--- Chapter 37 ---
"Fuma... Kotaro?" Dullahan tilted his armored body.
"Yeah." Hayate grinned slightly.
He licked the blood that fell from the corner of his eyes and jumped forward without minding Dullahan's attack.
Dullahan waved his spear and missed Hayate's body because he was too fast.
BAM!
The headless knight suddenly got impaled by Hayate's spear and backed off a few meters.
"H-Huh?" Dullahan felt weird inside.
He waved his hand to gather the shadowy energy but couldn't control them properly for some reason.
"How does it feel, my secret weapon?" Hayate whispered while disappearing from Dullahan's senses again.
"Must be hard, no?"
BOOM!
Dullahan erupted everything around him with a powerful energy blast. The entire field blazed with dark flames, but Hayate was nowhere in the area.
"Where are you!"
"Come here, you useless Master!"
"I've never gone anywhere," Hayate landed on the headless knight's shoulders. "It's just a matter of perspective."
"Well, I'm sad because I couldn't sense your head anymore."
"It would make things easier."
Hayate's profound energy exploded and leaped from Emperor Profound Realm to Sovereign Profound Realm in a second.
Evil God's power, Dragon God's inheritance, Phoenix's blood, and finally [Miyabi Orochi ver.30], these enhancements made Hayate's first cultivation soar instantly.
[Miyabi Orochi ver.30] is The "forbidden power" that supposedly makes Fuma Kotaro the strongest in history.
It's a drug or more confidentially processed poison through so many trials to increase one's strength beyond Human's limit.
Fuma Clan developed this so-called forbidden power with their flesh and blood, making the next generation more subtle with the increased dose.
The Fifth, the most known Fuma Kotaro in history, was actually able to become the greatest because of this exact use of poison.
It's unfortunate because the Fifth was dead in Ieyasu's hand because his body couldn't adapt to [Miyabi Orochi]'s power.
After the Fifth's death, the Fuma clan realized the female body was more suitable for [Miyabi Orochi]'s power, and they started to train more Kunochi for the experiment.
It was proven successful as the Sixth Fuma Kotaro, Kurenai Nakiri, overcame [Miyabi Orochi]'s side-effect and mutated her body beyond human limitation.
However, there is no more Male Fuma Kotaro after that.
Fuma Clan is accustomed to female kunoichi as their leader and birthed the next generation of Fuma Kotaro through a specific process, giving them a unique body to endure Miyabi Orochi.
Mei Nakiri, The 41st generation, is the strongest Fuma Kotaro ever recorded because her strength increased and surpassed even the Sixth.
She possessed a superior physique called "Wind Demon Body." and 300% compatibility with [Miyabi Orochi ver.15], which was the most lethal known [Miyabi Orochi] created after four hundred years.
Mei Nakiri only possessed one disciple and never had an idea to birth an heir, so she passed Fuma Clan's teaching to Hayate Kurogami.
She taught Hayate about [Miyabi Orochi], which might kill him, but proved otherwise because he could resist the terrifying poison with Kaiju Creation.
Hayate is an abnormality. The first-ever male Fuma Kotaro after four centuries.
After Hayate reincarnated into this world, he didn't stop inventing the Miyabi Orochi.
He created fifteen new Miyabi Orochi versions, the latest being the most dangerous because he used a watered-down Absolute God Slaying Poison.
It should be the last resort because the amount of strength increased isn't simply two or threefold anymore.
It was similar to when Hayate used Primordial Energy, even though faster and more uncontrollable.
Hayate's profound strength soared so fast, like an inflated balloon.
Sovereign Profound Realm 1st Level.
Sovereign Profound Realm 2nd Level.
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Hayate fell from Dullahan's shoulders and used his legs to kick the headless knight's kneecap.
BAM!
"RRAAAAAA!" Dullahan kneeled and punched Hayate's stomach
Blerg!
Hayate coughed blood and bent his body to the left, kicking Dullahan's chest.
BAM!
"Shadow Spears..." Dullahan raised his hand.
Numerous shadowy spears formed from the black flames in the Wasteland of Death and fiercely revolved around Dullahan's hand, releasing a sinister devilish aura.
Hayate calmly watched because Dullahan's new ability to manipulate dark energy freely really made him awe for a moment.
He opened his palm and used the profound light energy to turn into a pair of Ninjato. He breathed and ran forward with incurable speed, leaving a powerful breeze.
