  “Who are you?”

  The figure stepped into the light—white hair, smug smile, crimson eyes glowing faintly.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten your old friend...”

  Takiomi’s chest tightened.

  Draven.

  But his body wouldn’t move. His mind screamed.

  “No… you’re not real… you’re not supposed to be here.”

  Draven’s smirk deepened.

  “I told you… may the darkness take over again.”

  Draven steps forward and places a hand on Takiomi’s shoulder.

  “You think this is over? No. This was just your first test, Taki… and you failed.”

  The screen cuts to black.

  “You’re slow to recognize old friends, Omen.”

  Takiomi’s breath caught in his throat.

  “No... It can’t be.”

  The figure walked forward, casual, as if mocking the entire world.

  “What, did you think you were the only one cursed with rebirth?”

  Takiomi’s heart pounded.

  A name echoed in his skull like a war drum.

  “Draven… Umbra.”

  Draven smiled.

  “Bingo.”

  Flashback Fragment – Taki Omen's Past (Hallucination)

  Suddenly, Takiomi’s vision blurred. The rooftop vanished. The scent of blood and iron filled his nose.

  He stood, surrounded by corpses and fire. The battlefield from his past life. His sword drenched in blood. Draven stood across from him, face bloodied but smiling.

  “When I die, I’ll come back,” Draven had said. “And so will you. That’s our curse, isn’t it, brother?”

  The flames burned brighter.

  Back to Present – Rooftop

  Takiomi stumbled back, gasping. Reality returned.

  Draven stood there, hands in his pockets, watching with amusement.

  “You’re not ready yet. But you will be. And when that day comes…” he leaned in, whispering—

  “…you’ll remember everything.”

  Then, just like that, Draven vanished. Dissolved into shadow, like smoke in the wind.

  Takiomi stared at the empty space where he stood, his heart still racing.

  End Scene — Kinetic's Office

  Kinetic watched a screen of the rooftop surveillance footage.

  He replayed the moment where Draven vanished.

  His brows furrowed.

  “How the hell is he alive…?”

  He clicked a button, speaking into a secure line.

  “This is Kinetic. Code Omega confirmed. Umbra is active. Takiomi Kessei is awakening faster than expected. Prepare Phase Two.”

  The screen cut to black.

  Chapter 7 – “A Crimson Path” (Continuation)

  Takiomi remained frozen on the rooftop.

  The final words whispered by Draven continued to echo in his head:

  "You’ll remember everything."

  He clutched his head, trembling.

  Visions—blurry and incomplete—rushed through his mind. Screams. War. A girl’s dying breath. A name carved into stone.

  And always… a crowd, cheering beneath a blood-red sky:

  "Omen! Omen! Omen!"

  His breathing grew rapid.

  He stumbled back, hand gripping the guard rail for balance. His legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees.

  The sword beside him—once silent—began to hum softly. Then, it spoke, low and mocking:

  “You’ve seen his face again, haven’t you?”

  “Your little brother… the one you failed to save.”

  Takiomi’s hands clenched the edge of the rooftop.

  “That wasn’t him,” he whispered.

  “Draven’s dead.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Or maybe… you're the one who should’ve stayed dead.”

  Suddenly, a burst of pain surged through his head.

  His eyes flashed crimson for a second, and the world around him twisted again. But this time—it wasn’t a vision.

  It was a memory.

  Flashback – Centuries Ago

  A younger Taki Omen stood at the gates of a destroyed fortress. Behind him, the world burned. Ahead of him stood Draven, cloaked in black, tears in his eyes.

  “You promised you’d never leave me,” Draven said, voice shaking.

  “But you chose them over me.”

  Taki raised his blade, hesitation in his grip.

  “You let the darkness consume you.”

  “No,” Draven snapped.

  “You abandoned me when I needed you most.”

  Lightning struck. Their swords clashed.

  Brother against brother.

  And then…

  Back to Present

  Takiomi gasped and fell flat on his back, eyes wide.

  “What… what was that?”

  He stared at the sky. The clouds drifted above, unaware of the storm inside him.

  Suddenly, footsteps approached.

  It was Aki, arm in a sling, face bruised but smiling gently.

  “I figured you’d be up here,” she said, walking over.

  She sat beside him without asking.

  “You did good today. Really good.”

  Takiomi didn’t answer. He was still too shaken. She looked over at him, her expression softening.

  “Hey… whatever you're going through, you're not alone, okay?”

  He finally turned to look at her. There was a flicker of peace in her presence. Maybe even warmth.

  But deep down… a storm still raged.

  Elsewhere — Deep Underground Facility

  A dark chamber. Machines buzzed. A glowing containment pod hissed as mist leaked from its edges.

  Inside the chamber, several cloaked figures stood in a circle.

  One of them spoke.

  “He’s started to awaken.”

  Another responded.

  “And so has the Umbra boy. The cycle is repeating again.”

  The figure at the center, hood down, revealed a scarred, ancient face.

  “Let them remember. Let them awaken.”

  His voice was chilling.

  “We’ve waited a thousand years for the final war. And this time…”

  “There will be no heroes left to stop us.”

  End of Chapter 7

  “Awakening begins. Fate trembles. And the line between ally and enemy fades.”