Their clash was intense as small lightning struck all around them. "FILTHY HUMAN!"
The clash of metal rang out sharply, sending sparks flying with each strike.
"It seems you're strong even without the katana, Var'gath." Kuro stated while blocking and countering some of Var'gath's strikes.
"I don't take compliments from humans." The sound and shockwaves of Var'gath roar sent Kuro back. Then he launched toward the flying Kuro, "Here he comes!" The flying Kuro landed on a rock behind, rushing back at Var'gath at high speed.
"Take this!" They both screamed as Var'gath sent a punch and Kuro swung. They both kept trying to push each other back until Var'gath used his knee to strike Kuro's jaw. "GUH!" Blood splashed out of his nose as he forced his head back down. He then struck Var'gath in the stomach with his left fist. "GRH!" Var'gath's black blood splashed from his mouth.
They both rushed backward, wiping blood out of their faces with a smirk. "THIS SHALL END!" Var'gath screamed hard as his aura got intense. Kuro's katana emitted more aura when he heard the opponent's screams.
Var'gath raised his arm forward, "Hellfire...eruption.." Kuro felt heat beneath him, "OH NO!" He jumped toward mid-air as fire erupted from the ground in an instant. The fire was beaming at him when he blocked it.
"GRRR!" The fire was pushing him back even when he held his guard up. Then he reflected it by sending it to the left. "Phew.." He turned at Var'gath, "Such a petty trick.."
"..." Var'gath held his ground, gazing at Kuro. "Doesn't matter..you downfall is near.." Kuro gazed back.
Hey, Nivor, i feel my energy is draining..analyze the cause Kuro questioned Nivor in his mind.
The user's energy doesn't match the cursed katana's usage. At this rate, energy drain will be a dangerous threat to the user. Nivor specified.
"Well..Var'gath" Kuro pointed at him, "Let's end this in one last blow."
Var'gath's anger was increasing as flames started erupting all around him. "A filthy human orders me.." Var'gath's eyes were emitting fire as he roared, "I WILL GRANT YOUR DEATHWISH!"
Holes started appearing in different directions of Var'gath's body as it fired hell flames out of it. The flames were leaving his body at a high pace, rising upon departing from his body.
"Well..i'm not good at controlling my energy.." Kuro stared at the katana, "Consume my energy if you wish.."
He raised the weapon as its silver aura rose high up. Kuro closed his eyes, "Time to end this.."
The aura was reaching Kuro's arm, surrounding it. As Kuro opened his red eyes, they glared silver instead.
-
In another area :
"What is this energy.." The people were looking at the powers/fire that burst through the sky.
Each guild leader "Who..", "Is..", "Doing..", "This.."
-
In a nearby place from the fight :
"My pawn is doing hard work." A shady guy gazed from afar, as his smirk widened.
-
"Var'gath..goodbye!" The two powers rushed at each other, "GRRR", "RAHHH!"
Kuro's silver aura collided with Var'gath's hell flames throughout the clash; Var'gath's fist and the cursed katana were emitting shockwaves, trembling the nearby area.
The cursed blade was going into Var'gath's fist, slowly reaching for his body. "No way.." Var'gath said in fear, "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I FELT FEAR!"
The blade was piercing through until Kuro raised the katana and sliced his opponent from the left shoulder to the right kidney, splashing blood out. "This..is..my..end"
Var'gath fell to the ground as the hellflames disappeared along with the aura of his katana. He lost due to energy consumption and high ignorance.
"Arrogance is the cause of your death, Var'gath..?"
Danger..the user's usage of energy is high. At this pace, it'll all be consumed. Kuro walked toward the katana sheathe and took it, sheathing the katana to prevent more energy consumption.
"Kuro..is..your..name..?" Var'gath spelled his last words. "Hm..?" Kuro turned around at Var'gath, "This..won't..be enough..to surpass the higher ups..", He continued, "You..made me feel my own fear.." his voice was fading away as his body was vaporising. His last word was "Child..of..prophecy.."
Var'gath vanished. Kuro stepped back. 'Farewell," he said.
Kuro stood amidst the smoldering ruins of the arena. His chest heaved, sweat and blood mingling, as the adrenaline slowly ebbed from his veins.
A faint wind whispered through the scorched trees. Kuro's ears caught it before his eyes could. A presence watching.
