"I'll show you what a real battle looks like." Shuku declares, standing firm with the Blood Blade in his right hand, ready to face all seven knights alone.
"Bring it on, you devil!" Gallahan shouts, his voice full of defiance. "Come on, knights! Let's slay this monster!"
"YES, SIR!"
"YES, SIR!!"
The knights respond to their leader's call with unwavering trust and enthusiasm.
"MOVE!"
At Gallahan's command, the attack begins. He and his four knights spur their horses forward, swords raised, ready to cut Shuku to pieces.
"Surround him and don't let him escape!"
Obeying Gallahan, the four knights split into two groups and encircle Shuku in a tight circle.
"Why would I?" Shuku stands calmly, watching the knights circle him with unshakable confidence.
As they close in, the knights believe they've distracted him enough. One knight makes the first move, approaching Shuku swiftly from behind.
"Same old trick."
SLASH!
Shuku spins as soon as he hears the gallop of the horse. He leaps up, swings his sword to avoid the horse, and cleaves through the knight's chest. The metal armor clangs before the blade slices through, cutting the knight in two with a shriek before he has a chance to react.
The horse bolts past Shuku, unaware that its rider is in two pieces. The knight's lower half stays on the horse's back, while the top half collapses to the ground, spilling guts, heart, organs, and blood in a gruesome mess.
"One down." Shuku murmurs, returning to his previous stance as if nothing has happened.
"Oh my God..." An onlooker exclaims, witnessing a royal knight being brutally murdered for the first time.
"Who's next?!" Shuku taunts, daring the remaining knights.
After what they've just seen, the knights' earlier confidence vanishes. This man has just killed and sliced a knight in heavy metal armor clean in half, now standing there as if it were nothing.
If he can keep regenerating or reviving like he did before, what chance do they have? Realizing this with the horrifying scene unfolding before them, the knights begin to falter—
"Keep attacking! Don't be afraid! We're stronger, and we outnumber him! He was just lucky!"
But then, Gallahan, their leader, quickly shouts at them, urging them to stop being cowards.
"You two! Attack together!"
He commands the two knights on his left and right to continue their assault on Shuku.
"... YES, SIR!"
Though initially hesitant, the two knights charge forward, putting their lives and faith in their great leader. They dash toward Shuku, swords raised, ready to slice him into three.
Instead of approaching from behind like the unfortunate knight before, they decide to face Shuku head-on, attacking from opposite directions to strike him down simultaneously.
"Oh, new tactics." Shuku observes as the knights advance from both the front and behind.
As they close the distance, Shuku quickly reads their movements.
"Too slow."
SLASH!!
Shuku lunges at the knight in front as he finally arrives, thrusting the Blood Blade straight into the knight's chest. Extending the blade with more of his blood, he drives it through the knight's heart, knocking him off his horse. Then, he slices across the knight's chest and shoulder.
"DAMN IT!"
The remaining knight, stunned by the sudden death of his partner, curses his fate as he realizes he is now alone. Just as Shuku turns his attention to him, the knight seizes the moment. Swiftly approaching on his horse, he swings his sword the instant Shuku is within range.
SWOOSH!
But Shuku, as quick as the wind, turns and clashes the Blood Blade against the knight's sword, deflecting it upward and away from his head. As the blade glides along the knight's arm to his shoulder, Shuku seizes the opportunity and slices off the knight's right arm.
"ARRGHH!!!!!"
The knight tumbles off his horse from the sudden retaliation, the agony of losing his arm overwhelming him. As he writhes on the ground, consumed by unbearable pain, Shuku slowly walks toward him, unhurried and deliberate.
The last thing the knight sees is Shuku's disdainful gaze before Shuku smirks scornfully and drives the Blood Blade into his neck, ending his suffering as quickly as it began.
"..."
Silence once again falls over the arena. Any hope of victory over this evil vanishes as quickly as it had appeared. Yet one man, amidst the despairing onlookers, still clings to the idea of killing this devil.
"Keep attacking!" He shouts, rallying his remaining three knights, who are now paralyzed with fear, to confront Shuku.
The knights, hearing the command, stare at Gallahan in confusion and terror. It's understandable; they've never been trained for real combat, nor do they know anything about battle strategies or tactics.
All they've ever learned is how to stand still, look impressive in their armor, and march in perfect synchronization before the kings and nobles, shouting their country's name like robots. They've never been taught how to fight real threats or handle situations like this.
So it's no surprise they're paralyzed with fear when faced with true danger—a man with combat experience who can slice through metal armor and seems practically immortal.
"I SAID, KEEP ATTACKING!" Gallahan yells again. This time, despite their overwhelming fear, the knights shout at each other, trying to muster the courage to act.
"YES, SIR!" They shout, rushing at Shuku all at once.
SLASH!
As soon as they arrive, Shuku brutally butchers them one by one with his Blood Blade.
