Smoke still lingered in the battle-torn demon tower's grand hall. Marble lay shattered beneath the four bloodstained warriors, silence falling in the aftermath of hatred's crescendo. Xzavier leaned against a broken pillar, blood dripping from his mouth. Yagumi was on one knee, panting, refusing to fall.
From above, Gimori Aku no stood and raised his hand.
"Retrieve the blades."
At his command, two figures emerged from behind the throne's obsidian shadow: Hageshi, clad in frost-marked armor, muscles bulging like iron beneath his robes; and beside him, Levine, face stoic, steps measured.
Xzavier groaned as they approached. Yagumi weakly raised one of his blades, but dropped it with a grunt of pain.
"I'm not here to fight," Hageshi said, a twisted grin on his scarred face. "Just here to take what remains."
He walked toward Yagumi.
Levine, however, strode straight toward Xzavier.
"Don't touch him…" Xzavier growled, trying to lift his blade, but his arms refused.
But Levine didn't attack.
Instead—he shoved Hageshi away.
"Wha—?!" Hageshi stumbled back with a surprised grunt.
Then, Levine knelt beside Xzavier and pressed glowing hands to his brother's chest. Light flowed from his palms, golden flames seeping into Xzavier's wounds, mending cracked ribs and torn muscles.
"You're healing him?!" Hageshi barked.
"I am," Levine said, voice trembling with clarity and conviction. "I'm done with this cult. Done with this blind worship. Gimori… he's not a god. He's a manipulative parasite hiding behind rituals and sacrifices!"
"Spare me the speech," Hageshi scoffed. "I knew you'd crack. You always hesitated during the blood rites. Deep down, you were too soft. But I'll admit—I'll miss all the fun we had during those sacrificial nights."
Levine stood tall, and with a swift motion, ripped the cult's symbol from his robe and cast it onto the ground.
"No more blood for false gods."
Xzavier, now stable, sat up in disbelief. "…Levine?"
His brother turned to him, guilt swimming in his amber eyes.
"I'm sorry, Xzavier. For everything. For the pain, the manipulation, the silence. I should've been your brother, not your warden."
Xzavier stared for a moment.
Then nodded.
And embraced him.
The two brothers hugged tightly.
From the sidelines, Yagumi gagged audibly. "Ugh. Alright, alright, enough! This is a battlefield, not a soap opera!"
Beside him, Hageshi cracked his neck. "Seriously. Let's skip the touching redemption arc and get back to what we do best."
The two warriors stepped forward.
As if in silent agreement, both activated their Ascension Marks.
Flesh tore. Energy surged. Symbols of power glowed like burning runes.
Yagumi's skin rippled, veins glowing with black and crimson as spectral scythes danced around him. His eyes burned—Reaper Eyes wide open.
Hageshi Hageshi who's way more muscular in this timeline unsheathes his Frost blade, icy mist curling from every breath he took. His Frost Blade let out a deep hum as he drew it, cold fog blanketing the floor beneath him.
Levine and Xzavier separated, expression hardening.
"Let's show them what real blades feel like," Levine muttered.
He unsheathed his Flame Blade in his left hand—embers falling like snowflakes—and the Shadow Blade in his right—a blade that devoured light around it.
Xzavier took a deep breath and let Jiyū's energy bloom.
A golden Energy Blade materialized in his hand, its form elegant, pulsing with sacred life.
Then Levine tilted his head slightly.
"I guess… I should stop hiding too."
His forehead glowed—until the light bled downward into his eyes. Both irises ignited with celestial gold.
The Sacred Eye awakened.
Yagumi flinched. "The hell…?"
Even Hageshi stepped back. "so you have it too…"
"Yeah," Levine said, stepping forward, shadows and fire dancing around him
He and Xzavier stood side-by-side, energy flaring.
Their opponents mirrored them.
Two sides. Four warriors. All Ascended.
And Gimori, now fully invested, seated once more on his throne, let out a soft chuckle.
"Good," he whispered. "Let the blood sing again."