Ryo Gaiden

Dokuro, Kamiya, and Kinjo reached the large wooden structure at the center of the tribe. Seeing that the number of guards at the door was twice as usual, Kinjo looked at Dokuro and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No problem; I only mentioned you, so they took extra precautions. But there's no harm coming to you; I told them you're an envoy" Dokuro reassured him, which helped Kinjo relax a bit.

When they entered, they came to a hall filled with the leaders of various clans and the elders who governed the village. It was a structure entirely made of wood from the inside out, resembling a small arena. The elders sat in a square formation, with the leaders in the center and the clan heads on the sides.

In the center, Kamiya, with Dokuro on his right and Kinjo on his left, looked toward Endo Naizen, the leader of the Naizen clan, whose hair was split into black and white. Dokuro began, "You may pay your respects to the tribe leader, Endo Naizen, Kinjo Kohei."

After Kinjo greeted the leader, he began to speak, "I—" but he stopped when he saw Endo raise his hand.

"I heard you want peace. What good will this peace do me? Will it bring back the people we lost? Can you bring me my son, Yasue? Can you bring him back?" he asked in a calm tone, which angered Kamiya, who clenched his fist.

"The ones who killed him were those who came from the city, not from the Yuki tribe!" Endo stood up, "What are you saying? Why would the people from the city do such a thing?"

Kamiya hesitated, knowing things would get complicated if he brought up Sato's situation. "Sato Ryo was also there at the time; we were fighting when two people suddenly appeared and attacked Yasue. His arm was severed, and he was thrown off a cliff. Then, they pulled Sato into another area, while I fought the one who attacked Yasue. Later, Sato returned to help me, and a third person appeared—he had three clones."

The crowd was astonished to hear the number of clones. "Even the elemental users of legend could only produce up to five clones. This number indicates immense power. There must be some mistake!" Endo couldn't hide his shock.

"No, I'm sure of what I saw. I looked at his energy with Seimei-sen; each clone was very strong. Normally, energy splits in half with each clone, but his clones retained full power. As you can see, we have far more powerful enemies, and we should focus on fighting them instead of each other."

Endo sat down and thought for a moment. "Even if peace were achieved, it wouldn't last long. So, making peace right now doesn't mean much; we still have enough resources to keep fighting."

Kamiya retorted sharply, "What more do you want, for me and your grandchildren to die? We need to unite against greater threats and establish a common village!"

Endo suddenly appeared in front of Kamiya and grabbed him by the throat. "What did you say, boy?! A common village? You want me to be in the same place as those traitors, the ones who killed your mother?"

Kamiya, struggling to speak, said, "You also killed Leader Hirabayashi's wife. What about that? There's always a reason to fight; it will never end until one of you dies."

Endo threw Kamiya down the corridor with one hand. Kamiya rolled and got back up, assuming a fighting stance. Dokuro approached Kinjo and whispered, "Stay close to me; if anything goes wrong, I'll get you out of here. It looks like he'll have to force the agreement."

Endo quickly lunged at Kamiya. Their fists collided, but Kamiya was clearly weaker. And Endo hadn't even begun to use his full strength yet. Kamiya was thrown back but activated his Seimei-sen eyes, allowing him to at least fight on equal footing with Endo—as long as Endo didn't activate his own eyes. Kamiya rushed forward and delivered a solid punch to Endo. Despite its power, the punch merely landed on Endo's face without eliciting any reaction.

"Is that all you've got? I raised you to be better than this. Because of your weaknesses, your brother died! It was all your fault." These words pierced Kamiya's pride and emotions as if stabbed by a spear. Endo grabbed Kamiya's right wrist with his left hand, twisted it, and delivered a powerful kick to his face. The sound was like a tree splintering; if anyone else had been in Kamiya's place, there'd be nothing left of their skull. After a brief blackout, Kamiya regained consciousness, blood streaming from his forehead and nose. Although the difference in strength wasn't overwhelming, Kamiya's emotional wounds left him feeling deeply guilty. He saw a memory flash before his eyes—a moment from his past with Yasue. They were playing tag in a creek, laughing together. Then Sato joined them, making their fun even greater… Couldn't those happy days have lasted longer? Peace and simplicity were what he sought, but instead, he was left with blood-stained hands.

