Shuku and Kubo are locked in a fierce battle, each determined to kill the other, even at the cost of their own life, especially for what Shuku wants.
"GRRAHHHH!!!"
Kubo roars as he charges at Shuku, wielding his massive golden axe. He pulls it back, using its weight to pick up speed, then swings it down with all his might as he closes in.
SWOOSH!
Shuku, moving like the wind, easily dodges the slash Kubo expects to land. He narrowly avoids the axe just before it strikes, successfully evading Kubo's deadly blow for the first time.
"HURKK!!"
Kubo refuses to relent. He won't let Shuku escape, or survive, not after everything that's happened today. Silently, he vows to end this nuisance's life once and for all.
SWOOSH!!
Kubo swings his axe with all his speed, but Shuku dodges again, ducking low at the last second.
"HAWKK!!!"
Determined not to give Shuku a chance to counterattack, Kubo pulls his golden axe back as quickly as he can. Though Kubo's movements are slower, Shuku hesitates, choosing not to strike, at least, not yet.
SWOOSH!!
SWOOSH!!
Instead, Kubo and Shuku are locked in an almost endless cycle of swinging and dodging.
Shuku's skill is the main reason he's been able to dodge every attack so far, but the terrain and the slippery sands also play a role. Kubo's precision suffers because of it. Shuku, having studied the environment before the fight, uses it to his advantage, moving effortlessly to avoid Kubo's strikes.
While Kubo struggles to keep his axe steady, desperately trying to land even a single hit, Shuku continues to evade each attempt with ease, staying out of danger.
During their exchange, Shuku begins tapping different parts of Kubo's armor, the back, the legs, the arms, using the tip and edge of his Blood Blade, all without Kubo noticing. It seems like Shuku is testing something, studying how the armor reacts.
Each time Kubo swings at him, Shuku dodges and taps the armor again, repeating the motion so often that Kubo starts to feel more irritated and angry than fearful.
"Stop fucking moving!" Kubo yells. Though it's unreasonable to ask someone you're trying to kill to stop dodging, Shuku surprisingly listens. He halts, standing still at a safe distance from Kubo.
"Hah... hah... hah..." Kubo pants, his breath ragged as he pauses, the weight of his axe heavy in his hands after countless failed strikes.
He drops his gaze to the ground for a brief moment, desperate to steady himself. But in doing so, he forgets to keep his eyes on Shuku. When his head snaps back up-
"?!?!"
Shuku is gone. The spot where he stood just seconds ago is now empty. A chill runs down Kubo's spine as unease grips him. Instinctively, he whirls to guard his exposed flank-
And there Shuku is.
SWOOSH!!
The moment Kubo spins around, his eyes widen at the sight of Shuku's crimson Blood Blade slicing through the air toward him. In a blur, Shuku has closed the gap, launching his first counterattack with deadly precision.
Kubo's mind races. He knows he won't have time to lift his axe or dodge with his heavy frame. Desperation forces his hand, literally.
GLING!!
He catches the Blood Blade with his bare left hand. The instant his palm meets the blade, a golden sheen begins spreading from the point of contact, overtaking the crimson metal.
Both of them freeze, stunned by the unexpected transformation.
The goldenization spreads with alarming speed, consuming the blade in moments. To Kubo's astonishment, he discovers he can manipulate the gold itself, reshaping and dulling its edges so it no longer poses a threat.
Shuku, sensing the danger, acts swiftly. Before the transformation can fully take hold, he unleashes a sudden burst of force, shattering the Blood Blade into fragments. The crimson shards scatter as Shuku leaps backward, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Kubo.
As the broken pieces clatter to the ground, Shuku steadies himself, regaining his stance at a safe range. But Kubo, now gripping the largest golden fragment, casually slams it into the ground with a resounding clang. He looks up, meeting Shuku's wary gaze, and smirks.
"I told you, didn't I? You can't beat me, no matter how many magic tricks you pull."
Kubo's voice carries a mix of triumph and mockery, but Shuku remains silent, his expression unreadable. He stands upright now, his grip on the shattered remains of the Blood Blade loose, almost casual. His eyes stay fixed on Kubo, and slowly, a faint, knowing smile creeps across his face.
'So, that's how it works,' He thinks to himself.
Kubo scowls, his irritation growing. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." Shuku says, his smile widening into something sharper, almost taunting. "I just find it amusing."
"What?" Kubo snaps, his frown deepening.
Shuku replies smoothly. "You're so confident... even though you're a hundred times slower and weaker than every monster in that dungeon you threw me into. Not just weaker, pathetic." He pauses, his grin turning sly. "And kind of cute."