"Hell Rain." Dullahan launched the shadowy spears at Hayate.
Hayate's eyes were bleeding even more, but he didn't care and swirled the Ninjanto instead, which created a void of violent gusts.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
He could feel every shadowy spear's heaviness and deflected them away from his path.
"Shitsu." He whispered while gripping the Ninjato tightly.
Dullahan called his spear and thrust it forward, to which Hayate countered with rushing slice attacks.
CLAnk! BAM!
Hayate raised his right leg to defend himself from Dullahan's punch.
Twitch!
He gritted his teeth slightly because Dullahan's strength hurt him a little.
"Hahaha!" Dullahan laughed madly.
"More!"
"MORE!"
"I WANT MORE!"
"Dawn Blast." The headless knight created a ball made of darkness.
BOOM!
Hayate instinctively raised his arms and saw a dark ray devouring himself.
He got launched a few kilometers away and stopped by a small mountain, coughing blood slightly.
"MASTER, DIE!" Dullahan arrived in front of Hayate and raised his shadowy spear.
"How powerful," Hayate smirked while looking at the incoming spear.
BOOM!
"Huh?" Dullahan was startled because Hayate suddenly disappeared from his position.
"Do you think I only have Hercules?" Hayate slapped Dullahan's abdomen. A piece of the metal ball was running with an electric current between them.
"How powerful, yet naive."
"Railgun," He commented casually. "Have a taste of the electricity, Dullahan."
BOOM!
"You-!" Dullahan was about to bash Hayate away with his shadowy spear, but he was propelled by a ray of lightning instead.
BAM!
Dullahan landed on mud and felt his abdomen burning in annoying pain, which should be impossible because no attack could harm him.
A flash of blue lightning flickered, and Hayate landed in front of Dullahan with a great shuriken made of profound light energy in his hand.
"Fuma Ninjutsu: Hawk Bullet." Hayate's action was similar to the baseball's pitch, but his feet dug deep into the mud.
Dullahan moved his armor away, but it was too late because a heavy shuriken with intense rotation had already flown to him.
CLANK! KSSSSSH!
The Fuma Shuriken brushed Dullahan's armor but was able to make some nice dent, exposing the Kaiju's inner body consisting of darkness.
Hayate wouldn't let this chance away and quickly jumped forward, entering a taekwondo kicking stance.
"Lightning Flamingo." He launched a decisive left kick filled with powerful blue lightning.
He obviously aimed at the dent the Fuma Shuriken had created beforehand, but Dullahan wouldn't get defeated by such an attack.
"NNGGGGHHH!"
BAM!
Hayate's body abruptly was kicked by horse legs, which caused him to get flown away like a broken kite.
He landed with two legs on the rock and looked at the shadowy horse with an annoyed look.
"Ah yes, of course." Hayate chuckled mockingly.
"You have to use your ride to defend yourself."
"Classic."
"Very classic of you, Dullahan."
"Shut your mouth, weak master..." Dullahan replied indifferently.
"You're nothing but a weak cultivator with some petty tricks!"
Hayate tilted his head and commented, "Heh, your way of talking is different now."
"As if you're perfect."
"I wonder where your head is all this time."
He moved his gaze to the shadowy horse and continued, "It's there, huh."
Dullahan climbed onto the shadowy horse and sneered, "We are far from done."
Hayate's body released fierce blue lightning, and his hair wildly danced in the air.
"Who said that, you?" He replied while creating a lightning copy of himself.
Hayate used 3000 lightning movements and flickered to Dullahan.
"Shitsu." He drew the Ninjato again and rotated them violently.
Dullahans's horse frowned and ran toward Hayate. The headless knight created over a thousand shadowy spears, launching them at his former master.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hayate's lightning copies slashed forwards and bombarded Dullahan's shadowy spears skillfully, causing a heavy typhoon to sweep over the Wasteland of Death.
Dullahan stabbed the ground with his spear and whispered, "Hell Prison."
BOOOOOOM!
The entire Wasteland of Death quickly filled with sharp spears made of dark flames, which burst out of the ground.
Ciao!
Dullahan's horse raised its head and saw Hayate standing on a green-flamed bird.
"Another new Kaiju..." He whispered coldly.
Ciao!
