Kodak shook his head in disagreement with the paper that Fumiko held in front of his eyes. "Isn't it weird how they want us to go to Kyoto as soon as the apocalypse was just starting?" Kodak's suspension tensed the air as the words left his lips. Fumiko didn't answer, leaving a silence over the room as Kodak waited for her answer. "This is not usually like you." Fumiko stood in silence as he still waited for her answer. "You're still hurting from the death of Akemi, aren't you?"
Fumiko looked away as she squeezed her hand tightly. Anger and frustration filled her mind as she finally answered Kodak. "Yes..." The air became so thick with tension that you could cut it with a knife. He then placed his hand gently on Fumiko's, getting her attention. "It's okay, Fumiko, we'll get through this together. You must keep moving forward, steeling your resolve, and living for those who so desperately love and adore you, like I do. Because I want and need you to live, 'cause I don't know what I'd do without you."
Fumiko looked at Kodak as his eyes melted into her heart. "You are just a hot mess like me, aren't you?" she asked, tears filling her eyes. Kodak wiped his fingers across her face, ridding her of the tears pouring from her eyes. "Please, let out those emotions you've held for so long. For tonight, you can lean on someone else for a change. Don't void yourself of human emotions. Just let yourself fall apart."
Fumiko stood up, clinging to Kodak and lying on his chest, crying and sobbing her heart out, so full of sorrow and bitterness on Kodak's shoulder. "Please, just hold me close. Kodak feel me and hold me. Tell me your true feelings." He felt the hands of Fumiko grasp tightly to his back as he felt her body shaking. "Ok, I will. Just hold me as long as you need."
Kyoto, Japan 9:30 AM
Satsujin stood on top of a mountain, looking over the city he had been protecting for roughly 2 weeks, wearing a black cloak over his usual dark casual wear. His eyes stared upon the city below as he was ready to make his move. Jashi then spoke to Satsujin through the mindscape. "Jeez, you are so boring. What are you, Batman?" Jashi's mocking was interrupted as Satsujin then felt a dangerous presence behind him, jumping high into the air and looking around the area. He called out for anyone while he floated in the air. "WHO'S THERE!" He then raised his hand, with a red aura surrounding it. A dark red axe flew through the air of Kyoto, swirling from across the city until it landed in Satsujin's hands. His aura turned blood red as the revenant emanating from Satsujin crushed something to the ground, causing a hidden figure to walk out into the open. "Alright, chill out, old man."
A man with yellow hair that had streaks of black lightning smirked towards Satsujin with the same dangerous aura bursting from him. Satsujin immediately started flying through the air, trying to figure out his opponent's game plan. "(This man is dangerous, what's his plan you think, Jashi?)" He asked him, wondering if there was anything he could use against the danger below him. "He's strong, Satsujin. I'd say roughly A-Rank, but that's just him being docile. Be careful, I don't wanna die in your dumb body."
Satsujin then planted his feet in the air, almost like a platform in the sky. He digs his feet into it, muscles tensed throughout his body.
The yellow-haired man below just watched from under Satsujin, smirking at him. "Looks like you're pretty strong. But I wonder how Kodak would feel if I killed you!" His voice rumbled through the vast lands of mountains, surprising Satsujin. "(He knows Kodak?!)"
Satsujin gritted his teeth and launched from the invisible platform, speeding through the air and aiming himself at the dangerous man with his red axe.
[Skill: Blitzing Impact Activated!]
The axe began to emanate a murderous aura as Satsujin felt his body speed up and get stronger as he flew through the air at such immense speeds. The man then put his hands up, creating a net of lightning bolts.
[Skill: Thundering Webs Activated!]
Satsujin's face flexed with a worried look as he tried to slash away at the bolts of lightning, but the axe he had broke upon impact, and the blood-red aura that surrounded Satsujin disappeared from him. Satsujin then felt the net of lightning bolts tighten around him, sending shocks of electricity throughout his body as he groaned in pain. "KEUK!" Smoke and the scent of burned flesh covered his body as Satsuijin fell to the ground.
The dangerous man then deactivated the webs and a look of disappointment spread across his face. "Wait, don't tell that's all you got?" His face was annoyed at Satsujin falling so easily. "Man, how could you be an ally of Kodak's?" The man then smirked a twisted look at Satsujin as he struggled to stand. "Looks like the great Tensai family is nothing more than a bunch of frauds!"