"What the hell did you just say?" Kubo growls, his anger flaring.
Shuku's voice drops to a chilling cold. "You know what?" He begins. "The moment you and the king enslaved me that night, I made you my greatest enemy. My only goal became to defeat and kill you, slowly, painfully, even if it meant my life was the price. But now..." He grimaces, as though the weight of his words has suddenly caught up to him.
"But I don't feel that anger anymore. After everything I've been through, all the monsters I've fought, and the hell I've endured, you're nothing. You don't even come close to being a threat. Honestly, I just think you're pathetic. A funny, weak, wimpy little kid. All you have to show is your strength, bullying others to make yourself look tough in front of girls. I actually feel sorry for you, Kubo."
"What the fuck did you just say?" Kubo growls, his fists tightening as his fury boils over.
Shuku's voice remains calm, but it cuts through the air with a sharp edge. "... Just give up, Kubo. You're not even worth killing." He shrugs slightly, resting the shattered blade on his shoulder in a relaxed stance. "If you surrender now, I'll give you a chance to live. Go back to your pathetic life, pretending to be tough when you've got nothing to prove. I don't care. I've lost interest in avenging myself on you, for now."
"Do you seriously think you can fucking kill me?" Kubo spits, his anger flaring once again.
Shuku's gaze doesn't waver. "You have two choices," he says coolly. "Drop all your weapons and money and leave. I'll spare you. Or, I'll do what I promised. You'll get a death worse than anything you can imagine. The choice is yours."
"STOP FUCKING MESSING AROUND WITH ME!! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SHOWS OFF WHEN YOU HAVE NO POWER!!! I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!!" Kubo yells, his rage spilling over as he charges forward.
He tightens his grip on his golden axe and lunges at Shuku, faster and more determined this time after catching his breath. His plan is simple: strike before Shuku has a chance to react.
"Well, if that's your choice." Shuku mutters.
SWOOSH!
Like the wind, Shuku sidesteps to the left, narrowly avoiding Kubo's swing. He moves with the same effortless grace as before, still clutching his broken sword.
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH!
Each of Kubo's strikes cuts through empty air as Shuku continues to evade him with ease.
As Kubo presses forward, relentlessly swinging his golden axe, Shuku's smirk deepens, laced with disdain. The gap between them shrinks to the point where a fistfight seems plausible, yet Kubo's strikes continue to miss their mark.
"..."
After effortlessly dodging for a while, Shuku decides it's time to end this. He senses Kubo's growing fatigue, his movements slowing ever so slightly. Patiently waiting for the perfect opening, Shuku spots his chance as Kubo raises the axe high for a powerful overhead strike.
"HYAK!"
In a blink, Shuku sidesteps the descending axe, effortlessly positioning himself beside Kubo. His blood blade ripples as he channels more of his life force into it, extending its length and sharpening its edge to a deadly precision.
SLASH!!
With a swift and devastating upward swing, Shuku severs Kubo's right arm in a single motion. The blade, impossibly sharp after its transformation, slices effortlessly through Kubo's armor and thick flesh as if it were nothing more than paper. The dismembered arm spins through the air before hitting the ground, while blood gushes from the wound in a torrential spray.
"HUAK!! GAAHHH!!!"
Kubo's scream tears through the battlefield as the reality of his loss crashes down on him. Just moments ago, his arm had been whole and functional. Now, the searing pain floods his senses, overwhelming him with unbearable agony.
"Aaaaaaaargh! Ahh! Aaaaaugh!"
Kubo collapses to the ground, writhing in sheer agony as tears stream down his face. The pain is beyond anything he's ever endured, an unbearable torment that feels etched into his very soul. The sickly, metallic stench of his blood fills his nostrils, and the nauseating sound of it pooling on the ground echoes in his ears—a horror he knows will haunt his nightmares forever, if he ever manages to survive.
Shuku looms over him, towering like a shadow of despair, his expression void of pity or remorse. His cold, disdainful eyes bore into Kubo, and a twisted smile of satisfaction spreads across his face.
"That's all it takes? Just one little injury, and you're screaming like a little girl? How cute." Shuku sneers. "This is nothing—a mere fraction of what I endured. My arms, legs, and everything else have been torn off so many times I've lost count. Actually, I'd laugh if someone could manage to make me feel that again."
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! ARRGHH!! YOU WON'T ESCAPE THIS!! MY MEN AND OTHERS WILL COME FOR YOU AND KILL YOU!!! ARRGGHH!!"
