All throughout the day Koji was constantly hearing Hatasho nagging at him on his back.
""Boy! what are we doing in this class when we can slay monsters and claim their essence!""
It was all the same from Hatasho consistently asking for Koji to go and kill some monsters and drain their essence.
It had gotten pretty annoying for Koji until the final bell had rung and Koji had some time alone to talk to Hatasho.
"Hey! I'm busy so I don't need you screaming in my ear! What is your problem? Why are you so hungry for blood."
Hatasho was quiet for a few seconds before it screamed both from the sword and inside of Koji's mind.
""Don't you get snippy with me you pathetic human! I'm the cause for your recovery so you should be thankful.""
Koji was at a loss for words before he asked Hatasho again for confirmation.
"You… healed my body? Why?"
Hatasho however just hit Koji once again.
""Not just your body but your mind and soul.
Your past is in the past and you need to move on. The death of your family had plagued your mind and soul for too long.""
Koji was now angry as Hatasho was asking Koji to forget about what happened that night before he grabbed hatasho.
"Are you able to see my memories? Every night mom tucked me into bed or every time dad took me to the dentist.
Are you saying I should forget about those who took them away from me?"
Just as Hatasho was about to speak a knock was heard on Koji's door with Hana's voice on the other side.
"Master Koji? It's nearly time for the duel with Adam Khan. Are you there?"
Koji whispered to Hatasho before he left Hatasho inside the room.
"This isn't over Hatasho."
The small eye on Hatasho's handle only closed while not another word was heard.
Next Koji left for the duel next to Hana while Hana herself felt Koji was both upset and angry but did not ask what was wrong.
It did not take long for Koji and Hana to reach the training fields where Adam had been waiting with a smile as Koji stepped into the ring.
"For a second I thought you wouldn't show up Koji. Shall we begin?"
Koji gave a slight nod as he readied himself to fight as did Adam but once the battle started Koji started with a jab to the chest but the pressure behind the punch felt like a cannon for Adam as he felt a rib or two crack.
'He… he's too strong to be a first year. But I can't show weakness!'
Adam quickly went onto the offensive with a series of jabs and kicks as fast as a car speeding down a highway but Koji had blocked every jab and grabbed every kick like child's play.
Adam's anger was clearly visible on his face as he was being pushed into a corner by Koji before he smiled and made a few shadow clones.
Most of the audience were calling Adam a cheater until Adam just laughed at them.
"We agreed to duel without our Hotoji's but we didn't restrict our use of techniques."
Instantly those who called Adam a cheater went silent before Adam noticed Koji had twice the amount of clones as Adam.
Koji however only smiled as he and his clones spoke as one singular voice.
"I was hoping not to use any techniques but since you opened the door I won't hold back."
Adam had a hope to win once he used the shadow clone technique.
But Koji flipped the scales of power in his favour in seconds.
Adam then realized he wasn't fighting just a student but also the Technique Master Archivist.
'He must have studied night and day to use the shadow clone technique.'
Adam had taken a whole week to learn the shadow clone technique and thought to have mastered it as he didn't know Koji had learned and improved the technique tenfold in just a few hours.
But technique after technique Adam thought that the shadow clone technique was all Koji knew but he was surely wrong as anything Adam used Koji outclassed him with his own matching technique.
All while Koji was still full of energy while Adam felt his essence was severely drained.
"How much essence do you have?! You must have cheated!"
Koji and the others had sensed Adam using his remaining essence for one final attack, Spiritual Summoning.
"Come forth bringer of chaos, Let your might be know to mortals. Rathmo, demon of hate!"
Koji had made a barrier in seconds as a winged demon with three eyes and blue skin crawled out of Adam's mouth.
""Who dares to call my name? Oh what a pitty that such a fragile thing was able to summon me. Oh but what is this? You there what is your name?""
Koji summoned Hatasho while he didn't bother to speak a word. But the demons eyes widened as Koji held Hatasho in his hands.
""You sure at full of surprises mortal. What is your name?""
Koji wasted no words and immediately went to attack the demon.
"Wind Blade!"
Koji had fired blades of wind straight at the demon before seeing it hadn't even made a scratch.
""Child's play. Hell hounds.""
Koji saw a hell hound appear out of the ground as Hatasho spoke to koji.
""Boy! That is a high ranking demon. You don't stand a chance against it! You must let me take over!""
Koji kept slicing the hell hounds into pieces as he ignored Hatasho all while the demon kept summoning more and more.
""Oh that's a pretty blade you have there. I will put that in my trophy room after I kill you. Falling star!""
It was like the sun came crashing down but Koji poured all of his essence into forming a multi layered barrier around the whole school while the demon simply smiled.
""You think such a puny barrier will stop this? HA! Let's see who wins!""
Hatasho once again begged as Koji focused all of his energy into the barriers.
""Koji! Switch with me if you want to save them! That rock will shatter those barriers like glass!""
However it was too late at the falling star had already smashed through the barriers and with each barrier broken Koji felt his body begin surging with pain until he grabbed Hatasho once more.
"I don't trust you but I'll let you handle this."
Meanwhile after the dust settled Rathmo was too busy laughing until he noticed the falling star was frozen in place.
""What is this?…!""
The fallen star melted away to reveal koji standing in the epicentre of the training field but it wasn't Koji exactly as a third eye appeared on Koji's forehead.
""What have you done mortal? What power is this?""
Hatasho only chuckled as he stretched his muscles while he was in control of Koji's body.
""I am no Mortal, I… Am… Hatasho… and you are my prey.""
Rathmo only laughed as he grew razor sharp claws.
""Neat trick but it won't save you! Die!…!""
