The wind howled through the battlefield, carrying with it the stench of scorched earth and the distant cries of the wounded. The remnants of battle lay scattered across the land—bodies of fallen warriors, shattered weapons, and the lingering embers of jutsu that had burned through the night. Shin Noragetsu stood at the precipice of a jagged cliff, his Abyss Eye glowing faintly as he surveyed the devastation below.
The battle against the Void Cult had ended, but victory was far from assured. The enemy had retreated into the shadows, leaving behind destruction and uncertainty. Yet, something felt off. The air was thick with an unnatural stillness, a silence that did not belong on a battlefield. Shin's instincts screamed at him—this was not over.
A ragged cough broke the stillness. His gaze snapped toward the sound. Beneath the rubble of a collapsed building, a lone warrior struggled to free himself. His armor was dented and smeared with blood, but Shin recognized the insignia on his shoulder—the Land of Iron. A fellow samurai.
Shin strode forward, kneeling beside the wounded man. He grasped the warrior's arm and pulled him free with a sharp tug. The man groaned, his face contorted in pain, but his eyes widened with recognition.
"Shin… You're alive…" he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
Shin gave a curt nod. "What happened?"
The man coughed, blood staining his lips. "It was an ambush. The Void Cult… they knew our movements, our strategies. It was as if they could see into our minds."
Shin's jaw clenched. This was no ordinary battle—this was calculated. But how? Had the Void Cult discovered a way to predict their tactics? Or was there a traitor among them?
Footsteps approached from behind. Shin turned to see Hana, her face streaked with dirt and sweat. Her kunai was still drawn, her stance tense. "Shin, we have a problem," she said. "Tenka's forces didn't just retreat. They're regrouping… and they found something."
Shin frowned. "What do you mean?"
She pointed toward the horizon. In the distance, a massive rift pulsed with eerie, swirling darkness. Unlike the unstable portals they had encountered before, this one was different—larger, more refined, and radiating an overwhelming sense of power.
"They're feeding it chakra," Hana continued, her voice grim. "They're trying to keep it open."
A sharp gust of wind blew past them, carrying whispers—faint, unintelligible voices that sent a chill down Shin's spine. This was no ordinary portal. If the Void Cult had gained control over dimensional rifts, then their true war had only just begun.
"We can't let them stabilize it," Shin said, his voice firm. "If they succeed, who knows what they'll bring through?"
Hana nodded. "What's the plan?"
Shin turned to the remaining warriors. "We don't have the numbers for a full assault. We need precision. A small team will infiltrate their ranks and disrupt the chakra flow. If we can sever their connection to the rift, it might collapse on its own."
A murmur spread through the group. One of the remaining samurai stepped forward. "A suicide mission, then?"
Shin met his gaze. "Only if we fail."
The plan was set. As night fell, Shin, Hana, and two elite warriors moved under the cover of darkness. The Void Cult's encampment loomed ahead, torches lining the perimeter, their eerie glow casting long, flickering shadows. Cultists stood in formation, their hands weaving intricate seals, maintaining the rift's pulsating energy.
Shin crouched behind a boulder, watching. "They're too focused on the ritual. If we take out their leader first, the whole structure might collapse."
Hana nodded, gripping her kunai. "Then let's not waste time."
The team split up. Moving like specters, they slipped through the enemy ranks, silencing guards with precise strikes. Shin's Abyss Eye flickered as he locked onto the lead cultist—a tall figure clad in black robes, his hands moving in rhythmic patterns, feeding dark energy into the portal.
Shin didn't hesitate. In a single swift motion, he lunged forward, katana slicing through the air. The cultist barely had time to react before steel met flesh. A choked gasp escaped his lips as his chakra link was severed.
The reaction was immediate. The rift pulsed violently, its edges distorting. A deep, guttural roar emanated from within, and the ground trembled beneath them.
"It's collapsing!" Hana shouted.
The cultists scrambled, panic breaking their formation. Without hesitation, Shin turned to his team. "Fall back—now!"
They sprinted toward the edge of the encampment as the rift imploded behind them. The shockwave sent debris flying, knocking cultists off their feet. The sky itself seemed to fracture for a brief moment before the darkness vanished, leaving only the scorched remains of the battlefield.
Shin exhaled slowly, his heart still pounding. They had stopped the ritual. But the war was far from over.
Hana stepped beside him, wiping blood from her cheek. "That was close."
Shin nodded. "Too close."
As they regrouped with the remaining forces, he knew one thing for certain—Tenka wouldn't stop here. And neither would he.
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