Morato took a deep breath and exhaled a long, measured sigh. "Hm. So interesting."
In a single heartbeat, Morato vanished. He reappeared mere inches from Koshi. Before her senses could even register his presence, a sharp, sickening pain exploded in her stomach. The impact launched her backward, her body skipping violently across the cracked earth before she finally came to a halt.
"There. Now we're almost even," Morato said lightly, his attention already shifting back toward Ko.
Ko approached him slowly. His stride was deliberate, his unblinking gaze locked onto Morato's with unwavering intensity.
The sheer, unfiltered bloodlust radiating from the boy filled Morato with a sudden mixture of intrigue and awe. It felt familiar—a reflection of his own kind.
"Just look at him," Morato thought, completely fascinated. "So serious. So focused. He sees me as the only obstacle in his path, and he will do absolutely anything to kill me. Hm. I like him." For a moment, the Demon God found it hard to even maintain his usual arrogant chatter. "A person like this would make the perfect killing machine… with a little guidance, of course."
Morato shook the thought away, refocusing his mind on the battle at hand.
With blinding speed, Morato closed the distance, his hand clamping tightly around Ko's arm. But Ko didn't flinch. Driving his weight forward, Ko clenched his free fist and buried a heavy counter-blow straight into Morato's chest.
The Demon God remained entirely unfazed by the strike. With a casual flick of his wrist, he threw Ko across the battlefield as if he weighed nothing at all.
"Put some real force behind it, will you?" Morato taunted, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.
Ko flipped mid-air, landing on his feet and instantly launching himself right back into the fray, his sword thrusting forward in a lethal arc. Seeing the attack coming from a mile away, Morato effortlessly swayed his body, letting the blade whisper past his cheek.
Unperturbed, Ko unleashed a relentless onslaught of slashes. Each strike grew faster, fiercer, and more potent than the last, the air hissing around them.
Amused but deciding he had seen enough, Morato abruptly brought the onslaught to a halt, driving a heavy fist downward and slamming Ko into the dirt.
A few yards away, Koshi struggled to her feet. The lingering agony from Morato's initial strike made her gasp for breath, her vision swimming as she forced her trembling legs to hold her weight. "Okay. Positive thoughts," she told herself desperately. "I can't give up yet."
When she looked up, she froze. Despite the brutal touchdown, Ko was already standing again, his movements adjusting. He was blocking and countering Morato with far greater efficiency than before.
Morato's grin split wider and wider, genuinely savoring the thrill of the exchange.
"Overall, Ko, I'm thoroughly impressed!" Morato shouted over the clashing of steel. "It seems you're a hell of a lot stronger than I gave you credit for!"
Catching a momentary lapse in Morato's balance, Ko lunged. The blade bit deep, successfully piercing straight into the Demon God's torso. Reacting instantly, Morato clamped his bare hand around the sharp steel, halting its progress.
"I really do like you," Morato murmured, his crimson eyes narrowing. "A pity you won't be around for the long run. You know, if the choice were entirely mine, I would have given you a real chance."
Ko didn't answer. His mind remained entirely devoid of idle thought, his expression a stern mask of pure, unadulterated intent to kill.
With a swift, powerful twist, Ko drove his heel into the ground, leveraging his weight to wrench his blade free from Morato's grip before leaping backward to a safe distance.
Morato casually covered the puncture wound, fully expecting it to knit itself back together in a matter of seconds. It was a severe miscalculation. Warm blood continued to pump past his fingers, refusing to stop. A sudden wave of dizziness hit him, forcing him to his knees as his vision blurred.
"Wh… I can't regenerate? No… it's just incredibly slow."
Seeing Morato suddenly vulnerable, Koshi knew this was their only window. She poured every ounce of her remaining energy into her next attack, intent on finishing him once and for all.
Ferocious, brilliant flames erupted from her body, the sheer heat instantly liquefying the stone beneath her feet into bubbling, molten rock. "After this, I am definitely going to have to work on my durability," Koshi thought grimly, her eyes burning with intensity. "My best of the best. Specialized Skill: Three Crimson Dragons!"
Morato remained rooted to the spot, his mind still frantically trying to comprehend the failure of his immortal biology. Sensing the cataclysmic scale of the impending blast, Ko rapidly retreated further into the distance, clear of the radius.
With a singular, deafening burst, an intense beam of spiritual energy shot from Koshi's body, shaping itself into three colossal, crimson dragons. The concussive force of the constructs tore through the air before they even reached their target.