Satsujin's eyes slowly opened, and his teeth gritted in anger as he heard the hateful words about Kodak and his family exit from his opponent's lips. His eyes then glitched, and Jashi's voice echoed into his head. "Are you just going to let him talk down on Kodak and your reputation? Or are you gonna take this into your own hands?" Satsujin heard Jashi and looked at his astral form in front of him. "I know you're trying to trick me, but frankly, I don't care. I'll tear that look off this fucker's face!" Satsujin then slowly stood and pushed himself up, standing weakly before his opponent. The yellow-haired man laughed at Satsujin. "Wow, you are just full of surprises, old man!"
Satsujin ignored the pointless banter of his opponent and just stood up from the ground, feeling a strange thought enter his head. "Kill him, make this bastard pay!" The thoughts of murdering this bastard in front of him echoed through Satsujin's mind. He then spoke to the man, "Say that again!" Large amounts of revenant emanated from him as his body began to heal, with his eyes glitching. "I dare to badmouth Kodak and my family again!" Satsujin rushed forward, landing a kick straight to the man's head, knocking him to the ground. His body bounced off the ground as Satsujin continued his assault on him. Blood coughed up from his mouth as Satsujin delivered a brutal punch straight to his chest, knocking him back down. The ground then began to crack beneath them both. Satsujin then grabbed his opponent by the collar of his jacket, staring at him with nothing but malice and hatred. "Who are you?!"
The man laughed as a shockwave of thunder and lightning blasted upon them both. Satsujin groaned in pain, while his opponent looked to be getting stronger from the attack unleashed on them both. "My name is Azar Tento and I'm gonna fucking kill you and then move on to your youngest children!" The ground caved below them as they fell into the mountain, a large cave filled with nothing but jagged pillars of stone all over the ceiling and walls, leaving the floor of the cave a rocky terrain. They then landed on the ground several feet from one another. Satsujin's eyes then flickered even more, glitching more as Jashi began to smile more. "(Very good, Azar. Make him unstable and angrier. Make it so he's full of nothing but rage and Mania!)"
Satsujin stood up with a focused stare of malice aimed at Azar. The air then became tense as a radial aura shook the entire cave.
[Skill: Radial Aura Activated Strongly!]
Azar looked around, smirking at the level of power and anger Satsujin unleashed. "Too bad you weren't strong enough to save Nao and Atsuo, maybe I should finish it off by killing Ashiro!"
[Skill: Blitzing Impact Activated Violently!]
Satsujin sped forward, propelling himself at Azar as his body gained speed and his muscles tensed even further with the rage in his heart. His opponent smirked with confidence as Satsujin edged closer with more killing intent as time passed. Azar smiled with electricity charged around his body. Sparks of the dark-toned lightning sparkled around him as his legs dug into the ground.
[Skill: Thunderstorm Aura Activated!]
[Skill: Lightning Spear Activated!]
Azar leans his body back, his back almost making contact with the rocky floor of the cave. As he dodges the attack from Satsujin, his body is charged with lightning and thunder around his body, and his hands clap together and separate. Creating a spear of lightning from his hands. Azar then screamed with excitement at Satsujin's rageful attitude. "COME ON, MAKE ME PAY FOR DISSING YOUR SORRY ASS DAUGHTER AND SON!"
Satsujin's aura of revenant sparked even further, the radial aura amplified even further as Azar felt his feet digging into the ground deeper. A hint of fear entered Azar's mind. "(I know I was told to make this guy pissed off for Jashi's revival. But this guy might kill me for what I said.)"
[Skill: Radial Aura leveled up!]
[Radial Aura LVL 3 --> LVL 4]
Satsujin then clapped his hands together, creating a shockwave of revenant that sent Azar crashing through multiple walls of the cave, before stopping short of a stone pillar stabbing him. Sweat dripped from Azar's face as he felt nervous. "(Looks like even with awakening my revenant almost a month ago, my family's martial arts don't want to coexist with one another. Talk about annoying.)"
Azar didn't have time to think as Satsujin activated 'Blitzing Impact' once more, shooting down the cave at blinding speeds, Azar could've dodged. But he knew he had to hold back from his mission. He slammed down his lightning spear, sparks of lightning surrounded him as he egged Satsujin to hit him head-on. "COME ON, YOU OLD BASTARD!" Satsujin speeds through the cave and dropkicks Azar straight to the chest, stabbing him onto the stone pillar. "Keuk! YOU STUPID OLD MAN!" Blood leaks from Azar's mouth as he screams at Satsujin to get off him.
