Aogiri Ryuya
I drew in a quick breath, as I withdrew Black Lotus from my dimensional storage; which was a bracelet over my wrist.
The katana given to me by my Grandfather, and forged with the tusk of a behemoth, displayed a subtle beauty which I couldn’t describe with mere words.
Pulling Black Lotus out of the sheath, I hung the sheath above my hip and pulled my sword forward, where my opponent was; restrained.
Black Lotus was a
But now having reached the
The higher the level of a weapon goes the harder it gets to control it. That’s why hunters only use a weapon which is close or appropriate with their rank.
Because the materials which are used to create a weapon, and depending on the materials’ ranks and purity, the weapon takes form.
Also the amount of mana needed to control the weapon varies, so that’s why.
My Grandfather once told me that, ‘all weapons have a will of their own, they chose their bearers’, and only submit to those they accept or found worthy.’
The Samurai spirit, of course!
I did once try to swing Black Lotus and train with it, but the inevitable outcome was me getting hurt. Because I couldn’t handle the strength of the sword, and my mana reserves were not enough to handle the sword back then.
TING—! TING—! TING—!
Just as the last of the noise resounded inside the wide arena, I dashed forward and so did the Behemoth Turtle; which had been restrained until now.
It’s pale sharp skin which was visible to the naked eye, and its black shell which had several thorn like spikes growing on top. The viciousness in it’s greenish-grey eyes made the hair on the back of my head stand.
Each step it took forward made the entire floor to quake.
I came closer to the Behemoth Turtle and right when I came in to its attacking range, I channelled the mana inside me and circulating it towards my legs, then I put pressure over my calves and jumped.
My midnight black hair fluttered as my emerald eyes locked onto the Behemoth Turtle, not moving an inch away from it.
The Behemoth Turtle was almost five metres in height and seven metres in length.
I landed on It’s shell and hacked my katana, but my katana was bounced back by the hardness of it’s shell.
It was as hard as hitting metal, but on a completely different level. The only places where I could attack were it’s tail, limbs and head.
But not as simple as it seemed when explaining.
But I saw the Behemoth Turtle turn its head backwards and looking at me with it’s greenish-grey eyes. I felt cold sweat on the back of my neck.
THUD—! THUD—!
It started smacking its giant feet on the floor and trying to knock me off its back.
The force which it smacked the floor, made me unable to maintain my balance.
I jumped again and landed on the floor.
I held the speed and size advantage against an opponent like the Behemoth Turtle, so I dashed towards it and after only a six metre distance remaining between us, I dug my foot deep into the ground and circulated the mana towards my legs once again.
The mana stirred and started making its way towards my legs. Soon I felt a tingle of warmth completely envelop my body waist down.
I reinforced my feet and knees and allowed the mana to burst and increase my speed.
I disappeared and reappeared in front of the right front foot of the Behemoth Turtle.
Coating Black Lotus with mana, which was still an arduous task for me.
Because reinforcing your body and objects with mana are fundamentally different.
Because circulating mana through your mana channels is easily done, as the mana channels are a part of your body. Just like blood flowing through your veins, similarly, does the mana through your mana channels.
But mana could be forcefully moved.
So pushing mana into an object and releasing it to reinforce an object isn’t as easy as it seems. For a body it becomes like an instinct, but hard for a foreign object.
Soon the tip of my katana glowed with a blood red hue and I horizontally slashed.
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Slash—!
Soon my katana connected and made a clean cut, causing it’s blood to splash all over the floor.
Ahaaaa—!
With a hoarse scream, it turned its head towards me and tried to head-butt me, but at the last moment, I once again channelled the mana inside me and tried to jump backwards to avoid its head, but, its tail came into the line of my sight catching me off guard and soon smacking me, causing me to crash into the wall a few metres behind.
“Uek...”
A pain filled groan escaped my mouth as I crashed into the wall.
It’s ability to attack with it’s tail and maneuver it perfectly with precise speed, was something I couldn't predict.
My eyes landed on my left wrist; where a watch rested—, indicating it had only been three and a half minutes since the fight started.
Firming my grip over Black Lotus, I pushed to my feet and shot up.
Thud—! Thud—!
With a vicious look in it’s eyes, the Behemoth Turtle dashed in my direction.
But this time I was prepared, I placed both of my hands over the black hilt of my Katana and waited for it to come closer.
I locked my eyes on to the enormous body of the monster and pulled my katana forward.
Then just as it came close enough, I stepped forward and jumped into the air. An invisible tile appeared beneath my foot allowing me to step upwards in the air. Again as I took another step forward, another invisible tile appeared beneath my foot allowing me to step in the air and reach the Behemoth Turtle.
The invisible tiles were in fact my skill, ‘Air Step’!
Which allows me to make a small platform in mid-air by the convergence of mana beneath my feet, by disrupting the space and making a vacuum for the atmospheric matters to dissipate and sequentially making a small blast of air by channelling a quick portion of mana towards my feet, filling that vacuum with the mana particles of wind. Allowing me to walk on air as if stepping on a small platform.
Air Step is a mental skill which puts heavy burden on the user's body and mind. Because a complete control of maneuverability and mana control is needed using this skill.
