Raid on Kaburato Castle is a battle between Chihiro Rokuhira and Togo Shiba against the guard force of Sojo's laboratory within Kaburato Castle. Chihiro and Shiba raid Kaburato Castle upon receiving information from the Anti-Cloud Gouger Special Forces that Sojo's laboratory is located here. They plan to rescue Char and obtain as much information as possible about Shinuchi and the Rakuzaichi.
Prologue[]
Two days before the raid, on October 12th, Chihiro agrees to focus on rescuing Char while the Kamunabi's Anti-Cloud Gouger Special Forces aim to kill Sojo. Following their strategy meeting, ACGSF captain Ikuto Hagiwara promises to call Chihiro once they’ve found Sojo’s location, which shouldn’t take long as Sojo was apparently still making deals in the underworld.
49 hours after waking up, Shiba checks in on Chihiro’s condition. Chihiro states he can move, but it hurts, and his left (dominant) arm is completely unusable. Shiba internally finds it impressive how Chihiro was able to maturely think through his anger and choose the best option available to him rather than be overwhelmed with emotion; far better than the joking around Kunishige, Azami and himself had been up to at the age of 18. Chihiro’s phone then rings; being Ikuto’s contact. Ikuto informs them that they have located Sojo's base at the abandoned Kaburato Castle, and Chihiro and Shiba advance there to raid the base.
Battle[]
In the grounds of Kaburato Castle, four guards sit at a table. One leaves to relieve himself, while the others discuss the necessity of so many guards and sorcerers being present at the location. A guard brings up Sojo had gone out without a single bodyguard, prompting another to state Sojo was tough enough on his own.
Sometime later, the three guards are concerned that their comrade has not returned, and they suddenly spot a black goldfish that winds its way around them and down the hallway, where Chihiro stands waiting for them, their comrade’s corpse to his side. Chihiro kills two of them before the last receives a phone call from another guard, which he hesitantly picks up and promises to call back. Ending the call, the guard nervously asks Chihiro what he wants.
Shiba then walks up, reminding Chihiro of the importance of both of their priorities: rescuing Char and uncovering information regarding Shinuchi and the Hishaku. The guard didn’t know much about the latter but brought up a shed connected to an underground storage room in the castle grounds guarded by several sorcerers. Chihiro and Shiba decided to split up, with Shiba investigating the shed while Chihiro entered the castle. Before he left, Shiba reminded Chihiro to avoid battle whenever possible, and just scout the area and wait until Shiba could come back. Shiba teleports near the shed on the outskirts of the castle and begins to scope out the area.
Chihiro then interrogates the guard regarding Char's location and the guard reveals there was one door on the west side of the castle where no sorcerers were stationed, and in the basement there would be another staircase leading down to the lab where Char was kept, though it was guarded by sorcerers. The guard notices Chihiro's injuries and hopes the sorcerers kill him before being killed by Chihiro.
Chihiro makes his way downstairs, killing any guard in his path and eventually reaching the basement. Chihiro hides in the basement rafters and watches the two mohawked sorcerers standing guard at the laboratory staircase entrance, momentarily recalling the words of his father concerning the Enchanted Blades’ ‘True Realm’, and how they can theoretically bypass their limitations based on their wielders. He notes the staircase is the only way down to the lab, left arm shaking. A scientist downstairs states it’s time to start the day’s experiments, the double-mohawked sorcerer moving to head downstairs to watch, prompting Chihiro’s internal rage.
Abruptly, a visor-wearing ponytailed sorcerer leaps at Chihiro from behind, forcing Chihiro to dodge to the floor. Shiba hears the thud even from outside, but before he can teleport to assist Chihiro two sorcerers by the shed spot him, forcing him to divert his attention.
Within the lab, the scientists clamour over the presence of an intruder, one recognising the intruder as the one with an Enchanted Blade that Sojo had told them about. Above, in the basement, several guards and sorcerers confront Chihiro, the visor-wearing sorcerer reporting to the mohawked sorcerers that he had smelled blood, checked the grounds and discovered the guards Chihiro had dispatched.
A tired Chihiro prepares to fight but a seed beneath him suddenly erupts into the form of a sorcerer, vines wrapping around his right arm to securely grasp a blade. The sorcerer slashes upwards and Chihiro dodges, retaliating with Kuro, but the weak right-arm slash is easily parried by the plant sorcerer. As Chihiro internally groans at his right arm’s weakness, a heavyset sorcerer wearing a samurai helmet slams a smoking fist at Chihiro, Chihiro parrying but the force blasting him into a wall.
The mohawked sorcerers mock Chihiro’s condition and foolishness for coming to the castle, exclaiming he had arrived just to die. Chihiro internally contemplates using Nishiki but decides there’s too many of them to take out before he loses consciousness. Chihiro then raises his arm, using Kuro to cut the lights, plunging the room into darkness.
When the guards turn on the backup lights, Chihiro is nowhere to be found. The single-mohawked sorcerer laughs at his attempt to run while the double-mohawked sorcerer rallies the guards to search for Chihiro, deriding his condition as weak and incapable of killing sorcerers.
The guards spread out around the castle. On the ground floor, Chihiro hides behind an array of shoji doors, wishing his body was at peak condition, telling himself he could’ve saved Char if he had been at his usual form, but begins doubting whether he could’ve saved Char even then, criticisms from his various adversaries ringing through his mind. Attempting to push them out of his mind, Chihiro tries to stay calm and wait for Shiba, but his mind continually pushes forward the thought ‘I can’t save anyone.’
Suddenly, Chihiro recalls a memory with his father, where he had been sitting outside morosely and Kunishige had asked about his feelings. Chihiro told him he wondered if there's any point trying to become like Kunishige if he will never match up to him. Kunishige bluntly agreed that Chihiro would be nothing like him. As Chihiro lamented his father's seemingly casual attitude, Kunishige continued, mentioning Chihiro was serious and logical like his mother, and that's why he was often narrow-minded, illustrating the point by holding up his palms to the sides of his forehead to restrict his vision.