"ARGH!"
A knight screams as Shuku slashes his neck from behind. Another doesn't even have time to scream before Shuku swiftly slices through his stomach as he passes by.
"My God..."
The audience, seated high above the arena, watches in bewilderment, shock, disbelief, and terror as their once-mighty knights are slaughtered like animals.
Despite all three knights charging at Shuku simultaneously, he handles them with the same ease as the previous victims. Though it might have taken longer if they had kept running around, Shuku dispatches them effortlessly.
As he enjoys his "fun" with the three hopeless knights, who can't even manage to scratch him, a voice echoes from behind.
"You're not killing any more of my men!"
Gallahan, having finally decided to stop watching and issue orders, charges directly at Shuku on his horse. His declaration rings out loudly, heard by both the audience and the knight-slayer.
But Shuku ignores him, continuing to slice the throat of a knight whose head he holds. The final scream of the last knight fuels Gallahan's rage. His anger peaks as he kicks his horse, urging it to run faster. In his mind, he vows to slay Shuku no matter what.
"I'm going to slay you, you devil! And you will rot in hell after I send you to meet your friends!"
By the time Gallahan finishes his sentence, Shuku has already taken down all three knights. He stands tall and unshakable, facing Gallahan with absolute fearlessness.
"Gallahan, we believe in you!!"
Opposite him, the lone mass killer stands firm on the ground, while Gallahan, on his horse, is surrounded by fans and supporters, all shouting his name, cheering him on, and hoping he will win at any cost.
Hearing the crowd's cheers, Gallahan feels a surge of confidence and urges his horse to go faster and faster.
"GRRRR!!!!!"
Gallahan raises his sword and screams as he charges at Shuku with all his might, determined to end this once and for all. As Shuku comes within range of his sword, he—
SLASH!!!
...
...
...
The entire arena falls into stunned silence, unable to comprehend what just happened. The movements were too fast, everything unfolding too quickly for anyone to fully grasp.
As Gallahan prepares to swing his sword, Shuku uses an ancient technique to leap forward, aiming to cut him down just as he did with the other knights.
But Gallahan's quick reflexes kick in, and he raises his sword, positioning it in front of the Blood Blade to block Shuku's strike.
What he anticipates as a successful defense turns into a catastrophe. Despite its hardness, sharpness, and fine craftsmanship, the metal sword is no match for the Legendary Blood Blade, whose sharpness rivals that of a single red blood cell.
The Blood Blade slices effortlessly through the metal sword and then cuts horizontally across Gallahan's chest. Mere milliseconds later, it cleaves him in half.
The tremendous force of the Blade propels Gallahan's upper body into the air. Blood and organs spill out, raining down to the ground, creating a horrific mess on the arena floor.
The horse continues to gallop forward, oblivious to the change in weight.
"What just happened?"
"Did they all just get killed?"
Everything happens so quickly that their eyes can't keep up with the fight. As soon as it ends, the audience is left stunned and speechless for a full minute.
Shuku, having cleared the final obstacle, calmly holds the Blood Blade and returns to the ground. He then turns his head to gaze up at the blinding sunlight.
"This can't be real! There's no way this is happening!"
"Maybe they're just acting."
As the shock fades, fear begins to creep into the minds of the observers. They start to realize the terrifying reality, every knight who was supposed to protect them lies dead, killed in the most brutal ways imaginable.
"Let's get out of here!"
"Yeah, let's go! This is a disaster."
Everyone begins to move, thousands of people now rushing to escape the arena through the gates surrounding the seating area. In the chaos, they start pushing and shouting at each other, desperate to evacuate as quickly as possible.
"EVERYONE, PLEASE DON'T PANIC!"
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the Announcer grabs the mic, trying to restore order, knowing it's the only thing he can do.
"THIS IS JUST A MINOR ISSUE! WE HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND EXIT THE ARENA SLOWLY THROUGH THE GATES FOR YOUR SAFETY!"
"Who said you could leave?"
Suddenly, Shuku's voice cut through the chaos, drawing the arena's gaze to him. As he advanced, his steps echoed over the pools of blood and lifeless bodies he had left in his wake.
"Why leave? You were having so much fun earlier. This isn't even the main show yet."
Fear rippled through the crowd. Shuku's menacing presence and deadly power left them paralyzed, unsure of what horrors might come next. The crowd near the evacuation line, driven by panic, began to echo his words, spreading the terror. Chaos erupted as people shoved and clawed their way toward the dwindling exits.
"DON'T WORRY, EVERYONE! OUR REMAINING KNIGHTS ARE COMING TO DEAL WITH THE THREAT. HE CAN'T ESCAPE WITH ALL THE GATES CLOSED!"
"Oh, now you're scared." Shuku sneered in response to the announcer's words.
