Chapter Title: The Cry of Ash and Ink
The monstrous jaws of Maz Thar Zul—Hirito's ink-stained beast—finally clamped shut, its gaping void now sealed in silence. From the gloom of its shadow, the Inkbound Warden, known only as the Antlered Shade, lifted its massive hand toward the sky. Its fingers, long as spears and twisted with dripping ink, spread open like a god about to cast judgment.
Rajesh burned with defiance.
His body became a beacon of flames—blazing feathers bursting from his back, swirling into wings of legend. The transformation was instant. His form melted into myth, his skin glowing as fire wrapped around him.
Phoenix Cloak Mode.
A fiery bird reborn.
"Jayesh!" Rajesh called mid-transformation, his voice layered with heat and reverb. "This one's a real threat. No holding back anymore"
Jayesh, calm and centered, stood with folded arms. "I know," he replied softly. "And he's yet to summon most of his S-Ranked or more creatures ."
Rajesh grinned. "I see… Then I'll go in for the kill before he gets the chance to do so."
"Wait," Jayesh warned, raising a hand.
Rajesh paused, sensing the gravity in Jayesh's tone.
"Your flames—they're not burning the way they used to."
Rajesh looked down, momentarily puzzled, then smiled—a bittersweet, resolute expression. "That's because… the Phoenix is passing on. But that means—" he clenched his fists as fire roared around him—"I can use the rest of its energy freely, without it draining me. I'm free, Jayesh."
Then—
WHOOSH!!
A streak of majestic flame carved the sky as Rajesh took flight, wings spread wide, a comet of destruction streaking across the heavens. The Antlered Shade swung its elongated arm like a guillotine, aiming to swat him down from the sky. Rajesh twisted midair, dodging with perfect control, diving low and then arching upward. His momentum carried him past the creature's face, where he unleashed a fiery punch to its jaw.
THOOM!
The blow staggered the beast, reeling it back.
Hovering high above, Rajesh extended his arm to the heavens.
"Shen Transformation: Phoenix."
His face began to shift. Features morphed—his mouth elongated into a sharp beak, his eyes burned golden red. The sky trembled with heat.
On the ground, Jayesh acted.
"Light Body Technique: Weightless Movement."
Ssssshh!
Steam zipped from his limbs. His form blurred. The world slowed as he accelerated—past Hirito, fingers aimed like daggers, striking his shoulder with perfect accuracy.
THWIP!
Hirito grunted as his body jolted. He recognized it instantly—Shen Blocking.
His eyes went wide. "He's trying to seal my Shen—!"
Jayesh vanished again. In a flash, he reappeared behind Hirito, delivering two more pinpoint strikes to the base of his spine.
Panic flickered through Hirito's face.
"I have to use it now," he muttered.
He raised his arm.
"Maz Thar Zul!"
The monster howled as its tentacles unraveled, slithering into the sky, then plunged downward like a storm of black spears. Each tendril glinted with sharp ink tips.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
They rained down like godly harpoons, forcing Jayesh to retreat—dodging through streaks of piercing darkness. The Maz Thar Zul descended once more, floating above Hirito protectively, a spectral shield born of nightmare.
Meanwhile, Rajesh twisted midair again—dodging another crushing blow from the Antlered Shade—and opened his fiery beak.
"KAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The Cry of the Phoenix erupted from his throat.
A wave of vibrational force, tinged with ancient Shen, blasted forward in a fiery pulse.
SKKKKKRRRRRAAASH!!
A piercing, sonic Phoenix Cry exploded from his lungs, sending a shockwave barreling through the air, the scream tore a massive hole through the Antlered Shade, ripping it apart from the inside out. Ink burst like black blood, and the creature crumbled into fragments of shadow.
But Rajesh wasn't done.
He turned to Hirito and released the cry again—the flaming sonic wave tore toward the Maz Thar Zul like a solar hurricane.
BOOOOOM!!!
The blast annihilated the creature. Its form splattered apart in smoke and shrieks, shielding Hirito just in time from the blast and took the entire attack protecting Hirito but the force still sent him hurtling like a ragdoll.
CRAAASH!!
Hirito smashed through the side of a building and fell to the ground.
Groaning, he lifted his broken arm, blood streaming from his temple.
"My hand… is broken," he chuckled through clenched teeth. "That bastard Cry Baby… If I get hit by that again, I'm done for."
But even as pain gripped him, his eyes remained defiant.
"I've still got… some drawings left."
Rajesh and Jayesh were already on the move.
Rajesh descended with flame building in his palms. Jayesh blurred beside him, zipping like lightning across the field.
Rajesh struck first—FWOOSH!!—launching a fireball toward Hirito, who desperately raised his bag as to avoid it getting burnt
The flames scorched his legs as he leapt backward, boots smoking.
But—
"Too slow," came Jayesh's voice behind him.
"Shi—?!"
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Jayesh unleashed a flurry of strikes midair—each pinpointing pressure points along Hirito's body.
The Thirty-Two Needle Technique.
With every hit, Hirito's body jerked. The final blow connected—
WHAAAM!!
He was launched into a light pole, electric wires snapping and crackling down around him.
Sparks rained.
Rajesh landed beside Jayesh, Phoenix flames still blazing across his form.
"Did you get him?" Rajesh asked.
Jayesh nodded. "Complete strike. He's done—"
But something was wrong.
Hirito lay broken… yet smiling.
The final strike had landed on a decoy point. He'd sacrificed control of that area earlier, allowing a sliver of Shen to remain accessible.
He coughed blood, pushing himself up with a limp leg.
"You… maggots… broke both my arms," he spat, eyes wild with rage. "You—I'll kill you!"
His bag fell.
Two scrolls tumbled out, unraveling in the wind.
Jayesh stepped forward. "Force your Shen now, and it'll kill you. You're sealed. Help us, and maybe… you'll find redemption."
Hirito stared at him… and laughed.
"Redemption?"
He raised a bloody hand.
"Inkbound Release: Special Tier."
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The scrolls exploded—white smoke consumed everything. Vision vanished in fog.
Meanwhile, in the Seoul facility…
Kazuki stood quietly, his hands raised slightly in mock surrender.
"I don't know who this 'Sparta' is… but it's clear he's pissed you off."
Mujin didn't reply.
His face twisted in grief, rage, and something else—resolve.
"Restricting Order: Roman Cube – Rapid Blast."
ZOOOOOM!!
Seven orbs, glowing blue with Roman numerals, exploded forward in a perfect arc.
Kazuki danced through them—dodging one, two, three, four—
"Was that it?" he smirked.
But behind him—
WHIRRRRRR!!!
The orbs merged into one, forming a colossal cube of blue light.
"Engage Roman Cube." Mujin said
BANG!!!
It snapped shut around Kazuki from behind, trapping him in mid-sentence.
Elsewhere.
A secret chamber. Dim lights. Marble floor stained in crimson.
Silas stepped forward, sliding a sealed black box across a stone table toward Huey.
"It was too easy," Silas said, licking the blood off his knuckles.
Huey chuckled. "You've done well. Rest. We leave together soon."
Huey blinked. "Where's Jabo?"
Silas shrugged. "Probably dead."
And he was right.
In Washington D.C., the ruins of the last battlefield still smoked.
The mighty trident of Madagascar had skewered Jabo, disintegrating him in a final, icy blast.
But it came at a terrible cost.
Tito… was caught in the explosion earlier set by Jabo And he was dead.