The torches flickered dimly along the stone walls as Kojin led Alex and Kazuki down a vast underground hallway. Ancient drawings and writings covered the walls—symbols and all sorts of techniques were written all over the walls, and the deeper they went, the colder and scarier the environment felt.
Alex rubbed his arms, he felt had a face of unease and irritation.
"This place sure is scary, makes me wanna puke and run for my life." he muttered.
Kazuki, his expression unreadable, glanced at him.
"No kidding, I feel it too. It's like my mind's telling me too run or something."
At the end of the corridor stood a massive gate, carved with the face of a demon. Its hollow eyes seemed to glare at them
Kojin stopped, turning toward Alex.
"Alex, this is where you'll be training in. Inside that wall exists a demon. You're going to have to fight that demon in order to awaken your true power and potential.".
Alex frowned, confused.
"What do you mean? What's in there?"
Kojin's gaze hardened.
"The Gate of Inner Hell. Whoever enters is cast into their own inner mind. Whatever they face depends on the kind of madness and evil they posses. In your case…" Kojin paused. "You'll fight a demon. A monster that embodies the depth of your devastating power."
Alex blinked, taken aback.
"A demon? Why would I have to fight something like that? What's the point?"
"Because you've only touched the surface of your power," Kojin explained firmly. "You've reached Demon Inferio Mode: Stage One. But if you defeat what ever entity in that gate, you'll unlock the full extent of your strength. That battle will decide whether you remain at B-rank, or ascend to a higher rank. A-rank."
Alex's eyes widened.
"Wait—you're saying I have to fight my demon?!"
Kojin smirked slightly. "Looks like you finally caught on. Now go."
Alex let out a long sigh as he stepped toward the massive gate.
"You could've just told me that from the start. No need for the lecture old man Kojin."
As he reached for the gate, Kazuki called out to him,
"Alex! Don't get yourself killed. Remember—we're supposed to be the strongest, that's the decision we made since we decided to get along . If you die, then there's no point."
Alex glanced back with a confident smile.
"Yeah, I feel the same about you too. Take care buddy."
With that, he pushed open the gate and stepped inside.
The chamber rumbled as the gate sealed shut. Kojin turned to Kazuki.
"Now… it's your turn. But what I have for you isn't training. It's truth."
Kazuki's brow furrowed.
"Truth? What truth?"
"The truth about Shinki. And the truth about your family." Kojin's eyes locked on him. "Tell me, Kazuki… have you ever wondered who your family really was? Your mom and your dad."
Kazuki's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of sadness and confusion breaking through his calm façade.
Inside the Gate of Inner Hell, Alex found himself in a void of endless darkness. A pool of blood stretched beneath his feet, its surface rippling like a mirror "A pool of blood, huh. I think I've seen this place before.", Alex thought to himself.
From the shadows, a towering figure emerged—his Inner Demon, its eyes were glowing crimson, it had a demonic smirk on its face, it's nails were sharp and it had sharp teeth.
"…It's about time, huh?" the demon spoke, its voice was deep but terrifying.
Alex tilted his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Can't say I ever expected to fight you."
The demon smirked.
"This isn't about friendship or to gain each other's trust or anything like that. You're here because the only way forward is to beat me. Don't start thinking this will play out like the manga you read, where the hero befriends their inner monster."
Alex burst out laughing.
"You're funny, you know that? But hey—if fighting you is what it takes to get stronger, then i guess that's what it is."
Red energy started to crackle around Alex, his body started to turn into red energy, his hair lit up along with his face. A grin grew on his face after he had activated his new demon powers.
"Don't blame me if I beat the breaks off you! I'll forget we're even acquainted and crush you!"
The demon let out a thunderous roar, dark red energy tearing the void apart.
"And I shall do the same!", the demon said with a smirk
Alex launched himself at a speed faster than light by 12 times, the air screaming around him with his demonic energy blasting over the place like lightning. His demon rushed towards him, its enormous wings elongated out of its back as it started to fire massive beams of red energy. Alex flew at intense speeds as he skillfully dodged each and every blast that came his way. Each blast was causing massive explosions of energy in the void. The pool of blood all over the floors were now giant mountains that were covered in red
As Alex kept flying and dodging, he countered with rapid-fire Blades of Death, cutting through the beams as explosions lit up the dark void.
"Well, you know me," Alex shouted as he weaved between attacks. "I always go beyond expectations!"
Two colossal blades of energy materialized in his hands, glowing with deadly power. He hurled them forward, their size rivaling mountains.
"With this strength, I'm already at B-rank…" Alex thought, his grin widening. "But if I unlock my full power—then I'll be A-rank. Kojin's level. No…" His eyes widened with deranged excitement. "I'll be even stronger."
But the demon was faster. It appeared above him in an instant, slamming its massive arm down. The impact rattled the void and destroyed the mountains around them, hurling Alex toward the ground— Alex had caught the strike with a single hand, his body was trembling but he still stood firmly with his face down.
With a crazed smile, Alex retaliated, unleashing a monstrous Blade of Death point-blank with the arm he had used to block the blow from his inner demon. The attack blasted the demon back, sending it crashing across the bloody void of mountains.
The demon rose slowly, smirking, smoke rising from its body.
" Hm, that hurt! Right now, im currently sealed inside this boy, I'm not at full strength at all, but im still incredibly powerful regardless. And yet this boy… still pushes me this far."
Its grin widened, fangs glinting.
"He truly is nothing to sneeze at."
End of Chapter 10