Fritz opened his eyes. In his hand was a blade known by many of the Lazrik Clan… a 'Talwar'.
Though the name meant 'sword', it was more a slightly curved blade that had a really sharp edge.
He could feel the dark power flowing through him from the black blade. It was talking to him…
Becoming one with him…
"Ummm…" Suddenly, his eyes looked up to see the worried expression of an unfamiliar individual.
He was sure they hadn't met before…
"Hey, is that still you?" She asked while taking a look at his eyes. To her, he still seemed 'sane'.
This was different from the cases she knew of.
Old Faustus had some cases of citizens being possessed by demons too. Whether it was by Anima, Earthbound Spirits, Lesser Demons, Mo, Tengu, and the like. 'Possessions' were common.
However, this seemed different from the usual…
Fritz didn't seem to want to unlock his grip from the talwar's handle. It felt like a part of his body.
Almost like the blade WAS him…
Regardless, he was focused on the newcomer that was definitely not supposed to be in his room.
"And who are you?"
"You should've heard earlier. I'm your tutor and guardian. I'm here to guide you, so… about that…"
"I'm not throwing this away."
"Why not?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. What was with this intimacy they shared?
"It's mine, Miss…"
"Anya." She went with the flow and corrected.
"Right. Miss Anya… Let's forget this happened."
"Huh?" Forget that he was possessed? Was Fritz seriously asking her to turn a blind eye to this?
She may not have known much about the species possessing him, but that was definitely a 'Demon'.
As such, it would certainty guide him wrongly in the future… if not right now. She HAD TO deny him.
Feeling worried it'd already messed up his thinking.
"I want to keep this blade."
"Not happening." Like it was obvious, she used her authority as his tutor. Why would she ever agree?
Garbage went in the trash.
That moment was when Fritz motioned his arm. His blade was waved in an arc way too telegraphic.
However, the swing wasn't to be underestimated!
Even though she managed to get out of range, the clear sound of the weapon cutting air… showed its sharpness. Even though he didn't put his wrist into it, the might of the cut was stronger than a sword.
Somehow, despite being completely unarmed, it looked like Anya was able to dodge effortlessly.
This started to agitate him, but he calmed down as soon as he noticed the petals around her body.
He understood the moment he saw it.
'Illusions… Just like me.' In fact, she seemed more adept at tricking his eyes than he was to hers.
The Illusionary Stride he was known for was also ineffective in a 1v1 battle. He needed a plan.
That's why he chose to increase his arsenal.
His hand reached out into the air, through the domain itself, and grabbed an object out of reality.
A MagiPen appeared in his hand.
"…You know I could lock you in this illusionary domain and leave, right?" He tried threatening her.
However, the next thing she did made him realise his own weakness. It made a crack in his mask.
She reached out and grabbed a sweeping brush she was using earlier, then covered it with Fire Qi.
A demonic expression formed on his face…
"That's fine. I feel like leaving this place wouldn't be too hard." Her words felt like a taunt to him.
"Really…?"
"So don't think you can run away."
"Wouldn't dream of it. Let's talk over some milk and cookies." Though this volcano seemed calm.
"Really~?"
"No." There was a ultimate conviction in his glowing eyes, Redwind Qi filled his entire being.
Anya stressed the Fire Qi and Bio Electricity in her body to cover herself. It was for her protection…
…seeing how he transformed himself and all.
In the bright plains, a demonic mist started to spread out from his breath. The redness didn't seem to contain moisture, and almost felt like it was filled with impurity. This was 'Redwind Qi'…!
Layering over that energy was something else…
The red hooded maiden found that there was an energy similar to the power of Anima flowing through him, even turning his skin blue. One near instantaneous step later, she awed at his speed.
All while carefully deflecting his strikes with the makeshift wooden staff she was getting used to.
Fritz recognised her power…
'Crimson Lightning… I can use that too!" His other hand drew on the blade wielding arm mid swing.
[Crimson Variant Lightning Charm- Activate!]
The muscles on his arms suddenly ballooned up and became larger. Giving him a stronger swing.
This caught Anya's attention…
…but what moved her more than that was his swordsmanship. She found it familiar… somehow.
"Do you need that thing? I can build you a weapon with a gun attached, you know. A gun!" She tried persuading him while parrying expertly. Her speed was so high that he could barely touch her staff.
His increased power meant nothing to her.
