Genji was hiding in the shadows cast by a pair of large, overarching bones when he noticed the demons in the vicinity. He didn't think much of it and waited for them to leave. But contrary to his expectations, their searches became more meticulous, and more demons gathered in the area.
It was a strange occurrence, but he decided to slip away once he got the chance. However, the crowd of demons followed him, all staying within 5 kilometers of him. When he saw this, he knew he was being tracked.
The demon's movements were completely different compared to their previous methods, making it hard to avoid suspicion. The question was how. Genji was certain he left no traces, but they were easily keeping up with him.
"Fine, I'll do it your way."
Since the demons were so persistent, he simply had to kill until they no longer dared to trouble him. He would rather do that than passively wait for his pursuers to corner him.
He slowly flanked the crowd of demons and traced the line of demons back to their origin. 15 minutes later, he came upon a large army marching at full speed.
In the center of all this was a peculiar demon who stood out from the rest. This demon felt weak, much weaker than his nearby counterparts. Instead of the robust vitality common among his brethren, he emitted a darker energy reminiscent of mana.
It was very off-putting, which instantly captured Genji's attention. Genji observed this demon for some time and realized the entire army was marching under his orders. Occasionally, the demon would peer into the crystal ball in his hands before redirecting the army. The most peculiar part about his directions, was that they were always in Genji's direction.
Genji saw this and instantly understood what was going on. This was the demon that was hunting him. As long as he could assassinate him, then he would be free.
Of course, that was easier said than done. The demon army had attached a lot of importance to this figure and surrounded him with multiple guards. Genji felt an unprecedented amount of vitality from these guards and understood that these guards were the strongest demons he'd met.
That was a given since these mistaken guards weren't servants as Genji thought, but generals. After Ezekiel modified the orb, he sent one of his disciples to assist in the hunt. The generals appreciated this gesture and happily welcomed the guest. Of course, this was before they knew about the shaman's meager strength and cowardly nature.
"What do you mean we have to protect you? We're in the middle of an army, and you're still afraid for your life? Just how insecure are you?"
"That's beside the point. I'm here risking my life, so help me with this preparation. I'm sure when the enemy realizes that I'm the one tracking him, he will do everything he can to kill me. When that happens, he will have fallen right into my trap."
This sounded reasonable, but everything felt like an excuse to the generals. How could they be convinced when the shaman's knees were quaking in nervousness? If it wasn't for Ezekiel's deal, they would have long abandoned him.
Genji observed this dynamic and retreated to make his preparations. After concocting a silent poison, he returned and scattered it over the troops. He waited another hour before he launched another poison bomb. This time, it couldn't be more obvious as a grey mist blanketed the troops.
Bodies dropped like flies, and the front ranks panicked for their lives. They could endure a harsh battle with their foes, but they were unaccustomed to this type of ambush. The fear of the unknown was further augmented when their vision was obscured, and the shrill shrieks of their allies rattled their minds.
Chaos spread, but the generals crowded around the shaman and channeled their green flames. A fishy smell wafted into their nostrils as the particles around them burnt and evaporated. A sudden dizziness hit them, and their minds briefly wandered.
Suddenly, Genji burst through the rolling fog and slipped past them. Alarm coursed through the generals' minds, but by the time they reacted, it was already too late. Genji scooped up the glowing orb and teleported out. He had killed his target, and it was time to escape.
The assassination might have seemed easy, but that was only because the generals foolishly ignited the poison and inhaled the byproducts. If they were completely sober, they would have easily repelled him under their combined attacks.
As Genji made his getaway, the ground shook crazily like a magnitude 7 earthquake. The rocky terrain shattered, and the impact pushed aside the poison. Genji looked back and spotted a demon general with decimated knuckles.
Bones flickered through the bloody cracks, and his chest twitched uncontrollably. It wasn't hard to deduce that he was the source of the commotion considering his squatting posture.
"What was that about?" Genji wondered as he noticed the nearby demons shrink in body mass.
The general had consumed the vitality of the nearby demons to unleash that attack. This didn't surprise Genji since the weaker captain-level demons had a similar ability where they could draw power from their allies.
However, unlike the captains' technique, this one forcibly plundered the vitality to unleash an attack beyond the limits of the user's body. It was a violent method that granted immense power, but it came at an equally grave price. Some of the demons couldn't bear this sudden loss of life force and tumbled over dead.
