Capítulo 28: Bound by Smoke
The eerie silence of the Romanian cathedral was only broken by the distant echo of Furōkawa's footsteps. Onamazu rested on his shoulder in its whip form, the faint toxic energy emanating from it shimmering in the dim light of the decrepit hall. His eyes were fixed on the figures at the far end of the room: two valkyries.
A domain opened unprompted, signaling the Valkyries were waking up regardless if Furō came or not.
One stood tall in her gleaming, battle-worn armor, her abyss-made eyes boring into him like daggers. Beside her, another was a shadowy specter, her form constantly shifting as tendrils of smoke rolled off her body like living snakes.
"Ah, great," Furō muttered. "First, one Valkyrie nearly kills me, and now I get two. Can't catch a break, can I?"
The cloud voice slithered through the air, echoing faintly. "Your insolence will be your undoing, human. We are one, forged from the same curse. Together, we are Hrist and Mist, and we are unstoppable."
Hrist's lips curled into a faint smirk. "We will crush you, as we have countless others before you."
Furōkawa tilted his head, an amused grin forming on his face. "You sure about that? 'Cuz I'm getting a real 'mid-to-low-tier boss fight' vibe from you two. Not exactly inspiring fear over here."
Hrist's smile vanished, her expression hardening. Mist hissed, her smoke expanding rapidly to fill the cathedral.
The room quickly became a battlefield of chaos. Mist's smoke consumed the space, making it nearly impossible for Furō to see. Every breath felt heavy, the cursed energy laced within the smoke clawing at his lungs. He stumbled back, swinging Onamazu wildly to clear the haze.
"Great," he coughed, "smoke powers. My least favorite kind of environmental hazard."
(Furōkawa's father is a chainsmoker, and absolutely hates it)
Mist's voice whispered around him, taunting. "You cannot strike what you cannot see."
"Yeah, well, good thing I don't need to see you to kick your ass," Furō shot back, focusing his cursed energy. The whip in his hand lashed out, tearing through the smoke. He could feel Mist moving, the vibration of her cursed energy as she shifted through the haze.
But it wasn't just Mist he had to worry about.
From his left, Hrist charged, her blade shimmering with solidified smoke. Furō barely managed to block the strike with Onamazu, the force of the blow sending him sliding backward across the cathedral floor.
"Two against one," Furō muttered, shaking his head. "Not exactly fair. But then again…" He smirked. "I like the challenge."
The fight was brutal. Mist's smoke filled the room, blinding Furōkawa at every turn, while Hrist attacked relentlessly, her strikes precise and devastating. Furōkawa was forced to think fast, using Onamazu's versatility to adapt.
At one point, he shifted the weapon into its oar form, using its broad surface to disperse the smoke. At another, he turned it into an axe, swinging wildly to force Hrist back. But despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep up with both enemies at once.
"Okay, new plan," he muttered, his breath ragged. "Take out the one making the smoke first."
Focusing all his energy, Furōkawa turned Onamazu back into its whip form and lashed out at Mist. The whip sliced through the smoke, its toxic energy causing the haze to recoil slightly. Furō followed up with a barrage of strikes, each one aimed at the shifting form of the specter.
Mist hissed in pain as Onamazu's toxic energy began to take its toll, her form becoming less stable. She tried to retreat, but Furō didn't let up, pressing the attack with everything he had.
"This is for all the times I've had to breathe secondhand smoke in karaoke bars!" he shouted, delivering a final, devastating strike.
Mist let out a piercing scream as her form collapsed into a swirling mass of cursed energy. Before Furōkawa could react, the energy coalesced into a golden bracelet that floated in the air before him.
Furō stared at the bracelet, his brow furrowed. The bracelet pulsed with a strange, inviting energy. Against his better judgment, he reached out and grasped it.
The moment his fingers closed around the bracelet, the world around him shifted. The cathedral faded away, replaced by a strange, otherworldly expanse.
Furōkawa found himself standing in the middle of a vast green river. The water shimmered with an acidic glow, releasing faint, toxic fumes. Despite its appearance, the river was only ankle-deep to Furō's perception, though he could feel the raw energy pulsing within it.
Far ahead, a shadowy figure glided silently through the mist, steering a small, rickety boat. The boatman wore a tattered cloak, and though its face was obscured, Furō could feel its empty gaze on him.
"Okay," Furō said, his voice breaking the eerie silence. "You again."
The boatman said nothing, continuing its slow, rhythmic rowing. Furō took a cautious step forward, the water rippling under his feet. It felt cool against his skin, though he could see its acidic nature corroding the edges of the boat.
"Right," Furō muttered, watching as the boatman remained just out of reach no matter how far he walked. "Silent and creepy. Cool aesthetic, but not exactly helpful."
The bracelet in his hand glowed, its energy seeping into his skin. Furō winced as a sharp pain shot through his left wrist, and he watched as the golden bracelet fused with his body, its surface gleaming against his skin. Immediately, the river around him reacted, the toxic fumes intensifying as green mist began swirling around his feet.