Satsujin refuses to and punches Azar once more, blood drips from the stone pillar as Azar is plunged deeper into the already blood-stained pillar. "You don't get to decide when this is over, you fucking brat!" Satsujin's voice strained a bit, sounding just like Jashi's. He didn't care, though, throwing combinations of punches and kicks that pushed Azar down the pillar further, increasing the already painful wound that he had. "I SAID GET OFF!" Azar screamed like a spoiled child not getting his way, his voice echoing through the cave with anger and animosity.
[Skill: Thunderstruck Roar Activated!]
His voice echoed throughout the cave as a large shockwave of thunder sent Satsujin flying back, stabbing him into a large stone pillar, and piercing his chest. Blood leaked as he tried to remove himself from the pillar but to no avail. Azar then flew into the air, and his breathing became enraged as he screamed in anger once more. "YOU PATHETIC OLD MAN!" Lighting struck through the cave as Azar opened his mouth.
"THUNDER, DESTRUCTION, BURST!"
[Skill: Electrical Absorption and Expulsion Activated Violently!]
Revenant surrounded Azar as his body gathered it, stretching his arms horizontally from himself. His left hand contained lightning, while his right hand contained thunder. He then clapped his hands together, and a thunderous sound echoed through the terrain.
[Skill: Thunderblast activated Maliciously!]
Satsujin ripped himself from the stone pillar, and blood leaked from his chest. But the wound began slowly healing, Satsujin then began running around, trying to dodge the unpredictable lightning strikes that were a side effect of the charging process from Thunderblast. But it was too late as the mixture of shockwaves, thunder, and lightning shot straight at Satsujin, his life began to flash before his eyes. The roof of the mountain shook as the mixture of shockwaves, thunder, and lightning struck Satsujin, accompanied by the roof falling atop him directly after.
Azar slowly floated down, thinking that he had killed his opponent. "Aw shit, did I kill him?" He looked at the rubble of the cave that had collapsed on Satsujin. "Not only was he struck by the destructive force of thunderblast, but the roof of the mountain collapsed on top of him." Azar then thought for a moment about the surge of energy that he felt from Satsujin. "Was he able to use the same technique as Jashi for a moment?"
A voice then spoke out. "He was able to use glitch energy, but couldn't dodge the attack last second." Azar then turned around, seeing the astral form of his avatar, Raijin. A muscular man with red skin, accompanied by a black and yellow cloak. His face was defined and strict-looking. A fierce glare pierced into Azar's soul. "Jeez, you really know how to scare the shit out of people." Raijin scoffed at his disciple's startled reaction towards him, shaking his head in disappointment. "You need more discipline," Raijin said while looking at the debris. It began to shake along with the mountain. A strange energy then echoed through the cave within the mountain. An energy that was glitching around the rubble, almost like a virus within a video game.
[You have made a historical achievement!]
[Innate Technique: Glitched Energy Unlocked!]
Satsujin bolted from the rubble, striking Azar with the glitching energy that emanated around him. Sending him flying through the side of the mountain, sparks flickered as Satsujin wore a twisted smile. "HAHAHA!"
The power coursing through him was incredible, almost like he was changing what he was.
Azar then stopped himself midair, rubbing the back of his hand against his nose. Blood smeared across it as anger and a childish reaction erupted from Azar's body. "JUST STAY DOWN YOU FILTHY TENSAI!!!"
[Skill: Thunderstruck Roar activated violently!]
Shockwaves of intense screaming from Azar's voice echoed throughout the evening sky, he yelled through. Satsujin then dashed through the shockwaves, his nose bleeding even more profusely than before. "Shush, you fucking child." Satsujin drove his knee straight into Azar's jaw, sending him flying through the sky. "You scream when you don't get your way, just like a spoiled brat!"
Azar then stopped midair once more, grabbing Satusjin's fist that was about to collide with his jaw once more. "You are dumb, as Jashi said." He then quickly closed his hand, breaking Satsujin's hand. But to his surprise, the broken hand just glitched like from a video game and reverted to the unharmed state. "What the hell!?"
Satsujin then headbutted straight into Azar's nose, breaking it and causing blood to leak onto his jacket. Azar winced slightly in pain, but regardless of the broken nose, he shifted it back into place. "You should know to give it up." Satsujin scoffed at his opponent, but before he could even react, he felt Azar strike him right in the liver. Sparks of lightning crackled as Satsujin winced in pain even more than before. "(What the hell, where did this strength come from!?)"
