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  Chapter 29: Taida**

  #### **Part I: Shadows on the Horizon**

  Dusk fell over Neversand like a blood-red curtain descending upon the city. Atop the castle tower, Soken and Kaien watched the horizon, where a cloud of dust was slowly approaching. It was not a natural storm—it was something much worse.

  "They are coming," Soken said, his voice heavy with tension. Through his connection with Kaien, he could feel the malevolence approaching like a wave of darkness.

  Kaien roared softly, his black scales shining under the golden light of the Golden Tree.

  — *They are not just ordinary soldiers. There is something... corrupted about them.*

  "Taida," Soken murmured. "And Skull."

  In the training field below, Yuzuki abruptly stopped his exercises. Amok materialized beside him, not as an ethereal presence, but as a physical, tangible figure. The Kugutsu was a terrifying sight—a hooded silhouette wrapped in a cloak of black feathers that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Its green eyes glowed like incandescent emeralds under the hood, and in its right hand, a green spectral sword pulsed with a sinister energy.

  "You feel it too," Amok said, his voice echoing both in Yuzuki's mind and in the physical air. "The corruption approaches."

  Yuzuki nodded, his single hand instinctively going to the Book of Faust strapped to his belt.

  "How many?"

  "Many," Amok replied, twirling his spectral sword in a fluid motion. "But it is not the number that worries me. It is the quality."

  "Taida has two Kugutsu," Yuzuki said, remembering Gotier's words. "That should be impossible."

  "It should," Amok agreed. "But Taida has always been... exceptional at breaking rules."

  #### **Part II: Memories of Betrayal**

  Yuzuki closed his eyes, letting the pages of the Book of Faust glow with ancient memories. Taida was born into the powerful Saltari family of the Salt Clan, where his friend Tomo—Gaz's brother—served as leader and mentor. Still young, however, Taida longed for the freedom that only Pangea offered; he saw the Golden Tree as a symbol of this emancipation. He understood that, under the rule of the King of Kugutsu Island, he would live eternally imprisoned—and that his parents, being close relatives of the traitor, would suffer cruel punishments. In a gesture as brutal as it was desperate, Taida killed his father and mother to spare them this fate.

  Next, he arranged a private meeting with Tomo. When the clan leader let his guard down, Taida applied his *Shinkō Level S* technique—the supreme form of breaking and forging Kugutsu bonds—tearing Tomo's Kugutsu from him and taking it for himself. With that, he fled to Pangea, engraving the pain of betrayal in the mind of Gaz—now the new leader of the Salt Clan. The result was the current abomination: Taida became master of two corrupted Kugutsu, forged by the Kanji rituals. And, although he mastered the art of *Genkai* to subjugate his own Kugutsu into absolute obedience, his soul would never find true freedom.

  "He has become something beyond normal corruption," Yuzuki murmured, opening his eyes. "A man who sacrificed family, honor, and humanity in the name of a dream."

  Amok nodded, his voice echoing in Yuzuki's mind:

  — *And that is why we must face Taida with all our strength.*

  #### **Part III: Council of War**

  In the rebuilt castle library, the group gathered for what they all knew could be their last meeting. The tension between Gotier and Yuzuki was still palpable, but there was a greater urgency now that forced cooperation. Nina had healed most of the wounds from the previous confrontation, but the emotional scars remained. Akari stood beside Yuzuki, with Zyon partially materialized behind her like a protective shadow. Zeke checked his weapons, *Rupture* glowing with a faint blue light. Gotier kept his distance, Don'yoku constantly whispering in his mind.

  "Report," Yuzuki said, his voice sharp and professional.

  Soken stepped forward.

  "Skull is less than an hour from the city. We estimate between fifty and one hundred mercenaries, but the quality is superior to anything we have ever faced."

  "And Taida?"

  "At the center of the formation. Kaien managed to glimpse... something. Two dark presences beside him. His Kugutsu."

  Gotier frowned.

  "How did he get two? That should be impossible."

