Swish, Swish, Blood

Swish~- flash...clank.

Ciemnosc raised his left hand, sending it towards the guard behind Oscar, his speed was very swift, and it was many times faster than the sword, even to that of the stances that he had made for himself since months ago. But then, a flash came over in the dark of the early morning, aiming to take Ciemnosc's left hand off in just a moment, when another glint came from Ciemnosc's right once more to intercept the first one.

Whooosh~.

Once again, Ciemnosc felt his entire surroundings going a bit wild, air going off like waves with the mere other clashes of their blades though not even a spark went off yet the air around behaved as if it had been provoked in the worst ways. With Ciemnosc blocking the incoming blade his hand still reached out towards the guard, but Oscar’s left wrist got in the way, and what Ciemnosc grabbed in the end was just that.

But Ciemnosc didn’t become startled. He gripped tighter at the wrist and swiftly flung it over his back with a quick turn around but with his right hand still holding the Mortal sword with his right hand just like Oscar goes right-handed when holding his Mortal blade, not letting his back be defenseless to the guards behind him.

On the other hand, despite having been able to easily overpower Ciemnosc’s raw strength with some of his flowing Power Energy, Oscar suddenly felt his body leave the ground as his feet were in his sight, but his torso was mostly straight up. With the top of his head facing Ciemnosc’s, his right hand tried to find a way to reach Ciemnosc and kill him off with his neck cut clean off just as Ciemnosc has done to his subordinates more than once.

Even then, he was unsuccessful and while he was failing to land even a ‘miss’ on Ciemnosc’s hair, the latter was already putting in great danger those subordinates who made half a step backwards, step after step, with Ciemnosc brandishing his blade toyingly towards them.

Fwip- tap tap, cuh! Swish, clank! Whoosh whoosh.

Seeing, at last, his last 2 lives almost escaping his grasp and being directly killed off by Ciemnosc, Oscar finally reacted and forced his body down the ground, his feet landing quietly on it. Right away, Oscar’s left hand went backwards and his right-hand thrust forwards with his Mortal blade cutting the air as if he was doing it like a master would with a simple wooden sword; that magical were all Mortal grade weapons and just as a basic ‘feature’ of them all.

There wasn’t any timely reaction from Ciemnosc, or so it looked, but at the next moment, just as Oscar was genuinely enjoying the sensation of cutting through the air without even putting all of himself into this attack so much. Ciemnosc suddenly turned around, almost casually, with his right-handed blade bouncing behind his back and landing on his left palm, just neatly enough to meet Oscar’s blade and with only the tip of his Mortal sword - to stop it from moving any further.

“...” - “...” Looking at each other for just a few couple of seconds, Ciemnosc was really not feeling stressed at all. It was only on his left hand that changed the difficulty in keeping his hand fully grasping at the handle with each second passing as Oscar increased the Power Energy put into his body but not into the Mortal blade still.

Swish, crlshhh, clank clank clank clank clank - whoosh whoosh. Swish, slash-...clank! Whoosh!

Once Ciemnosc started to feel his left hand begin to tremble while Oscar’s right hand was already increasing in its shaking from the force he put in and the resistance he met from Ciemnosc’s single left hand, Ciemnosc moved quickly by lowering his upper body by a lot, deviating the Mortal blade over his back and following it with a stab towards Oscar’s stomach.

However, Oscar quickly retreated his blade, and made it impossible for Ciemnosc to stab his stomach. On the other hand, Ciemnosc only advanced a millimeter despite putting a lot of his raw strength into his left hand, only able to slide the edges of their Mortal weapons and finally causing sparks to come off from their clashing.

With a light kick, Ciemnosc pushed Oscar’s body back for 3 meters. Swinging his left-handed Mortal sword to the back, he reflected the 2 long knives thrown at him and the ones in the guards’ hands. One of them had 1, and the other 2 in their hands.

The moment they felt their own hands meet the Mortal sword, unlike anything before, they directly broke despite meeting head on the flat side of the sword, just as the thrown long knives had been just now.

But additionally, to their long knives breaking, their bodies felt a most powerful surge of wind, which they could try and resist all they could. But because of their mental fatigue at the terror known as Ciemnosc and the tiredness from already having been using their Power Energy when blocking and attacking Ciemnosc before, they were blown away directly.

