The sky had turned a strange shade of gray as Kazuha stood at the cliff's edge, staring at the dark shape growing on the horizon. Storm clouds gathered low, but it wasn't thunder that rumbled in the distance—it was cannon fire.
Below him, villagers scrambled through the port town of Shellshade, hurrying to secure what they could. Bells rang. Militiamen gripped old rifles, most of them ex-Marines or fishermen turned defenders after the fall of Dorin. Fear hung heavy in the air, thicker than the mist rolling in from the sea.
Lysara came running up the incline, rifle strapped across her back, her eyes scanning the water. "It's him," she said, already knowing the answer. "Blacktooth."
Kazuha nodded slowly. "He moves faster than expected."
"His fleet wasn't supposed to reach us for another day," she muttered, brushing her wind-tangled hair from her face. "He must've pushed through the storms at full speed."
A second cannon burst echoed in the distance. This time, it wasn't a warning shot. Smoke began to rise from the far edge of the harbor.
Kazuha looked down at his hand. The wind licked at the blue ribbon tied around the hilt of his katana. His grip tightened.
"System Sync: 54%."
"Major Combat Encounter Imminent."
Enemy Commander Identified: Dread Captain Blacktooth
"Battlefield Modifier Active – Civilian Risk High."
"Skill Sync In Progress – Shunko Integration: 34%."
By the time Kazuha reached the port, the first ships had already docked.
Blacktooth's men stormed onto the wharf like a plague: brutal, massive brutes with patchwork armor and faces twisted in cruel delight. They moved like beasts, howling and smashing, torching buildings even before they'd finished disembarking.
Screams tore through the air. Shellshade's defenders clashed with the invaders at every corner, but it was clear they were being overwhelmed. These weren't mere pirates. They were trained killers.
Kazuha stepped through the smoke with his blade drawn and calm burning in his chest. He took in the battlefield with a quick glance—civilians herded like cattle, a few defenders bleeding out in the street, and near the harbor tower stood a giant of a man, hammering orders as his axe glinted in the firelight.
Blacktooth.
Eight feet tall. Half of his lower jaw was iron-wrought, with spikes jutting from the edges like some twisted predator's maw. His body was wrapped in chains and scars, and he carried a massive anchor-shaped cleaver slung over his shoulder.
"Which one of you pissants is Kazuha?!" he bellowed. "Come out, little sword boy! Time for judgment, yeah? I want to see what cuts you bleed!"
Kazuha stepped into the square without hesitation. The fire behind him cast his silhouette long and sharp.
"I'm here."
Blacktooth turned, and when his eyes landed on him, his grin split wider. "Well, well. You really do like making entrances."
Before Kazuha could move, five pirates surged toward him from the right—each armed with crude blades and blood-soaked grins.
The first one lunged—swinging high.
Flash Step. Kazuha vanished.
He reappeared just behind the man, blade half-drawn.
Phantom Draw.
The pirate's body dropped, bloodless at first—until the delayed spray of red burst from his side. The second attacker screamed and charged wildly.
Kazuha let him come.
His blade met the pirate's sword in a single stroke, shearing through metal and bone alike. He pivoted low, sweeping the leg of the third man and driving his elbow into the pirate's throat as he fell.
The fourth and fifth circled warily.
Too slow.
Shunko – Thunder Veil.
Kazuha's cloak rippled as his spiritual pressure exploded outward. Lightning crackled along his limbs, soft at first, then sharp—veins of white-blue static streaking through the air. He moved between them like wind.
One struck.
Kazuha caught the blow on his arm, the impact fizzing against his shroud of energy. He retaliated with a flicker-step, elbowing the man in the sternum hard enough to lift him off his feet. The other turned to run—only to be caught by a sweeping arc of Getsuga Tenshō, the blade's energy blast cleaving through the pier like a meteor.
Lysara fired from above, her rifle spitting thunder across the battlefield. "They're swarming the east side!" she shouted. "You go for Blacktooth—I'll cover the civilians!"
Kazuha didn't respond, but he didn't need to.
He was already moving.
He met Blacktooth at the center of the flaming plaza.
The pirate king's blade came down in a thunderous arc, powerful enough to crater stone. Kazuha parried it by angling his katana and shifting his weight—not matching the force, but redirecting it. The ground beneath him cracked.
"You're fast," Blacktooth growled, wrenching his cleaver free. "But let's see how long you can dance!"
He charged again, swinging wide. Kazuha ducked low, his blade scraping against the massive anchor-sword as sparks flew.
Blacktooth's strength was monstrous—but his moves were predictable.
Kazuha landed a clean cut across the man's ribs, drawing blood. Blacktooth roared in rage, backhanding him with the force of a cannonball. Kazuha crashed into a barrel, shattering wood and splinters.
His ribs screamed. He stood anyway.
"System Sync: 58%."
"Vital Threshold Reached – Unlocking Emergency Combat Mode."
Skill Unlocked: Thunder Veil Stage II – Pulse Arc
Effect: Temporarily increases kinetic output by 300% for five seconds. All movements generate lightning discharge.
Kazuha stepped forward, his body coated in white-blue arcs of power. The air rippled around him, his eyes steady, cold—but alive.
Blacktooth sneered, raising his sword. "You think some fancy sparks are gonna save you?!"
Kazuha disappeared.
Flash Step → Pulse Arc.
He reappeared in front of Blacktooth and struck.
One slash.
Two.
Three.
Each strike hit like thunder—crashing against Blacktooth's armor, cracking it open. The final blow landed directly across his chest, sending the pirate flying through a wall.
The crowd watching from behind scattered, silence falling across the docks.
Blacktooth groaned, trying to rise. Blood leaked from his jaw, one eye swollen shut.
Kazuha walked forward, blade pointed low.
Blacktooth spat, blood trailing down his chin. "What the hell are you?"
Kazuha didn't answer. He raised his sword.
And brought it down.
The cleaver shattered.
The pirate didn't rise again.
When the smoke finally cleared and the invaders fled back to their ruined ships, the only sound left was the crackle of fires being extinguished and the low hum of the sea returning to its rhythm.
Kazuha stood at the center of it all, lightning still flickering along his arms, breath slow and even.
Lysara approached with a limp, covered in dust and blood, but grinning through it. "That was... one hell of a show."
"You get the civilians out?" he asked, still catching his breath.
"All of them," she said, then looked past him. "He's dead?"
Kazuha nodded.
She let out a low breath. "Then Shellshade lives another day."
"System Sync: 62%."
Major Boss Defeated: Blacktooth
Reward Unlocked: Lightning Style – Pulse Crescent Slash
Technique Highlight: Combines Getsuga Tenshō with Thunder Veil's kinetic pulse for enhanced arc-cleave destruction.
"Bond Update – Lysara Affection: 44%."
"Title Earned: Defender of Shellshade"
The town lit lanterns that night not to mourn, but to endure.
Not because their wounds had healed, but because they still had the strength to stand.
Kazuha sat at the edge of the rebuilt harbor, eyes half-closed, his sword resting across his knees. For a brief moment, the wind felt gentle. The stars looked clear. And the silence wasn't painful anymore.
It was peaceful.
For now.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!