The familiar taste of blood lazily rolls over Shogo's taste buds as he desperately tries to catch his breath while hiding behind a tree. The act is futile as the air leaves just as fast as it comes in, with a trembling hand Shogo tries to nurse his broken ribs and bruised lungs.
With a grunt, Shogo uses the katana in his right hand to help him stand to his feet. He is unable to use his left arm, a lingering injury from being punted directly into a tree earlier today.
Shogo had crashed into the tree shoulder first. A resounding crack echoed in the clearing, but the tree was completely fine. The injury occurred a couple hours ago, and the debilitating pain that kept him down hiding away from his assailant had now died down enough to where he felt comfortable giving his current challenge another attempt.
This was his eighth attempt on damaging the apple today. All of the previous attempts ended in very painful failures, just as Hanagetsuya promised. The Matriarch is still standing like a statue in the shallow waters, holding the target of Shogo's task in the palm of her raised right hand.
It grates on Shogo's already shot nerves that the old woman isn't lifting a finger, while he is getting thrashed...by her. Well, technically it is her many water clones that jump out of the lake to beat down Shogo whenever he gets close to damaging the apple in any way. Three or so of Hanagetsuya's clones rain down punches and kicks onto his surprisingly durable body faster than he can react.
To make matters worse, Shogo is beginning to understand that the more he tries to attack the apple, the harder the clones' attacks on his person land.
The abuse had started with a disorienting punch that tested his jaw, then evolved in to two sudden punches onto each of his temples, and finally a spinning back kick that not only shattered his ribcage but also sent him hurtling into a tree.
Shogo has tried surprise attacks from the brush, aerial assaults from the treetops, and long-range assaults with the surrounding debris. However, trying to use the lake for a sneak attack was by far his worst attempt. Her clones had nearly drowned him.
His latest attempt on the apple was a full-frontal assault, where Shogo chucked his sword hoping to pierce the apple.
The result is Shogo on his last legs gasping for air, and no closer to the goal.
Pain and frustration seep out of Shogo's pores. Exhaustion is beginning to settle in to his weary bones. Muscles torn and swollen, the boy who had been awake for days on end is finally starting to feel his eyelids grow heavy.
"FUCK!"
Shogo slaps himself across his left cheek and vigorously shakes his head, trying to shake away the fatigue he has built up. Once he feels sufficiently warmed up, the battered child hobbles back toward the lake for one more try.
Raising the katana up with both of his hands while trying to ignore the sharp pain in his injured shoulder, Shogo slowly approaches the lake clearing from the surrounding trees with measured steps, then stops a few steps out of the clearing. He knows that if he gets within a meter of the lake, then the clones will descend on him.
As an errant blast of sunlight assaults Shogo's eyes, making him squint, he becomes painfully aware of the sun that was shining brightly above his head when he started this challenge in the early morning and is now lazily creeping behind the tree line of the modest Hozuki forest.
His time is running out.
Shockwaves of despair reverberate down Shogo's spine. He is no closer to damaging the apple, and the shadows of trees are threatening to overtake the clearing.
Hanagetsuya's form is shrouded in shadow. Her pale skin, bright silver hair, and vibrant lavender robe are all stark contrasts to the darkness slowly swallowing the clearing. The red apple in her hand caught the fleeting light, completing the picture of an angel of death beckoning any brave enough to take salvation from her cold dead palm with veiled mortal danger not even seconds away.
Closing his eyes, Shogo tries to steady his erratic breathing to dig deep and find another spark. This process had been simple for Shogo during his week of trials, but now it was akin to trying to start a flame with a wet match.
A few more minutes of searching and hoping for something to show itself finally bore fruit.
He felt it.
A potent chaotic energy is hidden. Shogo clamors to reach for the source, but recoils both mentally and physically before getting close enough to graze it.
The reaction bewildered him as a cold fear sprouted deep from his subconscious and radiated throughout his whole being.
Sweat pours from his brow onto his nose as he tries to settle his breathing once more.
What could possibly be in his body that could invoke such a reaction? Would it be smart for Shogo to try again? It felt like the Shinigami itself had put a hand gently on his shoulder to give him a warning.
Shogo bit down on his tongue and fought through his hesitance with the pain, ignoring the blood, leaving the left side of his mouth running down his cheek. Consequences be damned! Shogo was finally free from that accursed boat and he wasn't about to take it for granted.
The brash boy takes an unyielding plunge back into his subconscious and grasps the power shackled deep within with both hand then all hell breaks loose.
During Shogo's internal struggle in the shallow brush, Hanagetsuya's measured gaze never leaves the tree the grievously injured child cowers behind as if expecting something while silently standing in the water.
Suddenly the atmosphere around the clearing shifts. A powerful and bloodcurdling shriek follows the change, toppling the trees closest to the source. The tree that Shogo was taking refuge behind falls as well revealing his new horrifying appearance.
Blood red coral had once again sprouted from underneath Shogo's skin, not unlike a suit of armor. A singular glowing scarlet iris holds the old woman's gaze, with the other eye hidden by coral. A red haze radiates from his hunched over body. Shogo's body periodically twitches in obvious pain.
His torso, shoulders and knuckles are all covered entirely with coral. On the child's back is an intimidating array of spiked coral that covers the entire length of his spine, at least a foot thick. It is hard to determine if Shogo is only hunched over in pure agony, or if the new addition along his spine forces him into this new terrible posture.
Shogo's lower body seems generally unchanged besides the now half-foot-long sharp spikes lining the back of his calves and along the length of his shins.
Hanagetsuya stoic demeanor fades, her brow creases into a determined expression.