Rathmo's claws however couldn't reach Hatasho before he was strung up in a web of soul essence.
""What is this!? Release me human!""
Madam Bo was the only one conscious as she looked to see only a demon in koji's body as Hatasho tore Rathmo apart limb by limb with a smile.
""Your just an abundance of essence aren't you?…Soul Drain""
Hatasho started draining the very essence of rathmo's soul until he was nothing but bones.
""Ahh delicious… you there. I trust you to look after the boy? Push him to his limit for the future battles to come.""
Madam Bo was at a loss for words before she simply nodded.
Soon after falling asleep Koji felt adrift in space alone until Hatasho appeared in front of his eyes.
"Hatasho? Where am I? What happened with Rathmo?"
Koji then witnessed Hatasho take on human form as an old geezer holding Koji's Hotoji.
""That storm has passed boy but another will soon strike. We need to prepare.""
Koji found truth in Hatasho's words as he was just an insignificant bug against a creature like Rathmo.
He needed more power.
"What do you propose Hatasho?"
""Currently your body and mind are in limbo and will need to recover for a few years. Seems using Soul Drain was too much for your body and mind to handle."
Koji had feint flashbacks of Hatasho fighting Rathmo and he certainly remembered Hatasho using Soul drain but he didn't expect it to take such a heavy toll on his body and mind.
"If my body and mind are recovering then how am I here speaking with you now?"
Hatasho snapped his fingers to change the scenery to Koji lying down on the hospital bed with Madam Bo holding his hand.
""You humans know little about the soul. You underestimate its power and its potential. But I will enlighten you.""
Koji had seen weeks go by in mere seconds while he was in the hospital bed and in his amazement Hatasho continued.
""You have a soul stronger then most but it wavered at the thought of those who you have lost and those who you want revenge against. Due to these deep feelings your soul was near its tipping point of no return.""
Koji shed a tear as Hana, Xia, Madam Bo and even Zuang kept Koji company while he listened to Hatasho speak once more from across the bed.
""You care for them and they care for you but unless you understand that you need to be stronger then they will die.""
Once again Koji was reminded by Hatasho that he was still weak and that he needed to get stronger but thought it would be impossible.
"If my body and mind are in limbo then how will I get stronger?"
Hatasho was almost expecting Koji's question as an army of goblins appeared behind him.
""Defeat these insects without my aid. If you can't do that alone then you have no hope of survival.""
Koji readied himself but soon felt none of his soul essence as he fought goblin after goblins with his bare hands.
""I've temporarily sealed your essence to make it a challenge. It will be freed if you pass.""
After a long and bloody battle Koji stood victorious while he felt his essence returning.
""Well done, you now have a chance of survival. A sliver of a chance but a chance nonetheless.""
Day after day Koji trained inside of limbo to the point of insanity as Hatasho had full control of what monsters Koji fought until one day there was only a single enemy, Hatasho Himself.
""You have done well Koji but now is the end.
Defeat me in battle and all of my powers and techniques are yours.""
Koji was outraged as he had grown to enjoy Hatasho's company aside from watching those closest to him visit him in the hospital every.
"Hatasho, I don't understand. Why must we fight? We can fight together-"
""That isn't possible as we are more alike then you think.""
Koji's eyes widened as Hatasho changed to its original appearance for Koji to see he was Hatasho.
""I am you Koji and you are me. I am fragments of your past life and you are the future.""
"I… I don't know what to say… this whole time you've been me? And what do you mean past life?"
Hatasho or rather the other Koji then clapped his hands together to show koji memories of an entirely different life.
""You were reincarnated, thousands of years ago we were the most feared being on earth in a time where we were called immortal cultivators.""
Koji felt both embarrassed and disappointed before he realized two young woman were standing next to Koji in his past life.
It was Hana and Cinthia who stood side by side with Koji against a great army of demons and monsters.
""We had two trusted companions on our journey Chu Chi and Juanji. It seems they had families and their bloodlines continued on.""
Koji felt relieved to find out they weren't his wives in his past life before another women with a striking resemblance to madam Bo walked up and hugged Koji from behind.
"….Hatasho? Who is that?"
""That? That's our wife, Xu Lee. But now that I think about it she seems to be an ancestor of Madam Bo.""
Koji felt so embarrassed as his former life and madam Bo's ancient ancestors were a couple.
'I feel like dying to this embarrassment.'
Hatasho just laughed at the sight of Koji while he waved his hand for the memories to disappear.
""You worry about unnecessary things when you need to focus on the fight ahead.""
Koji had finally asked the question that has been on his mind ever since he started training with Hatasho.
"Why are you helping me train? Wouldn't you want to be free?"
A long silence followed before Hatasho spoke.
""during our other life we had power to bend the universe to our will but even that wasn't enough to stop them. Many call them demons but only a few knew their real name, Exiles.""
Memories of a great battle then washed over Koji's mind between Hatasho and the Exiles.
""As long as they live the universe will never be safe. So now you must achieve the first step, Shinka. If you achieve this power then you will take my place and if not then everything you know will be no more.""
Koji took a moment to process this moment before he spoke the words.
"Shinka."
Koji felt his bones breaking and his muscles tarring apart. It was an ungodly amount of pain and agony until Koji looked in a cracked reflection to see he was becoming something else entirely.
""That's it! Embrace it and let it become part of you!""
As the pain started to ebb Koji had realized his eyes, hair, nails and even his face had changed to where he had become half man and half beast.
Koji felt his senses enhance by a thousandfold before he screamed with all his might as Hatasho faded away with a smile as the walls of darkness around them shattered.
""Good luck Koji, make us proud""