With that, Hajime pushed forward, his blue flames roaring to life as he unleashed a devastatingly fast attack. His body screamed in agony, but he didn’t stop—he stop. Kiro barely managed to react as Hajime closed the distance, swinging Storyshift with a force that shattered the air around them.

  Kiro blocked just in time, but Hajime’s sheer willpower sent him sliding backward.

  “What the hell is with this guy?!”

  Hajime exhaled sharply, his legs still wreathed in flames as he glared at his opponent. “Poison or not... You’re not walking away from this fight.”

  “Lightning Strike: ”

  Hajime’s eyes widened in surprise as he staggered, the sudden shift in battle catching him off guard. “Bondo?!”

  Bondo turned his head slightly, lightning sparking off his shoulders as he glanced back at Hajime. “You really can’t stop getting yourself into trouble, can you?”

  Kiro crashed into the ground, coughing up blood as he tried to stand. His body twitched, smoke rising from his burns. “You... You bastard!”

  Bondo didn’t let him recover. In a flash, he was on Kiro again, delivering another strike with his electrified fist. “You’re not poisoning anyone else. I’m ending this now!”

  The force of Bondo’s second attack sent shockwaves across the battlefield, leaving Kiro completely incapacitated. The poison mist dissipated entirely as Kiro fell limp to the ground, unconscious.

  Bondo exhaled sharply, his lightning slowly fading as he turned to Hajime, who was still struggling to remain standing.

  “Why the hell are you always trying to do everything yourself?”

  Hajime coughed, wiping more blood from his mouth as he glared weakly at Bondo. “I didn’t... ask for your help,”

  Bondo scoffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, well, you weren’t exactly winning either. Poison? Seriously? You looked like you were about to drop dead, Hajime.”

  Sockoo ran over, panic still evident on her face. “Hajime! Are you okay?!”

  Hajime grumbled something under his breath, clearly annoyed but too weak to protest further. Storyshift returned to her human form, kneeling beside Hajime with tears in her eyes.

  “Young Master, please don’t push yourself like that again...”

  Bondo watched the scene quietly, shaking his head before muttering to himself. “This guy... He’s gonna get himself killed one day.”

  Hajime shot him a glare, though it lacked his usual fire. “Don’t act like you’re the hero here, Bondo. I would’ve handled it.”

  Bondo smirked, turning away. “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

  As Bondo walked off, Hajime sat back, still trying to catch his breath as Sockoo and Storyshift fussed over him. In his exhaustion, Hajime couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.

  “Damn lightning idiot... Always showing up when I don’t need him.”

  Despite his words, there was a faint hint of gratitude in his eyes as he glanced in Bondo’s direction. As the dust settled from Kiro’s defeat, the air shifted ominously. A chilling presence emerged, accompanied by slow, deliberate footsteps. From the smoke, a tall figure appeared—a villain cloaked in dark armor, with glowing red patterns pulsing across their body. Their eyes burned with malice, and an oppressive aura radiated from them.

  “I see you’ve handled one of my subordinates,”“How impressive… but it ends here.”

  Everyone tensed, their instincts screaming danger. The villain raised a massive black spear, its tip crackling with dark energy. “I am , and none of you will leave here alive.”

  Hajime gritted his teeth, trying to push himself to stand, but his body was still too weak from the poison. Storyshift grabbed his arm. “Young Master, don’t! You’re not in any condition to fight!”

  Sockoo’s face paled. “This guy… He’s on a whole different level.”

  Before anyone could react further, Bondo

  “Everyone, go ahead,”

  Sockoo blinked in shock. “What? Bondo, are you serious?!”

  “You heard me,”“I’ll handle this guy.”

  Hajime managed to lift his head, glaring at Bondo. “Don’t be stupid. He’s not some weakling you can beat in one move.”

  Bondo smirked, sparking electricity flowing off his fists. “I’m not planning to lose, Hajime. Trust me, I’ve got this.”

  The group hesitated, but Daka spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “We don’t have time to argue. If Bondo’s holding him off, we need to move.”