"Who's there…?" Kuro's voice was shaky, his gaze scanning the shadows. Nothing moved, yet something was undeniably there.
Then, a figure emerged. Not from the town streets, not from the trees, but from the darkness itself. A man, tall and impossibly lean, with an aura that pressed against Kuro's chest, heavy as though the air itself obeyed him. His eyes glimmered like shards of molten silver, and his movements were fluid, silent, like he had stepped out from between moments.
Kuro's breath caught. "W-who…are you?"
The figure tilted his head slightly, studying Kuro as if evaluating him, not with malice, but with a cold, calculated curiosity.
"You call that strength?" The voice was soft, yet every syllable vibrated through the very ground. "You fought like a child wielding fire…yet you nearly shattered it with your own fear."
Kuro gritted his teeth. "If you're going to attack me, just do it! I'm not afraid anymore!"
The figure took a slow step forward, and the world seemed to bend around him, shadows pooling unnaturally at his feet. "Fear… is not what will kill you. It is your hesitation, your doubt, your weakness that will."
He crouched slightly, resting his hand on the ground, and a faint ripple of energy ran outward, bending the grass, the smoke, the heat itself. "Little brother" air grows cold, shadows thicken, as he continued, "have a long way to go."
The words struck Kuro like a blow. Brother? His mind screamed with confusion, disbelief. But before he could react, Kusho stepped back, melting into the shadows.
"All in due time." the shadowed figure whispered, his voice fading with the wind. "I will train you… when the world demands it."
Then he was gone. Only the echo of his presence remained, an unshakable weight pressing down on Kuro's chest, and a promise of something far beyond what he had ever faced.
Kuro clenched his fist, trembling slightly in response. His chest tightened, not with fear this time, but with anticipation. I'll have to grow… no matter the cost.
He walked out of the scene with exhaustion from the fight; his vision was blurry, and his muscles were trembling as well. "Nivor..how strong he was?"
Request response: He was a 1% of the weakest Hierarchs The response of Nivor sent shivers down his spine. "I was fighting someone not even near a single high-ranked demon.."
"Nivor is there a human stronger than him..?" Kuro sat down at a place away from the scene.
Almost every guild leader is stronger by levels from this monster, as well as the S ranks. Even the top 10 of rank A. "I see.."
Kuro noticed something out of the sudden, "NIVOR? DID YOU EVOLVE?"
Correct, Nivor still lacks most.
"Oh i see, only close infos..how about you tell me how strong is the demon king? or even his ability?" Kuro got excited.
Can't analyze a superior entity.
"Oh i see.." He stared at the katana, "Last test.."
He unsheathed the cursed katana, but it had no aura, though. "I can trigger my ushi with a cursed katana. This will be so strong."
"I still need to remember how to trigger my ushi." Kuro closed his eyes, trying to trigger it.
On his palm, an X sign started appearing, Colored completely red. "Yes, it is working!" Kuro's excitement wasn't expressable. As the shape of the katana started changing, red/black lightning was emitted from the handle toward Kuro's palm, causing the katana to fall from his hand. "Oh..i see" His excitement faded away.
It is right, the katana reflects the user's intentions and nature. However, it misfires when a malicious thought comes into mind. The user can't actively infuse ushi with such katanas, since the katana is cursed. These drawbacks are not enough; one last drawback is Stamina Drain and Reikonryoku Drain make the usage of the katana sap out physical energy, and those mentioned before. Nivor clarified to Kuro.
"I see...so i need another katana after all. This is only a final card." Kuro nodded.
Yes, this is possible. However, with training and efficient energy, using the cursed katana with your ushi could be possible. With intense training only. Nivor gave Kuro more hope.
"Wow, you're really a genius, nivor." Kuro raised his head.
He took the katana from the ground and sheathed it.
"This fight..really consumed my energy..and the events is just.." Kuro stopped in disbelief at what happened, his confusion increased, as well as traces from the last fight left on his body. "He said brother..? Who is this guy.."
"Guess..a long way awaits me.." Kuro is standing up with blurry vision due to the cause of the early fight, barely holding the weight of the weapon he is holding.
"My mission is one..I WILL DESTROY YOU, DEMON KING!" He shouted in a high tone.
Chapter End.