Kunishige appreciated Chihiro's seriousness regarding his teachings, but advised him not to lose his own identity as Chihiro Rokuhira while aspiring to emulate him. Chihiro was moved by his father's serious advice, as Kunishige lightened the mood by bringing up the many things Chihiro could do that he couldn't, like taking care of the house and goldfish. Returning to his 'palms-restricting-vision' pose, Kunishige concluded by telling Chihiro to keep calm and be flexible whenever he got too narrow-minded, adjusting and expanding the 'vision' of his palms as he did so, and instructed Chihiro to find his own hand-shape, prompting Chihiro to smile and tear up with joy and laughter as Kunishige continued experimenting with hand shapes.
In the present, the mohawked sorcerers tell the researchers to continue experimenting on Char, as Chihiro had run off and would be dealt with soon. The researchers drag Char out of her cell, telling her she has no hope. The visor-wearing sorcerer, meanwhile, searches the area with several guards, tracking Chihiro using the scent of spilt blood on him. Abruptly, the sorcerer notices Chihiro is approaching them, first by scent and then by sight, the sword-wielder standing at the end of the hallway they were in.
Chihiro activates Kuro: Shred
Chihiro once again recalls his father's words to keep calm and be flexible, before remembering Enten's three techniques: long-range attacks (Kuro), absorption (Aka) and cloaking (Nishiki). As the message of flexibility runs through his mind, he internally apologises to Char, assuring her that he would end everything soon. A school of black fish is then revealed to be present around the visor sorcerer and guards, each one identical to Chihiro's usual black goldfish used with Kuro but appearing smaller in size. Chihiro then prepares to use his newest technique: Kuro: Shred.
The visor-wearing sorcerer dashes forward, thinking Chihiro helpless, and Chihiro quickly swings his blade, the school of black fish converging as a flying slash and cleanly bisecting the sorcerer through the iron plates on his forearms. The guards are shocked at Chihiro eliminating the sorcerer in a single cut.
In actuality, Kuro: Shred was not a single cut, but 20 smaller cuts represented by 20 small fish. In comparison with a normal Kuro, Kuro: Shred consumed an identical amount of spirit energy but was less strong, producing more compact slashes; however, these slashes were less taxing on the body compared to Chihiro’s normal Kuro attacks. This technique, rather than being consciously created, was a sudden breakthrough created by Chihiro’s instinct in his extreme state of concentration, and his understanding of Enten, as a result, was accelerated. Chihiro activates Nishiki, cuts through the guards in a flash and continues outward.
Within the laboratory, the mohawked sorcerers think back to Char’s mother’s escape from her cell, and how she had stolen the key and killed several guards. The mohawked sorcerers note Char’s mother had even burned down some of the equipment, though in the end they had rebuilt it and recaptured Char, smugly telling Char herself that all of her and her mother’s actions were worthless in the end.
The mohawked sorcerers use their sorcery
Outside, in the courtyard, the heavyset sorcerer asks for a status report as a blur speeds through the yard. From the rooftop, the plant sorcerer suddenly sees everyone in the courtyard is dead, and frantically shouts that Chihiro is in the garden right before Chihiro kills him. Two guards on the ground floor move to check the situation and Chihiro speeds past them just as they realise everyone is dead. The mohawked sorcerers hear the commotion and move upstairs, activating their sorcery Demon Cloak, but are both beheaded with ease. Chihiro smiles at Char and hands her a sandwich, prompting a crying Char to half-heartedly berate his tardiness; Char had never doubted Chihiro’s arrival for a second.
Aftermath[]
Char hops on Chihiro’s shoulder as she eats and Chihiro carries them out. It is revealed the Nishiki Chihiro had previously used did not amplify Chihiro’s physical attributes as much as usual; rather, it focused on supporting Chihiro’s movements, reducing the physical strain required to use the technique. However, Chihiro was still affected by the technique, wincing as he picked up Char.
Char asks if Hinao’s okay, and Chihiro responds she is, as is everyone else. Char notices Chihiro’s bandaged left arm, saying he’s not fine, before remembering Sojo stating the cells of the Kyonagi can affect other people’s cells with their regeneration (though failing to harness it himself) and her mother’s words that their healing is triggered because they want the pain caused by wounds to stop.
Char asks for Chihiro to give her his left hand, and he does so. Char then concentrates, and Chihiro is shocked as his left arm begins to recover from its previously severe injuries. Later, the two enter the courtyard where Shiba is waiting for them, having defeated the two sorcerers and investigated the shed's information. The three sense an as-of-yet-unseen enemy approaching, and Chihiro hands Char over to Shiba. While recognising how important defeating this foe is to Chihiro, Shiba is reluctant to leave him without support given his injuries. Chihiro acknowledges Shiba’s concern but assures him, flexing his left hand.
Chihiro turns to Char, asking if she healed him. In response, Char asks Chihiro to not die, and Chihiro thanks her and assures her that he won’t. Shiba teleports away with Char in tow, as Chihiro unsheathes and activates Enten, turning to face the front door as a shadow is prominent on the doorway.
The shadow belongs to Sojo, who returns to Kaburato Castle with the briefcase containing semi-stabilised Datenseki the Yakuza group had returned to him. As he enters the courtyard, he immediately spots Chihiro, and the two prepare to face off one last time.
It is later revealed the information Shiba found within the shed held only research papers about weapons; nothing involving Shinuchi or the Hishaku. Shiba interrogated one of the sorcerers after defeating them and learnt the true sellers of Shinuchi had just used Sojo's name.