Hours in the battle and the number of the Ghasts were finally dwindling to the last ones. Natsume broke her staff during the fight, she used it as a baton to stab the Ghasts in the head when they got close. Even tired out she wasn't going to let them get to the kids or anyone else for that matter. Tatsuya was about to faint, he was sweating hard from the exhaustion kicking in playing the drums. His hands were bleeding from the blistering of the overuse from the drumsticks, the splinters from the sticks were cutting up his skin, digging in more the tighter his grip was. Natsume finished off the last Ghast, driving the broken ends of her weapon into its skull with her remaining strength left in her body. Tatsuya stopped playing the drums after killing the last group ending the massive herd, his body hit its breaking point, and he slowly fell on his back into the sand trying to catch his breath.
Natsume limped her way to him wanting to see if he was ok, but she fell hitting her breaking point as well, falling by his side as she made it over.
"You, ok Tatsu-Kun?"
"No, I'm dead. I don't think my manager's gonna like me taking a long break from recording after this." He responded with a scratchy voice and a faint laugh, coughing as he tried to speak.
With the Ghasts done for, only the Knights were left. Ryuji had a better chance now against Dreiz thanks to Itsuki. The ice would freeze the axe's aura, the punches were denting the armor more now that the freezing effect weakened armor, and he even made a fist imprint in Dreiz's chest plate, a feat he hadn't done earlier.
Dreiz was becoming more agitated, no one before other than Einz was able to match him in power. His pride was hurt, he was going to kill Ryuji regardless of how much damage he would take in the process.
"What's wrong bonehead, I thought you were going to send me to the abyss, lose your nerve all of the sudden." Ryuji defiantly flipped off Dreiz, Dreiz lost his composure, his axe not only glowed it also enlarged from a short battle axe to the style of a Headman's pole axe for executions.
"This is my weapon's true power, Bösartiger Erlass(Malevolent Decree). By the law of this axe, once I cut your head off with this your soul will cease to exist. The true attack of Dreiz, the Shadow Axe, I'll cleave your light into nothingness."
Ryuji sweated a bit, he was confident earlier, but this looked bad. Itsuki stood up holding her sides, she was in pain from using her magic to make the ice for Ryuji. Tsukikage stood by her side trying to keep her standing up with his body as support for her.
"Master, shouldn't we help him? That axe may actually kill him." Itsuki could see the concern in his eyes, she petted his head trying to give reassurance.
"I'm exhausted and so are you. We'd just be in his way. Let's trust him for now. Ryuji's too stubborn to die in an unmanly way."
Dreiz swung the axe, and the swing of it was faster than before, Ryuji barely dodged the initial blow, getting a few of his hairs cut off. He saw the strands that were cut dissolved away, he knew this was bad, Ryuji had to be careful not to be cut by that edge at all costs.
Dreiz slammed the axe into the ground, and a mass of sand and dirt exploded upward blinding Ryuji. Ryuji dispelled the sand, and he lost sight of Dreiz after the obstruction was taken care of.
"Ryuji behind you!!" Itsuki called out, Dreiz appeared behind Ryuji, his axe swung down aiming for his head. Ryuji couldn't dodge it, he tried to catch it with his hands. The axe destroyed most of the Frost Jacket with only Ryuji's arms and remnants of his upper body still on. The force knocked him back, and Dreiz leaped in the air to slam his axe again, confident he would win now.
"FALL INTO THE ABYSS!!!"
Dreiz looked down, his eyes focused on Ryuji's neck. Ryuji gave a cocky smirk at Dreiz, he tricked him into a sense of false victory like he wanted.
"Got ya dumb a**!" Ryuji stuck his pierced tongue out at Dreiz disrespectfully with the feeling of victory behind him.
Dreiz was shocked when he realized he had fallen for a trap. He took his eyes off for a second to see Itsuki and Tsukikage charging an attack at him.
"O' spirits of the north. Hear my call, bend the cold winds and icy water to my will, follow my voice to the path of thy troubles, and freeze my enemy into inescapable stasis and suffering in your cold embrace till the end of times, Mugen Toketsu!!!(Infinity Freeze)"
Itsuki fired a blast of her magic at Dreiz, his body was bombarded with powerful freezing magic, and he was completely locked in a cold embrace that made his body impossible to move now.
Tsukikage fired a gust of silver wind at him too, it started breaking his armor down, the wind's power feeling like it had blades inside it.
