Einz looked intensely at Koutetsu, his glaring eyes looking at the new form Koutetsu made on the spot. Koutetsu himself was flashing his shark teeth at Einz, the shark mentality made him see Einz as a meal to feed the overwhelming hunger inside him rising up.
"Get ready Einz, I'm not sure how much I can control myself. But it's going to be a feeding frenzy."
Koutetsu leaped to Einz, Einz swung his sword, but the bone blades stopped it, letting Koutetsu grab one of Einz's arms, biting deep into the arm ripping a piece of his armor and flesh off.
Einz grunted from the pain of the teeth ripping into him, the jagged edges of the shark teeth tearing into his body added more pain. He swung at Koutetsu again, but Koutetsu dived into the sand before the sword hit him. Einz looked around, he was surveying the area for a sign of Koutetsu, a hint to where he popped up, he looked at the last second to see Koutetsu dart out from the ground biting his left shoulder pauldrons, then slashing his back right on the spinal cord, taking another bite of Einz's arm again.
Koutetsu backed off after biting the armor, he was munching on it ravenously with drool dripping down his mouth. Einz sensed something was different with Koutetsu, he wasn't acting like a martial artist, but more like a rabid animal seeing red.
'Eat, eat, eat, eat, EAT!!!!'
Koutetsu jumped to Einz's body taking the position of a human torpedo, Einz tried to block the charge with the blunt side of the sword as a shield. Koutetsu bounced off it, he plunged the bone blades into the trapezoid area of Einz's upper body, he again grunted in pain from the long blades delving deep into his body reaching almost past his rib cage from the inside. Koutetsu bit into his shoulder again ripping the shoulder off completely. Einz tried to yank him off, Koutetsu in response ripped many fingers off his hand and then took a large chunk off his right bicep area before being thrown off.
'EAT, EAT, EAT, EAT!!!'
Megumi and Barnaby watched the carnage before them. Megumi looked concerned for Koutetsu while Barnaby couldn't believe the ferocity he was emitting in the fight. Nothing like Koutetsu at all during school training.
"Oye Meg, what's up with your pupil? Is it me or does he seem more bloodthirsty than you were before?"
"That's Megumi, Yankee. And yeah you're right he is. That shark personality is taking over. Koutetsu just harnessed a shark's traits and instincts. Without proper refinement of the animal he mimics, the dominant side can take over. Sharks are one of the most dangerous species considered to be an Apex Predator. More than likely the one he must have linked to is a tiger shark."
"What's that mean for him?" A confused Barnaby asked.
"Bad news is what for that Knight and Koutetsu. Tiger sharks are powerful, they are known for being one of the most infamous man-eaters among the shark family, with teeth specifically meant for shearing anything they bite, the damage they do is immense and near irreversible. I know I fought one before during my Deity of Killers training when I was a kid and I almost died from it. Right now Koutetsu's personality is leaning into the shark's mindset, he's not gonna stop till he eats that Knight alive."
"Dios Mío!" Barnaby shouted in bewilderment. He was now worried about who was the most dangerous in this fight, Einz or Koutetsu.
Einz panted from the exhaustion of pain throughout his body, he could see Koutetsu's face. The widened smile flashing the bloody teeth, the blank stare in the black eyes. Einz could see Koutetsu was trying to devour the whole just like the Ghasts did to everyone.
"Eat…."
Einz could hear it in the rough violent tone of his voice. Koutetsu was trying to speak with the little sanity he had in him.
"Eat…eat..you….Im gonna….EAT YOU ALIVE!!!!"
In a small scream launching face Koutetsu used Unseen Leap to bite the side of Einz ripping out three ribs in the process.
Tsurara who was guarding Megumi and Barnaby looked saddened seeing her master become so evil in the master. It was like her witnessing her father Byakurai in the same mindset when he was overcome with rage the day Raimei was killed along with her brethren.
"Master. Please. Stop. Don't give in. Please. Don't become like Pappa."
Einz needed to get some grounding he was getting more tired by the minute from all the pain bombarding his body. A weakness he hated, once a Ghast evolved into a DreadKnight they regained their sense of feeling. It allowed them to feel close to humanity to increase to power and knowledge but backfires in that they can feel pain. Even a Grand Lich can as well being all bone.
Einz signaled to Koutetsu to follow him as he levitated in the air and flew into the wood line to regain some of his stamina back and an area less open for Koutetsu to take advantage of. Koutetsu followed in pursuit with wicked small laughs, diving into the ground as he 'swam' to Einz, the bone blades cutting up everything in his path as a shark fin in the water. He caught up to Einz who stood patient waiting for his opponent to challenge him again.
