Two days before Zenith's summoning…
The cave was silent—silent, save for the sound of fists colliding with stone.
Gakurashi stood shirtless, his slender, toned body glistening with sweat under the dim glow of the crystals embedded in the walls. Before him towered a massive crystal laced with jagged thorns. His knuckles were bruised, raw, yet his strikes did not cease.
"Break… Break… BREEEEAAAK!"
His fist, wreathed in a suffocating darkness, slammed against the crystal's surface. It was the Oni's power—Blight. A malevolent force that corroded everything it touched. But even with his rage ignited, the crystal remained unscathed.
Panting, Gakurashi lowered his trembling hand, his breath ragged and heavy.
"Damn it!!"
His voice cracked with frustration.
A fleeting image of Zenith pierced his mind, and anger surged like venom. He bit his lip so hard it bled, crimson dripping down his chin.
"Does this mean I'm not strong enough!?" His voice echoed in the cave, trembling with fury. "I want to stab him… gouge out his eyes… kill him slowly… I want him kneeling before me, begging for mercy as I show him his own insides!"
The words twisted out of him like curses.
His rage boiled over. A monstrous scream tore from his throat as the Blight within his body erupted. The air quaked, the cave walls shattered, dust and shards collapsing all around him.
And yet…
The crystal stood tall. Untouched.
"…Still not a single dent? Pfft." He spat, glaring at it with contempt.
He placed his hand against its cold surface, a crooked grin crawling across his face.
"Even a lifeless existence struggles to remain… undeserved. Oh, this brings back memories…"
---
Flashback — Years Ago
The clatter of wooden spears echoed in the dojo. Sunlight spilled through the paper windows, illuminating a hundred young students in formation.
"ORDER!"
The dojo leader's voice thundered, silencing the chatter. His commanding presence made the air heavy.
"Two students shall face each other… Gakurashi, step forward. Enzo, step forward."
The murmur spread instantly.
"It's about to go down…"
The two boys stepped forward, both adopted children of Master Ito. One—Enzo—stood tall, sharp eyes brimming with confidence. The other—Gakurashi—nervous, but burning with something darker.
"The true essence of a master of the spear," Ito's voice rang out, "is the ability to channel Flow to split the heavens, with your weapon as its medium. Now… begin!"
Enzo adjusted his stance, eyes narrowing.
"Fourth Flow: Divine Path!"
With a roar, his spear lunged forward. The strike split the air itself, slicing through the dojo's calm atmosphere.
Gakurashi parried desperately, the force rattling his arms. He barely deflected it, the blade still nicking his shoulder.
Enzo pressed on, his spear now wrapped in Flow—each strike faster, heavier, merciless.
"Gakurashi," Ito called, his tone stern, "steady your spirit. Summon Flow from within!"
But Gakurashi couldn't. His every move was survival. His every parry, desperate.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"I can't…" he whispered, trembling. His lips curved into a bitter smile. "I can't use Flow…"
The dojo froze. Enzo faltered mid-strike, his spear lowering slightly.
"No… no way…" Enzo's voice shook.
The other students whispered in shock, and Ito's silence confirmed it. The bout was over.
---
That night, Gakurashi dreamed.
A sky painted vermillion. Beneath it—endless Oni, chained to the earth, shackled with divine inscriptions glowing like brands. Above them, a small rift, bleeding faint light.
"What… is this place?"
From the shadows stepped a man. His aura was suffocating, his smile sharp.
"Your predicament," he said.
Gakurashi spun. "What are you talking about? These are demons! The reason I was taught to wield a spear is to eradicate them!"
The man chuckled. His name rang like thunder in Gakurashi's ears.
Kenzo Shinigami.
"Then you have been brainwashed."
His words cut deep.
Kenzo's eyes gleamed crimson as he raised his hand. "We were bound by humans. The rift above? Only the weakest Oni essence slips through. The stronger ones… remain here, shackled."
Gakurashi's fists clenched. "Lies! Platinum-ranked Oni roam free in the world. Where do you think they come from?"
Kenzo's smile thinned.
"Exactly. They slipped out here too. Demons wield an energy… 'Blight.' The opposite of Flow. Uncanny. Dark. Deadly. The ones who escape grow stronger because your world is already drenched in it. Even humans… harbor it. They feed us."
He leaned closer, his gaze piercing.
"Tell me… you can't use Flow, can you?"
Gakurashi froze.
Kenzo grabbed his hand.
A surge of black energy shot through him, searing his veins.
"I've awakened your Blight."
Gakurashi's heart pounded. "All of this is… gibberish!"
Kenzo conjured a crimson orb. Within it, Gakurashi saw Ito whispering to Enzo. Banish him. He will disgrace us. A child who cannot use Flow will shame the clan.
Gakurashi staggered back, clutching his chest.
Before the dream faded, Kenzo smiled—an ominous, knowing grin.
"Now… let us turn the tables."
---
The next morning.
The dojo gathered for promotion exams. Laughter and chatter filled the hall—until Gakurashi stepped forward, spear pointed at Ito himself.
"Gakurashi! Are you insane!?" Enzo cried out.
"Do you plan… to banish me?" Gakurashi's voice shook with fury.
"It's not what you think—" Ito began.
"Shut up!"
In an instant, Blight erupted. Crimson flames licked the walls as Gakurashi's true Oni features emerged—human no longer, but demon incarnate.
"AAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHH!"
The dojo burned. Students screamed. Ash consumed the air.
Enzo fell to his knees, blood streaming from his eyes.
"I swear it!" His voice was ragged, yet unwavering. "One day… I'll repay you… you worthless existence!"
Before Gakurashi's spear could fall, Ito unleashed a talisman. Light swallowed Enzo, teleporting him away.
The old master turned to his adopted son, tears in his eyes, lips trembling with a broken smile.
"I'm sorry…"
---
Back to the Present
Gakurashi's eyes blazed as he stood before the crystal once more.
"That's how I've lived! As a powerhouse! After I discovered my true self, no one—NO ONE—is permitted to trample on me!"
He roared, his Blight surging. His fist slammed into the crystal with all his rage.
CRACK!
The thorned crystal shattered into glittering fragments, scattering across the cave floor.
Gakurashi stood tall, his chest heaving.
"As it should be. My will… can shatter a crystal tougher than diamond. I won't let down the one who believed in me."
He closed his eyes, whispering the name with a reverence that chilled the air.
"…Kenzo Shinigami."
Far away, in the crimson void, Kenzo's lips curled into a sinister smile as he watched through his orb.
"The time is almost nigh…"