Regardless, Fritz continued his aggressive swings that turned the peaceful plans into a battlefield.
The way everything was turned into a mess seemed to make him live up to his nickname…
He was truly the 'Tooth Extractor'.
Someone who didn't just act violently, but also the type to show immense malice in his fighting style.
However, that didn't bridge the gap between them.
It almost seemed pitiful to see a 'child' like him fight against an adult. Well, she was technically one. Even though it looked like she was having an obscenely great amount of fun playing around.
She seemed unmoved by his attacks…
Her 'Blossoming Power Inner Force' only seemed to be getting stronger the more she parried him.
Even when he added Water Charms and Fire Charms to improve the cutting power of his 'dark talwar', it merely chipped the staff. His despair was deepening, which in turn increased his power.
"Aaargh! Die!" In a fit of rage, he threw his MagiPen to the side and fought with both sword and fist.
[Blackwind Tainted Redwind Breath!]
He inhaled deep before exhaling a mass of energy filled with curses. It weakened her physique.
Anya stumbled back momentarily…
[Cursayer Style- Demon Blade Heart Bullet!]
A great amount of Redwind Qi focused out of his blade and was thrown in her direction. The blade line cut through her figure. Finally, he was able to rip apart his enemy! Tear her in half! Kill her!
However, her silhouette suddenly vanished…
Rose petals covered the area, and he realised that there was something more to her trick than that.
It was more than 'illusions'!
"This power is mine!" He roared, giving no room to breath. Her body intangible like an illusion itself.
"I'm not saying you can't have it." Her hand patted on his shoulder from behind, her presence was too overwhelming. Even at that moment, knowing he was outmatched, Fritz continued to fight uselessly.
The power of the Div Raja only becoming stronger.
But that didn't stop them from conversing. On the contrary, their bio energies were syncing up.
To the point he could sense her jovial spirit.
"Even if it's totally evil?" He asked her suspiciously.
"Errr…"
"Yeah, right… You're not a good liar."
"I tried my best there."
"You actually admitted it?!" His swing suddenly became unstable. Finally, they were talking calmly.
Fritz knew words were the only way he could 'win'.
"Anyway, what's with that katana?" Still, the way she casually annoyed him was grating his nerves.
His serene mask would only hold for so long.
"It's a frickin' talwar." He lifted the blade to show the signature handle the 'swords' were known for.
"Sure. Don't get too agitated."
"I'm not."
"Yeah. Sure. Anyway, I'm a good engineer of Mystic Tools and Enchanted Items. So put that down."
"Why should I do that?"
"I can make you a better weapon than that. Trust me. Please… You've seen this place, right?"
"I know more about this place than you do. Like it's made from the curses of hundreds of Blue Ogres."
"Did that blade tell you?"
"It's name literally means sword."
"You know that's not important, Mr 'Calm'."
"…We are one being now." His words clueing her in on the fact that this was no normal 'possession'.
It seemed more like a union of two existences. The blue skin and altered features spoke everything.
"Meaning you got possessed." Anya didn't care about whether saying this would hurt his feelings.
She decided to act more like her older sister. The sheer bluntness in her tone was reminiscent of Xia.
"So what? I'm more powerful this way."
"And that demon gave you it for free?"
"Yup."
"There has to be a catch."
"There's none. My actions aren't from the influence of brainwashing. This decision… is purely mine."
"And what will you do with this power?"
"…" He was suddenly silenced. Not from not knowing, but more like he was hesitant to say.
"What's wrong? Didn't you have an ambition?"
"I do. It's just not one you'd like to hear."
"Try me."
"I'm going to kill some people to increase my power. This demon king needs some sustenance."
"So it DID give you a condition!"
"It's just feeling hungry." He rolled his eyes. Almost like he completely understood the nature of Divs.
Of course, he was aware that what he was holding counted as a 'Cursed Weapon'. It was a blade that only brought calamities to its surrounding. Even if that's the case, Fritz desired the power within it.
He NEEDED the power…
"And what's the difference?" Seeing that she wasn't believing his words, he turned his head.
"…You wouldn't understand it. This isn't an average demon. It's a Greater Jinn. A so-called Div Raja."
"Even more reason to let that go."
"My family are masters at controlling Jinn. I can overcome it with time. Even if it takes sacrifices."
"And who's volunteering as your little 'sacrifice'?"