  Yuzuki opened the Book of Faust, its pages glowing with golden light.

  "According to Faust's records, Taida developed the technique called *Shinkō*, Level S, I presume. He not only stole Tomo's Kugutsu—he uses *Genkai* against his own allies."

  "That is an abomination," Nina whispered.

  "Yes," Yuzuki agreed. "And that is exactly why he is so dangerous."

  Akari stepped forward.

  "Master, my *Shinkō* techniques can break Kugutsu bonds. Perhaps I can..."

  "No," Yuzuki interrupted. "Taida is not an ordinary Kugutsu user. He has mastery over *Shinkō* and *Genkai*. Trying to break his bonds could be dangerous... I will do it, I got Amok by stealing from someone, just as Taida did."

  The silence that followed was heavy.

  "So, what's the plan?" Zeke asked.

  Yuzuki looked at each member of the group.

  "We survive. We protect the city. And if possible... we stop Taida before he destroys everything."

  #### **Part IV: Patient Observers**

  In the tavern in the Low Quarter, Minamino watched the commotion from the window. Dare sat in silence, his expression darker than usual.

  "Skull has arrived," Minamino observed. "Sooner than we expected."

  "Does this change our plans?" Dare asked.

  "No," Minamino smiled. "In fact, it improves them. Let Taida and Yuzuki face each other first. When both are weakened..."

  "We attack," Dare completed, but there was reluctance in his voice.

  Minamino noticed the hesitation.

  "Does something bother you, Dare?"

  The iron giant was silent for a moment.

  "Taida is not like us. He is... corrupted. If he wins..."

  "He won't win," Minamino said, confidently. "Yuzuki is stronger than he looks. And if by chance Taida does win... well, we'll deal with him too."

  Dare nodded, but the concern remained in his eyes.

  "Gaz is a leader and a powerful person, if we kill or capture Taida, we gain points with him and support... besides, Yuzuki killed the leader of the Alkali Clan and his right-hand man, we must avenge the deaths of Alkaraz and Yuri." A pleasant smile appeared on Minamino's face.

  Dare, looking at his companion, felt that at that moment he was even crueler than he had imagined.

  #### **Part V: The Arrival of Skull**

  The first shadows of Skull appeared on the hills around Neversand like specters emerging from hell. They were not ordinary soldiers—they were war-hardened mercenaries, each a veteran of dozens of battles. But there was something more, something that made the air around them vibrate with malevolence. At the center of the formation, a figure stood out. Taida was tall and thin, but there was a presence about him that made the space around him seem distorted. His hair was white as bone, his eyes were two black holes that seemed to suck in the light. He wore ornate black armor with red runes that pulsed like exposed veins.

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  But the most terrifying were the two figures flanking Taida. His Kugutsu. To his right was Malphas, a creature that had been Taida's original Kugutsu. Now corrupted by the Kanji rituals, it was a mass of shadows and tentacles that constantly changed shape, as if it could not decide what horror to be. To his left was Bael, the Kugutsu stolen from his dead friend. Where Malphas was chaos, Bael was perverse order—a hooded humanoid figure carrying a scythe that dripped black blood.

  "Neversand," Taida said, his voice echoing through the city like a poisonous whisper. "Finally! I will meet the one who killed Alkaraz, Yuri, and Kerchack!"

  #### **Part VI: Final Preparations**

  In the castle, the defenders made their final preparations. Yuzuki had distributed strategic positions, using his knowledge of the Book of Faust to anticipate Taida's tactics, but Skull was an unpredictable enemy.

  "Akari, you and Zyon stay in the rear," he instructed. "Your anti-Kugutsu techniques will be crucial, but only when we are sure what we are facing. If it is beyond what I imagined, I will resolve it alone and you will protect the city."

  "Understood, Master," Akari replied, with Zyon fully materializing behind her. The Cursed Warrior was an impressive sight—2.10 meters tall, flowing white hair, crystalline eyes without pupils shining with blue light. His crow's cloak billowed even without wind, and the living chainsaw in his hands emitted a low, threatening roar.

