The Weight of Inheritance (継承の重さ / Keishō no Omosa)

The word "Dad" lingered in the air, its weight palpable. It didn’t need to echo around the room because it had already settled deep within Hajime’s chest. The feeling was like a heavy shard of iron, pulling the very air down with it, making it hard to breathe. In that moment, his Seiki surged forth, a powerful wave of energy that flooded the room before he could fully comprehend the situation's intensity.

A gold-silver pulse erupted outward with such force that it rattled cups, jarred teeth, and sent groans through the warped floorboards beneath them. Kagehira Tazumi, however, didn't flinch in the face of that raw power. If anything, he appeared to be pleased by the unfolding chaos.

From him, an intense pressure emanated like a deliberate wave, not wild or explosive but instead dense and suffocating. The blood-dark Seiki began to fill the tavern, swirling around like an ominous fog that pressed into the lungs and joints of everyone present. Each breath felt harder to take, as if the very act of inhaling had become a monumental task.

Patrons of the tavern screamed. At first, their cries weren't tinged with panic. They were primal, instinctive reactions from bodies that were beginning to understand the overwhelming forces that were now at play, forces that were far beyond their comprehension. The atmosphere was thick with tension and confusion, as the reality of their situation settled in.

“Move!” Iovah’s sharp voice cut through the chaos, an urgent command that sliced through the uncertainty like a blade. At his call, the Forsakers sprang into action, their movements quick and purposeful, driven by the instinct to respond to the brewing storm. The air crackled with anticipation as both sides braced for the inevitable clash of power that could shatter the stillness of the tavern and town.

Shinji vaulted over a table, flipping it to use as an improvised shield. “Kids first! Heads down!” His usual grin vanished, and his jaw set in grim determination as he braced against the falling debris on his shoulders, grunting as the weight dislodged layers of ceiling dust that hung in the air.

Megumi seized a stumbling man by the collar and propelled him forcefully toward the back corridor. “Don’t stop! You're dead if you stay here!” Her eyes darted around the chaotic scene, and one hand was already slick with blood from hauling another individual to safety just moments before.

Takumi positioned himself with precision, swiftly kicking over a burning lantern before the flames could spread to other surfaces. “Back hall’s clear,” he called out, his movements efficient and purposeful amid the growing turmoil that surrounded them.

Hikari stayed close to Hajime, just off his shoulder, her face tightening in distress as she pressed her hand to her temple. “This pressure... it’s not focused on all of us. It’s only aimed at the Will inside you... be careful,” she explained, her voice strained with concern.

Hajime barely registered her words, his focus drawn entirely to Kagehira.

“Repeat what you said,” Hajime growled, his voice raw from Seiki exertion tearing through his body. “You can’t claim I'm your dad... That’s just weird, man.”

Kagehira chuckled softly, a hint of amusement lighting his eyes as he advanced through splintered wood, the destruction around him seeming inconsequential. His axes remained sheathed, as he clearly didn't require them for whatever game he was playing.

“Relax,” Kagehira said lightly as if the tension in the air was only a minor inconvenience. “If I meant it literally, I’d be far more sentimental than this.”

Hajime’s breath faltered, laden with anger and confusion, and for just a moment, his grip on the situation slackened.

Kagehira noticed the shift in Hajime's demeanor.

“By the way, she’s alive,” Kagehira continued, his tone calm and conversational as if they were discussing the weather. “Unharmed. Likely reunited with Commander Rei Kurayami by now, assuming her resourcefulness holds true.”

The words hit Hajime not as a wave of relief, but like a physical blow to his gut.

Hajime’s humiliation ignited within him, hotter than any fear that threatened to consume him. “You used her,” he spat, his voice laced with accusation and pain.

Kagehira shrugged nonchalantly. “I used your focus. She was merely incidental to my plans,” he replied, a sharp smile slicing across his face. “You arrived precisely when I intended, after all.”

Hajime's fists tightened, his nails digging deep into his palms. Blood trickled down, sizzling softly as it met his pure Seiki.

He’s toying with you.

The voice rose unbidden.

You sense it now, don’t you? Adam pressed. That pressure isn’t mere rage. It’s dominance.

Hajime swallowed. “Don’t,” he muttered under his breath.

That figure before you, Adam continued relentlessly, isn’t simple corruption. It’s the legacy of my sins.

Images flickered behind Hajime’s eyes of past memories that weren't his. A man looming over another in a blood-soaked field. A scream severed. Hands trembling afterward, not from regret, but from the dawning horror of the act.

You know who he is, Adam said quietly.

Hajime’s knees nearly buckled at the realization of Kagehira being Cain's vessel.

Across the tavern, the last civilians were herded through the exits. Megumi slammed a door shut and braced it with her shoulder, her chest heaving. Shinji planted himself against a collapsing wall, his muscles straining to buy time for the stragglers.

Iovah advanced, feet planted firmly. “We’ll keep everyone safe in Five-Point Crossing,” he said to Hajime, voice steady despite blood trickling from his nose. “This fight is yours.”

Hajime ignored him and stepped forward to defend himself. Kagehira’s smile widened, his eyes alight with expectation. “There it is,” he murmured. “That expression. Adam wore it just before everything unraveled.”

Hajime’s teeth ground together. “Don’t speak of him like you truly know him. Your Will separated himself from Adam a long time ago.”

“Oh, I may not know him, but Cain remembers him perfectly,” Kagehira replied softly.

Something within Hajime shattered free.

Seiki erupted in an uncontrolled violent surge, a gold-silver light ripping through the tavern like a shockwave. Beams splintered, stones flew, and the air howled as pressure shredded materials in its path. Hajime roared, the sound torn from his core as blood sprayed from reopened wounds along his limbs, his body exacting its toll for unleashed power.

Pain blazed white-hot beneath his skin before sinking beneath adrenaline.

Kagehira laughed, not mockingly but appreciatively.

His own Seiki responded, a blood-dark pressure slamming forward.

The impact was cataclysmic, collapsing the floor between them into pulverized ruin.

Blood flowed from Kagehira's forearms, rising upward at his command. Blood was a tool for him; weapons were merely conduits for his power. He knew true power came from flesh and determination.

“Original Sin: Ketsugo,” Kagehira pronounced calmly.

The atmosphere warped around him. Hajime staggered, his boots sliding on the debris. His vision blurred, and veins bulged along his neck as Adam's presence surged within him, raw and furious.

This is what I created, Adam said, his voice faltering.

Hajime forced himself upright, blood dripping from his body already, eyes unwavering.

“Adam, I need you on my side here,” Hajime growled, Seiki thundering around him like a barely contained tempest. “I won’t replicate your mistake. I'll make sure he's finished this time.”

Kagehira's axes appeared in his hands, stained with blood. He lifted them slowly, savoring the moment.

"Oh," Kagehira said, the tension building until the walls seemed to scream. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to kill you, Father."

Two powers stood on the brink of collision, ready to answer the world’s first sin in blood.