Then the cost shifted to the others, starting a chain reaction of demon dominoes. By the time it ended, a sixth of the army had perished under the side effect, which was the source of Genji's confusion.
He could understand if the attack was used in battle, but wasn't it a waste to use it to clear the poison? It wasn't like that mist was strong enough to threaten the generals anyway.
Suddenly, the demon with the battered fist looked up and met Genji's gaze. Bloodshot eyes stared back at him, and the hard clench of jaws ground away at its teeth.
"CHASE HIM!" The demon roared before collapsing from fatigue.
The other generals understood the demon's intentions and activated their abilities. Since their ally had badly injured himself to create this opportunity, they needed to follow up. Everything was worth it as long as they captured the human!
A red hue seeped out of the normal demons' skin, and their auras underwent a substantial increase. Their muscles swelled immensely, and their eyes became crazed. Consciousness slipped from their minds, turning them into mindless beasts under the generals' orders.
This was life-burning, a costly trump card employed by the generals. Its sole purpose was to turn the soldiers into killing machines for a short duration. Similar to the previous ability, individual soldiers bore the price and risks. It was very convenient for the generals, but life as a soldier sucked.
A stampede of crazed demons followed Genji's tracks, pursuing him relentlessly. There were multiple times when he switched directions to throw them off, but it was futile. The generals had locked onto his vitality fluctuations and would continue to track him until he escaped their range.
But with the support of the army, this was impossible since the vitality would drastically boost their abilities. Like this, the game of chase continued, and exhausted husks of demons fell. Moments later, they were trampled and became bloody pancakes, leaving a grim trail in their wake.
Genji knew the demons couldn't keep this up for long and increased his pace. Flashstep triggered repeatedly, widening the distance. The generals watched this with an annoyed frown before a ruthless glint flickered in their eyes.
"Fine. We'll get rid of these dead weights. Let's see if you can outrun us then."
The other generals understood the meaning and made their preparations.
"3," the first general started.
"2," a different one followed.
"1," another one counted down.
"IGNITE!" They all shouted. Suddenly, the entire army burst into a bright red aura that used their life force as fuel. Their bodies rapidly shriveled, and strands of pink energy nourished the generals' bodies.
Their fatigue recovered, and their bodies exerted strength beyond their norms. Their legs pushed off the ground with immeasurable force, shattering craters with each stomp. They slowly accelerated and consumed the vitality they had plundered moments before, sustaining their speed.
Sonic booms sounded behind them as they ripped through the air like an unstoppable train. Their bones creaked under the pressure, and their skin ached from the friction, but they were unhindered. The ground shook widely, and the widened distance narrowed like a rebounding rubber band.
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At this moment, Genji changed his direction and stopped, readying himself to confront these brutish demons. Booms of destroyed rocks sounded around him as the generals came to a stop.
Sharp stones flew everywhere, and six large craters collapsed around him, smudging the area with dust. Then the dust was flung aside as one large hand swiped across the area. A fierce whirlwind brushed against Genji's cloak, causing it to wildly flap.
"You sure are slippery," the general commented as he approached Genji.
"And you are persistent as hell," he answered, activating Berserk to boost his strength.
Then all seven fighters disappeared from their positions, colliding intensely before Genji got sent flying back. Two deep gouges tore through the ground, continuing for 50 meters before he stopped.
"Again!" He shouted and disappeared from his position.
The next moment, a huge mental shock hit the generals and muddled their heads. Two bone-deep cuts sheered into a thick arm as Genji appeared behind one, their backs toward each other. Shadow flames flickered as he swapped to a backhand grip, jamming the dagger down to the hilt.
Resistance collided against his palms, but it was nothing noteworthy against his sharpness. Multiple strands of vitality collapsed into photons, healing the wounds as Genji pulled out and spun around for two more eviscerations.
Suddenly, a repulsive force came from the demon, who burned more vitality to knock him back. The other generals also awakened and rushed to support. Two demons stopped beside the injured one and fed him their vitality while the other three pursued Genji.
Like A Feather, Untraceable Movement
Genji kicked off the ground and vanished from their senses. Guards were raised, but Genji wasn't targeting them. Instead, [Curse Bearer] pressed against the first demon and exploded his head.