Opening their massive jaws, the dragons clamped down on Morato, dragging him violently across the terrain before their unstable energy reached a breaking point. The world vanished in a fiery explosion of absolute chaos. The outward shockwave suddenly reversed, collapsing back inward to deliver an even more fatal, concussive implosion.
As the roaring flames began to die down, Ko's shoulders finally dropped. The rigid tension left his body. Slipping his sword into its sheath, he walked back to Koshi's side to check on her.
"Are you okay?" Ko asked softly. His eyes, however, never left the settling curtain of dust, still searching for any signs of life.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," Koshi panted, her gaze matching his. "But… I have a bad feeling that won't be enough." She glanced at him, a question forming in her mind. "Also, it seemed like you really hurt him. I know you managed to damage him earlier, but this time was different. What did you do?"
"Hm. I wasn't entirely sure it would work," Ko admitted quietly. "It's my flame of mine I embedded into the steel of my sword. It stunts regeneration. I learned it awhile back when I lived in that cave. Now… I definitely believe we can win."
But as the dust fully cleared, Morato still stood firm.
His clothes were scorched and torn, but his mind was entirely occupied by the stubborn wound on his chest that still refused to heal. For the first time in the entire encounter, the arrogance was gone. He was thinking carefully, calculating his next move with deadly seriousness.
"Ah…!" Koshi stared at the standing Demon God in absolute disbelief. "Nothing?! It did nothing?!" She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, she looked over at Ko. His focus had already locked back onto the target, ready to fight to the death.
Giving herself a reassuring nod, Koshi refused to let despair take over.
Taking the initiative, she barked an order to Ko. "Get ready to move!"
She unleashed a rapid volley of energy beams, each trailing a fierce, fiery tail as they zipped toward Morato.
Morato effectively maneuvered through the barrage, his eyes easily tracking the real, rapidly approaching threat: Ko.
Suddenly, Ko reached for his sword, altering his posture in a way that flashed a warning sign in Morato's instincts. Frightened by whatever technique the boy was preparing, Morato chose to retreat, actively backing away to decipher Ko's strategy.
But Ko's assault was relentless. He pressed the advantage, forcing the reluctant Demon God into close-quarters combat. Capitalizing on Morato's hesitation, Ko shattered his defenses, landing a decisive, fluid slash directly across Morato's chest.
Morato staggered back, his breath catching. Not giving him a single second to regain his composure, Koshi made her move. Relying purely on her raw physical strength, she threw a devastating punch forward. The sheer velocity sent a localized burst of superheated air hurtling into Morato, knocking him completely off his feet and leaving severe internal burns in his respiratory tract.
Laying flat on his back, Morato coughed violently, forcing his eyes to focus on Koshi as he gathered enough strength to speak.
"My strength… it feels like it's been completely sapped," Morato realized, a cold spike of genuine fright piercing his chest. "What did you do to me, Ko? And how? I should be vastly stronger than this."
Ko stood over him, drawing his sword high with an absolute, remorseless intent to execute him.
"Hey, Ko. Easy," Koshi called out, her voice cutting through the silence. She stepped forward, stopping him.
Morato let out a weak chuckle that quickly turned into a wet, wheezing cough. "Koshi… I think… the thing required of you… is standing right here. He's impressive… but…"
Koshi stared at Ko, then looked back down at Morato, shaking her head in fierce denial. "You can't… you couldn't possibly mean this. The Administrator, I'm sure… I'm sure it doesn't require this."
"I don't make the rules, Koshi. The Administrator does," Morato replied weakly.
Ko looked between the two of them, entirely unsure of what they were debating, but he didn't dwell on it. His blade remained steady, waiting patiently for Koshi's final command.
"Listen to me… he is one life weighed against many. You have no idea what is coming for this world," Morato warned. He clutched his bleeding chest, reclining in a level of physical agony he had never experienced in his immortal life. "This will make you powerful… the conditions are perfect," he said through heavy, ragged breaths. For the first time, his voice sounded completely sincere, his crimson eyes gleaming with genuine worry. "It's not an ideal situation. But this world isn't fair, right?"
"Not ideal?" Koshi whispered. Her fists clenched so tight that her own fingernails cut into her palms, drawing blood.
Morato exhaled a shallow breath. "This is your choice. You've tried many others admittedly, I know it's cruel. But this… we are certain you are the one. Do not deviate now."