"Getsufu(Lunar Wind)!" Tsukikage hit Dreiz with his remaining power. Ryuji got back on his feet, and with his remaining energy he power jumped into the air, he threw rapid punches at Dreiz, but he didn't stop the momentum, he kept punching and punching even when the ice broke off, the knuckledusters shattered, and his skin was tearing off his knuckles he was going to keep going till he smashed Dreiz into pieces. Itsuki fired one shot of magic before she ran out of strength, she made an ice ring for Ryuji to use a move on to finish off Dreiz.
Ryuji grabbed Dreiz, carefully avoiding any openings for Dreiz to make he sat him sit up on his shoulders setting him up in a powerbomb finishing move.
"Abaranchi Kurashu(Avalanche Crash)!" Ryuji shouted, making his move based on the ice Itsuki used to help him. He descended rapidly downward, the momentum of the drop adding to the power of Ryuji's powerbomb. Ryuji slammed Dreiz onto the ring, the incredible force destroyed Dreiz by splitting him in half.
Dreiz's upper body began to descend to the ground, his dying eyes looking at Ryuji with contempt for being beaten by a human he had insulted constantly for being weak.
"You….little…..maggot." Dreiz gave a last insult before his body crashed into the ground, the axe returning to normal. Ryuji landed on the ground as well, he was laughing at the fact that he won, his first victory since coming to the Kamui. Itsuki dropped as well with Tsukikage using himself as a pillow to soften the fall, Tsukikage licked her face and she gave a tired chuckle at his gesture.
[Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Strength Stat increase by 100. Elemental Ice expelled from the body. Time limit exceeded. Negative effects of magic ingestion will commence.]
[Level Up, Level Up, Level Up Magic Core increased to level 6. Advanced ice magic spells can be learned.]
Both Ituski and Ryuji were told they got a stranger beating Dreiz. A well-earned reward for that fight.
Everyone saw the fight and cheered for their victory, however, Veirz and Zweiz exploded with hateful pressure at the loss of their comrade. Veirz looked at Hiro, his chain split into ten chains in response to his rage.
"On my name Veirz, the Shadow Chain, I'll strangle your light into submission. Now Höllenschlange(Hell's Snake), seek out your prey!"
Veirz's attack Höllenschlange shot out to Hiro. He struck each sickle head that came his way, striking the blades with his saber. The blades would regenerate, and the movements of the chains emanated a perfect snake slithering to hunt its victim.
Hiro knew he had to kill Veirz, his magic was down to one more shot left if he switched to a bow again, he had to find an opening to give him a killing blow. The chains spun in a cyclone, they were going to suck Hiro in and chop him into pieces if he got caught in the force. The force kept pulling Hiro in its direction, he fought it off as best as he could, but his legs gave out, and his body was being sucked into the cyclone.
"Fall into the abyss!"
Hiro was finally inside the cyclone, the blades slashing his skin. Hiro smirked, he held the saber close to him in front of his face, he rotated his body using a fraction of his depleting magic to create a thin barrier on his body, as the force of Veriz's attack helped propel him forward to Veirz.
"Impossible!" A shocked Veirz saw in disbelief the display of recklessness.
"No, just using your own arrogance against you."
Hiro was face-to-face with Veriz, he made one last bow with his remaining magic, everything he had left was now in his final arrow.
"NOW YOU FALL!!!" Hiro released the arrow, and the charged arrow shot through Veriz's head, destroying it completely. The chains returned into one single chain and evaporated. Hiro dropped to his knees from exhaustion, his glasses sliding off his face from all the sweat and blood.
[Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, Magic Core increased to level 8.]
"Father, I hope I did you proud." He said with a satisfied expression at his victory.
Ren was continuing his fight with Zweiz, and the poison was getting worse. It spread from his legs up to his face, and black veins appeared in his skin from the poison growing in strength.
He had to give it one last strike like the others did, he had no more time to spare now that the poison was almost to his brain. Ren was breathing hard, he was focusing everything on the SuiRyu. His eyes and ears began to bleed from the strain of the poison, his time was running out. The blade shone hard, he was going to use the ultimate attack of the sword passed down to him from his master.
"Now you die you filthy worm! Fall into the abyss!!!"