However, just as they felt their bodies fly backwards, they heard an even stronger whooshing sound pursuing them. And before they knew it, a slashing motion came towards them from Ciemnosc…who looked perfectly like a devil with his body hovering in the air, under the dark, right above them, and even though they were in a strange phenomenon of seeing everything around them slow down - they could tell he was going to pass by them in the next several seconds without needing to impulse himself anymore.

Ciemnosc once again held his Mortal sword in his right hand, sweeping it from the left to the right with strength and even some of his Power Energy covering his right hand and wrist. The Mortal sword, as if talking to them, made the guards they would be dead in the next moment.

But right then, Oscar’s timely arrival once again showed why he is the best to these guards’ eyes, hearts, and minds!!

The second direct clash of their blade and sword’s blade came to be stronger than even the first one, both having increased the power sent to their sword and blade, both making a larger area of a mess all around them with invisible wind blades tearing flora apart.

“AAhhk…!” But from below Oscar, just as Ciemnosc went past the latter’s right while ignoring the former once he had impulsed his own body forwards by forcing Oscar’s blade down, a scream made Oscar’s senses numb. He could only look to his right, where a crescent torrent of blood could be seen flying up and being left behind by their still flying backwards-like flight.

Thud, thud…thud.

Some blood spilled on him, landing on his cheeks and right ribs over his clothes. The guard at this right, which was also the same one that Ciemnosc had initially gone after with his left hand before, had most of his neck cleanly cut off, only the remaining few cm of his neck kept his head connected to his body - but tons of blood had already gone out of his body already.

When they landed on the floor, Oscar and the remaining guard on his left landed safely, with the guard being helped up in midair before by Oscar. But the other guard with most of his neck cut off landing on the ground was just…a minute sound of ‘landing’ on the floor, his face having been ‘sleepy’ and looking at Oscar from the moment his neck was cut off to when he finally landed…

“Hmph,” behind them, Ciemnosc harrumphed emotionlessly, his left-handed Mortal sword clean of any blood, which made Oscar’s eyebrows tremble. Looking back at the guard’s cut-off neck. Only now did he realize that the cut was not made by a weapon, but…air itself!

“!!” Rage burning, seething within him, Oscar tightened his left fist and held his Mortal blade’s handle stronger than ever. Ciemnosc, of course, noticed this, just as the remaining guard left alive did, and even became really emboldened.

Pointing with his right finger at Ciemnosc toward his waist, the guard shouted fiercely yet weakly at the same time, “You’ll see Ciemnosc!! You’ll pay for what you’ve done. There will not be any easy death for you when I catch you!”

The guard’s words were pretty hoarse and dragged on by the time they were coming to an end, but all Ciemnosc did was cock his head to the left as if he was admonishing a little kid’s tantrum. Right afterwards, with the same kind of tone and voice, but his, Ciemnosc responded as he took out a strange tool from his Cover Space bags with his right hand.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Oh okay, I’ll just show you something real quick…” Ciemnosc spoke, directing his words towards Oscar but looking at the guard, lowering his head and licking his lips before adding at last, “Hang on for a second.”

Swish- whoosh whoosh whoosh, wong~. Tap, whoosh! Tackle!

The weird tool on his right hand was held in the air for as long as he spoke. But just as Ciemnosc was about to use it, and recognize it, Oscar’s eyes finally showed the most incredible of all shocks and…terror at the same time!

Those were, indeed, the Steel Array Snakes! The ones that Ciemnosc used to trap even Conflagrate realm cultivators!!

Of course, only those who weren’t Ciemnosc at that moment knew that it was an array done with ample preparation and even exhausting a few materials that weren’t easy to come by. Only then was Ciemnosc able to trap Conflagrate realm cultivators who kindly walked into it without using any of their Power Energy to protect or enhance their bodies with much less able to employ any deathly technique.

As soon as Oscar became aware, he wanted to do something. But before he could notice it, the Steel Array Snakes had already surrounded them both with the guard not even realizing what was going on in the slightest.

