While Nero was busy fighting the Tank, Akane was struggling to take down the enemy standing in front of her.
"Hya!"
The man who was a Berserker class swung his giant sword, but Akane easily evaded his attack. Akane drew her blade and clashed with the Berserker.
Clang!
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, but the Berserker seemed to have the upper hand in strength. Akane struggled to fight back as his strength was slowly towering over her.
"Hehehe, can't wait to decimate you!"
The Berserker arrogantly stated. Akane quickly Flash Stepped back and began breathing. She continued to breathe in and out before activating her skill, Deep Concentration.
Her eyes dimmed and she was completely focused on the Berserker. Her skill Deep Concentration allows her to focus on an enemy and the more she focuses on that enemy, the more her strength and her speed grow. This also goes for perception as well.
The Berserker dashed at her as she got into a stance. When the Berserker brought his sword down on her, she used her skill, Dragon Claw Slash, knocking the sword out of the Berserker's hand.
"Tch!"
The Berserker lost his weapon but not his will to fight. He tackled Akane, but she evaded. She sheathed her blade and clutched her hands before charging towards the Berserker.
The Berserker threw an overhand which she easily dodged. She appeared below the Berserker and prepared to perform an uppercut. However, he noticed and went for a hammering move. Akane Flash Stepped away, appearing above the Berserker.
She had the upper hand, but then the Berserker got ahold of her leg.
Her concentration was interrupted and she was slammed repeatedly into the ground.
"..." Akane could only keep up her stoic expression.
Akane didn't let out a cry of pain due to her passive Dragon Skin. Her defense was equal to that of a Tank or Berserkers, but since she was an Oni, it gave her even more durability than them. This was due to her Oni physiology, as they are known for their strength.
The Berserker mindlessly continued to thrash Akane around, but she wouldn't feel the pain. Something she's never experienced. As she allowed him to do that, she turned her attention to Nero.
Nero with his doppelganger was dominating the Tank as he struggled to hit Nero. He was hit in the face, the chest, the legs, any other body part that could be named.
Akane assumed that Nero had everything under control over there. She was checking if her master was safe or not due to her nature as a servant.
Unlikes most Oni's, Dragon Oni's have two purposes. They are either given freedom like most are given or they are cursed to serve others.
It is unknown why some are cursed to serve as Oni's are known to be a proud species who serve no one but it could be about something between the ancient war between Dragons and Onis.
Not much was recorded about this incident but it started because of an affair between the Oni prince and the Dragon princess. At the time, Oni's were ruled under a king and they still are, except that the current king is of a different bloodline.
The war was murderous and it lasted for several decades before agreement was formed. However, changes were made to the royal family of the Onis, and a new king was established. The results from this war created the Dragon Onis. Hybrids between Dragons and Onis. They were also cursed as half could attain freedom as the other must serve, stripping them of their freedom.
It wasn't just the prince and the princess that created this result as many others did as well. It is unknown as to who is the descendant of the prince and the princess is but they are alive, or they could've already been wiped out.
Akane was one of them, one stripped of their freedom. The only thing she could do was to serve. She doesn't have much of a purpose in this life but to serve.
But she couldn't do that if she was being thrashed around.
Akane struggled to escape from the Berserker's clutch as he had both of her legs. Akane couldn't escape with Flash Step as she was pinned. The only choice she had was to wait it out.
But luckily Nero managed to notice. He left his doppelganger to deal with the Tank and dashed towards the Berserker, delivering a sharp punch across his face.
The Berserker let go and Akane was free. She got up and watched as Nero pummeled the Berserker.
She watched as a grin slowly appeared across Nero's face. Just the sight managed to give her chills.
As an Oni, she should not be able to feel fear just by watching someone grin, even if it's her master. It would make sense if he displayed an abnormal amount of power that she has never witnessed before but she's seen this kind of stuff.
When she was a child, she trained under the tutelage of a Blood Oni, giving her the power to manipulate blood, and a Dragon Oni. She was blessed at a young age to be the guardian of a young Bloodmoon Dragon, a dragon only seen when a Bloodmoon appears or when she calls for it under a Deep Crimson Moon.
She's witnessed brutal events that have never phased her. She's held her ground against any sort of danger and not once has she felt the need to fear. In other words, she had abandoned her emotions.
However, they've slowly begun to awake. And it was all because of him. The man in front of her.
Nero continued to bash the Berserker into bloody bits and Akane continued to watch. However, they hadn't paid attention to another.
"Got you now!"
Akane's focus snapped back and when she turned around, a sudden force slammed against her horns, shattering one of them to pieces.
She flew to the wall and a painful sensation erupted where she was hit.
She tried her best to hold back a cry of pain and successfully managed to, but she couldn't stop the tears from overflowing.
She held on to her broken horn as the feeling of pain filled her entire body.
An Oni's horn is considered a part of their life-force. If that part of the Oni is broken, they will feel as if half of their life-force had just been robbed from them. That's the feeling she was feeling right now.
The Tank approached her as he lifted his hammer. He managed to take out Nero's doppelganger as Nero hadn't given it mana.
Meanwhile, Nero was still busy pounding the Berserker to even notice what was happening around him. He was intoxicated by his bloodlust once again, which hindered his senses.
"You should've never messed with me, you bitch!" The Tank said as he brought down his hammer upon Akane.
Akane has been called many things in her time of servitude. Slave, servant, monster, bitch, etc. This never phased her because she never really cared. It was just normal for her. She thought that this would be the end of her and she was going to accept it. She closed her eyes, ready to embrace the attack.
But right when the hammer was about to collide with Akane, something else had gotten in the way and it collided with that instead.
"Huh?" The Tank gasped as a sharp blow was delivered to his stomach.
Akane opened her eyes and glanced at the hammer stuck in the floor. Not only that, but there was an arm holding onto the hammer's handle. However, it was disconnected.
She shifted her attention to Nero who had his fist up the Tank's stomach. She then noticed that he was missing his left arm.
Despite missing an arm, Nero started his assault on the Tank and pinned him down. He had his grip on the Tank's face and slowly began to tighten his grip.
"Y-you... you're a monster!" The Tank said.
"A monster?" Nero tilted his head with a puzzled expression until a grim smile appeared on his face.
"No no no no," He shook his head before giving out a terrifying grin.
"I'm nightmare incarnate."
He then unleashed his bloodlust and used Necrosis, the Tank's body eventually beginning to rot. The Tank didn't even cry because he was already dead before he knew it.
The Tank and the Berserkers were dead.
Nero stood up and took a deep breath. Then he sighed as he turned around.
Akane had gone unconscious due to the loss of stamina. Nero walked over to the hammer and picked his arm off, eventually mending it back into place with Instant Heal.
He managed to snap out of his rampage and noticed what was going on. He had used Flash Step and caught the Hammer by the handle and push it to the side to avoid hitting Akane. Since it was in motion, it had managed to rip his arm off.
If it had been smashed to pieces, he would've lost his arm. Small cuts and gashes were easy, but regenerating body parts was something else.
Nero eventually realizing that everything was done. It was time to head back. He picked Akane up and exited the casino.
Along the way back to the inn, Akane's eyes fluttered open, and she saw Nero who was carrying her.
"Don't worry Akane, you'll be fine."
Akane felt a certain warmth inside her when her name was mentioned. It was because that was the first time that someone has ever called her by her name.
.
.
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