章 47: Chapter.47:Blaze! The Fires Of The Warrior Soul
The two warriors stood silent in perfect stillness waiting for the other to make a move that would lead to an opening for one of them to seize victory. The silence could be cut with a knife from the intensity of the scene they displayed. Einz made the first move, and he disappeared in a flash, Koutetsu by instinct or pure luck blocked the strike with his bone blades. The blades cracked from the impact of force behind the sword swing, Einz then sucker punched Koutetsu in the stomach, grabbed him by the hair, and started dragging him across the ground like he did before. The speed at which Einz ran was now faster than in the beginning, it was blinding. It was impossible to see him, he was like he was a blur with only the sound of his running behind heard like a high-pitched whistle. He threw Koutetsu in the air as if he were a ragdoll, Einz jumped up followed by a downward slash with his sword Astarok, while Koutetsu tried to block it again. The bone blades shattered from impact, breaking off his hands entirely, he launched to the ground with his back slamming on the dirt and rocks as he coughed up blood from the force hurting his insides. Einz thrust Astarok to Koutetsu, the wicked aura glowing around the blade screaming out. Koutetsu rolled out of the way to dodge the sword thrust before it hit him anywhere on his body that would have immobilized him.
Einz went for another attack, he wasn't going to stop his momentum till the fight was over. The blade of the sword grazed Koutetsu's face just below his left eye, soon his arms and hands were scarred up again as while from blocking the sword strikes. Koutetsu got some distance from Einz, he tried to reject the wounds, but the cuts wouldn't heal properly. Even more, the attempt to remove them only caused more pain.
'Damn, this isn't good. I got rid of all the old scars and burns after I got the flames under control but this time they won't heal. What kind of poison is that he hit me with? It's not the same as the one Ren was hit with this seems more potent. Even more, my magic feels weaker like it's draining quicker than normal.'
"Notice. Hell Blade Astarok, one of three Archdemon swords. Astarok has the unique skill Soul Devour. If hit with its blade Astarok will absorb the magic of its target till eventually it will devour the soul of its enemy. Astarok grows in strength the more magic it devours."
'You've gotta be kidding me. So that sword is eating my magic and making itself and Einz stronger. I'm glad this help screen has knowledge of this world or I'd be screwed. His speed is higher than it was earlier too. He's not as strong in brute force as he was, but he makes up for it with his tenacity and skill. Even his demeanor feels more pressuring than before. There's no doubt he's more dangerous now from his release. I've got to avoid being hit with that sword, that poison emanating from it is deadly even with the flames backing me up. That and the damn thing eats away at magic so if it keeps hitting me I'll have nothing to defend myself with but my bare hands. If he was serious I'd be dead a hundred times already, he has no intent to kill me just hurt me enough so I can't put up a resistance. I need to be careful, he'll give me more than new scars if I'm careless by even a second.'
The pain was starting to subside, but the scars were permanent now. Koutetsu knew that if he was to survive he had to avoid the sword more than he did before, he couldn't afford to block it now that the bone blades were destroyed, and losing any more magic would be a guaranteed victory for Einz.
Einz struck again, and Koutetsu tried to fight back with flames to block the sword strikes from touching him again with its poison. Einz wasn't letting him get an opening, he wasn't going to kill Koutetsu, just hurt him enough to make him submit. Koutetsu wasn't going to be Einz's caged beast, the problem he was realizing was that Einz was more powerful than accounted for, and even with using more of the Hiyou Ryu it still wasn't enough if he couldn't touch him.
Koutetsu didn't have a weapon like Ren's sword to counteract the Hell blade or anything just for defense. If he had to match Einz's speed he had to use the move he'd been saving as an Ace in the Hole. He practiced it rarely the cause of the risk and promised he would not use it without Megumi's permission due to his current level. Of the ultimate moves in each form this one was more of a state of acceleration to the body using internal heat for flame magic users. Unlike like Jushin Kakusei it was a limited time recommended for new users to use at a minimum of 99sec since it burned a lot of energy and wasn't intended to activate right after Jushin Kakusei only on its own when wanting a quick victory or increase in raw power without using the animal souls. Right now it was his only plan and knew Megumi would beat him to death if she found out he used it.