The next moment, as soon as a ‘cage’ of about 10 x 10 meters entrapped the 3 of them, sounds of energy being hard at work could be heard and Oscar, who was formulating his Power Energy and raw strength to deal with it, didn’t have enough time to even begin as his body became…paralyzed!

On the other hand, all that he could see beside his guard was magically fine and able to move, but he noticed Oscar not being able to move and became terrified; Oscar could also see how Ciemnosc had already let his Mortal sword fall to the ground and bury itself up to its handle like falling into the water.

“Heh…” Patting his hands, Ciemnosc grinned deviously, appearing so damn charming doing so. Next, he stopped all movement of his body, while the remaining guard alive, on the other hand…began trembling all over his body! Covered his arms with his hands as if he was feeling the coldest in the entire world as if he was being preyed on by the major threat to all life…as if he was already dead!!

STOMP! WHOOSH! PAHH!

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhh…” All of a sudden, out of nowhere. Oscar’s eyes couldn’t even see what happened as he realized that the guard right beside him was already gone. All that his brain could process was that there was, first; a stomping sound followed by a terrifying yet very short whooshing sound of air being pushed aside like nothing he could’ve imagined - at least for this fight to the death…

Then, just as Oscar’s eyes timidly closed and then opened, he could only hear a slapping-like sound similar to how the armored cars sound whenever they instantly kill a large Creature when going at maximum speed. Yet, it came from a small body to another small body. And before Oscar could move his eyes to where that was heard from - long, distancing screams chilled his nerves like never before…as he could hear terrible, bloody, flesh tearing sounds so far in the distance…

…ckrsheerr…ckrsheerr, phhshk phhshk phhshk… phhshk… phhshk… crreeshhk, crreeshhk…

‘What the…fuck is going on?!’ Thought Oscar, but that was all they could ever do in these few tens of seconds which turned into a horrible display of nightmarish sounds…was that…what was it even? Was that…Ciemnosc?!

‘Were they attacked by a strong Creature? Some major organization members found them? The Moribund Yearning Cult? Some crazy, gone retard cultivator? What the hell is going on?!’ The more he listened to those sounds, the more Oscar began to calm down. But that changed…when those sounds stopped, making his eyes lift their sight and his pupils shrink.

“Who goes there?!!” Shouted Oscar, who couldn’t help but try to see if he could bite his tongue off, but also felt stupid. If he just didn’t even move, then wouldn’t he be fine as long as the Creature didn’t have already watched them fight, or the crazed cultivator for that matter? Or at least as long as the Creature didn’t have a good smelling sense, since no cultivator was able to scan around such a large area with just Spirit Sense.

Even the Steel Array Snakes were somewhat quiet, if he had just kept silent…now what?!

“Sshhhh, I didn’t forget you.” The same hoarse dragged-on tone and mannerism from Ciemnosc’s voice could be heard right behind Oscar, making the latter form countless images inside his head of the former. Even more so with those damn spoken words, what did they mean? Was that…really Ciemnosc?! What kind of monster is - fucking - he?!

“I do, though, confess that I lost myself just then back there.” Ciemnosc continued, coming closer to Oscar’s back as the latter realized that his body was back to normal and he could move it. Yet, he also heard Ciemnosc patting his hands together once more, and as he turned around to see the blood and dirt on his hands being slapped off, Ciemnosc added.

“It’s been a long time. I don’t know how I have resisted it for so long… It…” Ciemnosc’s face was kinda lost. He stopped cleaning his already bloodless and dirtless hands and suddenly looked up into the sky, finishing his words. “It feels amazing.”

“...?!!” Oscar was, of course, pretty much shaken by such words. He couldn’t see any blood coming from Ciemnosc’s nails, mouth, or around his face or neck; but he could smell it! And furthermore, he could imagine it! Nothing could make those thoughts and images away. They were now deeply embedded into his brain!

“Ciemnosc… Ciemnosc, you…” With difficulty, especially more so since began to lower his gaze from up to the sky to himself, Oscar’s brave words were difficult to be spoken. After stammering for half a day, he finally stopped, took a breath, then said valiantly. “Ciemnosc!! You’ve committed such heinous acts, criminal! In the name of the sect, I’ll take you down and let our sect master and other upper echelons use your body in order to avoid any more like you!!”