Midori flapped her wings and released a worried cry because her master's body was on a constant destruction-rebirth cycle.
She was able to know one's health condition when her flame touched something, but Hayate's current condition is too dreadful.
"I'm okay," Hayate responded with a smile.
"This is not enough to make me die."
He looked down on Dullahan and added, "We have a job to do, Midori."
"Will you fight with me till the end?"
Ciao!
Midori nodded and entered Hayate's body, giving him her powers.
Hayate sighed in relief, and fiery green flames wrapped around his body, providing warmth for him.
"Dullahan, do you think you can chase me?" He provoked while spreading his phoenix wings.
He flew away to the south, which was the nearest beach on the profound sky continent.
Dullahan chased over him and drove the shadowy horse, leaving a trail of black flames.
They were attacking each other, destroying almost everything on their paths.
Yet, Hayate never really attacked Dullahan because he was countering him all the time. He needed a precise moment when the headless knight loosened his guard.
Hayate flapped his phoenix wings and stopped at the seashore.
He watched Dullahan stop at the beach and stare at the sea with a weird movement.
"Why, afraid of some water?" Hayate asked casually.
Dullahan's body trembled slightly because a memory flashed in his mind.
Hayate had drowned Dullahan in the deep ocean because the headless Kaiju wasn't behaving calmly in his previous life.
Dullahan's horse unleashed a war cry and began to float in the air, which Hayate expected because Dullahan is on the Divine Origin Realm.
Hayate shook his head and flew to Dullahan, clashing with him again.
BAM! Crack!
Dullahan welcomed Hayate with a bash of his shadowy spear.
The space somehow cracked, which caused Hayate to frown a little.
"Hell Domain..." Dullahan's body emitted dark energy and turned them into a vast circle filled with darkness.
"Hmm?" Hayate couldn't feel or see anything all of a sudden. His body seemed very heavy.
STAB!
Hayate's chest suddenly was pierced by the shadowy spear, and his vision returned slowly.
Dullahan's hand reached over Hayate's neck and choked him tightly.
"Spatial and Darkness Manipulation." The headless knight said with a bored tone.
"We are on different levels, Hayate."
"I was confused because you somehow can trade blows with me before."
"Then, I realized it was just your physical strength infused with that weird light energy."
"Your current cultivation is simply at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm."
"Nothing more than that." He continued indifferently.
Cough!
Hayate coughed a mouthful of blood at Dullahan's exposed neck. "Haha... Is that so?" He laughed slightly.
"I'm so done with you." Dullahan clenched his hand and destroyed Hayate's neck.
Crack!
Hayate's golden eyes became dim, and a breath of life seemed to leave his body.
.
.
Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!
"What are these loud sounds?" Dullahan shook Hayate's lifeless body and noticed his heart still beating.
--- Hayate's inner world ---
Jasmine sat on her bed with worried looks.
She gritted her teeth because Hayate might have injured himself in the fight.
"Stupid."
"Idiot."
"Jerk."
Jasmine blinked her eyes because a blinding light suddenly appeared in the center of Hayate's inner world.
A faceless figure with a body similar to Hayate stood calmly there. Some Kaiju Cores floated around this figure and released mysterious rainbow lights.
Ancient Slime released primordial energy from the primordial core and washed Hayate's inner world with the primal's chaos first force.
The figure grasped the primordial energy and absorbed it into its body. "Kaiju Creation: Limitation off." He whispered.
"Every single one of you screams to the sky."
Jasmine's eyes went wide because every Kaiju inside Hayate's inner world broke through from their cores and summoned in front of her.
ROOOOOOOAAAAARRS!!!
Over a thousand Kaijus roared inside Hayate's inner world.
--- Real World ---
Dullahan watched Hayate's body shrink to its original form.
"This sensation..." Dullahan's horse raised its gaze to the sky and saw a thousand Kaiju silhouettes.
"ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!"
Hayate's hand suddenly moved and gripped Dullahan's horse head tightly.
"Summons Kaiju No.19, Hydra."
BOOM!
"Hmph, I'm not afraid of Hydra anymore," Dullahan commented and watched a nine-headed creature burst out of the sea.
However, Hayate hasn't finished his words.
"Summon Kaiju No.20, Kraken."
"Summon Kaiju No.30, Devil-Eyed Leviathan."
"Summon Kaiju No.9..."
"Cocytus."