"In a world full of light, there's no place for shadows like us. But shadows have their own power... a power that light will never understand." - Kurotsuki Moonfang
It was dark. Amidst the darkness, Aki saw a shadowy figure. "You... you are..." The figure turned around. It was just a dark silhouette with a wide, sinister grin. "Long time no see, Aki. You could use some help, couldn't you? If you want, I can give you the power you need." Aki's expression turned furious. "Akuma... no! I'll fight with my own strength, got it?!" Akuma's grin widened. "You know my offer always stands, right? You just need to call for me."
Moonfang Arc
Episode 16 - Echo of Loss (Part 2)
Slowly, the young man opened his eyes. His head ached. Everything was blurry for a moment, and a loud ringing filled the fighter's ears. Gradually, his vision cleared, and Aki could think straight again. "What... happened?" The young man was tied to a large wooden post with ropes. When he turned his head to the right, he saw Tatsuo, who was also bound to a wooden post. "Aki, you're awake! Thank goodness!" But they weren't the only ones here. All around them were many other fighters dressed in dark cloaks they knew all too well. As Aki looked around further, he noticed they were in the large courtyard of an old, abandoned castle ruin.
Suddenly, one of the men stepped forward and removed his hood, revealing a tall, menacing figure with long, black hair tied back in a ponytail. One of his eyes was hidden behind his hair. His eyes glowed a sinister purple. This man, also wearing the black cloak of the Moonfang Sect, was none other than the leader of the sect, Kurotsuki. "You are awake." His voice was cold and grim, as expected from a sect leader. Aki immediately tried to break free and yelled, "Why are you doing this?! What do you want from us?! You can have me, but leave Tatsuo out of this!" Jinrai suddenly appeared behind Aki, moving at incredible speed. "You better keep quiet and show some respect to Master Kurotsuki!" He raised his long sword, ready to kill Aki. But Kurotsuki's voice echoed, "Stop, Jinrai."
The blonde fighter immediately halted and withdrew to Kurotsuki's side. "You want to know why we're doing this? Very well, I'll explain. Long ago, before I was the leader, we were led by a strong warrior with noble motives. His name was Shinigami, and he was the third bearer of a demonic module. He was the leader of the Seers and a founding member of the Kenkai as we know it today. But an incident occurred, and Shinigami was banished and exiled from the Kenkai for his differing views. But that wasn't the end of it – the new leader of the Seers, Tommy Josta, decided to banish Shinigami to another world and seal him there. We of the Moonfang Sect want to free Shinigami from his eternal seal. And that's where you come in, Aki. The exit is blocked by a barrier. This means one can enter, but not leave. With Akuma, we might be able to break the barrier and finally free Shinigami. But for that, Aki Hayashi, you must die."
After a brief pause, Kurotsuki moved behind Aki's post. "We should begin. Jinrai, untie Tatsuo." Without hesitation, Jinrai moved behind Tatsuo's pillar and released his bonds. Kurotsuki did the same with Aki. The boys could have fought back, but they chose not to. After all, the members of the Moonfang Sect not only outnumbered them but were also overwhelmingly strong. They had no choice but to wait for the right moment.
However, something unexpected happened. Gunshots rang out, and one sect member after another fell. "Yamato, they're here!" It was Maki, who had come with Yamato to assist in fighting the regular sect members while he took on the leader himself. Instantly, the Sentinel instructor leaped down the wall, sprinting quickly across the courtyard. About halfway, he suddenly drew his sword and swung it forward, revealing Jinrai, who was cloaked in shadows, attempting an ambush. "Save your tricks." Jinrai fell to the ground, unconscious. Yamato rushed forward, where he saw the leader of the sect. His eyes widened, and his breathing grew heavy. "Is that... you, Kurotsuki?"
Yamato and Kurotsuki had once fought for the Kenkai together and had been very close friends. But Kurotsuki had vanished without a trace, and everyone assumed he was dead. "Well, well! Yamato, what a reunion!" Without hesitation, the Sentinel leader drew his katana again, ready to confront his former friend. But Kurotsuki raised his hand, which glowed a bluish hue. Yamato recoiled. "That's..." Kurotsuki's grin grew wider. "Yes, this is the portal to the world where Shinigami is sealed. I'll make sure our fight is fair by clearing away the pests, right?" Yamato gritted his teeth. "DON'T DO IT, KUROTSUKI!" But it was futile. Kurotsuki snapped his fingers, and beneath Tatsuo's feet, a massive portal opened. The earth warrior instantly fell into the portal. "TATSUUUO!" Aki, who was standing next to him, lifted his feet. He couldn't let Tatsuo go alone to face Shinigami… he couldn't. So he jumped after him, and Aki was also drawn into the portal.
