Smoke crawled along the upper spires of Sun’s Headquarters, staining the white stone in slow-moving streaks of gray. The war hasn't reached this district yet, but the air felt contested.

  I had stood before these doors many times. As a Flame. As an honored guest. As a political necessity.

  Now I stood here as an invader.

  The sensation was different. Authority no longer shielded me. It opposed me.

  I let my senses extend outward.

  A shift of air registered behind me.

  I did not turn.

  The signature was familiar.

  “You got here quick.” I said.

  Footsteps approached over broken stone. Zhen came into view at my periphery, wiping blood from his hands with a handkerchief already soaked through. His breathing was steady. No visible injuries.

  “Yes, sir.” he replied. “Other than a few stragglers, there was nobody for me to fight.”

  Nobody?

  The Protection Force was assigned specifically to guard this district. Even weakened, they would not evaporate.

  I faced him now. “By stragglers, do you mean the Protection Force?”

  He nodded once. “Yes, sir. Kaguya and I handled them swiftly.”

  Kaguya.

  So he had entered the inner ring. That removed one variable.

  It left another.

  I narrowed my focus further outward, probing for familiar presences.

  Nothing distinct.

  “Did you sense Kaiguya?” I asked. “With an I?”

  Zhen discarded the ruined handkerchief. It fell among the rubble. “Kaiguya’s still on the outermost ring. Right now, he’s probably fighting his brother and his forces. Why do you ask? Should I help him?”

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  Kaiguya versus Kaiguro.

  Of all possible pairings, that one was... perfect.

  “No.” I answered, turning my gaze back to the towering doors. “I was worried Kaiguro would face someone else. I’m glad it’s Kaiguya.”

  Zhen tilted his head slightly. “Because of their relationship?”

  “Yes.” I said plainly. “Kaiguro won’t use his Praying Wind. Not properly. His pride won’t allow it—not against his own blood. He might at the last second, but his main goal is to beat his brother senselessly.”

  I covered my mouth suppressing laughter, but my grin widened regardless. “Those tribals, you know... get pretty worked up when it comes to family.”

  I let the shirtless man strike first. His fist collided with my jaw with enough force to fracture stone. I slackened my muscles at the moment of impact, dispersing the shock through my frame instead of resisting it. The blow landed clean.

  I answered with a right hook.

  His cheek collapsed inward, teeth scattering across broken dirt as his body hit the ground without ceremony.

  Silence followed for half a breath.

  Then the two Major Clans behind me erupted into a roar. Together, we had crushed the last of Kaiguro’s Fists. They were formidable warriors—disciplined, relentless. Alone, I would have been worn down eventually.

  I scanned the ruined district.

  Where is Kaiguro?

  He would not abandon his territory, or his trusted comrades.

  A distortion sliced through the corner of my vision.

  Instinct screamed.

  A violent blast of wind tore past me. The pressure alone lifted men from their feet. Bodies flew. Most of the army behind me collapsed instantly, unconscious or broken. Only the strongest managed to remain standing, staggering under the force.

  I knew that signature.

  “Brother...”

  Kaiguro stepped through the shattered city wall as if the devastation parted for him. One hand rested in his pocket. The other arm bulged, veins raised, muscles taut with restrained fury.

  His voice thundered across the rubble. “You dare approach my territory? Sun's capital city?! Mere Major Clans?!”

  His gaze locked onto me.

  Then to the corpses at my feet.

  Killing intent flooded outward, unrestrained and suffocating. His eyes hardened into blades.

  “Kaiguya...” he said coldly. “Did you do this?”

  He should already know. I’ve allied with Vellin. This confrontation was inevitable.

  I nodded mockingly.

  Something in him snapped.

  Kaiguro interlocked his fingers and lowered his head in prayer. The wind around him compressed, then detonated outward in layered gusts—far stronger than before. The remaining warriors behind me were erased from the fight in an instant.

  When the winds died down, I stood alone.

  How can I face that?

  Fear clawed at my spine despite myself.

  He released his stance and began walking toward me, deliberate and steady.

  “I won’t use Praying Wind against you.” he warned. “I need to teach you some manners the old fashioned way.”

  Even now, pride governed him. Perhaps a guided pride, but pride nonetheless.

  I clenched my fists. “Did you forget what manners the Elder taught you?”

  We closed the distance.

  His voice dropped to a hiss. “The Elder and our people died because of weakness. I won’t let that happen again.”

  He’s too far gone. Might makes right... what a trap.

  I raised my front leg, shifting my weight back, coiling for impact.

  We drove our fists forward at the same time. Our punches smashed into each other’s faces. Teeth cut into lips. Our foreheads nearly collided as we leaned into the blows, muscles trembling, teeth gritted.

  The time for words has passed!