  "Zeke, you and I will face Taida directly," Yuzuki continued. "Gotier..."

  "I'll take care of the mercenaries," Gotier said, Don'yoku already whispering strategies in his mind. "And I'll keep any enemy away from you."

  "You are a good person, Gotier, remember that," Nina's hand on Gotier's back.

  "I know," Gotier replied. "Sorry, Nina."

  Soken and Kaien landed on the library balcony.

  "The city's defenses are ready," Soken reported. "The civilians are in the underground shelters."

  "Good," Yuzuki said. "Because this is going to get very ugly, very fast."

  #### **Part VII: The First Move**

  Taida wasted no time with speeches or ultimatums. He simply raised his hand, and Skull began to move. The mercenaries descended the hills on their horses in an avalanche of steel and death. But they did not come in traditional military formation—they came as predators, each choosing their own path, their own prey.

  "Malphas," Taida said, and the shadow Kugutsu expanded, covering half the night sky like a living cloud of nightmares.

  "Bael," he continued, and the scythe Kugutsu disappeared, only to reappear in the center of the city, its blade already cutting through the first defenses.

  In the castle, Yuzuki felt the wave of malevolence hit him like a physical punch.

  "Amok," he said, "it's time."

  — *Finally* — Amok replied, his physical form solidifying completely. The hooded Kugutsu twirled its spectral sword, the green blade leaving trails of light in the air. — *Let's show them what we learned from Kerchack.*

  #### **Part VIII: Battle in the Streets**

  The first confrontation took place in the streets of the Low Quarter. A group of Skull mercenaries encountered a barricade defended by citizens of Neversand. What should have been a quick massacre turned into something very different. The citizens fought with a ferocity that surprised even the veterans of Skull. They had seen what Yuzuki and his allies could do, had felt hope for the first time in years. They were not going to give up easily. But the mercenaries were professionals. Slowly and methodically, they began to break through the defenses.

  That's when Gotier arrived.

  "Inner Seal Release: Don'yoku!" he roared, his transformation illuminating the entire street with golden light.

  The Demon of Envy manifested around Gotier as an aura of divine lightning. His eyes shone with celestial power, and when he moved, it was as if a god of war had descended to earth.

  "Spear of Judgment!" he shouted, conjuring an electrical spear that pierced three mercenaries at once.

  The Skull survivors retreated, but did not flee. They were too professional for that.

  "Interesting," a voice said behind Gotier.

  He turned to find Dare emerging from the shadows, his skin already glowing with a metallic luster.

  "Overload," Dare said, simply, and absorbed all the metal from the fallen weapons around him. His strength visibly increased.

  "So this is how it's going to be," Gotier murmured.

  "This is how it has to be," Dare replied, and attacked.

  #### **Part IX: Dance of Shadows**

  While Gotier and Dare clashed in the streets, Yuzuki and Amok ran across the rooftops toward the city center, where Bael was causing destruction. The scythe Kugutsu was a nightmarish sight—a three-meter-tall hooded figure, carrying a blade that cut not just flesh and bone, but reality itself. Wherever the scythe touched, space tore, leaving black wounds in the air.

  — *Dankai*: Wall of Sin! — Yuzuki shouted, trying to break the connection between Bael and Taida.

  But the technique ricocheted. Bael was not an ordinary Kugutsu—its bond with its Master was too strong to be broken so easily, a part of Taida's very essence.

  — *This won't work* — Amok said, leaping from one rooftop to another beside Yuzuki. — *We need to weaken Taida, then the connection will be broken.*

  "Then we'll have to do it the hard way," Yuzuki replied.

  They attacked together, a perfect duo. Yuzuki with his sword and *Dankai* techniques, Amok with his spectral blade and supernatural speed. It was like watching a deadly dance, each movement perfectly coordinated. But Bael was too powerful. Each swing of its scythe forced them to retreat, each movement created more destruction around them.

  "We need help," Yuzuki admitted.