The portal closed. For a moment, there was silence. "This can't be..." Yamato fell to his knees. "What... what have you done... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, KUROTSUKI?!" With a broad grin, the sect leader simply said, "I just made sure the demon finds his new home." Yamato rose. "I understand why you sent Aki there, but why Tatsuo? Was it really necessary to send them BOTH?" The swordsman's face turned serious. "The Sentinels are like my sons and daughters to me. For this, you'll pay, Kurotsuki."
Yamato stood there, sword in hand, his eyes filled with rage and pain, as Kurotsuki watched him with a mocking smile. The sight of his old friend, now his enemy, weighed heavily on Yamato's heart. This man, once his comrade, had cast Tatsuo and Aki into the dark depths of the sealed world, revealing a ruthless side Yamato had never seen before.
"I never thought it would come to this, Kurotsuki," murmured Yamato, lifting his sword, the blade reflecting the cold light of the courtyard. Kurotsuki shrugged, as if indifferent to the tragedy he had caused. "Oh Yamato, why so dramatic? Everything I do serves a higher purpose." With those words, he opened a portal before him, a dark, gaping abyss. Then, he stepped through it nonchalantly, reappearing behind Yamato without a sound.
Yamato reacted swiftly, turning to block Kurotsuki's attack. Sparks flew as their blades clashed. But Kurotsuki took the opportunity, opening another portal above Yamato, and a dozen smaller portals appeared rapidly around him. Shadow attacks, like daggers made of pure darkness, flew from each portal. Yamato spun around, deflecting the attacks, but Kurotsuki only laughed.
"Why do you fight, Yamato? All your emotions and memories are mere weaknesses. Look where they've brought you. Tatsuo is lost, Aki as well – all because of your attachment to this worthless order and these lost ideals," Kurotsuki sneered.
"You understand nothing, Kurotsuki!" Yamato shouted, lunging forward, the fury in his eyes blazing like a fire driving him on. His sword flashed in a series of precise strikes as he tried to hit Kurotsuki, but time and again, Kurotsuki would slip through a portal and evade him.
In one moment, Kurotsuki appeared to Yamato's left and struck. Yamato parried, but as he countered, Kurotsuki had already slipped through another portal behind him and attacked again. Yamato was panting, his concentration tested as Kurotsuki circled him mercilessly, striking from new directions each time. Every attack, every opening, and every cut through the air was a reminder that Kurotsuki had turned into a dark adversary, a man Yamato once called "friend."
"Why, Kurotsuki?! Why did you have to choose this path?!" Yamato's words burst out as he blocked another blow, unable to hide the pain and anger in his voice.
"Why? Because the world, as it is, was never good enough!" Kurotsuki yelled, opening yet another portal above Yamato. "You're blinded by your loyalty, Yamato. They're just children, pawns on a game board that's long surpassed you. They must fall to make way for something greater!" He swung his sword, and Yamato dodged, but a strike grazed his shoulder, leaving a bloody line.
Yamato stumbled, the pain flaring through his arm. But the fire in his eyes didn't die. He focused, feeling the grip of his sword in his hand. "Those children are stronger than you'll ever understand," Yamato growled, his voice shaking with fury and determination.
He leapt forward, aiming straight for Kurotsuki. Kurotsuki lazily raised his hand, opening a portal right in front of Yamato and closing it at the same instant, so Yamato struck into emptiness. The void felt cold and endless, but Yamato pushed his will through it with all his might. He sensed Kurotsuki in the portal, right behind him, ready to strike him from behind.
With a determined roar, Yamato lifted his sword, aimed at the center of the portal, and swung with all his strength. The blade struck the portal, and in an instant, a surge of energy burst through as the portal shattered. A powerful blast echoed through the courtyard, and in the explosion of the portal, Yamato felt his blade make contact with Kurotsuki.
Kurotsuki gasped, his body frozen as Yamato's sword pierced him. The darkness in his eyes began to fade, and for a brief moment, the old friend within him seemed to reappear. His hand twitched as if he wanted to say something, but his lips remained silent.
Yamato withdrew his sword, and Kurotsuki slowly sank to the ground. Blood flowed from his mouth as he tried to crawl away on all fours, like a wretched insect fleeing from a predator. Step by step, Yamato followed, ensuring that Kurotsuki heard him. After each step, he took a brief pause, planting his sword in the ground beside him before continuing. "Kurotsuki... No matter what happens... No matter how many times you're reborn... I will always find you... and kill you each time... over and over again... I am your worst nightmare... I am the monster that always lurks in the darkness... I will do this so many times... until you are finally in hell... And when you're in hell... I will follow you... and kill you once more... So be reborn with this knowledge... and live in constant fear... because no matter how much time passes... I will... always... find you."