'Sorry master. But I'm out of options. You can kick my ass later for it. But it's do or die time right now.'
Koutetsu turned off the Jushin Kakusei mode reverting back to his human appearance. He coded his body again to increase the heat resistance and muscle density needed for the next move to make up for the lack of levels. He grabbed his chest around his heart, squeezing the spot as the flames charged up his body more than usual, pumping his heart rate faster than normal. Einz could see the air around Koutetsu was burning up, and the veins all over his body were turning bright crimson, even his face had crimson veins on it. The soles of his feet and palms of his hands with glowing bright from the thermal heat charged in them, flames ignited from his back like the blast of an afterburner from a jet. His eyes went bloodshot with the inner black scolera having red rings around them, the muscles on his body tightened harder, the grunting he made from the painful exertion he was going through, it indeed was a costly move he was using against Einz.
Koutetsu's bloodshot eyes matched Einz's glowing death eyes, this wasn't a glare of bloodlust or madness, it was a stare of desperation pinning everything in this last-ditch effort.
"Hyou Ryu Kaitei no Kata Hissatsu, Doragon Akuserareita(Dragon Accelerator)!"
Einz looked with astonishment, he saw Koutetsu's body radiate like he was a God of fire. But Einz wouldn't falter, as even God can bleed as he has witnessed.
"Interesting boy, seems you didn't give up your mind this time. But your body instead. How long can you honestly hold out with a body that looks like it will burn to ash."
"So what? No guts no glory right? Besides can't use this one for long. So gotta make the most of it. Final Round Einz, Fight!!!"
Koutetsu dashed at high speed, the ground his feet stomped on ignited in small bursts of fire. Einz was shaken, Koutetsu was faster now, at the same speed as Einz even. Koutetsu punched Einz on his chest plate, and the impact knocked him back with a punch igniting the air and making an explosion on Einz when he was struck, even when Einz grabbed one of Koutetsu's arms his hand was badly burned in the process.
Koutetsu's body was a walking furnace, everything it touched was catching fire or turning to ash. Koutetsu couldn't keep this up for long, even if his body was withstanding the heat and building the thermal energy to power him, the strain it was taking on his brain and heart to regulate the even flow was extraneous. He stopped practicing this move when he was younger because of the risk to his body, it was like turning himself into a raging inferno that incinerated everything in its path.
Koutetsu caught Einz's sword with his bare hands before it hit his face avoiding the edges cutting his skin. The blade was burning up, going from its black sheen to a heated red. The heat ran down from the blade to Einz's arms, he didn't care if his hands were suffering, the poison from the sword was needed to make Koutetsu pass out, he just needed a good cut, even a clean slash to the body would suffice.
Koutetsu was powering through, his grip strength on the blunt sides was his only hope at the moment.
The heat was building up more dangerously, the sweat that would have crawled down his body was evaporating in an instant. Koutetsu could feel it as well, he was reaching his limit. He was starting to bleed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The blood would evaporate from hitting his skin, time was running out and his body was on the verge of self-destruction. Einz himself was also reaching his limit, his released restraints on himself to use his full strength were great, but it even put a strain on his body just the same with the damage he was accumulating. The risks they were taking as the hunter and the hunted were symbolized in the moment.
It was the end of the road now, both had to finish this before they destroyed themselves in their clash against each other. Einz backed off on his attack, he stared down Koutetsu in respect to him, he had a worthy opponent standing in his sight. Koutetsu had to nod in respect to him as well, Einz was an opponent who even with the body of a malicious corpse had a warrior's heart.
"I wish I could continue this. But I have an order to complete. And I've never failed my Master before." Einz said with a more calm and admirable tone.
"Ya know, I feel the same. But I have no intention of feeling like a locked-up zoo animal, I guess we should finish this should we." Koutetsu said as well with admiration for Einz too.