Koshi's brow furrowed in anguish. "Honesty… how would this go for us if I don't?"
"Ahh, the Administrator?" Morato let out a sarcastic, breathless laugh that ended in a cough. "You should know how that goes. But in reality… I'm unsure. Like I said before, I'm not the boss."
Koshi slowly took a step back, her mind racing at a frantic, suffocating speed. Her eyes drifted to Ko, then down to her own bleeding hands. "I'm important…" she whispered to herself, trying to anchor her resolve. "I am."
With Koshi granting him space, Morato turned his head slightly to study the silent boy standing over him.
"Ah… a silent one. Are you even fully conscious?" Morato asked, studying Ko's entirely impassive face. "You haven't shown a single change in facial expression this entire time."
Ko said nothing.
"Have you even heard a single word I've said?" Morato asked, almost amused by the absurdity of it.
A heavy pause hung over the battlefield. Then, Morato laughed… a short, sharp, hollow sound completely devoid of warmth.
"Fine, then."
With a sudden burst of hidden strength, Morato lunged upward, his hand snapping around Ko's throat. It lasted for only a split second. With a single, fluid motion, Ko brutally broke Morato's gripping arm and followed up with a vicious kick to the head. The strike sent Morato staggering backward, his vision swimming in darkness.
But before Ko could press the final advantage, Koshi moved.
She stepped directly between them, placing her back to Morato. Her head was bowed low. Gently, almost tenderly, her hand reached up to caress Ko's hair, her fingers guiding him slowly toward the edge of the plateau they stood upon.
Behind them, the Great Abyss yawned open, a violent gale pulling at their clothes.
Ko's absolute focus finally wavered. A flicker of profound confusion overrode his battle instinct. "What is she doing?"
From behind, Koshi wrapped her arms entirely around his shoulders. The embrace was soft. Warm. Cruelly deceptive.
"You know…" her voice was a fragile whisper, barely audible over the wind. "I… have nothing to say. In the end… no excuses."
She simply held him there. Patient. Still.
Minutes ticked by in agonizing silence. Behind them, Morato's suppressed wounds finally began to sluggishly close, his demonic strength returning in a quiet, steady tide.
"This will be worth it… in the end," Koshi murmured, her arms tightening around him one last time.
Then, she let go.
Stepping back, she raised her hand. An intense, shimmering heat immediately materialized in her open palm, aimed directly at Ko's chest.
Ko turned around fully, an unprecedented look of sheer confusion and betrayal flickering across his usually stoic features. "Koshi…?"
Without another thought, without letting herself hesitate for a single second longer, she released the blast.
The concussive wave hit him squarely, sending him over the precipice.
It was a sudden, violent, utterly irreversible act. Ko stumbled backward, falling over the edge and plunging straight into the endless void. For one breathtaking, horrific second, the world fell completely silent, save for the rustle of their clothes and the sound of dislodged pebbles skittering into the dark.
Then, as Ko's stunned expression finally vanished into the shadows below, the suffocating fog that had clouded Koshi's mind completely shattered. The crushing, monstrous weight of reality slammed into her chest like a physical blow. Her outstretched hand began to tremble violently. A raw, gut-wrenching, animalistic scream tore from her throat as the horrifying truth of what she had just done fully dawned on her.
Morato stood a few feet away, his crimson eyes wide and utterly shell-shocked. He hadn't actually expected her to go through with it.
"Oh…! Really?"
Slowly, he walked over to the edge, standing beside her. He couldn't find any words. He simply stared down into the abyss alongside Koshi, whose eyes had gone entirely lifeless.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed, her entire body shaking with violent sobs. Suddenly, she lunged forward, trying to throw herself over the edge after him, but Morato caught her, pinning her arms to stop her from diving into the dark. Tears of pure, agonizing regret streamed down her face as she screamed and begged him to let her go; to let her save him.
"This… is this really the only way?" Morato thought, a heavy, profound sense of regret washing over his features as he held her back. "My apologies, Koshi… Ko."
Behind them, hidden in the deeper shadows of the landscape, the Administrator stood completely unfazed.
"An intervention was necessary," the administrator thought. For a brief moment, a wide, manic, and uncharacteristic grin broke across his usually calm facade.
Without waiting around to witness the aftermath, his dark silhouette broke apart, dissolving into the cold wind.