"Damn, do you literally mean that you are the best part of my soul?" Zeverin asked, seeing his Shinkaku.
[Cut]
[Just a moment before]
SHIIIIIIIIIK-______KTHOOOOOOM!!
One slash, one katana, one breath, one attack, one Special Grade Tatari seeing its death in just the presence of one person.
Zeverin didn't just separate No Kari's body into two perfect halves; he electrocuted No Kari's cells to temporarily suspend his healing factor for some time.
[No Kari's thoughts]
Intent detected :::: No Intent Detected
Response: Run
"Heard you are the strongest here and also the most feared here?" young Zeverin asked Ren.
"Here!?" Ren asked, watering trees.
"Yes, so what!?" young Zeverin asked rudely.
"I am the strongest alive in the multiverse, with the only one with potential to rival me being Ushimoto Arashi," Ren said.
"Such arrogance, I still wonder where it comes from," Zeverin said, trying to grab Ren.
GRKKT-!!
"Hey! No Kari, if you are alive, tell me one thing," Zeverin asked, dragging Raiko no Haha on the road.
"As I suddenly have an itch to kill someone as fast as I can," Zeverin mumbled so softly that only he could hear.
[Zeverin's thoughts]
With this much experience, strength, and now Flux Stage 3, I am overqualified to kill that Ushimoto, but I just have to end this with as little effort as possible.
"Before that, just tell me why you never call me by my full name, or my first name—why No Kari? Whyyyyyyyyy?" No Kari was asked, trying to regenerate.
"To…" Zeverin kept his leg on No Kari's chest.
"...prevent the confusion of who the real Musō (Peerless) is," Zeverin said as No Kari could see the moon behind his back shining brighter with every word he spoke.
"If you can't win in a direct battle, win by dirty tricks," No Kari said as he grabbed Zeverin's foot and tried to throw him.
"I have no problem with that; after all, we have fought with no rules till now, and we will fight without rules," Zeverin said, taking his stance.
FWOOOOSH-!!
"In my terms, battle IQ is just evolving and adapting mid-fight," No Kari said, regenerating himself.
"Who asked? And who cares," Zeverin said coldly.
"Mubōho (Faceless Step)," No Kari said as he vanished right from in front of Zeverin's eyes.
"Just for your leverage, I will shout my next move, giving you time to dodge," No Kari whispered in Zeverin's ear, appearing from his blind spot.
"Right punch on head," No Kari said, lifting his arm so Zeverin could see everything properly.
THUDDD-!! SPAWT!!!
Zeverin couldn't dodge the attack even with the time and power to dodge it, and as the punch made contact, in his perception the world shook, and he also started bleeding from the nose.
"Left hand punch on solar plexus," No Kari warned again.
THUUUUUDDDDD!! SPIIIIIT-!!!
The punch, without a split second of hesitation, connected directly onto the solar plexus of Zeverin, resulting in him spitting blood from his mouth.
"My name, Musō no Kari, means Formless Hunter, but…
to defeat you,
I will take the ultimate form of death," Musō said as he extended his hands.
"Seidan (Silent Sever). Yeah, you know this one," Musō said, tearing open Zeverin's back.
[Zeverin's thoughts]
Damn it! I can't move my body.
I am losing control.
What's happening?! Oh!
I indeed have awakened the Aural Core, but I have no command over it, and that is his leverage. Snifff….
Tup!
"..." A drop of water fell to the ground.
No Kari stopped as he sensed the sudden change in the flow of air.
"That was just my sweat, motherf**ker," Zeverin said, lifting Raiko no Haha.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Zeverin shouted as he swung Raiko no Haha directly at Musō.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Musō fired both of his punches like missiles at Raiko no Haha.
KLANG- KTHANG-
KLANG- KTHANG-
KTHANG-
KTHANG- KLANG-
KTHANG-!!! KLANG-!!!
"RAAAAAAAUGH!" Zeverin's throat shook upon the violent impact of his shouting.
[Zeverin's thoughts]
Just this time, let me have total control:
Prana, Tejas, Sama output 100% just this once, just this time.
FRRRT-CRACK... pop-pop-pop... SPLRSSH... patter, drip...
Every single nerve in Zeverin's body burst at lightning speed, breaking from everywhere they passed just to do their last task, and escaping from Zeverin's body in the form of blood from every hole in his body, tearing his body and burying it under a pool of blood.
"GRAAAAAAARRHH!" Musō growled, thrice as loud as Zeverin's.
[Musō's thoughts]
Intent detected :::: KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL
Response: KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL
Ssshhk - RRIIIP... schloop.....
Musō's skin tore like paper under pressure as the purple blood inside his body surfaced on his skin.
BOOOOOOOM-!!
The place was destroyed, covered in flames and dust because of the fight they were fighting, dissolving his body like salt in water.
GANG-GANG-GANG-GANG-!!!
ANGG!!!
And then…
One person, one Tatari, one broken katana, two fists, two completely broken bodies, and lastly, multiple clashes with both standing on an equal level.
[Musō's thoughts]
Shigarō, you will surely die; you will die the death of an ant crushed beneath the feet of a person. You told me there will be multiple S-ranks for me to eat, but this arcanist dragged me to the verge of a meaningless death.
"Today," Zeverin said, constantly swinging Raiko no Haha.