A cracked skull revealed itself below the peeled skin, foretelling the low levels of vitality. A bottle of [Titan Feller] soared at this spot before the other two reacted and threw forceful punches. Genji disappeared again, reappearing 100 meters behind them. Then flashes of shadow flames and metal carved away at the demons, whittling their flesh to the bone.
A loud boom sounded as the demons completed their punch, and countless cuts snagged their bodies. Blood burst from their wounds, and their vitality waned in intensity. The distant three rushed back to defend, but Genji intercepted them with two deadly strikes targeting the neck.
Large strands of life force vanished around them and reinforced their defenses before striking out. To their knowledge, Genji didn't have the regeneration powers that they did. As long as they could exchange injuries, they would have the advantage.
Two heavy fists and a claw came down on all sides, seeking to shred him apart. But before they could collide, a geometric barrier isolated Genji from harm. A crisp crack resounded around him, but this moment was all Genji needed to twist around the arms and slash deep into the neck.
He kicked off the arms and swirled around the shoulder of his target. A kick landed on the face, but the semi-attached head barely budged. The demon was desperately clinging to life with all his energy, reinforcing his body to the extremes. However, Genji expected this and used this steady pillar to pivot around to the other side.
Genji stomped on the elbow, disarming the extra obstacle and redirecting his inertia. His two arms crossed over each other, and he wound up all his strength. A huge sense of crisis reached the demon, but before he could repurpose his energy, Genji unleashed everything.
Dagger Arts: Scar!
The half-severed neck became fully severed, and the head soared through the air. Genji made one last kick off the falling body and glided into the distance.
The generals watched this with shock, but one severely injured demon broke the stupor.
"Gosar, unleash everything! Bijin has also fallen. Don't care about us."
The demon with the claw attack nodded and unleashed a savage roar. Subsequently, the excess vitality of the two injured demons left them and gathered around the roaring demon.
As of this moment, there were two groups of demons. The first group was the one Genji just engaged, with one beheaded demon and two demons in peak condition, having suffered no wounds.
The other group consisted of two severely injured demons and a demon that had recently died to [Titan Feller]. This was the group that called out and offered their energy, becoming decrepit, malnourished bags of skin.
The last demon also offered his portion and stepped back, transitioning to guarding the weakened generals. Gosar, the claw demon, was an unusual demon who practiced martial arts. It was far from Genji's standards, but it was enough to make him one of the stronger generals.
If they had to pick, Gosar was the most likely of them all to defeat Genji, even if his control of vitality was lacking compared to the others. That was why they channeled everything into him.
Gosar's fingers curled into an arc, and his stance took on a bestial form. The tips of his fingers dipped down, almost touching the ground, giving Genji a strong sense of crisis. Gosar held this stance for two seconds before he burst forward, appearing before Genji. A substantial and razor-sharp claw cleaved down at Genji, who barely dodged it with his acute instincts.
A rampant explosion of air ripped across his upper body, striving to knock him off balance. Genji gave in to this force and leaned back, avoiding another harsh strike above his torso. This time, the wind was much more condensed and left multiple gnashes on his chest.
He transitioned to a handstand to bypass a short swipe. As he got back to his feet, a barrage of attacks greeted him. Doing everything he could, he narrowly sidestepped this perilous storm of knives. Countless wounds marred his body, but he had no time to think about that.
He pushed his movements to the limits, cutting down on the unnecessary motions that he never realized existed. His focus reached its maximum, and he entered a trance of hyperperception. The world around him slowed down, and he entered the same state as when he created Flashstep.
Everything felt so clear and instinctive to him as if his body was moving in harmony with the universe. It was a great feeling, one that he rarely encountered but welcomed. This was the feeling of growing stronger that he pursued with all his resolve. This was what it felt like to surpass his limits. This was the zone.
'How long can you keep this up? That's a lot of energy you're using.'
Since the battle began, the collateral wind had weakened in intensity. This wasn't Gosar getting weaker, but because his control was improving. As less and less energy got wasted, more energy was focused on his claws, making his attacks stronger. There was no doubt that he was improving in real-time, but Genji was improving faster.
From barely dodging the strikes to having some room to dodge with ease. Genji made these optimizations and pushed his movements to new heights. Now, he was only waiting for an opportunity to strike, a time when Gosar lost his strength. And eventually, Genji got that moment.
"Why? Why can't I hit you?!?!?" Gosar roared in frustration and slammed the ground with all his strength.
