The True Hunter
The cracks in the bar widened by the second. The structure lay in ruins, the ceiling slowly collapsing and revealing the storm ravaging Salem. Lightning illuminated the scene, and rain poured through the holes, streaming down the blackened walls. Thunder drowned out the sounds of battle, while the environment reflected the chaos and terror of the confrontation.
Amok watched Yuzuki with unusual interest, his black eyes fixed on the warrior as if trying to decipher him. Something about the young fighter stirred a curiosity he couldn't explain—an inkling that this clash would bring change. Beside him, Alkaraz wore his usual sadistic smile but hesitated to advance, sensing something was different.
Yuzuki rose, gasping, his green eyes shining with determination. He locked his gaze on Amok and Alkaraz, as if peering into their souls. The Dankai protection around him vanished, leaving him exposed. A single strike now could be fatal.
Amok tilted his head slightly, intrigued.
"Alkaraz, don't get close. Something's wrong," he murmured, never taking his eyes off Yuzuki.
Suddenly, Yuzuki disappeared. His presence vanished completely, leaving Alkaraz and Amok tense.
"Where is he?!" Alkaraz roared, spinning around in search of any sign of Yuzuki.
High above, in the shadows of the collapsing ceiling, a silhouette appeared. It was Yuzuki—floating in midair, sword held in both hands. With a powerful downward slash, he broke the ceiling apart, raining debris down on his enemies. Dust and rubble filled the room, obscuring vision.
"He's trying to split us up!" Amok shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
But it was too late. Amid the debris, Alkaraz and Amok were torn apart.
Symphony of Death
Yuzuki emerged from the dust, his form standing out like a predator ready to strike. He gripped his sword firmly, posture echoing Gotier's teachings. Then his voice rang out through the bar:
"Symphony of Death!"
Now separated from Alkaraz, Amok shuddered as he stared at Yuzuki. Something had changed. He realized Yuzuki was copying his own moves—the technique he'd believed unique was now used against them.
From the rubble, Alkaraz let out a cry of pain.
"Bastard!" His voice echoed as he clutched his right arm—which had just been severed. Blood pooled on the floor, mingling with the rain.
With chilling calm, Yuzuki stepped forward, eyes fixed on Alkaraz. He looked every bit the hunter facing his prey.
Mao, watching from the corner of Yuzuki's mind, exploded into frantic laughter.
"Yuzuki… You're an incredible host!" he cackled with near-manic satisfaction. "He copied Amok's technique! But… that's not all."
Mao's tone grew serious as he studied Yuzuki's behavior.
"It's not just the technique. He's getting stronger. During the fights against Zeke, Gabriel, and Kubo, I saw it happen. He learns, adapts, evolves. He is… unique."
Yuzuki's Blood Ability
Mao concluded gravely:
"That's it. Yuzuki possesses a clan's blood ability: the more disadvantaged he is, the stronger he becomes. This… this is brilliant."
As Mao spoke, Yuzuki kept his focus on Alkaraz and Amok. Despite the pain and exhaustion, he advanced, his resolve unshakable. The bar had become a battlefield where every limit was being tested.
Yuri's Entrance
Outside, the storm roared. Between flashes of lightning, a swift figure raced across rooftops and walls. Yuri, wearing his wicked grin, leapt from building to building. He neared the shattered bar, eyes locked on the chaos below. When he arrived, he paused for a moment, surveying the scene.
"Finally…" Yuri whispered, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
With a single bound, he crashed through the ceiling and landed inside with a thunderous impact. Every eye in the bar snapped to him.
The chapter ends with Yuzuki, Amok, and Alkaraz confronting Yuri's deadly gaze, as the storm outside echoed with thunder—an ominous promise that the true chaos was only just beginning.
The Extinct Kanji Clan
Tension in the bar was suffocating. Raindrops dripped through the smashed ceiling, blending with the heavy breaths of the combatants. Yuri now stood on the floor beside the main door, watching with a cold smile. His eyes took in every detail: the wreckage strewn across the floor, Yuzuki's unwavering confidence despite his exhaustion, and the growing fury in Alkaraz after losing his arm.