When Kamiya reopened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a battlefield, with bodies split in two lying around, his blue armor covered in blood from head to toe, and the unending stench of blood filled his nostrils once more. If he lost this battle, he could envision what would happen. "Element Lightning: Call of the Storm." With pure murderous intent, he attacked his own father, fully aware it would likely shatter his twisted wrist and perhaps lead to both of their deaths. Electricity surged from his entire body, filling the hall and causing everyone else to flee to the farthest corners of the room. Endo simply stood there, as he had already achieved what he wanted from Kamiya. The intensifying lightning summoned huge bolts of thunder, filling the hall with violet and blue lights. When the sound and light faded, Endo lay on the ground. Kamiya, though barely able to stand, rose to his feet, every ounce of exhaustion weighing on him as he lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Sanda and Soma staring at him with tearful eyes. A voice from behind said, "You finally woke up, Kamiya. We must leave." Recognizing the voice as Kinjo's, Kamiya struggled to sit up, wincing from the pain. "I'm fine, kids. No need to cry. My father? What happened to him?" Kinjo smiled. "It's alright; you won the fight, and your father honored your request. The peace council was formed, with you as its head." Kamiya relaxed, finally feeling that those peaceful days he longed for didn't seem so impossible anymore. He thought of the broken wrist as a small sacrifice for something so significant. "Soma and Sanda, come along to the Yuki tribe; a change of scenery will do you both good."

Their sadness turned to joy. "At last, you're spending time with your kids," Endo said as he entered the room. Kamiya suddenly realized that this was Endo's bedroom—a place he rarely entered, only when his father was ill, and those occasions were always brief. The room was simply furnished, with a bedside table, a large bed, and a wardrobe. As Endo stepped inside, Kamiya noticed that his father had lost his right eye, and his face was scarred with burns and deep wounds. Yet, Endo stood before him as if feeling no pain, despite appearing just recently conscious himself. But Kamiya felt no pity, not even remorse for his father. "Why didn't you escape? You were strong enough to get away from it."

Endo clasped his hands behind his back in his crimson robe. "I wanted to see how far you'd go. Had I fought you seriously, it would have been a prolonged battle, and after losing one son, I couldn't afford to lose another." Kamiya's anger flared. "That's the problem—you say this without any tremor in your voice, as if it means nothing to you. Your coldness and ability to accept Yasue's death, just like when you did this to my mother—I've hated you since then, and now I feel nothing at all for you…not for my own father."

He thought these things but knew he couldn't say them out loud. Well, he could, but it wasn't the time or place. He stood up. "Let's get ready, then."

Meanwhile, in the Yuki village, Sato, Hirabayashi, and other clan leaders held a long meeting, discussing everything from where the village would be established to how it would operate. By morning, Sato hadn't been able to sleep, preoccupied with thoughts of what lay ahead. He hadn't seen his wife, Miki, for some time. Returning home, he shared the events with her, expecting her to be happy or supportive. Instead, he was taken aback by her indifferent and neutral reaction, which grated on his nerves.

Bothered by Miki's silence, Sato approached her. "Miki, we've dreamed of peace for years—a world where people live without losing their children or loved ones. Why are you so indifferent?" he asked. A shadow passed over Miki's eyes, and she stared vacantly into the distance. "Maybe, Sato…" she said slowly. "Rebuilding the village doesn't mean everything. Some things are not as simple as they seem."

Sato was stunned by her words, unaware of the secret that Miki harbored. Years ago, Miki had been assigned as a spy from the city, working undercover and leaking information like a mole. But when she discovered the power of the Pure Energy Egg, she kept the mission for herself, telling no one. This egg was powerful enough to influence all clans and their energies, and Miki had been waiting for the day she could seize it for herself.

Outside, a breeze stirred, and the sky began to darken. Miki approached Sato, took his hand, and led him out of the house. "Sato, let's take a walk. There may be some things I need to tell you…" she whispered, but deep in her heart, she knew this walk was far from friendly. Sato, unaware of the danger, followed her like an unsuspecting lamb.

When they reached a clearing among the trees, Miki suddenly turned to Sato and assumed a battle stance, gathering her energy. Seeing Miki standing before him with such determination, Sato looked at her in shock and disappointment. "Miki, what is the meaning of this?"

