((SWITCHING POV))
Shoto, Kuo, and Mileanna could be spotted darting through the woods rapidly.
Shoto held the Blood Piercing Katana in his hand, taking care not to accidentally cut himself with the blade as he ran.
"We're gonna make big bucks off of this! Nice going Shoto!"
Kuo was running at an incredibly fast pace, his breathing was laboured from the long distance he had covered.
Shoto, who had been chasing Kuo, had an ecstatic grin on his face as he exclaimed, "Incredible, we made it! We're going to be rich!"
Milenna was significantly lagging behind, as she was the least physically capable.
"Can you guys please slow down!? I'm dyin' here!"
"Favolius is supposed to be a few minutes away, don't give up until we've made it!"
The group rushed to the Kingdom of Fuvolius at a quick speed, hoping to escape the boundaries from the dungeon in case something went awry.
"Wait!"
At Shoto's sudden yell, the whole group abruptly halted their running.
Shoto's gaze appeared to be full of fear as he looked at whatever was blocking the way to Fuvolius.
The rest of the group noticed the peculiar silhouette in the distance. Mileanna recoiled slightly upon spotting the shadow.
"What the hell is that?!"
The individual was shrouded in darkness, appearing as a mere shadow. In their hands, a blade glinted, and their eyes shone a fiery red.
The shadowy figure growled in a low voice, its words dripping with menace, "Where do you think you're all headed?"
The luminosity of the light beamed down on the shadowy figure, the illumination that shone unveiled the mysterious individual to be Hiryo.
He held his katana firmly in his grip and was leaning forward. His muscles were tense and a powerful mana surrounded him. He didn't move or blink, just fixed them with a piercing gaze.
Shoto and the others were astounded upon seeing Hiryo, with Kuo asking in astonishment, "Is that really him?" Mileanna, equally puzzled, commented, "It can't be, he looks different somehow."
Shoto shouted furiously, his face contorted in rage, "Why aren't you dead yet?!" He swung his left arm wildly, gripping the sheathed Blood Piercing Katana tightly with his right.
Hiryo remained motionless, his gaze intensifying after hearing the statement.
"How long had you been plotting to deceive me, Shoto?"
A satisfied smirk appeared on Shoto's face, his left hand making a slight gesture, "Since the day we first began living with each other."
"We have always been different, Hiryo. We were friends from ever since I could remember but you were poor, struggling and had only your mother in your life."
"My family was well-off and we were close friends, so whenever your mother was in need, my family would be there to provide assistance."
"We were always together doing everything, but then suddenly things changed. Apparently your mother was a stripper and one of her clients killed her because he got too invested after spending the night with her and discovered her with someone else."
"Since then, my parents had the notion of bringing you in, since you had no father and nobody else to turn to. I thought it would be a great idea since I would have my best friend living with me, but oh was I wrong."
"My parents diverted their focus from me to you, appearing to have abandoned me. Whatever I had obtained, you got more of it. They felt remorseful because your mother had passed away and wanted you to live more comfortably than before."
"I felt like I was all alone. I felt like they no longer had any concern for me. I started to despise your presence and I was only pretending to be your friend. There was no longer any trace of friendship between us."
Shoto stepped closer, spreading his arms and smirk forming larger, "As you can see, Hiryo, I've always wanted you dead!" He shouted furiously, his voice reverberating across the area.
Hiryo remained still and inquired, "Kuo and Mileanna, did they know about this?"
Shoto looked at them and chuckled softly, "They were more than willing to help! They are my real friends, so much better than you ever were!"
"It has been such a relief to finally tell you what I have been keeping to myself for so long-"
Before he could complete his words, Hiryo raced forward with blinding speed. The earth behind him shattered and a huge cloud of dust was created.
Hiryo ran faster than he had ever run before, his feet pounding against the ground.
He clutched his katana tightly and jumped into the air, trying to deliver a powerful blow to Shoto.
Shoto saw the attack coming and quickly dropped the Blood Piercing Katana and drew his sword, trying to block Hiryo's strike.
*CLANK*
The sword and katana made a loud noise as the two blades clashed with one another.
As Hiryo forced Shoto down, it was clear that he was gaining the upper hand in their confrontation. "Are you saying the sole cause of your attempt to end my life and your animosity towards me was because you were you spoiled brat?"
In a fit of anger, Shoto pushed his way through the struggle and deflected the attack, causing Hiryo to be thrown back. Fortunately, Hiryo managed to save himself by twisting his body mid air and landed safely.
Shoto moved quickly and drove his sword forward towards Hiryo, shouting, "I despise you for taking away everything that was rightfully mine!" With all his might, he lunged forward to stab Hiryo with the blade.
