Amber of its cruelity

📜 Tai vs. Echosi — The Sister Taken — Kon's Arrival

Hiroshi was deep in his mission, miles away in the shadows of the east border, hunting another Abyss trace. Meanwhile, Tai — fired up by weeks of training — finally had his chance to prove he was more than just a kid in the Kisdain Society.

The battlefield was a broken stone clearing, mist curling around roots and slabs. A lone figure stepped out, dragging a blade made of dark jagged rock. Echosi, the Stone Sword Man.

Tai's breath came out white in the cold. "Today you're done for good."

Echosi tilted his head. "And today I'll bury you here, brat."

Tai grinned wide, eyes blazing with that reckless, beautiful hope. "Funny — no one's ever done that. Name's Tai. Yours?"

The man cracked his neck. "Call me Echosi. Stone Sword Man. That's all you need before you die."

Tai slammed his palms together — sparks danced. "Explosion Slash of Fire — Violet Edge!"

He lunged. Flames twisted violet, splitting the air with a shriek. Echosi swung his stone blade up — the slash struck, throwing up chips of burning rock.

Echosi planted his feet, the earth beneath him rippled like water. "Stone of Earth — Rise!"

Massive slabs punched out of the dirt, spearing at Tai from below. Tai backflipped — the slabs scraped sparks off his boots. He launched a counter.

"Red Flame Burst!"

A roaring gout of fire washed over Echosi. He staggered back, armor scorched black, but he grinned through the smoke.

"Good hit… but you can't beat me, boy."

Tai wiped sweat from his jaw. "Is that so?"

Echosi's muscles bulged — stone spread over his arms like skin. "Full Body Stone — Stone Attack 58th Form!"

A hailstorm of stone shards exploded outward. Tai threw up his arms — rock cracked his ribs, blood speckled his lips.

Echosi closed in. "You're strong… but real strength isn't shouting and sparks. It's crushing your enemy till they can't scream."

Tai bared his teeth. His pulse hammered. Heat rose from his skin like smoke — something in him flared.

"Slash!" — he roared, blade catching fire. Echosi swung — stone claws raked the dirt.

Tai's sword met stone — the collision sparked a blinding flash. Tai pushed through, fire dancing up his blade. He screamed and swung.

Echosi stumbled back, arm torn open, blood and pebbles falling.

"Hah… strong kid… but look homeward, Tai…"

Tai's heart skipped. "What… what did you say?!"

Echosi laughed — low, dying. "While you played hero… someone already reached your den…"

Tai froze. He saw it: his sister — alone — the base unguarded. He clenched his fists.

"No — NO —"

Echosi's eyes dulled. He collapsed. Tai's blade slipped from his grip.

"SIS!!"

He bolted. Branches tore at his face as he sprinted through the woods — lungs burning — mind racing. He knew it — he felt it in his bones: Kon.

---

🌙 Moonlit clearing — Kisdain Society gates

Tai skidded to a stop. Shadows. Mist. In the pale moonlight — a small figure — his sister, Yuna, hands bound. A taller figure behind her — Kon, cloak trailing like a phantom. Beside him, Fuko's cold eyes gleamed under the hood.

Tai's heart cracked.

Kon tilted his head, studying Tai like he was a puzzle piece.

"So fast. But not fast enough."

Tai's voice ripped from his throat. "LET HER GO!"

Fuko gripped Yuna's shoulder tighter. She whimpered but kept her eyes shut — too terrified to speak.

Kon's smile was gentle — mocking. "You want her back, Tai? Then show me… what your fire means."

Behind Tai, boots scraped gravel — Hiroshi emerged from the dark, sword unsheathed.

"It's you again, Kon."

Kon lifted a hand lazily — his fingers brushing Yuna's hair.

"Hiroshi. Old friend. Funny how we all meet when blood is right at the throat."

Remji stepped beside Hiroshi, blades out. Ren and Matsui too — tension like a live wire.

Fuko stepped forward.

"Sword Blade Art — Shield Form. You want through? Cut me down first."

Tai's breathing shook.

"Kon — please — she's got nothing to do with this — she's my sister — I'll fight you — just let her go—!"

Kon's eyes flicked to him — cold, bottomless.

"Family means nothing here. You and your flame… your sister's just another spark to test if you burn bright enough."

Yuna's eyes opened, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Tai…" she whispered.

Tai's fists clenched so tight his nails bit flesh. Hiroshi stepped up, a hand on Tai's shoulder.

"Stay sharp, kid. We do this together."

Kon's smile never faltered.