Kurotsuki turned, only to see Yamato gazing at him with a soulless, emotionless expression. The sect leader let out a pitiful, final scream as Yamato delivered the finishing blow.
Dark energy flowed from Kurotsuki's heart into Yamato's katana, and he collapsed to the ground. Tears streamed from his eyes, and he dropped his sword, covering his face with his hands. A loud, anguished scream echoed as the last of the sect members fell, and Maki quickly ran to offer Yamato her support.
Aki and Tatsuo plunged headfirst into the bright tunnel, flung from the reality they knew into an unknown liminal realm. A dazzling spectacle of lights and shapes flickered around them as they glided through the seemingly endless expanse of the wormhole.
"AAAAH! What's happening?!" Tatsuo screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice full of panic as he desperately tried to grasp onto something solid. His gaze was frantic, the environment nothing more than a blinding chaos.
Aki, who was falling right beside him, looked over and tried to stay calm. "Calm down, Tatsuo! We're going through a wormhole – a kind of link between worlds. This... isn't like our normal world."
"A... wormhole?" Tatsuo still looked confused, but Aki could see him gradually finding some comfort in his friend's words.
"Yes! Yamato told us about this," Aki explained as they continued speeding through the tunnel. "A dimension consists of a main world and infinitely many other worlds that exist like... pockets in space. And sometimes, these worlds can also be deliberately created – often for specific purposes."
"That means...?" Tatsuo's eyes widened as he grasped the significance of these words. "That means we could be falling straight into a world full of dangers?"
Aki nodded gravely. "Exactly. In this case, Shinigami's world. People who are sealed away all end up in their own worlds."
Before they could think any further, Aki spotted a blinding light speeding toward them from the corner of his eye. "Damn it, Tatsuo! We have a problem!"
From the sky of the tunnel, a massive, blazing ball of plasma shot down, its heat and power so overwhelming that it filled the entire wormhole with bright, wavering light. "That's a Karot! It's meant to wipe out all life between worlds!" Aki's voice was intense, sending chills down Tatsuo's spine.
"So... it's chasing us?!" Tatsuo looked back in panic, seeing the Karot drawing closer as they plummeted through the tunnel at a frantic pace.
"Exactly! We have to move faster!" Aki shouted, beginning to increase his speed as if sheer effort could propel him further. Tatsuo followed his lead, but the Karot surged closer with relentless heat and force.
Their race through the wormhole became an epic, death-defying chase. The Karot loomed dangerously close at regular intervals, its scorching presence nearly tangible. Aki and Tatsuo dodged nimbly, following the twists of the tunnel, spinning into sharp turns, and slipping through narrow gaps.
Suddenly, Aki felt the heat of the Karot dangerously close and called to Tatsuo, "Now! Give it everything!"
With a final burst of energy, they surged forward, and in a decisive moment, they managed to evade the Karot one last time, spotting a dark exit ahead. With a synchronized leap, they reached the edge of the wormhole and were pulled into the dark world of Shinigami with a feeling of liberation.
The Karot crashed against the tunnel's end, sending out a blinding shockwave as the portal closed. Breathless but alive, Aki and Tatsuo stood in the eerie darkness of the new world – exhausted yet filled with determination to face the threat of Shinigami.
Aki straightened up. The sky was blood-red. The entire world consisted of nothing but a narrow path leading to a small castle. Nothing else existed but emptiness.
Aki and Tatsuo exchanged a serious look before carefully stepping onto the narrow path leading them to the ominous castle. The emptiness around them was oppressive, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting only for them. Every step echoed in the strange silence as the red sky loomed ominously above them.
Arriving at the large, creaking gate, they pushed it open together. The dark, cool hall beyond was dimly lit – a faint, eerie glow shimmered on the stone walls. They slowly continued through the empty space until they reached a throne room.
On a massive throne, shrouded in dark shadows and silence, sat a grim figure. His silhouette was imposing, and his pitch-black eyes seemed to look right through them. A thin mouth curved into a sinister smile, chilling Aki and Tatsuo to the core. Here, in the world of the damned, they now faced the infamous Shinigami – the being they had never wanted to meet.
"I... have visitors?"
The long-awaited battle with Shinigami finally begins! The arc is nearing its end. This is indeed the FINAL battle of this arc. Stay tuned, as the climax of the Moonfang Arc is almost here.
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Stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to share your thoughts and feedback in the comments. See you next time!