"Well, that's new," Furō said, flexing his fingers. The mist swirled lazily at his ankles, responding to his movements like an obedient pet. It didn't seem aggressive or corrosive—not yet, at least. Instead, it felt… waiting. Like it was alive, eager for him to direct it.
Farther ahead, the shadowy boatman continued its silent journey, its oar slicing through the glowing green water. Furō narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward as the rippling liquid cooled the soles of his shoes.
"No way you're just for show," Furō muttered, squinting at the cloaked figure. "You're either here to give me cryptic advice or kill me. WHO ARE YOU!?"
The boatman didn't stop, didn't even glance back. Furō growled in frustration, taking another step into the shallow river. "You're really sticking with the strong, silent type, huh? Fine, be mysterious. See if I care."
The mist around his feet shifted, spiraling upward in soft tendrils, as though reacting to his annoyance. Furō frowned, experimentally waving his hand. The mist followed, curling into a rough wall that obscured the boatman completely before dissipating back into the river.
"Not bad," he muttered, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Not great, but not bad. Looks like I've got some new tricks to play with."
The bracelet on his wrist pulsed once, the faint glow fading as the toxic river seemed to ripple with approval. A moment later, the world around him blurred, and the river dissolved into darkness.
Furōkawa stumbled back into the cathedral, the golden bracelet on his left wrist now firmly fused to his skin. The mist from his domain followed him, swirling around him like an aura of menace. It wasn't dense or solid, but it hung in the air, carrying an acrid scent that stung his nose.
Hrist stood at the far end of the room, her expression grim as she took in the sight of her fallen sister's bracelet now bound to Furō's wrist.
"You… have taken what does not belong to you," she said, her voice low and trembling with rage. "You will pay for this sacrilege, human."
Furōkawa gave her a tired grin, flicking his wrist to send the mist curling lazily into the air. "Yeah? Let's see if Mist agrees with that."
Hrist's eyes burned with fury, her cursed energy flaring as the remnants of Mist's smoke surged toward her. In a flash, she solidified the smoke into jagged, gleaming spears that floated menacingly in the air.
Furōkawa took a cautious step back, his grin fading slightly. "Okay, cool trick. But two can play at the smoke game now."
He raised his hand, and the mist around him surged forward. It wasn't solid—but it was enough to obscure Hrist's vision and his own cursed energy, creating a barrier between them. The acrid fumes caused her to cough, her movements faltering slightly.
"Not bad," Furō said, circling to the side. "Blinding, confusing, and just annoying enough to mess with you."
Hrist snarled, slashing through the mist with her blade. The toxic smoke dissipated briefly but re-formed almost instantly, clinging to her armor and corroding the edges.
"You think this parlor trick will save you?" she spat, her voice ragged. "You are nothing without your stolen power!"
Furō shrugged, sidestepping another attack. "Maybe. But if this is nothing, then what does that make you?"
The fight dragged on, with Hrist growing more desperate as Furō used the mist to keep her off balance. He couldn't deal much direct damage with his newfound ability, but the corrosive nature of the mist was wearing her down, her movements growing slower and less precise.
Finally, she made a mistake.
In her rage, Hrist charged blindly through the mist, swinging her blade in a wide arc. Furō ducked low, turning Onamazu into its whip form and lashing it around her legs. With a sharp tug, he sent her sprawling to the ground, her blade skittering out of reach.
"Looks like I win," he said, standing over her.
"You have won nothing," Hrist snarled, her voice filled with defiance. "There are others. Stronger than I. You will fall to them, as all mortals have."
"Yeah, yeah," Furō said, raising Onamazu in its axe form. "Save the speech for someone who cares."
With a single, powerful swing, he brought the axe down, cleaving through her neck. Hrist's body dissolved into light, her cursed energy dispersing into the air. A second golden bracelet appeared, hovering in front of Furō before binding itself to his right wrist.
This time, the surge of power was immediate and overwhelming. The mist around him thickened, its presence growing more oppressive as he felt his control expand. He raised his hands experimentally, watching as the smoke shifted and twisted into solid shapes—spikes, walls, and even a crude shield.
"Now we're talking," he said, flexing his fingers as the mist settled into an aura around him.
Furōkawa slumped against a broken pew, both wrists now adorned with golden bracelets. The mist swirled lazily around him, shifting between liquid and solid forms as he tested his new abilities.
"Two bracelets, huh?" he muttered, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Guess I'm building a collection."
He glanced down at the acidic mist pooling at his feet, feeling the raw power coursing through his body. The fight had been brutal, but he'd come out stronger. And with the Valkyries falling one by one, he was getting closer to his ultimate goal.
"Bring on the next one," he said, standing and heading toward the cathedral doors. "I'm just getting started."
As he stepped into the rain, the mist followed, coiling protectively around him like a shadow.
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