Chapter 43 Part 2: Awakening

Kazuki's body erupted from the inky blackness, unleashing a massive shockwave that sent Namida staggering back. He landed in a crouch, head bowed, as an ominous energy pulsated around him.

Slowly, he rose, movements predatory and fluid.

Tsukiyomi, through Kazuki's lips, breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh scent of the world after what felt like an eternity. He spread out his fingers, watching as the sunlight danced between them.

"Ah... The warmth of the sun, the feel of the wind... I had forgotten... how vivid everything is," Tsukiyomi murmured, his voice awed and brimming with elation.

Namida, still wary, watched as Tsukiyomi reached out to touch a flower nearby, its petals yielding to his touch. He delicately traced his fingers over its soft surface, the feeling clearly a forgotten joy.

"Nature's caress," Tsukiyomi whispered, his tone filled with reverence. "I have dreamt of this moment for more than a century. To be deprived of senses for so long, you can't possibly understand how... intoxicating this feels."

He brought his hand to his face, fingers grazing the smooth skin, feeling the warmth and pulse of life beneath. He laughed, the sound both joyous and eerily unnerving. "This vessel... It's remarkable."

Namida, trying to find her voice amidst the turmoil of the moment, whispered, "Tsukiyomi..."

He shifted his gaze to her, the eerie crimson of his eyes, enhanced by the menacing appearance of his horns, displayed the age-old malevolence that had taken hold of Kazuki. Yet, briefly, the sinister intensity in his eyes dimmed. "Fear not, child. You shall have my full attention shortly. But allow me this moment to bask in the splendor of life."

He raised his arms to the sky, taking another deep breath, as if trying to absorb the world around him. "After a century in darkness, today, the world is mine to feel once again."

Tsukiyomi had awakened.

The deity flexed Kazuki's hands, marveling at the feel of muscle. With a smirk, he spun into a series of lethal strikes, testing the limits of this mortal form. Each motion was executed with precision and deadly grace.

Namida wavered, uncertain whether to flee and warn Lord Kuroyama or stand and fight. This was no longer Kazuki but a dangerous entity controlling his body. Could she face this god-like being alone?

Steeling herself, Namida unfurled her chain-sickle. The blessed metal links glimmered as she infused them with purifying water. If she could incapacitate Tsukiyomi, there might be a chance to free Kazuki and bring him back to Kuroyama. She had to try.

With a determined shout, Namida lunged forward, her chain sickle cutting swiftly through the space between them. Tsukiyomi sidestepped with an almost unnatural speed. They met time and time again - Namida's unyielding spirit against the deep-seated darkness of Tsukiyomi.

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The battle raged, neither able to gain the upper hand. Namida's chain sickle glanced off harmlessly as Tsukiyomi continued to teleport rapidly, evading her every move. The links of her chain sickle never managed to secure a grip on him.

Blood trickled from Tsukiyomi's nose. He muttered to himself, "It appears Kazuki's body is overheating; I've teleported five times already." Wiping away the blood, a smirk crossed his face as he thought, "I'll need to rely on my speed to continue this battle."

Frustration mounted as Tsukiyomi taunted her efforts. "Foolish human, do you think your mortal magic can stop me?" His voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere.

Breathing heavily, sweat glistening on her brow, Namida snapped, "Enough!" Anger evident in her voice, she channeled her water energy in desperation, invoking the mighty power of 'Susanoo'. As she did, her chain sickle responded, releasing a surging cascade of water aimed directly at Tsukiyomi, threatening to swallow him whole.

For an instant, it seemed as if her assault had him ensnared.

But with a remarkable display of nimbleness, the deity skillfully evaded the attack. He quickly navigated the battlefield to where Kazuki's master sword lay unguarded. As he took hold of the long, curved katana that once belonged to Master Gin, and the lightning-imbued tento sword that had been used to pierce Namida's eye, his smile twisted into a malevolent grin.

"Now, we really begin."

Obanai's heart sank as he observed from afar, realizing that Kazuki's soul might be lost unless Obanai can free himself and intervene.

Namida slipped into the bushes, looking for a strategic edge. She couldn't give up; Lord Kuroyama had tasked her with capturing Kazuki unharmed.

Unsheathing his blade with a malevolent elegance, Tsukiyomi taunts the gathering adversaries, his voice dripping with menace: "Come forth, all of you. Let's dance in the dark." As he raises his katana, it hums with a malignant shadow energy. The very heavens seem to respond to its call, as foreboding dark clouds amass, blotting out the sun. Lightning crackles ominously, piercing the looming darkness.

Namida's grip on her chain sickle tightens, her knuckles whitening. Through gritted teeth, fury evident in her eyes, she commands, "Kunoichi, attack him now!" Without hesitation, the kunoichi surge forward, converging on him in a unified assault.

Tsukiyomi tilted his head, a sinister smile spreading on his lips. "Is this the best mortals can do?" His voice dripped with derision. Positioning himself, his stance predatory, he whispered darkly, "Prepare yourselves." Shadows danced around his katanas, their black aura matching the cold gleam in his eyes.

With lightning reflexes, Tsukiyomi engages the attacking kunoichi, his dual blades singing as they slice through the air.

With swift, brutal strikes, Tsukiyomi cut down kunoichi after kunoichi, their screams echoing through the battlefield. Blood and gore splattered on him, but his laughter, dark and unhinged, rose above it all. "A century," he gasped between laughs, "since I've tasted such combat!"

Waving a blood-soaked blade, he called out, "Who's next? Step forward!"

The remaining kunoichi, resolve burning in their eyes, shouted their battle cries and lunged, their blades and kunai clashing in intense combat.

"Foolish mortals. Your feeble skills are no match for a god," he taunts as his blades find their marks. Cries of pain pierce the darkness as the kunoichi fall.

Watching in anguish, Obanai struggles against his bindings. "Kazuki! I know you're in there! You have to fight him!" he pleads.

Tsukiyomi pauses and casts an icy stare at Obanai. "Your little companion is gone. I am all that remains." His words drip with cruel finality.