"Who are YOU to judge?!"
"Your mom!" She spoke some nonsense out of anger, which made the youth look speechless.
"…The heck?"
"Mama gonna spank you if you don't let go of that sword." Anya threatened while raising a fist at him.
"I'm not giving it up."
"You will…!" Regardless of his wishes, Anya stepped forward with the might of a tidal wave.
The 'Inner Force' she'd focused with her Impact Red was so great that she needed to twirl her body a little to control the 'stream'. The red river of energy grew larger and larger… pushing Fritz back.
The pressure strong enough to suppress his movement. To him, it was a sight he felt familiar.
'Master?' He remembered the mentor that taught him before he came to the Anti-Martial Academy.
It was a feeling similar to that…
'Death'…
One word was written in his eyes, and he could only feel overwhelmed by the mighty 'tidal wave'-
No, it was more like a massive tsunami!
[Bullet Kata- Explosive Power Heart Bullet!]
This was her 'Fa Jin'.
Which unlike her 'Hua Jin', was used for striking.
The power of her Fa Jin (Explosive Power) only seemed to be empowered by her Hua Jin Inner Force. A mighty pressure sundered the heavens and cracked the earth, destroying the Great Plains.
The entire world of his illusionary domain seemed filled with read flower petals containing her strength. Everything concentrating into her relaxed body once she anchored her foot into the 'planet'.
It felt like the world they stood on was pushed down when she kicked off of it to leverage the momentum. Her fist was still limply acting as a pipe that became the vessel of irresistible force.
With a sharp turn of her waist, the dam broke to redirect all the explosive energy towards Fritz.
The shock of 'death' turned his hair white.
He felt the river of power flow into his body the moment her fist struck, violently shaking the lands!
He was going to die!
Fritz knew he only had had less than 0.1 seconds before the Impact Red exploded him into a puddle.
What were his last thoughts?
Of course, he remembered the person he cherished the most while growing up.
The younger sibling he hadn't seen in years.
Through the connection with him, Anya also felt the feelings of regret he pointed towards his family.
She sympathised with him.
However, that wouldn't stop her from taking action.
The red hooded maiden resolutely let her fist bounce off his blade, triggering the tidal impact.
"Argh!" The scream of the Div Raja could be heard at that moment. An ear popping cry was heard.
"N-no…! Stop! STOP!!!" Fritz could feel the power fading. His skin was returning to its original colour.
This drove him to despair…
The helplessness, weakness, and everything that piled over the years started bursting out of him.
His face was contorted with absolute despair.
The union between man and demon king broke. A being filled with bloodlust appeared above him.
The creature didn't even look at his fallen figure.
An air of domination arose from the figure that blocked out the sun. 'Blackwind Qi' was focused.
As the king of blue ogre Divs, the demon wasn't going down without taking someone with him.
The power of devastation surrounded his fist…
Anya knew dodging this attack was impossible from the way it destroyed the blue sky above.
A gust of wind drew her towards the creature.
"I'll take you with me!" He knew she was already out of Hua Jin Inner Force, she WILL die today.
That was the destiny he wrote for her.
Regardless, Anya wasn't the type to let things go the way others please. Fate? Enough about that.
"Never appear here again!" She roared, her body transforming into petals that flew towards the fist.
The knuckles brought doomsday on all in its path missed its target, but a body 'hit' his giant wrist.
Anya rotated down his arm with inhuman speed.
He became as large as an asteroid, but still felt a shiver down his spine after realising she survived.
[Blossoming Power Inner Force!]
Anya spin was part of her way of 'parrying' the Div Raja and taking the momentum of his attack.
Of course, this made her power grow faster than anything ever done before. Quickly turning into a sea of focused power that was hurling towards his face. He didn't even have time to say anything else.
[Explosive Power Heart Bullet!]
The head of the Div Raja exploded the moment the sea of Impact Red went into the demon's head.
An explosion rang out like a firework!
The resulting tremor influenced the Blue Ogre species on a deeper level, braking the vast illusion.
They reappeared back in the real world…
The wooden brush had turned to dust, but Anya was more concerned with the youth on the bed.
A boy was laying with his head in his cushion…
"Sorry..." Tears welled up in Anya's eyes. She was truly sorry for what she'd done at that moment.
Should she have believed he could control that Div? No… She felt sympathy for him; not regret.
The only fortunate thing was no one was hurt…