Koutetsu leaped at Einz, the bone blades were quick and wild, forcing Einz to spend his time blocking them with his sword or throwing punches, he could hear Koutetsu cackle like a maniac as he tried to cut Einz down to eat him more.
Koutetsu disappeared again with Unseen Leap, Einz stood his ground waiting patiently for Koutetsu to pop up again. Koutetsu did, his open palm at Einz's face glowed from gathering flames into a small explosive shot.
The flames exploded in the style of a flash-bang grenade, followed by a palm strike to the face plate of the helmet. Einz was knocked off balance, and Koutetsu bit into him again on his neck ripping off his trap muscles in the process. He then took another bite to the opposite side. Einz followed slamming the pummel of the sword into Koutetsu's back trying to break his hold.
Koutetsu kicked himself off, his teeth stained with Einz's dark blood. Koutetsu looked crazed, his breathing was erratic, and the lust to eat Einz was powerful.
"Poor child, you threw away your heart as a warrior to end me. One should be careful when fighting monsters unless one becomes a monster themself."
Einz threw the sword deeper into the wood line, he used his power to grab Koutetsu's throat dragging him along for the ride. Koutetsu slashed away crazed at the arm pulling him, he broke free finally when he jammed the blades into the ground stopping the momentum.
Einz pulled his sword back to his side, he dashed to Koutetsu swinging it with fury. Koutetsu would dodge instinctively to avoid the blows, but soon he stopped dodging altogether. He was letting himself get hit now, the flames would repair him, but the amount he was taking was becoming too reckless even with the flames helping. He would bite and shred at Einz's body and then take a eat in return, Einz would try and repair himself to regrow his fingers to hold his sword better and fight back. It was a back-and-forth battle between who was more willing to die to dominate the other. In one strike, Einz swung his sword aiming for Koutetsu's legs, Koutetsu jumped aiming his mouth at Einz's face. Einz in turn swung upward, but to his surprise, Koutetsu caught it with his teeth, he then jumped on top of the sword, running taking a piece of Einz's faceplate off.
Einz planned for this, he sacrificed his faceplate to get ahold of Koutetsu's throat when he saw the opening, he was squeezing hard on it till he would pass out from the asphyxiation. Koutetsu tried to break free, but Einz applied more pressure applying his power into his hand, he was going to make Koutetsu submit even with the damage he was receiving in the frenzy.
In the end, Koutetsu went unconscious, his arms stopped moving and his eyes closed. Einz released him as the body fell to the ground, he sheathed his sword on his back and used his power to repair all the damage Koutetsu did so his body would function better. Einz then picked up Koutetsu's unconscious body, placing him over his shoulder.
"Sleep child. Soon you shall bear witness to the one who shall inherit your identity soon."
Einz made his march to meet with his master, to deliver the prize he won. As he walked to leave with his target in tow, his legs were stopped in place, wires wrapped around them, tripping him off balance. He dropped Koutetsu as another set of wires grabbed him dragging him away from Einz.
Einz looked to see his attacker, Rina was there glaring him down as she got Koutetsu to her side. She was staying out the battle for the moment so she wouldn't expose herself for Lady Yozora to find out. She changed her mind when Einz was about to walk away with Koutetsu in tow. That made her change her mind and step in to help.
"It seems a young killer has taken up arms to me. What is your name woman of the shadows." He asked curious about who she was.
"Sorry, I don't announce my name to those I silence." Rina launched rapid strikes with her wires at Einz, he would slash each hit as if it were child's play to him. Rina was out of her league in this fight, this wasn't just above her skill level, it was a death wish at most. She threw poison darts, even smoke bombs to get Einz off balance. Einz was amused at the futility of her attacks against him. She used the nearest shadow to herself to sneak up on Einz, using the wires to strangle him from behind. He laughed in amusement as he used brute force to pull her out of the shadows, slamming her into a tree. Rina let out a small wail of pain, she staggered trying to pull herself up from the impact against the tree. Her vision was blurred as her head spun from the impact she suffered against the tree.
"Commendable for you to save your comrade. A shadow trying to overcome another. To surpass me, you must cast a larger shadow than mine."
Einz blasted a black mist at Rina, she put her mask back on to defend herself from the sudden rush of mist at her. The mist began to suffocate her, she was trying to catch her breath, Rina reached into her pouch to drink a vial of anti-poison to counter the mist. It stopped the toxins from killing her but she was still reeling from the aftereffects. The mask also had a filter inside it to help purify the air she was breathing in to avoid any more of the mist from trying to infect her.