“You… you have fallen into the darkness!” Oscar said and as soon as he finished talking and showing his stance against this monstrous devil, he rushed towards Ciemnosc with his blade held high in front of his right shoulder.

“Msk-oh~,” but instead of even getting into a defensive position, Ciemnosc clicked his lips and cheeks at the same time before letting out a simplistic ‘oh’ from his lips. Looking at the charging Oscar towards himself, Ciemnosc spoke out slowly while raising his hands up to his waist level and extending his fingers out, revealing his clean, slightly pale white palms.

“This is exactly what I wanted.” Ciemnosc even shook his head, a little. Letting his fingernails have an ‘extended’ part of themselves as a tiny claw-like nail of pure darkness showed, he waited for Oscar to come towards him…with also his toes gaining an extra ‘nail’.

Step, step, step… Fwuuuooshh…pah- tum po pom poh! Whoosh…

Suddenly, just as the unaware Oscar came closer and closer, his eyes not being able to differentiate the way that Ciemnosc’s nails had changed just now due to the darkness, Ciemnosc made a light tap of his feet against the ground - his whole body impulsed up and over the charging Oscar who was perplexed in return.

Before Oscar could react, Ciemnosc had already begun sending his palms and kicks with the soles of his feet against Oscar’s shoulders and back as he passed over the latter. In response, and already prepared, Oscar had covered all of his body with his Power Energy. Yet, as he felt Ciemnosc’s strikes on his body, he felt real pain and strong forces pushing him left and right from wherever he was attacked!

“RGWAAWRGH!” Oscar turned around after hearing a whoosh and feeling Ciemnosc’s presence on his back go away, raising both his arms and screaming with his voice turning even slightly hoarse at the top of his lungs, not reserving anything for breathing or after screaming it all out. His eyes radiated a hatred so vehement that it seemed fake, but behind it, swirls of green greed seemed to be rolling as he looked at Ciemnosc and witnessed that all that he had was, indeed, gained by his own hands unlike what Oscar himself has ever done…

STOMP.

“Noisy,” Ciemnosc commented lightly, his body 5 meters away suddenly with his left leg stomped against the ground and left a not so deep but well-spread crater where his left foot stamped on. His left hand, not even raising, just opening slightly but still in a claw-grasp-like stance with his arm fully extending out as he dashed directly with his head first towards Oscar, he intercepted the Mortal blade without any bit of fear from being cut off…

‘If you wanna die, then go to hell!’ Seeing Ciemnosc use just his left hand to meet his Mortal grade blade, Oscar was of course more than glad to see the following result of this clash coming! His eyes widened even more and shone thoroughly. Je used all his raw strength, 2,000 kg, and hacked down to maim Ciemnosc off of his left arm right before killing him, doing so ever so slowly!!

“FGGUCKING DIE, YOU BASTARD!!”

SWIIISH-... … … ...

Oscar felt all the power in the world follow him, praise him, and give him all of the rights he deserved as he hacked his blade down! He had never felt this way before. It was amazing. It was what he deserved. What he ought to have always had…all his!

He could see his blade about to meet the left shoulder from that annoying, wimpy, and deadass of a kid! He could already envision the blood flowing through his newly created hole and couldn’t help fantasizing about the many other new holes he would be making over the next days, next days, even years!!!

But then…

“!?” Oscar looked down at his arms, his head having been left raised up with the dreams wet and marvelous dreams inside his head, only now coming to gaze downwards… Only to see Ciemnosc’s left hand easily holding the Mortal blade’s body with just the edge of its cutting a little in between the thumb and the index finger.

“...” Ciemnosc looked up with his eyes totally, ultimately cold. No expression, and even serene, showing a pair of darkest pools that threatened to directly make Oscar give up. His left hand, holding the Mortal blade’s body was bleeding and even though it was still being pushed downwards, the blade itself was having trouble cutting through just the slightly pale skin of Ciemnosc.

Then, to the utmost shock, confusion, and bewilderment of Oscar the Mortal blade without any Power Energy covering it…was gripped tighter by Ciemnosc’s weird nails with an extra ‘nail’ on top and in front of the ‘natural ones’.

…crack~.

…