Sato's bewildered gaze met Miki's cold expression. She was finally ready to drop the last veil over her long-hidden identity. "All this time… you've lived in this village, dreaming of peace with these people, haven't you, Sato?" she said with a mocking smile. "But what you failed to see is that peace is weakness, and true power lies in having control over everything!"

Sato couldn't make sense of Miki's words. "You… You've endured the same pain as us, witnessed the same losses," he said, a deep disappointment in his eyes. "Where is this anger coming from?"

Miki shook her head, a dark glint in her eyes. "You don't understand, Sato. The ones who sent me here had a completely different purpose in mind for me. But then I learned of the Pure Energy Egg, and through it, I can control everything and everyone. I've hidden in the shadows all these years for this moment."

Sato froze under the weight of her words. The thought that the woman he loved and trusted could be the one behind all this chaos fueled a deep anger within him. "So, that's your goal," he said, his voice filled with fury. "But you'll pay the price for this betrayal."

Miki didn't show a moment's hesitation; her eyes were sharper than ever. "My purpose isn't to protect this village or the peace you dream of, Sato. I'll do whatever it takes to hold onto this power." With a swift movement, she channeled lightning energy from her hand and struck at Sato. He quickly retreated, feeling that Miki was much stronger than ever. This was the intense power of energy that had been hidden away for years.

As Sato assumed a battle stance and gathered his energy, he saw a ruthless determination in Miki's eyes. "It's hard to believe that the woman I loved could become such a merciless enemy," he murmured. But as he considered the harm her betrayal and hunger for this pure power could bring to the village, he cast aside all hesitation.

The two former lovers now stood facing each other as the deadliest of enemies. A fight was inevitable.

Sato resisted Miki's attacks with all his strength, but her advantage quickly began to show. As the sound of their battle echoed across the field, villagers gathered in curiosity. Out of the corner of his eye, Sato saw his father, the clan leaders, and his children. None of them could understand what was happening; this was a confrontation happening before everyone's eyes, one that would change everything.

Miki cornered Sato, knocking him to the ground with a powerful punch. Sato tried to get up, breathing heavily, but the lightning energy Miki unleashed was still reverberating through his body. She didn't let him regain his footing, pressing her knee into his stomach to keep him pinned. As he lay exhausted on the ground, Miki leaned in, her hand hovering over his stomach as if to pierce it, whispering, "Where is it, Sato? Where is the Pure Energy Egg?"

With a weary but proud smile, Sato replied, "You've lost, my love. I've already hidden it elsewhere. You'll never find it."

Miki's face flushed with anger, but she didn't lose her determination; a glint appeared in her eyes as she raised her hand and plunged it into Sato's stomach. Pain was evident on Sato's face, but he held onto Miki tightly. At that moment, Kamiya, Kinjo, and others pushed through the crowd, arriving at the scene. Everyone was in shock, especially Riki. With teary eyes, Sato looked at Kamiya and said, "Please… take care of Riki."

With his final request, Sato gathered all his energy for one last move. "Wood Element: Sealed Coffin!" he shouted. Realizing the danger, Miki quickly withdrew her hand and jumped back, but it was too late. Sato's seal, drawing on nature's energy, began to surround them. Kamiya made a move to help, but Kinjo stopped him. "It's too late now… Once the seal starts, it won't stop until the enemy is contained. Sato will survive until the seal completes, but in the end, both of them will be sealed."

Miki continued to fight with all her might, trying desperately to escape the seal, but her energy was depleting fast. Just as the seal was about to capture her, she suddenly shouted, "Tiger!" Her shout caused confusion among the crowd; no one understood what she meant. Finally, Miki and Sato were sealed inside a giant wooden coffin grown from nature itself. Ancient symbols and shapes appeared on the coffin's surface.

Riki, watching everything unfold, stood frozen in horror. Unable to accept the disappearance of his father and Miki, he let out a scream and ran toward the forest. Kamiya and Kinjo immediately chased after him. After a while, they found Riki, collapsed and distraught, and calmed him down before bringing him back.

Days later, the people of the Yuki tribe gathered at the tribe's center. They assembled to discuss the future of the village and the new order to be established after this tragic event. Sato's sacrifice and the recent events signaled the beginning of a new era of peace, but a deep sorrow and cautious hope for the future filled everyone's hearts.