Zweiz used his signature move once, the spikes shot up in a faster movement. Ren charged forward, even if the spikes hit him it was his last gamble he was going to hit Zweiz even if it killed him. The blade of the SuiRyu summoned a mass of water that became a dragon's head, it swirled the sword around the blade, staring down Zweiz.
"Mitsurugi Ryu Seiken no Kata(Holy Blade Form)!"
Ren was in a perfect position, he unleashed a devastating seven-strike attack at Zweiz, he was behind him now, after finishing his final slash.
"Ryuujin, Nana Mizu Zan(Dragon God, Seven Water Slash)!!!"
Zweiz stood still completely quiet. Ren coughed up a lot of blood, he dropped his sword as he fell to his knees, succumbing to his over-exertion from the poison.
Zweiz also dropped his spear, it broke into several pieces.
"Hmm, I was wrong. Mitsurugi Sousuke picked a fine successor in you. Guess I'll be drowning in the river like you said, boy."
Zweiz looked at Ren once more, and he saw the young version of his old rival Sousuke Mitsurugi appear remembered the day he lost humiliatingly.
'Looks like I lost again eh Sousuke?'
Zweiz was blowing out water in all the cuts Ren made on him. His legs, arms, and then his head came off into pieces on the ground.
The black veins on Ren's body disappeared, his body fell on its side as the poison was gone but the damage was done. His body quivered in agony, he moaned in pain trying to stay conscious afraid that if he closed his eyes he wouldn't open them again.
[Level Up, Level Up, Level Up, new Skill acquired. New Skill: Mu no Mai(Mist Dance); the user can use mist to perform high-speed evasive footwork to dodge incoming attacks. Skill can not be used offensively or with other mist-based attacks.]
Ren didn't hear his level announcement clearly with his mind weakened from the strain. The memories of Asuka projected, his time serving her were his happiest moments when he became her sword.
"Ojou-sama." He said weakly before passing out, the pain defeating him.
Einz saw his fellow Knights fall, but he wasn't phased by their deaths. His focus was on fighting Kousuke without fail.
"Three down, now you're left. Funny I thought you would be more mad at the fall of your brothers there."
Einz didn't respond, he was blocking every attack Kousuke threw at him. He smacked Kousuke with the blunt side of the sword sending him flying back.
Einz pointed his sword at him again, his confidence unwavering.
"My dear boy. What makes you think they won't rise again? As I said, we are the Schwartzreiters, under the service of our Meister Grand Lich Noir. As long as Noir is alive we can be resurrected anytime without limits. Your struggles to beat my brethren are in vain."
Kousuke gasped at hearing it. He knew he wasn't bluffing, he was giving a warning. If he lost and Einz reported back to his master, then the others would come back too, and possibly finish everyone off.
"I see, then once I kill you then I'll just go after the final boss and make sure you don't come back again."
Kousuke continued his assault on Einz, he was using the Hiyou Ryu with everything at his disposal to best Einz. Einz wouldn't fall to offensive moves that relied on fists and feet only, his technique with swinging his sword was brilliant, the sword movements were quick and precise, and he cut Kousuke up like hitting a bamboo stand for sword practice, carefully holding back enough to not swing a lethal strike.
Kousuke was giving him everything, just hitting him with punches and kicks wouldn't work, he had to break down his armor with a weapon. Kousuke didn't own any weapons though, even with his clawed fingernails it wasn't enough to cut Einz.
Einz was also cautious, he was continuing his cutting on Kousuke still being careful to avoid a wound that would kill him. He had his orders, he was to bring Kousuke back alive. Einz's sword glowed, and he struck Kousuke again expelling his flames and cutting the front of his body with a diagonal slash. Kousuke dropped to the ground trying to heal his wounds.
"Such foolishness. If you only have your fists against a master swordsman like me you will not make me falter. Darkness will not bend to a light that has only one means to radiate."
Kousuke spat at the ground, he was irritated that he couldn't hurt Einz.
'Damnitt he's going to own me if I don't find a weakness in him. C'mon Hayashi Kousuke think, how many bosses did you beat when you were thinking you had no options left? There has to be a clue or hint to beat him.'
Kousuke tried to think. He was looking for answers in his memories to find a clue, but nothing that seemed like a logical answer. Maybe it was a coincidence or the words finally made sense, but the words Jabi said to him in the Spirit World echoed in his mind.
'Lost Ronin, Twin Fangs, Mizuno Family. Lost Ronin, Twin Fangs, Mizuno Family'.