  Storyshift tugged on Hajime’s arm, her voice urgent. “Young Master, please… trust him.”

  Hajime gritted his teeth but didn’t argue further. He turned his gaze to Bondo and muttered under his breath, “Don’t die, lightning idiot.”

  Bondo gave a faint grin. “Like I would.”

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  As the group began to retreat, Kozan let out a dark chuckle. “Running away? Pathetic. Do you really think you alone can stop me, boy?”

  Bondo clenched his fists, lightning gathering around him like a storm. “You talk too much,”“Let’s see if you can keep up.”

  Kozan’s eyes narrowed as he lunged forward, his black spear slicing through the air. Bondo’s body blurred as he darted to the side, lightning sparking with every step. The sound of clashing power echoed through the battlefield as Bondo charged head-on into the fight.

  As the group ran ahead, Sockoo glanced back, worry etched on her face. “Bondo… Please don’t lose.”

  Hajime stayed silent, though his clenched fists gave away his frustration. He stared ahead, whispering to himself, “Don’t you dare lose, Bondo.”

  The battle raged behind them, flashes of lightning illuminating the darkened sky as Bondo faced the villain head-on, determined to protect his friends no matter the cost. As the clash continued, it became clear to anyone watching that Bondo was outmatched

  Bondo’s breathing grew heavy as sweat dripped down his face, yet he refused to falter. Every time Kozan lunged, Bondo narrowly avoided the killing blows, dodging with his lightning speed and countering with everything he had.

  “Why do you fight so desperately?”“You can’t win. You’re outmatched, and your friends have already left you behind.”

  Bondo wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes defiant. “I don’t need to win,”“I just need to keep you here.”

  Kozan’s expression darkened. “You’re stalling?”

  Bondo didn’t respond, but in his mind, he knew the truth. Hajime was their secret weapon

  “If Hajime can get even a little bit of strength back,”

  Bondo thought to himself, “then we’ll stand a chance. I just need to buy him time. I don’t care what happens to me.”

  Lightning flared wildly around him, and Bondo clenched his fists, forcing his aching body to move faster. He shot forward like a bolt of light, landing a punch against Kozan’s chest. Sparks flew, but Kozan didn’t budge.

  The villain’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Pathetic.”

  Before Bondo could react, Kozan swung his spear with brutal force, hitting Bondo square in the side and sending him crashing into a nearby building. The structure crumbled from the impact, and dust filled the air.

  “Bondo!”

  Hajime, further ahead, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His head tilted slightly, and his teeth clenched in frustration.

  “Hajime, don’t—”

  “That idiot… he’s pushing himself too far.”

  Back on the battlefield, Bondo struggled to stand, coughing up blood as he wiped his face. Despite his injuries, he grinned faintly as lightning flickered across his battered body.

  “Still standing? Impressive, for a weakling,”

  Bondo staggered to his feet, his body screaming in pain, but his resolve never wavered. “You think I’m weak? Then why are you so desperate to finish me off?”

  Kozan stopped, glaring at him.

  “That’s what I thought,”“I’m just buying time, you know. Because when Hajime shows up… you’re screwed.”

  Kozan narrowed his eyes, sensing a shift in the air. In the distance, the faint, ominous sound of footsteps began to echo.

  Bondo’s smirk grew wider as he collapsed to one knee, his body finally giving in. “Looks like I did my job… Hajime… they’re all yours.”

  From the shadows, Hajime appeared at the edge of the battlefield, his expression deadly calm, blue flames flickering ominously around his legs. Storyshift floated by his side, already transforming into a gleaming sword.

  Kozan turned toward Hajime, his instincts flaring. The air around them seemed to grow heavier as Hajime took a step forward, his cold eyes locked onto Kozan.

  “You hurt one of mine,”“You’re going to regret that.”