Shuku chuckles, his voice cold and unconcerned. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. But just so you know, we're in a desert… somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Even if you tried to run, your big body would only slow you down. So let me ask you again—what makes you think you can make it back?" He leans in closer, his gaze sharp and menacing, as he reminds Kubo of the question he had left unanswered earlier.
"..." Kubo is silent, his breath ragged with pain, unable to respond. Shuku's grin widens as he continues, his voice dripping with cruel satisfaction.
"You can't answer, can you? How does it feel, huh? The kid you used to beat up after school, the one you stole money from for snacks, the one you ordered around every single day, whose life you ruined, and who you dismissed as a scaredy-cat—now comes back to bite you, and it's going to hurt. How does it feel?!"
Shuku now holds the upper hand. He knows that no matter what Kubo does, death will come at his hands. But before that, Shuku plans to make Kubo suffer a thousand times more. He starts by reminding Kubo of the actions that led him here.
"Huh, how does it feel? Did you ever think this day would come when you were beating and tormenting others? Huh? Answer me." Shuku says, tilting his head and locking eyes with Kubo. Kubo trembles, sweat dripping down his face, as the Blood Blade rests at his neck, ready to strike at any moment.
"I... I..." Kubo stammers.
"Huh?!" Shuku leans in closer.
"I... arrghh... will come back... after I take your head."
"??!"
Shuku's instincts flare, sensing danger. Just as he is caught off guard, Kubo, with his remaining arm, scoops up sand from the ground and hurls it into Shuku's eyes in a sudden counterattack.
"Argkk!!"
Blinded and extremely irritated by the sudden, dirty attack, Shuku leaps back, trying to escape the sand assault. He rubs his eyes desperately, hoping to clear the sand and ease the irritation, but tears spill from his eyes in response to the pain.
Despite his speed, it takes Shuku at least a minute to regain clear vision after the surprise attack. That brief moment is enough for Kubo to recover, quickly getting to his feet and rushing toward his golden axe.
By the time Shuku's vision clears slightly, Kubo has already seized his axe and is charging toward him, preparing a deadly swing.
SWOOSH!
The axe swings dangerously close, but Shuku manages to dodge it, as he always does. Even though the length of Kubo's axe, combined with his strong arms, is enough to reach him before he can escape to a safe distance, Shuku's reflexes remain sharp.
CLANG!
In an instant, Shuku raises the Blood Blade to block the incoming axe with a loud clash, stopping the massive golden weapon just before it can slice him in half. His eyes, still red and irritated from the sand, remain wide open as he parries the blow.
What Shuku thought would be an easy move and a simple victory, however, turns out to be a fatal mistake as he underestimated the sneakiness of Kubo.
"HUK!!"
As the Blood Blade and the golden axe lock in a struggle of strength, Kubo makes a surprising move. He shifts toward Shuku and grabs the Blood Blade, having never aimed to strike with the axe in the first place. His true goal was always the Blood Blade. Once Shuku loses his main weapon, Kubo believes the battle will tip in his favor.
As soon as Kubo's hand touches the Blood Blade, it begins transforming into gold at an incredible speed. Within seconds, almost half of the blade turns golden.
Having trained his reflexes through countless life-and-death situations, Shuku reacts instantly. He clicks his tongue and breaks the sword into a smaller piece, as half of it has already turned into unusable gold. With swift precision, he pulls the blade out of Kubo's grip.
The once long, sharp, and formidable Blood Blade is now reduced to a small knife, its blood content barely enough to make it effective. But that's exactly what comes to Shuku's mind.
If Kubo refuses to surrender and beg for his life, then Shuku won't back down or hesitate. As soon as he commands the broken Blood Blade to transform into a blood knife, he springs into action.
SHEEK!
And drives the Blood Knife deep into Kubo's forearm with merciless force, shocking Kubo to his core.
Kubo screams in pain, fear, and terror, helpless against the attack. Without hesitation, Shuku drops down, grabbing Kubo's wrist to prevent him from using his ability. With his other hand, he pulls and slices through the remaining arm, using pure physical strength to rip it off, his bloodshot eyes burning with rage and determination.
"STOP!! STOP!! PLEASE, STOP!!!"
Kubo begs, his eyes wide with fear as he looks up at Shuku. But Shuku's cold, blood-red eyes, marked with star symbols, show no sign of slowing down. There is no mercy in his gaze—only the intent to drag Kubo through the depths of hell, to show him the heartless eye of the devil that he himself has helped create.
"HUAAAHHHH!!!"
SHREEK!!!
With a final, decisive strike, Shuku cuts off Kubo's remaining arm, leaving him completely armless and unable to fight back.