"So… kill me, Kisdain dogs. Or watch me tear out what makes you human

⚫ Scene: The Final Cut — Tai's Rage — Kon's Cold Harvest

---

Tai's throat was raw from screaming. "Nooo — please — PLEASE — Kon, I'll do anything —!"

But Kon didn't even look at him now — his eyes stayed half-closed, focused on Yuna's throat under his blade. His voice was almost gentle.

"You'll understand one day, Tai. Sacrifice… is just the start of power."

He pressed the blade — a clean slice — her throat opened like paper.

Blood spilled out — not in drops — but like a river. It painted Kon's pale coat in crimson ribbons.

Yuna's eyes stayed on Tai as her last breath left — her hand twitched, fell from Kon's sleeve, limp and lifeless.

Tai howled — the sound tearing through the cold night.

"YUNAAAA!"

He lurched forward — but Fuko slammed his fist into Tai's gut. The blow crushed the air out of Tai's lungs — he crumpled, coughing blood.

"Stay down." Fuko's voice was cold, empty. "It's useless now. She's gone. Accept it."

Yuna's body slumped in Kon's arms — her head falling back, eyes empty.

Kon calmly let her drop at his feet, wiping his blade on his coat as if it was nothing.

---

Kon crouched — dipped his finger in the pool of blood — inspected it like a curious child.

"Brother and sister… a beautiful bond. Two halves of something useful. She held the Time Gem… half of it, anyway. Perfect."

Tai's eyes burned — his veins pulsed black — scales cracked out from under his skin, claws tearing through flesh. His human face twisted, stretched into a draconic snarl.

"You…"

His voice broke into a guttural roar. "YOU… I WILL KILL YOU!!"

---

Kon only smiled, calm. He lifted his free hand — dark blood coiled around his fingers like threads of smoke.

"Blood Manipulation — Fifty-Eighth Form: Destruction of Destruction."

In an instant, Tai's own blood boiled inside him — chains of crimson ripping through his dragon flesh.

He staggered — but Fuko was faster — a spinning kick smashed into Tai's ribs, hurling him into the dirt.

Kon stepped over to Tai's gasping form — pressed a single hand to his chest.

Blood poured out — a swirling red mist sucked into Kon's palm. Tai convulsed, roaring, but couldn't move.

"Perfect — your half feeds the Gem too. You should feel honored, Tai."

---

The sky split with a clap of thunder — but Kon was already stepping back, turning to Fuko and Victor who appeared behind him.

"No point staying here. Our harvest is done — the rest is just noise now."

Kon gave Tai one last look — a small, cruel smile.

"Sleep well, little dragon. Maybe you'll see her in your dreams."

And in a blink — the three of them vanished — leaving Tai screaming into the blood-soaked dirt, his sister's lifeless body beside him.

Tai was on his knees beside Yuna's body — his claws were gone, his scales cracked and fallen away. Now he was just a boy again — broken, trembling, eyes wide with tears that burned hotter than his fire ever could.

He kept whispering — "How… how could this be… why her… it should've been me… I should've done something… I should've—"

Hiroshi knelt beside him, grabbed him by the shoulders, shook him once — firm but gentle.

"Stop it, Tai. Stop blaming yourself. You hear me?"

Tai's eyes darted up, unfocused — Hiroshi's face was calm but his jaw was tight with rage.

"It's not just you — we all failed today. You are not alone in this. This blood is on all of us — and that monster…"

He glanced at Yuna's lifeless hand — fingers curled like they were still trying to hold Tai's. His eyes darkened.

"Kon will answer for it. He'll pay — every drop of blood back a hundred times over."

---

Tai's claws dug into the dirt — his nails cracked — he didn't care.

"I will kill him, Hiroshi. I swear it — I'll tear that mask off his face, I'll burn him to ashes. I'll make him pay for Yuna — for all of it!"

Hiroshi put his forehead to Tai's — like a promise sealed between older brother and younger.

"Then swear it. Swear you'll live. Swear you'll stand. Swear you'll fight — with us — not alone."

Tai's shoulders heaved — his breath caught in his throat. He looked at Yuna's face one last time — her small, quiet smile frozen in death.

"I swear…" Tai's voice cracked — but his eyes burned with a new fire.

"I'll kill Kon. I'll end him. No matter what it takes."

---

In the distance, Remji watched — fists clenched behind his cloak.

Somewhere behind him, Matsui whispered under her breath:

"Monsters like him… can bleed too."

---

✅ Locked:

Tai's raw survivor's guilt.

Hiroshi's brotherly anchor — stopping Tai from destroying himself.

The vow — now it's personal.

And the team's first spark of united reveng