"PLEASE STAY CALM AND EXIT SLOWLY THROUGH THE DOORS—"
"I SAID, WHO ALLOWED YOU TO LEAVE?!"
Shuku roars, his fury erupting as he manipulates the blood of the fallen knights. With a violent thrust of his will, he launches the blood as deadly spikes, aiming at every gate where the terrified masses scramble to escape.
"What the—?!"
The spikes shoot through the air at sonic speed, reaching the gates over 100 meters away in an instant. As each blood spike pierces its target, it liquefies, transforming into locks that seal the gates shut.
"AAAHHHH!"
Panic grips the crowd as the tension reaches its peak. They realize the man standing below, glaring up at them with a horrifying red upside-down star and pure hatred in his eyes, has no intention of letting them leave peacefully.
"Hurry! Help me open this door!"
The men snap out of their panic and refocus on forcing the gates open, abandoning the futile screams and chaos that consume the women.
"Come on! Open it!"
Despite their combined strength, pushing, kicking, hitting the wooden gates, even trying to break them upon repair—the gates remain unmoved.
As the gates start to show signs of breaking, the blood spikes suddenly react, extending their branches and stabbing through the stomachs of those trying to breach the gates.
"Oh my GOD!!!"
A man, impaled by the blood spikes, collapses as his wife and child rush to him, crying. The blood spikes, sensing no further attempts to break the gates, retract their branches, and tighten their grip on the gates.
"This is insane!"
"It's blood! Real blood!"
Others examine the blood spikes closely, horrified to realize that they are real blood controlled by a man with the magical power to manipulate it.
Knowing they can't force the gate open, everyone turns to face the man blocking their escape.
"The fun has just begun." Shuku murmurs, sending the crowd's terror to new heights with his next move.
"Oh my God!"
"What is he doing?!"
Shuku manipulates the remaining blood on the ground, transforming it into floating liquids. The blood splits and forms a Giant Blood Circular Saw, a Blood Katana, a Blood Mace, and a Blood Axe, each with two more copies.
As the dozen blood weapons float menacingly in the air, the people in the arena instantly understand what's coming next.
"Shit! RUN!"
"Everyone, run!"
And each of them tells everyone else to start running for their lives as the Blood Weapons begin flying toward them.
With subsonic speed, each Blood weapon spins and hurls itself at the fleeing crowd. As they reach their targets, the real bloodbath begins.
"ARGH!"
One by one, and flesh by flesh, the Blood weapons whirl and slash at every human in sight without mercy. They spread out in 360 degrees, targeting the masses and cutting down those closest to them.
As each weapon slices through a victim, it immediately targets the next person nearby. They continue this relentless cycle, moving from one prey to the next, spinning and slicing until no one is left alive.
Quickly, the arena that was once alive with laughter and celebration is now consumed by terror, screams, and the hopeless cries of a thousand people trapped in the scythes of death.
"NO! NO! GET AWAY!"
"IT'S COMING!"
A group of people tries to escape the chaos, desperately distancing themselves from the Blood Circular Saw. Their hopes shatter instantly as the saw, moving nearly at the speed of sound, rips through dozens of bodies behind it and slices through each person with the ruthless precision of a storm.
"HELP! HELP!"
Another group, including men, women, and children, cries out as they try to flee along the rows of seats. They are brutally cut down by the spinning Blood Axe and Blood Katana closing in from both sides, trapping them.
In just five seconds, with a flurry of slashing sounds, the axe and katana duo decapitates all 15 people, leaving behind only scattered organs and headless bodies.
Within 40 seconds of the massacre beginning, the arena is drenched in blood cascading down the stairs, piled with dead bodies and severed limbs rolling down. The air is thick with the terrified screams of those still waiting their turn to be slaughtered.
"Heh... Ha ha ha! Laugh! Why aren't you laughing? You were laughing before—what changed? Come on, laugh! Keep laughing!"
Despite the carnage and bloodshed he orchestrates, Shuku feels no guilt or remorse. Instead, he revels in the horrific scene, his face twisted with satisfaction and a dangerous sense of power.
"I said, KEEP LAUGHING!"
Infuriated by the "audience's" hypocrisy, Shuku seizes control of the blood weapons himself, accelerating the massacre and slaughtering the last 200 people.
As the brutality intensifies and the arena fills with the screams of women and the pleas for help from men, Shuku ignores them, shouting and berating them instead.
"You can't laugh now, can you? It's easy to laugh when someone else is dying. But now it's your turn, and all you can do is run and cower in fear."
His voice echoes through the arena, but no one hears him. They are either being ground alive, sawed alive, sliced alive, or fleeing in terror.
As the screams and slashing sounds of the "purge" reach a crescendo, Shuku looks up at the sky, overwhelmed by a profound sense of satisfaction.
"Hek... ha ha ha! Ha Ha Ha! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!"