Azar didn't cease his assault, grabbing Satsujin by his dark shirt and slamming his knee right into his face. "You should just cease this foolish behavior and give control to Jashi." Satsujin's eyes widened in shock as he weakly looked up at his opponent, before losing control of his wingless flight and crashing to the ground.
Somewhere south of Nagano, Japan, 9:45 AM
Ashiro looked around the destroyed streets, seeing torn-through buildings and the stains of blood, accompanied by the smell of rotting corpses of both revenant spirits and civilians. A scream then echoed through the streets. Ashiro knew that scream and rushed down the streets, with a burst of flames igniting from his feet.
[Skill: Flame Blitz activated!]
Ashiro looked across the streets as he ran. He thought back about the last time he saw Kodak's strength against the hordes of revenant spirits. "(He was in a league of his own. My current is barely even close to an A-Rank.)"
[Stats opened!]
Name: Ashiro Tensai
Title: Adept Elemental User
Rank: B-Rank (Supreme)
Strength: 40K
Speed: 45K
Revenant Output: 55K
Revenant Proficiency: 35K
Revenant Pool: 40K
Innate technique: Elemental Energy
Skills: Elemental Discharge, Elemental Formations, Elemental Aura
Formations Unlocked: Fiery Fury, Seismic Rocker
Elements Unlocked: Fire and Earth
Sub Elements: Your proficiency with elemental energy is too low :(
Ashiro looked through his stats as he ran towards the screaming, his face flexed with annoyance. "(Sub elements are still not usable. Seems I still have a lot to learn about my technique.)"
Ashiro then saw a woman run into the street. It wasn't just any woman, though; it was Kohaku Sato, accompanied by her brother Masashi Sato. Ashiro dug his feet into the ground, trying to stop himself from crashing into Kohaku. He quickly realized he was still going too fast and bent his legs and flipped over Kohaku, preventing a brutal crash from happening. "Jeez, who the hell runs out into the middle of a street, Kohaku?" He asked playfully, teasing her. She chuckled and rushed at Ashiro, hugging him tightly. "It's good to see you, Ashiro." Her voice was still calm as ever but still had hints of fear. She tightened her hold on Ashiro's shirt as she started trembling. "I feared that you died!" Ashiro smiled softly at her and hugged her back. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"
Kohaku looked up at Ashiro and chuckled softly to herself. "Seems you're still the happy-go-lucky idiot that I fell in love with." Ashiro and Kohaku then kissed each other, savoring this moment they had with one another. They then released each other as Ashiro asked a question to Kohaku. "Is Himari alive?" She quickly replied with no hesitation in her tone. "Yeah, we were staying at my new house right now."
Ashiro looked at Kohaku, confused momentarily. "Wait, you have a new house!?" Kohaku cutely giggled at Ashiro's reaction. "Yeah, turns out I can do things you could dream of!" She extended her hand, showing a holographic blueprint. "Turns out I can create things out of anything. As long as I know the materials used for it. So I made a giant house, replacing my old one. Took forever, I first had to learn what my limit was and how much I could do."
Ashiro smirked at Kohaku, a bright smile that spread across his face. "I always wondered what you could do once you awakened your revenant, but how did you?" He asked Kohaku, confused about it. "People have to awaken it through a traumatic experience," Ashiro said, perplexed about Kohaku's abilities. A face of sadness briefly covered her face before she took a deep breath. "My father and mother were killed by the revenant spirits, and before I knew it, I gained these abilities. I then created a metal blade and killed the beasts, they were only E-Rank, barely stronger than an average person."
Ashiro brought her in for a hug, whispering into her ear with a firm, yet soft-spoken tone that calmed her mind. "You became all without any help. I think that's awesome and I love that for you, I only wish I could've seen you kicking ass like you normally do."
Kohaku and Ashiro leaned in, kissing one another. But this moment of a sweet reunion was interrupted by the yells of both Himari and Akari. "ASHIRO, STOP SMOOCHING AND HELP US YOU LOVER BOY!!" Both of them seemed to be getting chased down by tens of revenant spirits.
Ashiro looked to his left, visibly annoyed by the loud shouting. "Looks like she found Himari. I didn't think we'd be having a party though." His tone was slightly annoyed, but regardless of the slight annoyance in Ashiro's tone. A smile sneaked across his face, he then started walking towards the beasts as Himari and Akari ran past him.
Ashiro then put his arms in the air, stretching them. "You know, Akari. You could've told me you were bringing a party over to me." He said while looking back at her. His face wearing an overly confident look. Akari then rolled her eyes with an unamused look spread across her face."Yeah, yeah woe is you. Just get rid of the damn monsters!"
