The city always changed after sundown. The honking horns and crowded sidewalks gave way to shadows and silence, broken only by the occasional bark of a stray dog or the faint hum of neon signs.
Naruto walked through the empty streets with his coat collar pulled up against the chill, Purgatory strapped securely across his back. He looked like just another night drifter, but every step was calculated, every sense sharpened.
The football stadium loomed in the distance, its floodlights long since dead, the bleachers rusting under years of neglect. Once, it had been a place of cheers and rivalries; now it was nothing but a graveyard for echoes.
As Naruto reached the gates, he paused. The night wind carried something rotten, hidden beneath the city's usual smells—copper and smoke, the scent of demon blood.
"They're here," Kurama rumbled in his mind, the warning low but unmistakable.
Naruto smirked faintly. "I figured as much." He pushed open the gate, its rusty hinges squealing in protest.
The field spread out before him, grass grown wild, the goalposts crooked like skeletal fingers reaching for the sky. The bleachers were shrouded in darkness, perfect for something to lurk unseen.
Naruto rolled his shoulders, hand brushing over Purgatory's grip. His heartbeat was steady, unhurried. He'd hunted enough times to know panic only got you killed.
A faint scuttling echoed from the far end of the field. Then another, closer, like claws scratching concrete.
He stopped in the center of the field, feet planting firmly. "Alright," he called into the night, voice calm but carrying. "Come on out. I don't have all night."
The shadows answered.
Dozens of shapes slithered from under the bleachers and out of the tunnels—low-tier demons, their bodies twisted and malformed. Their skin was mottled gray and black, with long limbs ending in clawed fingers. Their eyes burned with faint red light, like dying embers in a corpse's skull.
Naruto's smirk widened. "Guess practice is in session."
The first demon lunged with a screech. Naruto drew Purgatory in a single, fluid motion, the blade's jagged edges gleaming under the moonlight. The strike came swift and precise, cleaving through the demon's chest before it even touched him.
The corpse crumpled at his feet, dissolving into black ash.
The others howled and charged.
Naruto moved like water, stepping into their rush with smooth, deliberate motions. Purgatory carved arcs of silver light, severing limbs and splitting torsos. His face stayed calm, almost bored, though his eyes burned with sharp focus.
One demon tried to flank him. Without looking, Naruto twisted, blade thrusting backward to impale it through the throat. Another leapt from above; he sidestepped, letting it crash to the ground before bringing the blade down in a brutal finishing slash.
"Too slow," he muttered under his breath, turning as two more closed in from opposite sides. He spun, blade whistling as it split both creatures cleanly in half.
For a moment, the field was nothing but snarls, screeches, and the sound of steel tearing through flesh. Black ichor sprayed across the overgrown grass, steaming as it touched the ground.
Naruto's coat flared with his movements, his boots cutting clean arcs across the dirt. To anyone watching, it might've looked like a deadly dance—calm precision against wild savagery.
Kurama's low growl rumbled at the edge of his mind. "Don't let your guard down. They're trying to wear you out."
"They'll have to try harder," Naruto replied silently, shifting his stance.
The pack circled now, learning caution, though their hunger still drove them. They hissed and snarled, red eyes burning in the dark.
Naruto planted Purgatory's tip in the dirt, resting a hand lazily on the hilt. "What's the matter? Afraid of one man?" His tone was casual, but his gaze remained sharp.
That taunt was enough. The demons screamed and charged again in a frenzy.
Naruto yanked the blade free, stepping into their rush. The clash was brutal. He weaved between claw swipes, his strikes cutting down two, three at a time. Their numbers thinned, but still they pressed on, desperate to overwhelm him.
One managed to slash across his arm, tearing his sleeve. Blood welled, but Naruto barely flinched. Instead, he spun and decapitated the creature in one clean motion. "Bad idea."
The battle raged for long minutes until finally, silence returned.
Dozens of corpses littered the field, dissolving slowly into black ash that the night wind carried away. Naruto stood at the center, coat torn, blood dripping from his arm, Purgatory resting casually against his shoulder.
His breathing was steady. Not calm, but not ragged either.
"Amateurs," he muttered, glancing around.
Then his eyes narrowed.
At the far end of the field, the shadows twisted unnaturally, warping into a dark whirlpool. The air around it shimmered, heavy with demonic energy.
Naruto straightened, his expression hardening. "A gate."
Kurama growled. "So it begins."
Naruto tightened his grip on Purgatory, eyes locked on the swirling darkness. He could feel the energy pulsing, unstable, dangerous. Whatever came through next wasn't going to be low-tier.
He smirked faintly, rolling his shoulders. "Guess tonight's only getting started."
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