  As if he had heard, Zeke appeared in a flash of blue light, *Rupture* glowing in his hands.

  "*Rupture* Skill: Convergence!" he shouted, making his sword hover and converge toward Bael.

  The resulting explosion lit up the entire city.

  #### **Part X: The True Horror**

  But when the light dissipated, Bael was still standing. Wounded, but not defeated. And then, a laugh echoed through the city. Taida had arrived.

  "Impressive," he said, his voice carried by the wind. "You've really grown since our last... interaction."

  Yuzuki turned to find Taida standing on top of a nearby building, Malphas billowing around him like a living storm of shadows.

  "Taida," Yuzuki said, his voice heavy with an ancient hatred.

  "Yuzuki," Taida replied, smiling. "Still carrying that stolen book, I see. Faust would be so... disappointed."

  "Faust is dead," Yuzuki said, coldly.

  "Yes," Taida agreed. "By your hands. Just like so many others. Do you really think you're different from me?"

  "I don't sacrifice innocents for power," Yuzuki retorted.

  Taida laughed.

  "Don't you? What about Stallo's family? And Aygon's daughter? How many 'necessary sacrifices' have you made, Yuzuki?"

  The words hit like daggers. Yuzuki felt Mao stir in his mind, fueled by guilt and anger.

  — **He's right** — Mao whispered. — **You are exactly like him.**

  — *No* — Amok said, firmly. — *You fight to protect. He kills for pleasure.*

  "The difference is smaller than you think," Taida said, leaping from the building. Malphas followed him, enveloping him like a living armor of shadows.

  When Taida landed, the impact created a crater in the ground. His two Kugutsu flanked him, Malphas billowing like black smoke, Bael twirling its scythe in hypnotic movements.

  "Come," Taida said, extending his arms. "Show me what you have learned."

  #### **Part XI: Convergence**

  Meanwhile, in other parts of the city, other battles were unfolding. Akari and Zyon faced a group of elite mercenaries, the Cursed Warrior's living chainsaw roaring as it cut through armor as if it were paper. Zyon's crystalline eyes shone with an intense blue light, and his crow's cloak billowed dramatically with each movement.

  — *Devil Trigger!* — Akari shouted, and Zyon transformed, his aura changing from blue to a lava-red.

  The living chainsaw became even more ferocious, its screams echoing through the night. Soken and Kaien flew over the city, the young man using his draconic connection to coordinate the defenses. Kaien breathed green fire, creating barriers of flames that forced the mercenaries into specific routes. Nina ran among the wounded, her healing abilities working beyond their limit to keep the defenders on their feet. And at the center of it all, Gotier and Dare continued their titanic battle, golden lightning clashing with the brute force of iron.

  #### **Part XII: The Moment of Truth**

  Yuzuki, Amok, and Zeke positioned themselves in a triangular formation around Taida. The air around the traitor vibrated with malevolence, his two Kugutsu creating an aura of terror that distorted reality.

  "Three against three," Taida observed. "How... balanced."

  "You don't understand," Yuzuki said, opening the Book of Faust. The pages glowed with an intense golden light. "I have studied you. I know your techniques, your weaknesses. Faust did a good job of writing everything about you."

  "You disappoint me, do you think everything I know is in there? And I know yours," Taida retorted. "After all, who do you think went after Kerchack's body? Damn, I studied every detail of that fight."

  Yuzuki's blood ran cold.

  "Damn."

  "Faust was a hypocrite, before he became leader of the Alkali Clan, he did worse things than I ever did and against his own people," Taida smiled. "Everything he knew was learned by abusing pain. And everything you learned from him... shows that you are no different from me or Faust."

  Malphas expanded, covering the sky like a cloud of nightmares. Bael twirled its scythe, cutting the air and leaving black wounds in reality.

  "Now," Taida said, "let me show you what a true Kugutsu can do."

  The battle that followed would make the earth tremble and the sky weep. And somewhere in the shadows, Minamino watched everything, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move. The storm had come to Neversand. And before it was over, nothing would be the same.