Einz held his sword back, charging it up with the star glowing. Liquid dripped from the blade like blood oozing out of an open wound. Koutetsu raised his right fist to his chest, he clenched it intensely, the bones being reinforced to the same hardness as titanium. The knuckles reshaped, hardening themselves into a bigger shape like large ball bearings, and the muscles in his wrist, elbow, and shoulder tightened to create a strong slingshot effect. Koutetsu cocked his arm back, his left hand holding his wrist tight to keep the pressure building up for the release to be used when Einz would be in range. Both stood in place, the silence surrounding them ominous, the last attack to finish their grueling fight.
Both of them rushed at the same time, Einz's sword whistled as the movement of the blade cut through the air the poison dripping off it sprayed the area melting everything the liquid poison touched that couldn't be protected by magic.
"Astarok Dunkle Bestrafung(Dark Punishment), Todesschlag(Death Slash)!"
Einz went for the attack swinging his sword with all the power in it.
'Hyou Ryu Bukai no Kata Hissatsu' Koutetsu threw the unreleased punch at Einz, the punch however was a feint. The speed of it was quick making it appear as a charged attack to Einz to throw off guard. Koutetsu disappeared as well, Einz tried feel his presence, it was his intention to do that as the ultimate skill for the Bukai no Kata was a two-combo move.
"Where is he? He was in front of me and now he's vanished. Did he use an invisibility spell. No! It's a trick, he's behind me!" Einz was too late to catch on, he head turned to see Koutetsu in the air behind him with his brimming eyes full of fury.
Koutetsu launched the real punch next, his fist blasted through with a howling scream as it roared from rushing through the air, the fist aimed directly at Einz. Einz tried to attack again to stop him before the fist connected.
"Tetsu no Shouri, METARU DORAGON FUNSAI(Iron Victory, METAL DRAGON SMASH)!!!" Koutetsu shouted as an afterimage of a roaring armored dragon appeared from his fist as it launched itself to Einz.
"Fall into the Abyss!!!" Einz shouted as he refused to give up coming this far into the fight not determined to complete his mission.
The area around them boomed in a thunderous echo from the two attacks colliding with each other. Einz and Koutetsu were back to back with a few paces between them. They didn't move, they were standing quietly. Koutetsu's body shifted back to normal, he spat out more blood before falling to one knee on the ground. His right arm was severely damaged, his fingers mangled with the skin on his knuckles torn off, and a piece of bone sticking out from his forearm.
Einz was not moving either, he stood stubbornly on his ground. The blade of Astarok broke in half, his entire body began to crack next, it was his time now, he lost this fight. He laughed in satisfaction, the fight was the most fun he had in a long time. He looked in respect at Koutetsu before he was completely broken, he understood why Koutetsu was valuable to Jagan's plans and resurrection.
"You win, there's no doubt you really are a Beast King. Beware though boy, the vassals of Jagan are coming for you. The Monarchs can't hold them off forever, if you struggled against me you stand no chance against them." Einz placed a hand on Koutetsu's shoulder in gratitude. Even if he was resurrected again in the future, this would have been the perfect send-off for him if his day of reckoning had come.
"Auf Wiedersehen junger König, mögen deine Jagdgründe Wohlstand bringen.(Goodbye young king, may your hunting grounds bear prosperity)"
Einz's hand slowly slid off Koutetsu's shoulder as his body fell back, slamming into the ground lifeless. Koutetsu felt no anger toward Einz, he held his functioning hand in prayer for Einz hoping it was enough to satisfy his soul in the afterlife.
"Saraba, Black Knight of the Shadow Sword. May you find paradise in your next life."
"Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Level Up. Unique Skill obtained. Unique Skill; Fist of Herakles, the effectiveness of fist attacks increased by one-hundredth times base strength, attacks will create aftershock follow-up by releasing stored kinetic energy. Extra Skill obtained, Extra Skill; Survivor. The body will no longer be affected by status ailments or instant-kill attacks, auto-recovery will be used on near fatal injuries. Warning! Survivor skill can not activate currently. Effects of Hell Blade Astarok still in use. Skill will be active after forty-eight hours of rest period."
Koutetsu saw this and chuckled at the wanting notice. Getting a reward but not being able to use it now was a bad tease.
