For Kazema, We Rise

Kaminari stepped into the shattered ground of the ruined town, his eyes narrowing as he took in the wreckage.

“This broken ground… these destroyed buildings… this abandoned city.”

Sumire stood beside him, her voice quiet and haunted. “This is the place where you fought Ryujin. Vareth... the 9th town.”

Kenzo blinked in surprise. “What? Kaminari-sama, did you come to our planet before?”

“Uhh... you see, umm…” Kaminari fumbled.

From within, the Devil King stirred. It’s no use. Remove the mask. Tell them. Tell them about me—how the Devil King, long thought missing, is sealed inside you.

“I have to suppress my aura,” he added to himself.

Kaminari nodded. “Okay, Kenzo.” He pulled off his transparent mask.

The moment the mask came off, a wave of pressure surged outward. Kenzo, Raizen, and Kenji stiffened. Their eyes widened as they sensed a tremendous, dreadful presence—an aura like pure evil pressing against their chests. In a brief vision, they saw the Devil King himself, laughing with terrifying glee from within Kaminari.

“S-Sensei?!” Kenzo muttered, breaking into a sweat.

Kenji staggered back. “Sensei is here... where?”

The Devil King laughed, his crimson eyes glowing. “Immature brats. The terror on your faces—I like it.”

Kaminari placed a hand over his heart. “The Devil King… he’s sealed inside me.”

“Ehhhh?!” the others exclaimed, except Sumire.

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Kenzo asked.

Kenji stared at him. “S-Sensei, after you left, this country fell into chaos.”

“I heard,” said the Devil King. “I was kidnapped.”

“KIDNAPPED?!” Kenji gasped. “Who could possibly kidnap you?”

“Forget it,” the Devil King said, grimacing. “I can’t even speak his name.”

Raizen stepped forward. “They say my brother met you.”

The Devil King nodded. “Yeah, that brat? He fell on me out of nowhere, then just dissappeared like nothing happened.”

Kenzo’s jaw tightened. “Sensei, Kuroshin now sits on your throne. His laws are suffocating. He has divided the nation into zones.”

“I know,” the Devil King growled. “But I can’t do anything now. This shitty brat,” he gestured to Kaminari, “has to deal with him.”

Just then, Chandra emerged from Kenji’s shadow.

Startled, Kaminari quickly donned his mask.

Chandra's voice was cold. “I sensed a huge amount of aura here.”

I thought I suppressed it… the Devil King grumbled.

Raizen laughed nervously, patting Kaminari’s back. “It was from this guy. He’s another Blood Warrior.”

Chandra studied Kaminari, then turned sharply. “Our camp is behind that building. Follow me.”

---

At the Kuroshima Palace…

“You gave them bounty?” Kuroshin asked, his tone lethal.

The Supreme Judge, bowed low, lifted his head. “Hail to the omnipotent King of Kuroshima. Raizen, your former butler—five star. Kenzo, the ex-shogun—five star. Kenji, the ex-shadow shogun—four star. A girl named Sumire—three star. And Kaminari, the present Blood Warrior—seven star.”

Kuroshin’s eyes snapped open. “Kaminari… Seven star?! Same as Hiroshi?! This is a DISGRACE!” He slammed a pulse of orange aura through the air, rattling the palace.

“Respect your opponents,” he hissed. “Do you truly believe a mere outlander could ever compare to Hiroshi?” He let out a weary sigh. “Summon the senior staff and announce that we will convene for a meeting in one week's time.”

---

Chandra led them up a terrace.

Kaminari stared at the countless blue tents. “Wow… there are so many. Are they all going to fight with us?”

Chandra’s voice was icy. “You need an army to fight a government. Come with me.”

---

Inside a tent, Chandra unfolded a battle plan. Everyone sat around a table.

“I’ve heard the royal staff will hold a meeting in a week. From tomorrow, we have ten days to defeat Kuroshin.”

Sumire looked uneasy. “I’ve heard the castle is a maze. How will we find Kuroshin’s chamber?”

Chandra turned to Kaminari, who was peeling his nails, and tapped the table. “Listen, Blood Warrior.”

Kaminari straightened, mildly interested.