Himari then looked back over at him, a worried look plastered over her face as Ashiro looked ready to fight. "Wait, you don't mean Ashiro is gonna fight those monsters!?" She wanted to rush to him, guiding him away from the revenant spirits. But she couldn't as Himari felt Akari put a comforting hand on her. "Relax Himari. Ashiro might be a go-lucky idiot, but he's strong as hell."
Hikari shifted her focus back to Ashiro, watching his body burst into bright orange flames. A smile then spread across Ashiro's face as he extended a hand towards the oncoming beasts. "Ignite, burn, eye of the storm!"
[Elemental Discharge: Firestorm activated strongly!]
Ashiro smirked as he stood in the middle of the firestorm. "(I didn't just sit around and do nothing for those 2 weeks. Godai said that incantations are one of the many ways a revenant user can boost their power, but the only problem is that it's temporary. So you have to make sure your attacks hit with the intent to kill. I also learned that my flames level on their own, becoming a different shade, red being the lowest and white being the strongest. Or at least that's what Godai told me.)"
Ashiro then snapped his fingers, the flames surging even more violently. He then turned around towards the others, shielding them from the flames with the ground beneath them, as a dome of earth protected them. "Can't have you burning up on me, now can I?"
The revenant spirits then dove through the flames, burn marks, and the smell of their rotten flesh burned into the air, but Ashiro didn't seem bothered and closed the large dome of rock around Kohaku and the other girls. "Jeez you ugly bastards smell like shit," Ashiro said with a tone that emanated playfulness and mockery. "Let's turn up the heat then!"
[Elemental Discharge: Firestorm is burning even more fiercely!]
The revenant spirits screeched and yelled in pain, but Ashiro simply didn't care and snapped his fingers as the flames dispersed. A pile of ash and the smell of the rotten revenant spirits were left from the firestorm. "Yahtzee!" He yelled in victory as he punched his fist into the air, striking a pose as he stood the winner on the burned ground of the battlefield.
Akari and the others saw the dome formation of the earth shift back into the ground. Akari then saw Ashiro striking a victorious pose, annoying her rightfully so. "Lemme guess, you yelled Yahtzee or jackpot. Or whatever the fuck you're always on about."
Ashiro ignored the vulgar language from Akari, looking over at Kohaku and covering her brother's ears to prevent him from hearing the inappropriate language. "Alright, enough of the language, Kohaku's brother might get trauma from it," Ashiro said with a playful grin on his face looking over at Kohaku.
She chuckled in a sarcastic tone towards Ashiro's playful manner, "Haha, very funny." a sudden message then popped from the system, alerting Ashiro, Akari, and Kohaku all at the same time.
[Killing Intent detected!]
Ashiro felt a blade then stab into his heart, panicked by the sense of death looming closer towards him Ashiro tightly grasped his chest. "(Im not dead!?)" He looked around to try and find the source of the deadly killing intent emanating through the air.
Formations of stone emerged from the ground beneath them, as Ashiro created a complex terrain of rocky hills that stretched to the size of buildings.
Kohaku tensed her body, creating two short swords by her side.
[Skill: Bladed Constructs Activated!]
Kohaku held her brother close as she stood a few feet from Ashiro. "So is this part of your amazing plan?" He didn'tanswer Kohaku's question and flames surrounded his body.
[Elemental Aura: Blazing Body Activated intensely!]
Flames burned brightly around Ashiro as he looked around, slightly less panicked now. He then focused his mind and spoke to Akari through telepathy.
Akari saw a message enter her vision, asking her a question.
[Ashiro is attempting to communicate through the telepathy skill. Y/N]
Akari nodded her head, hearing a beeping sound of confirmation from the system.
[You are connected through Ashiro's telepathy skill!]
Akari felt her head become slightly heavier and everything else was slightly muffled. "(Ashiro?)"
"(Yeah, we got a problem.)" Ashiro's tone was nervous and slightly anxious about the current situation. "Seems there's another revenant user within the area, but I can't see them, I need you to stay on your feet and protect Himari at all costs!)" Ashiro's voice seemed extremely concerned about protecting Himari, and rightfully so. After all, she had no supernatural abilities or even an innate technique, nor a system to warn her of the oncoming danger headed her way.
