The stone chamber swallowed sound. Even Ketsu's own breathing seemed distant, drowned by the presence in front of him.
Everyone behind the TV's was shocked.
The everywhere feared devil, not only as a vessel but in his original body, something that was thought to be impossible.
But it was accomplished by the creator of the dungeon only because the whole ability revolves around the seperate space, with own rules.
Sora was shocked the most, "A devil?" she knew what that meant for Ketsu.
The Devil stood still, almost casual, its shadow stretching unnaturally in all directions. The moment its gaze met his, Ketsu's skin prickled. Every nerve screamed the same warning.
Ketsu remembered what Ryo once told him.
About the difference between Demons and Devils.
[Back then]
"A demon is representative of a fear that humans have, but, " Ryo paused shortly, "a Devil represents the reason why this fear exists. The primal fear."
"Say for example a Fire-Demon is the embodiment of the fear of fire,"
"Then the equivalent Devil would be the fear of being burnt."
Ketsu tilted his head in confusion.
Ryo exhaled, "Eh I don't really now how to explain this, its far beyond humans understanding"
"See," Ryo was gesturing in the air, "when a Demon uses their power, they still are bound to our physical laws. Fire can't be created without air and so on.
But the Devil could burn the space itself, burning is a concept, not science.
Which means they don't need to obey any laws.
A Demon is easy to handle, its practically just a human.
But Devils.
You know. Devils are truly frightening creatures."
[Back in the present]
He didn't think for more than a fracture of time, barely took a step forward before it moved.
A blur—then
Pain detonated through his body.
Ketsu's right leg hit the floor a full second before he did.
He didn't think, he just growled, blood erupting from the stump, weaving itself into muscle, bone, skin. Within heartbeats, the leg was whole again.
The Devil tilted its head, bored.
The Devil of Laceration. Born by the fear of cuts.
The primal fear that head also created the demon of knives.
Ketsu lunged, bringing a blood-forged axe down in an arc, but the Devil's curse carved the air itself, slicing through his swing before it connected.
Stone split. Walls cracked.
The feed cut to Sora in the Association lounge, the glow of the broadcast flickering in her eyes. She leaned forward without realizing, nails digging into her palms. Her heartbeat matched the rhythm of the clash on screen.
Back in the dungeon, Ketsu ducked under another invisible slash, but it grazed his shoulder. Warmth spilled down his arm.
Blood.
He caught some of it in his palm, shaping it mid-motion into jagged spikes and hurling them like knives.
The Devil sliced them apart without looking.
Ketsu clicked his tongue.
"I didn't want to use one of their techniques," he thought, "But I guess there's no use."
He clenched his jaw, shoved his pointy finger into his mouth, and bit down hard. The bone crunched. Pain flared.
He tore his finger from his hand.
Blood poured.
His finger regenerated instantly—then he crushed the severed finger in his fist, coating his palm before hurling the blood forward. It hit the ground between them and—
BOOM.
The blast ripped the floor open, shoving the Devil back a step.
"Doesn't seem to affect him."
Though it was enough for an opening.
Ketsu sprinted in, dragging his axe low. Sparks lit the air as he swung. The Devil caught it with one arm, curse slicing halfway through the blade.
Ketsu's eyes darted upward. A chunk of burning debris clung to the ceiling.
Perfect.
He slammed his palm into the wound on his side, yanked out a fresh stream of blood, and hurled it upward, forming it into a Katana.
A slice of aura came flying at him, he absorbed some of the aura whilst parrying, dodging only by an inch, but it was enough.
He used the redirected devil's aura he had absorbed by parrying, to make the aura flammable.
Normally a human's creation path is too weak to give their aura properties like this, but Ketsu managed to redirect a devils aura onto his blade.
Something only few hunters could claim to achieve.
He formed the aura around the blade's edge.
A burning weapon took shape—a blade of fire and blood.
He held the fire up with his own aura and occasionally parried the devil's attacks to keep the flammable aura intact.
But he couldn't parry all attacks.
The Devil's gaze narrowed for the first time.
Ketsu attacked, every strike leaving streaks of fire through the air, the scent of scorched stone filling the arena. When the Devil tried to dart past him, he swept his arm wide, spilling blood into a lattice—a net that snapped tight around the Devil's form.
The strands sizzled where they touched the curse, buying him seconds at most.
Seconds were all he needed.
He roared, flame-blade raised high—
The feed cut again to Sora, gripping the armrest so hard it creaked. Her lips moved silently. "Don't die, please".
In the dungeon, the Devil's curse flared, shredding the net. Both fighters lunged at the same instant, abilities colliding in an explosion of sparks and blood.
Neither gave an inch.
It seems as if Ketsu is about to get the upper hand, but—
He can slowly feel his fatigue.