Einz flew to her, he was looking down on her as she stared up at the eyes of darkness piercing her soul.
"Gaze into the abyss long enough child and the abyss will stare back."
Einz thrust his sword vertically at Rina, she blocked the strike with her wires, and the force behind the strike was beginning to weaken the wire's entire structure. The wires were a Yozora family specialty, surgically grafting the wires into the body. The wires were made from the silk of demon spiders with silver and magic mixed into them. They suffered many attacks and never broke or suffered a weakness. This was a first making Rina nervous about how to hold off the attacks forward.
Rina had them since she was a kid because of Lady Yozora, but she was trained as an assassin, not a fighter. Even with her staring down Einz, with her knowing she couldn't match him in power, she was defiant. Rina wasn't going to back down even when she felt she would lose, she was going to save Koutetsu even if it killed her.
"Yeah, you're right about that, but you know the difference between me and you staring into that abyss. I didn't blink." Rina stabbed Einz in his ribcage with hidden blades in her arm sleeves. Einz felt the sting from the blades including the paralysis coating on them. He wasn't affected by it, he grabbed her arms squeezing down on them till her grip was broken. Einz was impressed with her, he had respect for her not bending to the sight of death. He proceeded to telekinetically lift her up, choking her the same way he did Koutetsu.
"I praise you, woman of the shadows. You do not fear death, you've welcomed it most of your life. I sense you even attempted it to yourself. One who has been surrounded in death will make a perfect herald for us."
Einz's free hand flared in a bone-colored light, he was planning on turning Rina into a servant for him to use. Rina tried to fight him off, she wasn't interested in becoming another tool to a malevolent force. Einz grabbed her face, she was screaming in agony as the power Einz exerted over her was draining her soul, the very essence of her being sapping away.
"Hell, to Hell you go. Burn in the flames and be reborn as thy servant of thy master in the darkness."
Rina's screams echoed, her agonizing pain thundering everywhere. Einz's grip was strong, he wasn't going to let go till Rina was a shell of her former self.
"The only one going to hell is YOU A**HOLE!!!"
Einz heard the angry voice, he tried to react in time to see where it came from. Soon his hand detached, more so it was cut clean, Koutetsu had awoken and sliced off the hand at the wrist freeing Rina, he caught her from her fall and carried her away to safety away from Einz.
Rina's eyes opened midway, she could see Koutetsu, his sanity back to normal as he looked at her with his black-filled eyes showing concern for her safety.
Koutetsu sat her down, he took off his jacket and shirt to give to her as a blanket and pillow for her to rest with.
Rina was surprised he saved her after trying to leave him like she did earlier.
"Hmm, hmm, Koutetsu?" He could hear her weak voice calling out to him. He caressed her face for reassurance before standing up to look back at Einz, his back was turned to her as he stared at Einz with the killer intent.
"When this is over, you are going to explain yourself. No more disappearing on me again got it." Koutetsu scolded Rina telling her what was going to happen when this was over. He wasn't mad, he was just tired of the situations she created, he cared for her, and he wanted her to see that. "You run off again, that'll break me. I don't want to lose someone I care about again." Rina could hear the softness in his tone. She felt pained, the caringness he had for her, she wished for it her whole life, and it was standing there in front of her, making her regret everything she had done to avoid him.
Einz reattached his hand, his fingers cracking from him moving them around to test their functionality.
"So, you regained your warrior's dignity. Good, I was getting bored with this little girl." Einz said feeling better at having a more formidable foe to fight.
"Bite me, bonehead. It's not easy synchronizing with a new animal soul on the spot. Took me a few hours for the tiger when I had to fight Master." Koutetsu cracked his neck than his knuckles, he was psyching himself for round two against Einz.
Koutetsu charged at Einz, Einz swung his sword, and Koutetsu dodged in a flash,
He struck Einz in the legs with a calf kick, followed by a flying knee to the face. Koutetsu concentrated the flames in his hands into small insect-sized flickers, he used two fingers to follow with rapid strikes to Einz's vital points with the flickers popping off adding a sting effect to knock Einz off balance from his fighting style. Koutetsu followed up by hitting him with a flamed-charged corkscrew punch to the bridge of the nose area of the face plate.
"Hiyou Ryu Kaitei no Kata, Saramanda Bureiku(Salamander Break)!"