Akari smirked a smile of confidence as she held Himari close to her. "(You know me, I might hate those gross monsters, but the revenant users don't phase me in the slightest.)" She said with confidence radiating from her cocky smile. Ashiro lightly chuckled to himself and said a few words to Akari through the telepathy skill, before deactivating the technique. "(Don't you dare die on me, or I'll kill you myself.)"
Akari smiled at Ashiro's statement, "Oh you're an asshole-" but before she could curse at him angrily Ashiro cuts off the technique, pissing off Akari even further. "YOU ASSHOLE!!!!"
Ashiro etched closer towards Kohaku and her brother, but far enough so his flaming aura would not harm them. He then heard a grinding sound echoing across the landscape of stone he had just made a few moments ago. Ashiro's eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the wretched grinding sound of a blade. A voice could then be heard from Ashiro, almost like a whisper. "You look tasty." The voice seemed feminine, cunning, and even seductive. It was almost like a snake luring him in, but Ashiro gritted his teeth as he felt the woman place a hand on his stomach. "Get the hell off!"
His body's flames flared in response, repelling the woman onto the top of the building-sized rock formations. "Jeez, you know most people would love my offer of pleasure unless you're a loyal dog to the girl right next to you. Which turns me on even more than before!" Ashiro looked at the woman, her outfit was a dark shade of green and her scent did not reek or smell like something beautiful. It was an odorless smell that didn't help with her untrackable traces of revenant.
His aura of fire surged even more violently as Kohaku was protected by a dome formation of rock around her. "Go kick her ass babe." Her tone was harsh and intense, like a lion. Ashiro smirked a nervous grin before looking back towards the mysterious woman, his face turned serious and cold as soon as he glanced at her. "Get the fuck out of my sight before I kill you."
His voice was calm, yet aggressive at the same time. Ashiro then dug his feet into the ground and a message appeared in front of him from the system.
[Skill: Swift Takedown Activated!]
Sparks of revenant radiated around Ashiro's body as the ground cracked beneath him as he tensed the muscles in his legs. First his quadriceps, then his hamstrings, and finally the calf muscles. The woman smirked as Ashiro was looking like he was about to launch himself at her. "So, are you gonna charge up like that lame anime shit, or are you gonna make a move like a real man?"
Ashiro tensed his legs intensely and launched off the ground, moving at blinding speeds that even caught the woman off guard as she swiftly got into a defensive position.
Ashiro moved through the air, feeling the immense air pressure that was flowing through him, but he didn't care about that and slammed his feet straight into the woman's face. "Keep mocking me, It'll only make your beatdown even more brutal!"
The woman felt the ground crack beneath her and Ashiro's flames began to pierce through her aura of revenant, making her slightly nervous. "DON'T GET COCKY YOU HOTHEADED LOSER!!!"
A strange energy then enveloped her body, catching Ashiro off guard from the twisted energy emanating from her. "(Such power, she's on the same level as Kodak from 2 weeks ago!)" Ashiro struggled even further and the ground finally broke, causing him to send the woman flying through multiple, causing people across the streets to run away in disarray. "RUN, MONSTER ON THE LOOSE!!!"
Ashiro puts his hands out, engulfing them in flames, flying through the city even further. But as he flies through multiple buildings the woman yells out in anger with the same energy beginning to harm Ashiro greatly, making him groan in pain. "Gah!"
The woman then smirked in amusement at Ashiro's pained expression and groans. "Aw, looks like a half-baked elemental user such as yourself is as pathetic as the other ones!" Ashiro didn't care what insults she threw at him, he would see this through. His elemental formations vs the woman's harmful energy.
[Warning! Harmful poison is entering your revenant!]
Ashiro's eyes widened at the message and looked around himself, seeing that they were headed straight for a forest. Ashiro smirked in confidence, confusing the woman immensely. "What the hell are smirking at brat!"
Ashiro remained silent, snickering to himself. The woman then grabbed him by the hair, tugging at him strongly. "JUST FALL YOU BRAT!!!" Ashiro then finally answered and a tone of confidence emanated from his voice. "Too late, you crazy girl!" The woman then swiftly realized where they were, deep in a forest about to fly through multiple trees and Ashiro did not need to hold back.
She struggled to escape, probably due to the intense wind pressure. Ashiro then suddenly wraps his legs around the woman's midsection, grappling her midair. "You're not leaving, you started it. You brought this on yourself!"
A memory then briefly shot through his mind. One of Godai and Ashiro sparring within the same colorful mindscape of lush grassy fields and mountains that went on forever. Godai threw out a punch as Ashiro was on the ground, but to his surprise, Ashiro caught the punch between his legs. Godai tried to reel his arm back but Ashiro's tight hold on him wouldn't let up. "GOTCHA!!"