Soon I reached its height and with a summersault I landed on the monster’s head.
Without wasting a single second, I brought Black Lotus forward and hacked at its left eye.
With a deafening scream, the Behemoth Turtle shook it’s head violently; as if it had gone crazy.
It launched its tail towards me but I grabbed the sheath which was hung over my hip and used the force of its attack and power against it, by bringing the sheath forward and changing the trajectory of its tail to my right.
I was pushed back a few steps, but I kept my footing firm this time. Again I propelled my katana forward and thrust it in to it’s other eye.
Ahaaaa—!
Another hoarse scream escaped it’s mouth, as I landed on to it’s back and with channelling all the mana inside my body, I coated my sword.
Soon a violent crimson hue burst out from my katana and engulfed it entirely. After two more seconds, the aura of crimson deepened and I pulled my left leg backwards.
Circulating a small portion of mana towards my legs, I put pressure on my claves and propelled forward.
Just as I came close to the back of it’s neck, I pivoted and maneuvred my body to the left, with a stiff turn, I shot my right foot forward and a small invisible platform came to life beneath my foot, allowing me to change the trajectory of my body and reach its throat.
“Uek...”
My leg almost gave out as a weak groan escaped my mouth, the burden on my mind was somewhat bareable, but not the same with my body.
Because each time I pushed my legs in the air creating that vacuum, the tissues in my legs were being ruptured, even with the reinforcement of mana.
I dug Black Lotus deep into its throat, slicing through its thick skin and then with another step I shot upwards with my katana still stuck in it’s throat.
Blood sprayed over my body, dying my hair and protection suit red. But with a solemn expression I thrust and kept on slicing through the Behemoth Turtle's throat.
Then I came to a sudden halt, the thickness of it’s skin near it’s head was harder to cut through, so I pushed back and pulled my sword out of it’s throat, and took five steps backwards making some distance.
By now I was dyed by the blood of the Behemoth Turtle from head to toe. I fell onto one knee and saw my right arm shaking with a sudden pulse of pain.
The thick coat of the Behemoth Turtle was harder to cut through than I had thought.
Ahaaaaa—! Thud—!
With a dying cry, it fell on to the floor and its eyes became dull.
I sighed in relief seeing it not moving anymore. If the fight had dragged on any longer, then I would have certainly lost.
My legs ached with pain, as my hands kept shaking. But I felt anxious even after the battle was over.
Just then, the long tail of the Behemoth Turtle shot in my direction and smacked me.
I stumbled and rolled on the floor a few times as I tried to stabilise my body.
“Ryuya the battle isn’t over until one of you, either your enemy or you are dead, always remember.”
“Ahaa...”
I weakly moaned as I remembered my Grandfather’s words. I pushed upwards and saw that the Behemoth Turtle was dead for good this time.
'Fucking turtle,' I cursed inwardly.
“Haaa...”
I sighed as I looked at the Behemoth Turtle’s body turn into thousands of small particles of light and with a circle forming underneath it’s dead body, which was riddled with complex runes.
Soon the motes of light and the circle disappeared and I got up from the floor.
Putting Black Lotus back into the sheath, I exited the arena.
***
"That's Ryuya for you," Mikhail shouted with vigour as he shot up from the sofa.
But after realising that he was making a fool of himself, he sat back down on the sofa.
"You really like that kid don't you?" Laurena asked.
Quickly turning his head from the hologram towards Laurena, Mikhail replied, "of course, the amount of talent that kid has, and his way of fighting is outstanding, leagues above the other students."
His enthusiastic babbling was comical to me. But I myself was astonished by his talent.
But when I looked at Aogiri Ryuya, the thought of him and Seo Jiwoo fighting emerged in my mind.
If Jiwoo and Ryuya were to fight, who would be victorious? The second son of the Aogiri clan, who is proclaimed a prodigy among prodigies, or some unknown boy I know nothing of.
But deep within my mind I already knew the outcome of which one of them would win!
The side of my lips turned upwards, barely forming a smile as I gazed at the hologram.
I brushed my white neck long beard with my fingers as I fixed my eyes on the figure of Aogiri Ryuya, who was leaving the arena and on the left side of the large hologram, another student entering a different arena.
It was the same boy who had caught my interest. "Seo Jiwoo!"
I whispered to myself. On my left I saw Laurena, her eyes displayed a subtle warmth in them as she gazed at the boy– Seo Jiwoo–, enter the arena.
She looked sad, but hid it perfectly. I didn’t pressure her to tell me what was on her mind.
Laurena's ability allowed her look into the past, present and future of anyone. Or more specifically, the world's.
The way things would proceed, and the many futures which could come to pass.
When she told me about her ability, I was left flabbergasted. For a person to possess such an omniscient ability, but it only allowed her to see a glimpse, nothing more nothing less.
Despite having known each other for many years, Laurena was still a mystery to me.
"Is something wrong Seth," Laurena asked.
She caught me staring in her direction. I leaned back into the sofa and replied, "nothing."
She turned her head forward, towards the hologram and looked at the matches which were about to begin.