Hiryo anticipated the attack and was able to sidestep it, looking on as Shoto passed by him.
Shoto spun around abruptly in the middle of his thrust, gazing into Hiryo's eyes and bellowed, "Lightning Strike!"
Suddenly, a covering of lightning began to envelop Shoto's sword, beginning from the bottom and traveling up to the handle. The lightning seemed to be alive as it spread energy all around it.
Shoto felt an intense heat emanating from his sword, as if it was about to burst into flames. A spark shot out of the tip and the blade glowed a brilliant blue. It was the power of Shoto's affinity and class manifesting itself in the form of lightning.
Shoto swung his lightning-clad sword with incredible speed towards Hiryo, making it impossible for him to dodge.
*BANG*
The blade struck Hiryo in the midsection and a surge of electricity ran through his entire frame, almost as if he were being electrocuted.
*CRASH*
After the sword struck Hiryo's abdomen, he coughed up some blood before he was thrown to the ground.
Hiryo screamed out in agony as he felt the impact and collapsed to the ground, his eyelids heavy with the effort of trying to stay open.
"I can't believe you forgot about my affinity for lightning and my Magic Swordsman Class."
Shoto approached Hiryo, his sword gleaming under the moonlight. He swung the blade around as he drew nearer, the thud of his footsteps echoing through the darkness.
"I feel a strong afinity to lightning and my class, which is the ideal combination for me, giving me tremendous power."
"I feel bad for you almost. It's like picturing someone coming into the world without any Affinities for magic and being such a loser as you are."
"It's pathetic."
Shoto's words were clearly intended to ridicule Hiryo as Shoto went on a knee front of him. He then ran his left hand through his hair, pulling it up so Hiryo could see his face.
Hiryo's eyelids fought to rise as he was filled with agony. Shoto glowered into his face before sneering, "Keep me in your mind as the one who brought your death."
*PUNCH*
Shoto threw a punch at Hiryo's jaw, causing him to groan in pain as he rolled in the direction of the Blood Piercing Katana.
"Let me be the one to kill you Hiryo."
Shoto rose from his kneeling position, sporting a maniacal smile.
Hiryo was lying on the floor and a crimson, bloody aura began to emanate from his body. It was as if blood was leaving his body and swirling around, filling the area.
Shoto realized that Hiryo was holding the Blood Piercing Katana by its hilt, and he could feel the mana from the blade radiating and filling the area.
Shoto stammered a bit, "I-Is that sinister aura coming from the katana? That's unbelievable!"
Shoto refocuses his attention on Hiryo, yelling, "You fool! You're too weak to even attempt to wield the katana, and you're already injured. If you keep going, you won't last much longer."
Shoto rubbed his chin while pondering, his gaze shifting around the room as he stated, "I mean, this situation is to my advantage."
"You, you're pure evil"
A low, intimidating voice was emitted from Hiro's body, causing his entire form to tremble.
Shoto's expression changed from self-satisfied to surprised when he saw that Hiro's wounds and cuts had all healed, despite the fact that he had been damaged by Shoto's sword.
"W-What the hell is this?!?"
As Hiryo's injuries progressed towards recovery, he tentatively attempted to stand, his arms supporting him as they shook.
He leaned on the katana as he got down on one knee, leaving his old katana behind, and declared, "It is because of a mysterious man that I have the power to face you."
"He grants me the power to wield this blade."
Shoto looked afraid as he exclaimed, "You can heal your wounds?!?"
Hiryo rose to his feet and declared, "It requires a great amount of mana, but thanks to him I have more than enough." He then drew the katana from its sheath.
Hiryo was overwhelmed with a fear-inducing surge of mana and force associated with the katana, which was accompanied by a bloody aura.
The katana glowed a deep red, and the air around it seemed to quiver with its power. The katana seemed to be calling out to its wielder, beckoning them to take it up and wield it in battle.
It was as if he and the katana had melded together, a seamless bond as his intense, violent energy filled the area.
Shoto's face was full of fear as he started to hyperventilate. His gaze was unfocused as he realised that Mileanna and Kuo had fled the scene. "Those cowards!" he thought to himself, filled with anguish.
Hiryo swayed the blade around swiftly, the sound of metal ringing in the air. He felt the weight of the sword in his hands, and with a few graceful swings.
Hiryo pointed the katana towards Shoto.
"You monster!"
Hiryo had an amused expression on his face as he fixed his gaze on Shoto, who was clearly scared.
Hiryo murmured in a hushed tone, "Maybe I am a monster."