The Hunter Becomes the Hunted.

A man stepped out of the mist, perfectly composed in formal wear. A crimson rose bloomed proudly on his chest, pressed neatly against the sharp black lines of his suit. His eyes gleamed with playful curiosity as they landed on Kaminari.

Kenzo stiffened. “Kaminari-sama, watch out. He’s a devil—not a demon.”

Kaminari narrowed his eyes. “Let me guess... one of Kuroshin’s loyal mutts?”

The butler tilted his head with a soft chuckle. “Oh my~ Such uncivil words from someone so young. I am Kuroshin-sama’s butler, not a dog. Let’s keep things charming, shall we?”

Kaminari gave a careless shrug. “Sooo... what do you want from me? Tea, biscuits, maybe my head?”

The butler raised a gloved hand to his mouth in mock embarrassment. “My, how delightful. But I’m afraid I came for something a little more... lively. I’ll be taking Kenzo’s life now, and as for you two—well, you’ll be lovely guests for Lord Kuroshin’s judgment.”

Kaminari's voice dropped. “A tyrant can’t deliver justice.”

Sumire gasped. “So... Kuroshin knows we entered the Demon World?”

The butler smiled sweetly, eyes half-lidded. “Oh dear, how precious. You think there’s something in this world my lord doesn’t know?” He made a small, delicate gesture with his fingers. “Everything dances beneath his gaze.”

Wind swirled between them. The butler’s presence pressed forward with unsettling calm.

“Tell me,” he asked in a honeyed tone, “what were you all doing down there?”

Kaminari scratched his head with an innocent grin. “We went to grab the Blood Warrior’s mask.”

Sumire hissed. “Kaminari-kun!”

The butler blinked, smile faltering ever so slightly. “The Blood Warrior...?” A flicker of memory cut through him—an image of a swordsman wreathed in shadows and lightning. Suddenly, a sharp jolt of electricity surged through his neck, and he groaned, clutching it.

“Ahh, again?” he muttered softly. “That’s quite irritating.”

Sumire crossed her arms. “Looks like your brain’s on vacation.”

“Sumire,” Kenzo warned. “Feel that? The air’s changing.”

Kaminari frowned. “It’s... prickly.”

The butler straightened up, adjusting his sleeves. “Good observation, sir. I do use electricity aura. Quite flashy, isn’t it?”

Kaminari’s expression lit up. “Electricity? Sounds fun!” He pointed Bakura forward. “How about a duel?”

Sumire spun toward him. “A duel?! Are you crazy?!”

“I just wanna test this sword.”

The butler sighed softly. “How reckless... and yet, how wonderfully entertaining. Very well then.”

He smiled—bright and emotionless.

“Thunderstep.”

In a blink, the butler appeared in front of Kaminari. Before Kaminari could even blink, a fist crackling with lightning slammed into his chest.

“Raijin Strike.”

Kaminari crashed into a golden pillar and crumpled to the ground.

“That punch...” he muttered. “Strong, but... not enough.” He tried to rise but found himself frozen. “What…? My body—won’t move?”

The butler clasped his hands together cheerfully. “Oh yes~ Raijin Strike stuns for a few seconds. Cute, right?”

“That’s actually a cool move,” Kaminari said, sliding his sword back into its sheath.

The butler blinked, amused. “Giving up? Oh, don’t worry—I’ll still make this entertaining.”

Another surge rippled through his neck. He winced, but kept his smile. “Now then, where were we?”

Kaminari suddenly dashed forward—barehanded.

“Hehehe... Let’s see what happens when the prey hunts back.”

Kenzo blinked. “What is he doing?!”

Sumire watched closely. “I think he’s setting something up.”

As Kaminari neared, he unsheathed Bakura with lightning precision, clashing steel against crackling fists.

“Huh?” The butler blinked, genuinely caught off-guard.

“Blood Barrage!” Kaminari shouted, forming micro drops of blood in midair and tossing them toward the butler.