"For the first time in my life, not for my mom." Zeverin's lips shook as he tasted his own blood.
"But for my sensei, for my Vance sensei, I will be the strongest present here," Zeverin said, his pupils adapting permanently to their sky-blue color.
"Not for my brother.
Not for that f*****r Shigarō.
Today I will be the strongest here, just to fight an even stronger opponent than him—that is USHIMOTO," Musō said, as he now had a face made from blood which was smiling.
"Today," both shouted.
"It's either progress to a new life or a worthless death."
Both shouted, preparing a final attack.
GTHOOOOM-!!
KJZZZZZZZZZRAAAAAAN!
KRAK-KRAK-KRAK-!
ZRRRAAAAAAAAASH-!!!!!!!!!
At the very end of their luck and the fight…
No Kari punched the lightning part of Raiko no Haha, but this time it didn't break like before; rather, the energy burst outwards like a nuclear weapon, destroying the arms of both Zeverin and No Kari, and eventually launching them both in opposite directions.
BOOOOOOM!!
No Kari crashed through three buildings before landing far away from the spot they had just clashed.
KLANG-!!
Raiko no Haha fell to the ground as Zeverin failed to maintain his grip.
Both had fought with each other, but with almost no strength left and counting their last breaths, they fought themselves the toughest they ever had.
THUP!
Zeverin fell to his knees on the ground, blood still flowing out of his eyes, with his bones completely purple and his leg bones completely broken.
"How far I have come, I didn't even see the point I started from," Zeverin said to himself.
"I have just one regret—" Before Zeverin could complete, he remembered something.
GREATNESS IS FOUND ONLY AT THE VERY EDGE OF DESPAIR.
— Vance Kaze
"But I can't die now, I have two more to kill." Zeverin stood up again.
"Moreover, both of the Ushimotos are still alive; I have to kill one today," Zeverin said, trying to distract his mind.
"I have to do it—" Zeverin stopped trying as he was hit by a shockwave that every arcanist in the world felt.
"Huh!" Zeverin became completely alert.
"What is this power? No, this is a technique!! But the presence of one Special Grade Tatari completely vanished like it never existed." Zeverin's voice shook as he talked to himself.
"Wait!" Zeverin became much more shocked.
"This flux, it's Ushimoto's! Even with more experience and achieving what the Ushimoto hasn't, I cannot—I still cannot cross the wall named Ushimoto," Zeverin stopped.
Click-!! TUCK!!
"Today is the happiest day for Ren, that's why he won't be coming to train today, so we are alone today," Zeverin heard Vance say, crossing him and walking to his younger self.
"Huh, why? What happened?" young Zeverin shouted.
"His brother defeated everyone in a sword competition," Vance said, sitting beside present Zeverin.
"WHHATTTTT!! But how? He is just 4! I am older, stronger, but I still can't—" Zeverin was interrupted.
THUD-!!
Vance hit Zeverin on his head with a fist.
"Comparison is the worst enemy of oneself. Never ever compare yourself to someone, and moreover, he isn't just a prodigy; people call Arashi of the Ushimoto the King of Prodigies," Vance said plainly.
"..." Zeverin became sad; he didn't say anything.
"But as far as you are concerned, he isn't a man who can even be called the main character of his own life," Vance said, smiling.
"But remember, Zeverin,
You definitely are a protagonist."
KRRRNNN-THRAAAAAAM-!!
The memory shattered; what remained was just an endless black surrounding with a metal cage in front of him, locked.
"…" Someone moved behind the bars.
"If you open the cage, you will change; you will lose what makes you bad, you will become like your mother," a voice came from behind the bars.
"And moreover, you will never become what Ushimoto Arashi has become," the voice continued.
"Comparison kills you in yourself," Zeverin said, pulling a key out of nowhere.
"Whoever you are, whatever you are, if you have the power to turn me into the best version of myself, do it, just do it," Zeverin said, opening the cage door while closing his eyes.
"But remember, this gate just opened because you said I will be like my mother; don't disappoint me," Zeverin said, pushing the door in.
"Open your eyes, you are already present in front of your best version," the voice said, tapping on his shoulder.
[THE STARLESS EXPANSE]
"Damn, no desires, you earned my respect, Zeverin," Shinkaku said in excitement.
"Just what are you?" Zeverin said, looking at his Shinkaku.
"Huh! I am the Shinkaku, a part of your soul—to be precise, the best part of your soul," Shinkaku replied immediately.
"So, are you the same for all people? Like if my time ends, then will you go to someone else?" Zeverin asked curiously.
"You are uniquely a dumba**," Shinkaku said, hitting Zeverin.
"I am a part of your soul—it means only you have me; others will have other Shinkaku as a part of their soul, not me," Shinkaku shouted.
"So what if two met?" Zeverin asked curiously.
"They can't. There can exist only one Shinkaku at a place at a given time, and if two Shinkaku are released at the same time in the outside world, the stronger one marks the territory and the weak retracts," Shinkaku said everything without a break.
"So if I were to manifest you, would you ever retract?" Zeverin asked a question with random words in his mouth.
"Straight answer: No. 'Cause I am the strongest," Shinkaku said with a smirk.
"Delusional dumba**. You can't be the strongest if the strongest is in front of you," Zeverin said with a wider smirk.
[TO BE CONTINUED]