  Bondo’s vision blurred as he weakly smiled, whispering, “About time, Hajime…”

  The real fight was about to begin. Hajime’s rage burned hotter than the flames surrounding him, his body radiating an uncontrollable heat. Blue flames erupted from his legs, spiraling upward like a raging inferno, consuming the air and turning the battlefield into a scorching hell. Houses nearby caught fire, their walls cracking under the intensity of Hajime’s power.

  Kozan froze, his confident demeanor crumbling as he took a step back. What stood before him was no longer just a young fighter—Hajime looked like a devil born from fire and fury.

  “Phoenix!”“Take Bondo and get him out of here. Tell the others to keep moving forward. I’ll be… a little late to the party.”

  Phoenix hesitated for only a moment before snapping to action. He flapped his massive wings, swooping down to lift Bondo carefully. Bondo was barely conscious but cracked a faint smile, murmuring weakly, “Heh… I told you… Hajime’s the real deal.”

  Phoenix shot Hajime a quick glance. “Don’t lose control, Hajime. Just… finish this quickly.”

  “Go,”

  Phoenix took off, soaring into the sky with Bondo securely in his talons. The wind from his wings blew the flames back momentarily, revealing Hajime’s burning silhouette standing amidst the chaos.

  Kozan tightened his grip on his spear, trying to shake off the creeping fear clawing at him. “You… you think flames alone can scare me?”

  Hajime tilted his head, his smirk twisted and unsettling. “Scare you? No. I don’t care about that. You’re not worth my rage.”

  The moment those words left Hajime’s lips, his flames exploded outward, spiraling into monstrous shapes. They crawled along the ground like living creatures, scorching everything they touched. The sheer force of Hajime’s aura cracked the pavement beneath his feet, and the air shimmered with unbearable heat.

  Kozan’s face paled as he whispered under his breath, “What… what you?”

  Hajime took a step forward, the flames parting around him as if bowing to their master. “You’re staring at a devil, Kozan. And you… made the mistake of hurting my friends.”

  Hajime burst forward without warning, the ground shattering beneath his step. His speed was monstrous, a blur of blue fire as he appeared in front of Kozan, his right leg already ignited and raised high.

  “Blue Flame Kick: Demon Strike!”

  The attack connected with devastating force. Kozan barely managed to block with his spear, but the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the area, flattening nearby structures and blowing fire outward like a shockwave. Kozan screamed as the flames scorched his arms through the weapon, his body forced back.

  Hajime didn’t let up. He dashed again, his movements erratic yet calculated, appearing and disappearing like a phantom through the smoke. Every strike was faster and heavier than the last, forcing Kozan on the defensive.

  “Stay still, you monster!”

  Hajime swayed to the side, dodging effortlessly. “Is that fear I hear in your voice?”

  With a snarl, Hajime leaped into the air, his body surrounded by a whirlwind of blue fire. He spun mid-air, flames coiling around his legs as he prepared his next attack.

  “Final Move: Infernal Spiral Kick!”

  Hajime descended like a meteor, his leg crashing into the ground where Kozan stood. The explosion of blue flames was cataclysmic, a roaring inferno that swallowed Kozan whole and obliterated the surrounding buildings. For a moment, the world seemed to shake under the sheer force of Hajime’s attack.

  When the flames finally receded, the battlefield was reduced to ash and rubble. Kozan lay sprawled on the ground, his body charred and his spear shattered beside him. He gasped for air, his eyes wide in shock and terror as he looked up at Hajime.

  Hajime stood over him, his flames simmering down but his gaze still burning with fury. “Stay down. Or next time… I’ll stop holding back.”

  Kozan’s voice trembled as he muttered, “What… are you…?”

  Hajime turned away, his back to Kozan as he walked toward the rest of the group’s path. “I’m the one you don’t mess with,”

  When Bondo finally falls, Hajime returns—not as a tired fighter, but as a raging inferno. With Phoenix evacuating Bondo and the others safe, Hajime unleashes his full wrath. Blue flames consume the battlefield as Hajime overwhelms Kozan with monstrous speed and power, ending the fight decisively. The chapter closes with a chilling truth made clear: when Hajime’s friends are hurt, a devil answers the call.