“There’s nothing in your hand, silly boy,” the butler said, stepping back.

Kaminari grinned. “You’ll see.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rocked the area, smoke blanketing the battlefield.

When the dust cleared, the butler stood unfazed behind a lightning-forged shield, blue and yellow bolts crawling across its surface.

“Oh my~ You really went all out. How adorable.”

Kaminari picked his ear. “Huh? You say something?”

Another pulse of lightning struck the butler’s skull. He dropped to one knee, groaning lowly. “Ah, not again... how inconvenient.”

“Kenzo-san,” Sumire whispered. “Something’s wrong with him.”

Kenzo didn’t answer. His gaze was sharp and calculating.

The butler snapped back up and lunged forward, throwing a series of lightning-infused punches. Kaminari parried and blocked with Bakura.

“Gentle Slash Wave!”

“Thunderstep!”
He dodged again with a zap of speed.

“Oh~ you really do love these flashy attacks,” he giggled. “Shall we make it even more beautiful?”

The entire battlefield lit up in electric gold.

“Thunderclap!”

A burst of thunder exploded outward, throwing Kaminari into the air. But he flipped mid-air and landed on a stone slab, eyes blazing.

He dashed forward. “Time to return the favor.”

“Thunderstep!”

The devil appeared before him instantly.

“Zen Hoko Surassho!” Kaminari spun, sending a circular wave slicing toward him.

“Oh dear!” the butler exclaimed, barrel-rolling over the wave and delivering a punch straight to Kaminari’s forehead. Blood dripped as Kaminari slid back.

(Tch... I can’t win while he’s still energetic... That trick should help.)

“You’re thinking while fighting? I’m so impressed,” the butler mused as they clashed again.

Kaminari suddenly ducked and bit the butler’s arm.

“Excuse me?! I’m the devil here—you don’t get to nibble me!”

“I like devil meat.”

Another electric surge.

“Spark Torrent!”

Lightning orbs formed and blasted toward Kaminari, who dodged them with wild agility before slashing back in.

Kenzo watched, breath heavy. “Unbelievable... he’s fighting Kuroshin’s butler as an equal.”

Sumire nodded. “Kaminari-kun... defeated Ryujin.”

Kenzo’s eyes widened. “They said he was a god.” (But this one… this devil… he’s different. Too controlled. Too strong. Something’s off.)

“Gentle Slash Wave!”

“Arc Slash Wave!”
Blood and electricity collided, sending up pillars of smoke.

“Did he copy me?” Kaminari muttered.

“Blood Barrage!”

More explosions followed, but the butler darted through the chaos.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” he asked in sing-song. “Arc Wave Sash!”

“Gentle Slash Wave!”

The two slash waves collided, forming a black orb before detonating.

In the aftermath, Kaminari and the butler clashed midair, Bakura versus Raijin Strike. Sparks flew as they exchanged strikes at blinding speed.

(Now!) Kaminari grinned. “Crimson Drain!”

A red glow spread over the butler’s triceps.

“W-What?!” the butler gasped. “You left your aura in me?!”

Electricity flared through his skull again. He dropped to a knee, dizzy. “You sneaky little...”

Kaminari smirked. “And now... Blood Stitching! Just a small-scale one.”

Blood spikes formed and shot forward as the draining continued.

Then Kaminari paused. His eyes sharpened. “Wait... there’s another aura inside him... Oi, Gramps!”

Kenzo nodded slowly. “I knew it.”

Sumire turned to him. “Knew what?”

Kenzo’s eyes darkened. “Every time his head sparks like that—it’s not just pain. His memories are sealed. The electricity is fighting the seal like an immune system. That’s the Black Lotus Seal. And it's breaking.”

Sumire’s expression hardened. “So that’s it...”

Kenzo’s green aura burst to life, wild and ancient. “After all these years... looks like I have to fight again.”

—To be continued