[New Formation for Elemental Formation: Flames!]
Ashiro's eyes widened in surprise, but that brief moment of shock was overridden by an overwhelming sense of confidence.
[2nd Flame Formation: Flare Burst activated strongly!]
Ashiro's body flared up with flames and he began to rise from the ground with his flames boosting him off the lush grass ground his back was on. Ashiro then extends one of his hands from his hands and begins spinning in circles while still keeping Godai in a tight hold. The spinning motion got faster and faster as Ashiro rose higher into the air, eventually reaching hundreds of, if not thousands of feet into the air.
A cocky smirk spread across his face and Ashiro begins spinning even more quickly and aggressively. "You fucked up Godai!" He said as the high wind pressure began tearing away at Godai's flesh.
The spinning didn't cease as Ashiro shifted his legs, throwing Godai straight into the ground, tearing through the land as they fought. Intense flames burned away at the ground as the intense wind pressure from the violent attack tore away at the land.
Ashiro looked down from above, still floating from way above the ground he threw Godai. He then saw the rubble shifting almost like someone was moving, he activated flames below his feet, speeding down at the rubble. "Too slow!"
[1st Flame Formation: Fiery Fury Activated Strongly!]
He flipped forward, slamming the ground with a brutal axe kick, destroying the land even further. Ashiro's face then wore a frustrated look as he knew it was a diversion from Godai. He then heard a voice yell out with the same intensity Ashiro had been eluding the entire spar. "PAY ATTENTION!"
Ashiro looked up, seeing Godai rushing down from the skies at blinding speeds. It was too fast to do anything, so Ashiro put his arms to block the attack, but the figure of Godai vanished into thin air and instead, he appeared again behind Ashiro. He felt a brutal punch strike him in his back, sending him flying throughout the land. Ashiro flew across the terrain from the attack, stopping once he crashed through 3 large mountains.
The memory then ends as Ashiro thinks back to how strong Godai was. "(Got my ass handed to me over and over from that 2-week training period, however, that short time made me stronger than as an A-Rank!)"
[2nd Flame Formation: Flare Burst activated strongly!]
Ashiro spun faster and faster, rushing into the air and getting faster and faster. The wind pressure tore away at her skin. Blood dripped from her face and she could barely string words together. Ashiro didn't let up through, slamming the woman straight to the ground from thousands of feet in the air. The ground exploded from the impact, and trees and rubble from the ground burst from the attack as Ashiro stood within the crater looking down on the woman. "You're pathetic."
But Ashiro then felt energy surging wildly from the woman as these words escaped his mouth. The force from just her aura was enough to send Ashiro back a couple of feet. The woman then stood and started muttering to herself. "I am the Plagued Princess, the woman who became the disciple of the Queen of Salvation." More energy surged from her as a message appeared from the system. But before the message appeared she screamed in anger from the damage done to her face. " I AM RYOKO YORIKANE!"
[Chaotic Plague Activated!]
[Skill: Viper's Aura Activated Violently!]
A dark shade of green energy surrounded Ryoko, not just shrouding her body but extending a couple of meters from her. The odorless smell covered around the roughly 3-meter radius of Ryoko's viper aura.
Ashiro could sense the toxic energy radiating through the air, but he quickly realized he was in the 3-meter radius of Ryoko's aura was affecting him badly as he stood there. Ashiro then dug his feet into the ground, bolting forward and running into the deep forest.
[Skill: Flaring Flight Activated!]
Flames burst from Ashiro's feet, propelling him forth at intense speeds that catch Ryoko off guard. Anger spreads across her face as she attempts to chase after him. "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDLY BRAT!" She runs through the forest chasing Ashiro, but she quickly realizes that it's useless to chase after him. She then disappears suddenly as a message from the system appears.
[Realm between Revenant & Agony has been entered by The Plagued Princess: Ryoko Yorikane!]
Ryoko enters the realm looking around the ruined realm of monsters and criminals, flexing her face in disgust at the ugly sight of the revenant spirits and criminals held in the prisons. She then smirked and briefly left the realm. "Watch out you brats."
Ashiro speeds through the forest and eventually finds himself back in Nagano. "I need to find the others, Ryoko wouldn't back off so easily just cause I ran like a coward." He then saw the rock formations that he created earlier, disassembling them with a snap of his fingers.