“We have 60,000 warriors. 6,000 of them are demons—classified as ghosts. I initially thought to split them into five equal groups of 12,000. But now, there’ll be six groups. One group will be secret, with the remaining 6,000.”

Sumire asked, “What will each group do?”

Chandra responded scalmly. “The secret army enters first for reconnaissance. Four hours later, four assault groups of 12,000 each will follow.”

Kaminari yawned, slamming a fist lightly on the table. “And me?”

“You charge in from your teleportation point. The secret team will guide us through the maze to the king’s chamber.”

Kenzo asked, “And me?”

“After four hours, your team and Kenji’s will attack from outside, engaging the warlords and military units.”

Sumire clutched her head. “That red door… I saw it in the court. Something’s disturbing inside it.”

Chandra froze. “The red door…” He turned and whispered, “Hey, Blood Warrior. I don’t believe you can beat Kuroshin.”

Kaminari grinned darkly. “You think I can’t? You don’t even know me. I’m not here for revenge. I’m here to find someone.” His body glowed with chilling red aura.

Chandra felt it—but said nothing.

Sumire approached him. “Why’d you provoke him?”

Kaminari laughed. “I thought it’d be funny. He wasn’t scared though.”

Just then, Chandra returned, unrolling a scroll.

“I said six teams. Based on Kenji’s intel, here are the commanders.”

Kaminari interrupted. “I’m not participating in your war. I just want to fight Kuroshin.”

Chandra stood firm. “You have to. For the people. For those too afraid to speak against the king. You must bring back Kazema.”

“Kazema?”

Raizen replied, “The original name of Kuroshima—before Kuroshin changed it.”

Chandra’s voice softened. “When the Devil King ruled, our nation was beautiful—free, joyful. But that was stolen from us.”

Kenzo, Kenji, and Raizen lowered their heads in remembrance.

Raizen added, “The zones separated people. Their roles were stripped. Smiles vanished. Fear replaced everything.”

Kenji slammed the table, cracking it. “We can still change the future.”

Chandra nodded. “Kaminari, you’re in. Final order.”

Kaminari shrugged. “Okay.”

Chandra continued. “The team commanders: The Hawkeyes—Kaminari. The Destroyers—Kenji. Lights of Liberation—Sumire. Knights of Justice—Kenzo. And the Phantoms—Raizen and me.”

Sumire smiled. “Lights of Liberation? Fine by me.”

Raizen nodded. “I’ll secure the meeting room. No infiltrators.”

Kenji voiced concern. “The royal army is overwhelming. How will you bring in so many troops?”

Chandra hesitated, eyes narrowing as he weighed the risks. He thought for some time then he answered.

"If we march out in the open, we’ll be seen from miles away. It’s too obvious. I could use my shadow paths to transport the army silently… but it would take a heavy toll. The aura cost would be enormous."

He glanced around the table, voice low but steady. "If I do that, I won’t be much use in the fight itself. Not at full strength."

Kenzo reassured him. “Your contribution, even partial, is a game-changer.”

Chandra closed the scroll. “Then the plan is finally complete.”

Kaminari raised his hand in determination. “Then it’s fixed.”

Kenzo smiled. “The freedom we have sought for so many years—we'll finally achieve it in just ten days.”

Kenji murmured with quiet awe, "It's hard to believe this day has finally arrived."

Sumire's eyes shimmered with conviction as a hopeful smile spread across her face. “This moment will be etched into history—a legacy our future generations will cherish.”

Raizen, his eyes glistening with emotion, whispered, "At last, I'm treading the path my brother once sought but couldn’t complete."

Kaminari extended his hand. “For Kazema!”

Sumire placed her hand over his. “For Kazema!”

Chandra followed. “For Kazema!”

Kenzo laughed. “Really?” He joined. “For Kazema!”

Kenji grinned and added his hand. “For Kazema!”

Raizen saw Hiroshi’s vision—smiling, nodding. He smiled, relieved, and placed his hand in. “For Kazema!”

Everyone: “LONG LIVE KAZEMA!”

They raised their hands, happy, united and hopeful.

Kaminari laughed. “Now… the nation will rise again.”

—To be continued