'That's what Jabi said to me. It was the keyword for fighting Byakurai. Did she say that as a means of giving me a hint to level up more before the fight? Even so, I don't know anything about a Lost Ronin, that could mean anything, and twin fangs what clue is that supposed to mean? Also Mizuno Family, I don't know anything about Ren's side of the family he works for how would that help? Hold on, the second part, Twin Fangs? You idiot! Of course, you think of it now. If this Alpha soul isn't enough then I need another, one that can make a weapon against this Knight.'
Kousuke thought back to his early days training with Megumi. Megumi showed him the Jushin Kakusei before she left as the ultimate technique of the Gouki Ryu. The Jushin Kakusei allowed the user to perfectly inherit an animal spirit and its traits as long as the user had an understanding and image of which animal they wanted, once accomplished and practicing a synchronicity with the animal to avoid a takeover of the mind the user could change into it anytime they wanted like Kousuke did with his tiger or Megumi with her panther. An Alpha was the most difficult to master, as its name suggested they were the Alphas of their respective kingdoms. Obtaining them was not just a challenge it was demanding loyalty from them through strength and will, making their soul part of his own.
Kousuke focused his mind on many animals he believed would make a great counter to Einz's sword. One was emerging on its own passing the many silhouettes converging in his mind, swimming in a sea of clouds coming to him ominously. The image was approaching closer and closer, Kousuke was imagining what it could be, his memory helped to discern it by flashing to him remembering looking at Rumi and her hairpins when she first arrived at his house, remembering what he asked her on the train ride to Kyoto when he was curious about the hairpins.
"Nay Rumi, why shark pins for your hair? It seems kinda out of place for someone like you. You know those are very dangerous predators right?"
"Hehe, sharks are cool Onii-Chan. I learned from watching documentaries about homeschooling how strong they are and how much they can eat. Plus the movies with them are amazing teehee."
"Ho, you're a little weirdo Rumi you know that."
Rumi laughed at the end of his memory, she was so cute that she made something as weird as loving a dangerous man-eating animal her favorite.
Kousuke loved the memory, it cleared the fog along the image that was coming to him. The image was a shark, just like her hairpins. Rumi helped to give him a new form without knowing it.
'Rumi thank you. I'll make you the oden that mom used to make when this is over I promise.'
Kousuke burst with an aura different than when he changed to the tiger form. Everyone who was still conscious including Megumi and Barnaby looked at Kousuke. His tattoos shifted into one on his back in the shape of a shark fin with waves circling it. His hands changed having become webbed including his feet, all his teeth became sharp and jagged, and he had slits in the sides of his body. The back of his hands grew long curved bone blades. Kousuke's eyes were not feline but the black eyes of sharks looking at Einz with killer intent.
"Jushin Kakusei, Daini no kiba(Second Fang), Bushokusha Same no Tamashi(Predator Shark Soul)!"
Einz looked at Kousuke with fascination, he achieved a second form in the heat of battle. Megumi saw where the saw was. She gave a big wicked smile of approval at her precious student evolving in strength.
"Hey, what's with that look, you seem devilishly happy. And what the hell is that? Wasn't he only able to look like a tiger?" A confused Barnaby asked Megumi.
"Oh, that was the tip of it. I've always called him my tiger cub because of his name, but it has two meanings behind it. In one way you can write the kanji in his name Kou for tiger which is why I always kept calling him Toranoko as a nickname. But the real spelling in his name is the one that his moms gave him. The Kou in his name is another version to spell light, a burning light that the darkness can never swallow. All the time he trained with me he never gave up no matter how hard I pushed him or how much he hurt himself with his panic attacks he kept shining bright no matter what I threw at him. That's why he's been the best successor so far in the Gouki Ryu because he has a powerful unbreakable resolve to not give up when mastering its techniques. He can use the true potential of Jushin Kakusei in assimilating other Alpha souls, I can only do one cause I'm not that interested in remembering animals I have no love for. But Kousuke is different. His memory is too damn good once he studies the animal he wants, his connection to the call of the animal spirit kingdom exceeds mine and my predecessors because of his will to tame them to his own rule. He's the real deal. A genuine King of Beasts!"
Kousuke glared at Einz with his black eyes, he licked his shark teeth in front of him for intimidation.
"Saa! Ranchi taimu no Aintsu! Kimu ga mei dishu da(Now! Lunchtime Einz! You're the main dish)!"