Einz fell back down from the hurt, Koutetsu wasn't going to stop now, he needed to keep the momentum, he was going to use all the forms Megumi taught him, he was going to combine them with his ingenuity to develop new techniques and take the next step to evolve the Hiyou Ryu to his on style. He was going to level up more just like the others did to beat Einz, he hit Einz next with a punch to the solar plexus area.
"Bukai no Kata." The bones in his fist were reinforced by Koutetsu's coding skill. They became hard as metal, and the impact of the punch was equivalent to a hammer striking raw material. Einz felt the full impact, his equilibrium was messed up from the punch.
"Tetsu Ken (Iron Fist)!"
Einz's vision was blurred from the hit, he tried to swing his sword, but Koutetsu dodged with his footwork and then hit him again in the same spot with the Iron Fang disabling a Ki flow point from Einz using his telekinesis again. The armor was beginning to crack more, this gave Koutetsu his chance. He used his footwork to spin his body for a strong kinetic rotation, he positioned his arm for an elbow strike. Cocking to the side, releasing at the moment of impact.
The elbow bone was reinforced as his fist had earlier into a hardened sharp point, with the flames concentrated on the spot heatining to an extreme degree.
"Bukai to Kaitei no Kata, Moeru Hachi no Hari(Fiery Wasp Stinger)!"
The strike to the broken armor point shattered the armor. Einz flew back with his abdomen area on fire. His plexus writhing in intense pain more than all the attacks he suffered since the start of the fight. It wasn't over, Koutetsu wasn't going to stop there, the bone blades heated up, and they began to vibrate themselves igniting the flames higher. Koutetsu dashed to Einz who was trying to put out the fire on his body, Koutetsu cocked his arms back, the tip of the blades scraping the ground. The bone blades swung upward, the flames making the face of a shark in a split second as the blades struck Einz's sword, creating a crack in the blade.
"Yasei Ken no Kata, Same Shureda(Shark Shredder)!"
Einz's sword took the full force of the hit, cracking from the power it was hit with. He took a few steps back, and Koutetsu did as well. He was catching his breath, steadily slowing down his breathing to get his heart rate steady. Einz was looking at his sword, he was amused at the damage he received from Koutetsu's attacks.
"Impressive boy. Not since my Master has anyone pushed me this far. Where did you learn to fight."
Koutetsu gave a crooked arrogant smile after catching his breath and spiting out of rebellion to Einz. "My Master, Kuramori Megumi. The one your brothers accused of being weak for killing a Grand Lich with black flames. Don't you dare underestimate her and the Hiyou Ryu she taught me, bonehead!"
Einz chuckled, his assumption of Megumi's abilities was wrong after witnessing Koutetsu use them to hurt him to this point. He was rarely wrong about the strengths of his opponents, this was a first in a long while. He was enjoying the moment, being strong was both a gift and a curse, especially when the level of opponents who could stand up to him was hard to find.
"I can honestly say in the time I was resurrected and given this body I've only lost one fight and had a few somewhat satisfying ones. But never have I been pushed to the point of my precious sword being damaged like this. I love for this to last. But I have my orders and I don't intend to lose to a child."
Einz steadied his sword, the forehead of his helmet hugging the blunt side of the blade.
Einz's aura blasted out, the aura shaped itself into the face of the demon surrounding him. His body began to morph, he was shrinking in size, his height near Koutetsu's including his body slimming down. His armor's gaudy appearance became a more traditional plate mail appearance and repaired itself perfectly. The half-skull ornament on his helmet grew a large curved horn on it. The sword shattered, underneath was its true form. The sword was dark black in color being thirty inches in overall length, the blade was thin and long with a slight curve. The guard was shaped an in inverted star with the middle of the star having a snake wrapping around it. The hilt was short for single-hand style of fighting, the pummel had a wing on it.
Koutetsu shook from the power he felt coming off Einz, the most from that sword of his, it seemed more powerful than Einz himself. With Einz finishing transforming himself, he looked more human now and stronger than earlier.
"This my true form, the body I seal away only to an opponent I respect, Schwarzer Knochen Jäger(Black Bone Hunter). And this sword is one of the legendary Hell Blades, Astarok. Now then, shall we continue boy."
Koutetsu wasn't going to back down, Rina was behind him hurt, and if he lost to Einz then everything Ren and the others did to defeat the other knights would be in vain. Koutetsu calmed himself. He glared at Einz with solid intent of defeating him.
"Yea, round three, FIGHT!!!"