Yuzuki held his stance firmly, even knowing he hovered on the brink of collapse. The Dankai protection had long since faded, and a single blow could kill him. Still, his gaze did not waver. He stared into his enemies' souls, challenging them in silence.
Alkaraz, furious and in pain, finally broke the silence with a roar of agony as blood poured from the stump where his arm had been. He extended his remaining hand toward Amok, who met his gaze with restrained hatred.
"Don't you dare!" Amok snarled, sensing what was coming.
"You have no choice! Genkai!" Alkaraz bellowed.
A black-and-green aura erupted from Alkaraz's body, engulfing Amok in invisible chains. Amok shuddered, his resistance futile against the imposed domination. His muscles contracted as he was forced to his knees, his energy siphoned toward Alkaraz.
"Damn you…" Amok murmured through clenched teeth.
Alkaraz drew in a deep breath as he felt his strength returning. In place of his lost arm, a new gruesome limb formed, shrouded in dark energy. The bond between them was thick, almost tangible. Despite the forced submission, an undercurrent of dangerous tension ran between them—like two predators about to devour one another.
Across the bar, Yuri watched the scene with interest—and a twinge of irritation. His boss lay vulnerable, something he had never expected to see.
"So this is how you survive, Alkaraz? Using cheap tricks to subjugate an ally?" Yuri said, strolling to the center of the bar. "How… interesting."
Yuri raised his arms and began to chant words in an ancient language. The air grew heavy. The sky outside darkened even further, and raindrops seeping through the cracks turned crimson. The red light of the seal surrounding Salem flared intensely, and the tolling of a bell echoed through the city, bringing a sense of despair.
"I am the Blood Demon, Yuzuki," Yuri's voice boomed like thunder. "And you will watch everyone around you perish. Blood Ritual: Pact of Desperate Souls!"
Yuzuki watched in horror as the city began to transform. The very air seemed to burn, and Salem's houses were shrouded in a crimson mist. Yuri, now without his cloak, revealed a slender build marked by veins pulsing with vivid red. Behind him emerged his kugutsu, Blood: a boy with flame-red hair and skin pale as snow, ruby eyes radiating a mixture of sweetness and death.
"Help me, Blood," Yuri whispered, almost like a lover calling for his other half.
Blood tilted his head and smiled sweetly—but the smile was deceptive. A malevolent energy gathered around him, intensifying the atmosphere's weight.
"Alkaraz…" Yuzuki began, struggling to comprehend the scene. "Are you willing to sacrifice an entire city… just to defeat me?"
Alkaraz let out a short, dark laugh. "Do you think it matters? Those people were already doomed the moment you set foot in Salem."
Yuzuki looked down, his heart heavy. He remembered his friends lying unconscious in the castle—Akari, Gotier, even Zeke, a recent ally he trusted. Guilt and anger mingled within him. He had to make a decision.
Meanwhile, Yuri peeled off his gloves and advanced deliberately. His golden hair darkened, taking on the same blood-red hue that suffused the city.
"Don't worry, Yuzuki. I did this for the two of us," Yuri's tone was soft but dripping with irony. "This will be an unforgettable battle."
At the same moment, Alkaraz ran his newly formed hand along the black sword he had conjured, sending a wave of energy slicing through the air. A dark mantle materialized across his shoulders, trailing along the floor like living smoke. Amok, though weakened by the Genkai technique, shot Alkaraz a look of pure hatred.
"This won't end here, Alkaraz… You'll pay for this…" Amok snarled, his voice thick with rancor.
With his enemies poised for combat, Yuzuki tightened his grip on his sword. A spark of power flared in his chest—more than determination, something deeper, a force he recognized as part of his lineage. He could not fail—not while so many lives depended on him.
Blood rain continued to fall as the bar threatened to collapse under the weight of the coming battle.
"Let's end this," Yuzuki whispered to himself, stepping forward to face his destiny.