[Elemental Formation: Rocky Terrain was dismissed!]
The formations of stone crumble, disintegrating within the blink of an eye. Akari, Himari, and the Sato siblings watch as the formations of stone disappear and see Ashiro floating above with flames shooting from his feet. Akari then quickly notices the veins of Ashiro's neck forcefully showing with a green tone.
Ashiro then suddenly winced in pain as he felt the toxic spreading quickly throughout his body. "SHIT!!!" The flames below his feet flickered on and off as he slowly descended towards the ground. A ringing notification was heard from the system entered Ashjro's ears as his vision became blurry. He could barely make out the message.
[Skill: Flaring Fight is being forcefully shut down!]
[Toxic energy has entered your pool of revenant, your output is plummeting, and your control of revenant is cut in half!]
Ashiro fell faster from the sky as Kohaku rushed out to help him but as she ran over Ryoko appeared, smacking her in the face with the back of her hand. A bright red bruise lit up from the impact of Ryoko's slap.
She then caught Ashiro, running her fingers through his dark brown hair. "Aw~ Look at you, poor thing. Don't worry I'll take care of you just fine-" Ashiro struggles to lift his hand as his flames flicker between the stages of activation and deactivation. "L-let...go.…you bastard." Ashiro struggled before Ryoko slapped his face harshly, knocking him out as blood dripped from his mouth slightly. Ryoko chuckled as Kohaku screamed in fear for her lover. "ASHIRO!!!"
Akari felt a surge of energy swelling up within her, causing her to rush towards Ryoko as anger filled her mind. "LET HIM GO!"
[Innate technique: Personified Emotions unlocked!]
Akari felt a different sensation emanating through her body as she rushed at Ryoko. Through the mixed emotions flowing through her mind, the badly injured state of Ashiro, the physical assault brought onto Kohaku. And here Akari was feeling useless. "I was always the one who was too weak, too kind, and too helpless. But no more, no more weakness nor kindness I show those undeserving of it! I. Need. Strength."
The only thing she wanted; was to tear through Ryoko, limb from limb, and prove to the system that she could be useful. Akari's hair turned from its normal blonde color to a deep tone of black that spread across her hair. Tattoos covered her face and her facial expressions on Akari became more aggressive and cold. "FUCKING LET GO YOU BASTARD!!!!" A tone void of any compassion or mercy only focused on violence and the selfish will to fight for one's self.
Those were the only things running through the current mind of Akari Yuka.
[Personified Emotions: Malice selected!]
Akari felt a dark sense of determination echoing through her body as she rushed down Ryoko, yelling at her once more "HOW DARE YOU MAKE KOHAKU CRY!!!!"
[1st Malice Formation: Raging Eclipse activated!]
Akari's fist lit up with a dark tone of red energy around her body as she charged forward, catching Ryoko off guard. Akari throws an attack at her liver, narrowly missing as she continues throwing out attacks that are aimed with both lethality and the intent to kill. This impressed Ryoko as she threw Ashiro to the side and threw a kick infused with Chaotic Plague.
[Skill: Chaotic Strike Activated!]
Akari smacks the attack away with her forearm, giving her a guaranteed lethal strike straight to Ryoko's liver. Damaging her greatly and sending her flying through multiple buildings as Akari continues to beat on her, jumping across the city to do so.
Kohaku rushes to Ashiro's side and holds him in her arms, hugging his body close to hers. "You promised to win." She said with tears streaming down her face as Ashiro could barely make out who held him close, but that voice he knew better than anyone.
[Skill: Firestorm Activated Strongly!]
Ashiro's hands lit up as he shoved Kohaku away, unleashing his firestorm skill upon himself. The flames burn at his skin, but Kohaku quickly notices that her lover isn't in pain. Ashiro was absorbing the firestorm into his body.
[Warning! Skill: Firestorm is being absorbed into your body!]
Ashiro felt the toxic energy dying down and the amount of intense flames within his own body. More pings from the system warned him as his body felt too hot and his skin began melting from his arms. Bones and flesh bubbling as his face had a look of fear.
He then looked back towards Kohaku, his tears not even able to show because of the flames burning within him. "I-I-I… Am…. Sorry." Ashiro then falls to the ground, unconscious, his body charred and the smell of burnt flesh spreads across the town of Nagano. Kohaku ran over, holding his charred body despite the body of Ashiro harming her skin. A few words left her mouth. "Come back… don't leave me all alone!" Tears streamed down her face as Ashiro lay in her arms, seemingly dead.