A light hop from Genji bypassed the ripples, and he left another nick on Gosar's shoulders. By now, Gosar's entire body was covered in these marks, but he remained strong. The excess vitality provided astonishing defense against even Genji's daggers, but this relentless survival only ground away at Gosar's mentality.
Now, he wasn't even trying to control his forces anymore, opting to unleash his entire strength in every strike. To Genji, Gosar had transformed from a deadly martial artist into a rampaging beast, a change that only lowered his effectiveness.
The other generals watched this with anxiety, but there was little they could do. They had run dry on energy, and interfering in this battle would only accelerate their deaths.
"Gosar! Calm down. You can't be wasting energy like this," the uninjured general shouted and sent a wave of vitality over.
Feeling the foreign energy, clarity returned to the rampaging demon's eyes. Gosar reviewed his memories and realized the demon was right. He might have a lot of energy, but it wasn't endless. If he kept going like this, he would eventually be exhausted. By then, all of them would die.
'No. I can't let him get away like this. He's right in front of us and we're so close to succeeding... But then why do I feel so helpless?'
Gosar mechanically continued his assault, but his mind was elsewhere. Gosar racked his mind for a way out and found nothing. He had used everything he knew to reach this level of control and it still wasn't enough. Helpless, Gosar absentmindedly stared at Genji, wishing he could land a strike. Just why is this human so slippery? Then it hit him.
'Of course! That's what I was missing. It was right in front of me the whole time. I'm such an idiot.'
Gosar stopped his attacks and closed his eyes. Genji also backed up, cautious about this sudden change.
"Yes. That's it."
When Gosar opened his eyes, his temperament had shifted drastically. If Gosar was like an uncontrollable typhoon before, now he was a calm lake, unchanged for millennia. It was an unsettling transformation that stopped the leakage of energy.
Gosar straightened his curled fingers into a hand blade and gazed at Genji. It was a tranquil gaze, one that shredded all its previous fury.
"I must thank you for the inspiration. I was stuck on this bottleneck for a long time, so I thought I had reached the peak. How wrong I was to not realize such a realm existed above that. As thanks, I'll put you out of your misery."
Then Gosar disappeared without commotion, appearing beside Genji with a silent slash. Blood splattered from Genji's chest as his eyes widened in realization.
'No way. Did he also improve in battle? Darn, this guy's as much of a martial freak as I am. He's dang-'
But before Genji could finish that thought, another slash came down, finishing the X cut on his mangled torso and severing his right arm. Warm blood splattered over his face and his instincts blarred crisis.
Without a moment's delay, Genji launched his counterattacks, bombarding Gosar with a stream of strikes. However, Gosar parried all his attacks with ease and slowly adjusted to his breakthrough.
The situation was becoming grimmer for Genji as his body bled out. His strength was dwindling, and his movements were slowing down. Fatigue was setting in, and everything felt like swimming through lead. His vision blurred and shifted, seeing multiple figures. His attacks missed, filled with flaws. His health was approaching its end, and he was growing deathly pale.
"Give up. You lost. Now accept it."
Gosar's comment broke through the haze and brought Genji back to focus.
"No, never!"
Then Genji brought his arm back for one last swing. A swing to conclude everything. It was a slow swing compared to before, but Gosar showed no intention of dodging.
'Let's put an end to this charade. It's time to accept reality.'
Gosar brought his palm up to block, wanting to demonstrate Genji's weakness. His thought process was to have Genji give up and faint so he didn't have to damage the body any further. Gosar was surprised that this human had such a tenacious will, but his body was reaching its limits. If Gosar wasn't careful, he might accidentally kill Genji and ruin their plans.
This wasn't a risk Gosar could take after everything they did to reach this point. But Genji had other plans. As the dagger approached the hand, it suddenly accelerated and burst out with a dark gleam.
Untraceable Movement, Legacy Liberation: Deadly Severance
Before Gosar could react, the dagger tore through his iron defense and carved through his neck. A stunned expression etched into his eyes as his head soared through the air. Questions and doubts flashed through his mind, but Genji gave him no chance for realization. With a second swing, the head split down the middle and finished the claw demon.
'Looks like I won the gamble again. Seriously, I need to stop getting into these situations,' he thought, splashing himself with a mutation bomb and chugging an adapting healing potion.