"Who… are you?" Zen asks, eyes narrowing at the demon. A faint breeze stirs and the demon exhales sharply.
"Retsu," he replies, watching sparks from Karu's flames dance across the floor.
Zen steps closer, brushing against the demon's shoulder. "You're… starting to get under my skin. So why don't y-"
A sharp intake of breath cuts him off. He clutches his chest. "My… heart," he mutters, voice trembling. He looks away, trying to calm himself. "What is this… power?"
"Pathetic," the demon growls, eyes flaring bright purple. His aura spreads outward, thick and heavy, pressing against Zen like a physical weight. Zen swallows hard, struggling to stay on his feet.
The demon chuckles. Slowly, he turns to face Zen fully, eyes glowing deep unnatural purple. Zen feels his chest tighten.
"Who the hell are you?" he whispers.
Then, in a blink, the demon is gone. Zen freezes, heart pounding, body shaking.
"Call me Sensei," a voice whispers, soft and low. A hand brushes Zen's shoulder and vanishes, leaving a swirl of dust behind.
From the smoky remains of the once prestigious dojo, a figure emerges. The dojo is a nightmare: blood slick on the floor, corpses strewn like ragdolls. A low eerie chuckle cuts through the haze.
"Now, where is that lil brat?" the demon mutters, sitting on a corpse as if it were a chair. He lifts a severed head, tilting it with casual curiosity. "That kid better come. Cuz I'm getting bored," he says, crushing the skull. Blood sprays across a framed portrait of the chief.
"Oops," he murmurs, standing. His gaze flicks to the portrait. He smirks, walking toward it but steps on another head. Splat. He laughs dry and sharp. "I really should stop doing that." His eyes trace the frame covered in blood. Blink.
Karu appears behind him, sword pressed against the demon's neck.
"What a nice surprise. Should I start bowing for the great Karu of Flames" the demon says, voice full of mockery.
"Quiet" Karu mutters, pressing the sword tighter. His eyes flare red, flames crackling around him.
The demon smirks. "He's the one… that spark, that fire," he thinks, grinning wider. Karu's grip tightens on the sword, eyes narrowing.
"How about you co—" Thud.
"Demons never know to shutup don't they" Karu growls quietly. He slashes the air. Blood sprays the wall. He slides his sword behind his back, grinning at the demon's head. It rolls across the floor, blood pooling at his feet.
"Your blood is like ours Karu" the demon mocks, coughing blood. Its grin widens.
Karu narrows his eyes. "You got a deathwish?" he says, lifting the sword, pointing at the demon's eyes.
The demon laughs wickedly, head rolling frantically, spilling more blood. Its eyes lock on Karu. "That grin" Karu thinks.
"Don't you know? That we're the same. Karu" the voice echoes, fading into the shadows. Then it's gone.