The wind carried the scent of smoke and ash as Kijotsu and Notsu entered the village. The buildings were shattered, and silence hung heavy, broken only by the crackling of burning timbers. Every instinct in Kijotsu screamed that something was very wrong. 

*This place… it’s like a battlefield,* he thought, his gray eyes scanning the ruins. *Why would anyone destroy it like this?*

From the center of the village, a figure emerged. Maksuki Kirima. Her silver hair shimmered in the dying light, and her crimson attire clung to her graceful, lethal form. In her hands gleamed a massive pink sword, pulsating with raw, destructive energy.  

- “Well, well… what do we have here?” her voice was cold, melodic, yet cruel. “A knight and a lost little human. How… amusing.”  

Notsu stepped in front of Kijotsu without hesitation, the red glow of his massive sword reflecting the fires around them.  

- “Maksuki Kirima. Leave this village, or face me.”  

Kijotsu’s heart pounded in his chest.  

*She’s… terrifying…*  

Maksuki’s smile widened.  

- “You’re strong, but it won’t be enough. That boy,” she said, her gaze flicking to Kijotsu, “has something I want. And I always get what I want.”  

Before Kijotsu could react, Maksuki lunged forward. Notsu met her attack head-on, the clash of their swords sending a shockwave that shattered nearby stones. Sparks flew as pink energy collided with Notsu’s fiery red aura.  

Kijotsu froze, his hands trembling as he watched. Every strike, every movement of Notsu and Maksuki radiated power unlike anything he had ever seen.  

- “Stay back, Kijotsu!” Notsu shouted, blocking a devastating slash that would have crushed the ground beneath him.  

Kijotsu clutched the diamond in his pocket, instinctively feeling its warmth. He wanted to help… but he didn’t know how. His body stayed rooted to the ground, heart racing.  

Maksuki spun gracefully, her sword arcing through the air, slicing a tree in two effortlessly. Her laughter echoed, cold and merciless.  

- “Cowardly knight… and weak boy. Pathetic,” she hissed, advancing toward Kijotsu.  

Notsu roared, summoning a burst of red energy. A flaming aura erupted around him as he intercepted Maksuki again, forcing her to retreat with a violent slash that cut through the air with a terrifying roar.  

Kijotsu stumbled backward, overwhelmed by the raw power surrounding him.  

*I… I can’t even move…* he thought, panic mixing with guilt. *It’s all my fault they’re fighting because of me…*  

A faint whisper echoed in his mind, soft but insistent:  

*“Soon… you will understand, Kijotsu. But not yet…”*  

Maksuki glared one last time, stepping back into the shadows of the burning village.  

- “This isn’t over. I’ll be back for you… and your power,” she said, voice dripping with menace.  

Notsu turned to Kijotsu, breathing heavily, sweat and dirt streaked across his face.  

- “Today, you survived by watching. Tomorrow, your training begins. You’ll learn to protect yourself… and this world.”  

Kijotsu looked down at the diamond in his hand, feeling a spark of determination ignite within his gray eyes.  

*I will get stronger… I will never be helpless again…*