'Guess that sword was more dangerous than I thought. It's even preventing me use my new skill right now and would have been helpful in this case. I gotta get back and rest before I explode from all this energy. Hopefully, I can contain it enough to get Rina to safety.'
Koutetsu struggled to stand up, every muscle in his body felt ripped to shreds after using the Doragon Akuserareita. His body tried to self-repair, but the process was slow due to the exhaustion and overload of thermal energy in his body. He had to get back to the others to heal and stop his body from overloading itself, he could imagine that if his body exploded with the power it built up it would be the equivalent of a napalm bomb.
Battered and limping he started his walk to first get Rina before heading back, he had to make sure she was ok after that encounter with Einz.
He stumbled his way to reach where he left the tired-out Rina, the coding on his body was continuously regulating the heart to a limited safe level, the coding being nonstop to make it safe to carry her back to the resort to rest up with everyone. He knew if he let up for even a second the output would double, he couldn't risk that.
He made it to her, and as he was about to pick her up she grabbed his hand before he could touch her, she wanted to ask him for a favor first.
"Take my clothes off please." She weakly asked.
"Huh???"
"Can't….go back like this….take off my outfit and bury it here. I'll just wear your shirt. Please." She pleaded still in her weak tone.
Koutetsu didn't understand, but he could feel if she showed up in the outfit she had on there would be questions she didn't want to answer at the moment.
Koutetsu did as she asked, he was careful not to touch her in a way that was almost on the verge of groping or cupping an accidental feel. It took time with him having only one good hand to use at the moment, getting the shirt on was a pain in itself. He was finally able to get her dressed, his shirt was big enough to cover most of her body as he carried her on his back.
It would be a while till they reached the area, he wanted to talk to her and finally ask the questions that had been bugging him for some time now.
"I'm not one to question someone's personal life. But seriously, what the hell has been going on with you? First, you left in a sudden way at my house, then you showed up again and put me to sleep to slip out, and now you're fighting a DreadKnight looking like a ninja. Just who are you?"
Rina couldn't answer honestly without putting him in danger from Lady Yozora. She only gave an answer to the truth without giving too much away.
"There's circumstances with my family I can't tell you. Other than when they need something I have to help out. I don't tell others what it is because it's personal business and mine to deal with." Her arms wrapped closer around him as her face buried itself into his back. "But the time getting to know you and feeling like I do. It's honestly the best time I've had."
Koutetsu couldn't say anymore. He felt it wasn't his place to pry into her personal affairs more than he needed. It wasn't complete closure, but he was feeling better hearing her talk more about her actions.
'I know this isn't the whole truth, I'm not dumb enough to fall for it. But I can tell she's hiding something for my sake. She's changed so much, there's a lot of grief and pain in her voice. I never spoke about what my problems were, even when my parents asked me before we became completely estranged, I never said a single word about how I felt or what went through my mind. Rina's stronger than me. She said something at least even if it was a half-truth, something I didn't even attempt to try back then in my old life.' Koutetsu wanted to look back at her, look her in the eyes. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He just wanted to get back to the resort to help her out and see Rumi, he was tired out and starving from the fight.
Deeper in the wood line looking over everyone, a figure stood watching in the shadows. Wearing a cape of human faces and one fashioned into a hood, the figure looked on seeing the humans below celebrate a victory that was empty. The skeletal hand of the figure holding an orb absorbed the souls of Einz and his brethren, its red eyes burned at seeing Koutetsu walking off not captured. A complete failure of its mission.
"Enjoy it while you can boy. I have plans for you, and not even Jagan can fathom what brilliance I have in store."
The skeleton hand flicked a finger at Astarok, the sword glowed and then turned into a ball of light. It flew fast and went inside Koutetsu's body without him noticing or being warned of it either.
"A little gift for you boy. Let's see how long you last until it makes you feel the hunger that Einz was able to stave. I look forward to it."
A sinister laugh echoed out, there was no doubt that the skeleton figure was Einz and his brother's master. Grand Lich Noir, who was enjoying the entertainment he just witnessed and hope to see.
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