Nitish braced himself as Lust stepped back, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. The demons surrounding the seven deadly sins stirred, their collective energy filling the air with an electric hum of anticipation. Nitish tightened his grip on his katana, feeling the pulsing rhythm of the lightning element coursing through the blade. He was outmatched, outnumbered, and untrained—but he was not out of options.
His mind raced, pulling from the countless hours spent absorbed in anime, where he had lived vicariously through characters who wielded impossible powers with effortless grace. In his past life, those moves had been fantasies, idle dreams of a bored teenager. But now, with the power of the Primordial Bloodline at his command, those fantasies felt within reach. If he could turn his imaginings into reality, even for a moment, he might stand a chance.
Wrath, impatient as ever, roared and lunged forward, his blazing sword arcing through the air with a fury that threatened to consume everything in its path. Nitish sidestepped, barely dodging the searing heat that radiated from Wrath's blade. He could feel the heat singing his skin, the air around him shimmering with the intensity of Wrath's anger.
Nitish's heart pounded in his chest, a rapid staccato that matched the frantic tempo of his thoughts. He needed to keep moving, to stay one step ahead. His mind flashed back to his favorite character, Zenitsu, from Demon Slayer. The Thunder Breathing technique—a series of precise, lightning-fast movements that could turn even the weakest swordsman into a formidable opponent. Nitish hadn't mastered it, hadn't even practiced it outside the confines of his imagination, but he had seen it enough times to understand the basics.
He took a deep breath, steadying his racing heart, and felt the thunder in his veins respond, buzzing with anticipation. He lowered his stance, his muscles coiling like springs ready to unleash. In his mind, he visualized Zenitsu's movements: quick, sharp, and decisive. Nitish closed his eyes for the briefest moment, channeling all his focus into the flow of energy surging through him.
Then, he moved.
Nitish's body blurred, propelled by the raw power of the lightning element. He darted forward, his katana slicing through the air with a crackling hiss. The first form of Thunder Breathing—Thunderclap and Flash. He struck with all his might, the blade moving so fast it left trails of electric blue light in its wake.
Envy was the first to fall. The demon's eyes widened in shock as Nitish's katana connected, slashing through her hunched form with a precision that belied his lack of formal training. The blade cut deep, severing her right arm in a single, fluid motion. Envy staggered, a scream tearing from her throat as her stolen powers flickered and faded, leaving her defenseless. Nitish didn't pause to revel in his success; he pivoted on his heel, his momentum carrying him straight into Gluttony's path.
Gluttony roared, his massive form barreling forward with the unstoppable force of an avalanche. Nitish barely had time to react, the demon's sheer size and weight threatening to overwhelm him. But Nitish was already moving, his katana a blur of motion as he slashed at Gluttony's bloated belly. The blade bit into the demon's flesh, tearing through layers of fat and muscle with a sickening squelch. Gluttony bellowed in pain, his momentum faltering as he clutched at the gaping wound. Nitish used the opening to drive the katana deeper, twisting the blade as he forced it upward through the demon's torso.
The system dinged, the sound cutting through the chaos like a clarion call. Nitish's status window flashed, and for a split second, he glimpsed the words he had been longing to see: Skill Unlocked: Basic Swordsmanship. It was a small victory, but one that sent a surge of confidence coursing through Nitish's veins. His level was too high, the damage too great for his opponents to withstand. The power of his blows, coupled with his newfound skill, turned every strike into a critical hit.
With Envy and Gluttony incapacitated, Nitish refocused his attention on the remaining five sins. They moved like a well-practiced unit, their powers complementing one another in a deadly dance that threatened to close in around Nitish from all sides. Pride circled to his left, her manipulative aura pressing down on him like an invisible hand, while Greed's form shimmered and shifted, his liquid gold body a constant reminder of the wealth and power he could snatch from others. Sloth's lethargic aura tugged at Nitish's limbs, trying to slow him down, to sap his energy and will.
Nitish's mind raced, drawing from every piece of knowledge he had gleaned from his favorite shows. He thought of Eminence in Shadow, of the protagonist's ability to step through darkness, to move unseen and strike from the shadows. Nitish had no formal training, but his Primordial Bloodline had given him more than just the power of creation. It had given him adaptability, the ability to bend the rules of the world to his will.
He shifted his grip on the katana, feeling the weight of Sura's bones in his hands, the power of the demon king echoing through the blade. Nitish called upon the shadows, the dark spaces between the flickering torchlight and the oppressive stone walls. He willed himself to disappear, to merge with the darkness like a wraith. His form flickered, phasing in and out of sight, until he was nothing more than a whisper on the edge of perception.
The shadow step carried him behind Pride, her arrogant smirk vanishing as she spun to face empty air. Nitish reappeared behind her, his katana already in motion. The blade cut through her back with a crackle of thunder, the lightning-infused strike sending arcs of electricity coursing through her body. Pride screamed, her manipulative aura shattering like glass as Nitish's attack severed the invisible threads of her power.
Wrath, incensed by the sight of his comrades falling, charged at Nitish with all the fury of a blazing inferno. His sword swung wide, the blade trailing embers as it carved through the air. Nitish met the attack head-on, his katana clashing against Wrath's with a resounding clang that sent sparks flying in all directions. The force of the impact rattled Nitish's bones, but he held his ground, his muscles straining as he pushed back against Wrath's overwhelming strength.
Nitish's system dinged again, the notification cutting through the din of battle. Skill Unlocked: Intermediate Swordsmanship. Nitish's movements grew sharper, more refined, each swing of his katana imbued with the precision and speed of a true swordsman. He deflected Wrath's blows with practiced ease, the once-clumsy attempts at mimicry now honed into deadly efficiency. Every strike, every parry, every dodge felt fluid, instinctive, as if the knowledge had always been there, lying dormant within him.
Wrath growled, his frustration mounting as Nitish matched him blow for blow. Nitish could see the cracks forming in Wrath's composure, the once unbreakable façade of rage beginning to crumble under the relentless assault. Nitish pivoted, spinning on his heel as he brought the katana down in a powerful arc. The blade connected with Wrath's shoulder, slicing through armor and flesh with ease. Wrath stumbled, his fiery aura flickering as blood poured from the wound.
Sloth, seeing an opportunity, extended his influence, the lethargic aura spreading out in a wave that threatened to engulf Nitish in its stifling grip. Nitish felt the drag, the pull of exhaustion clawing at his limbs, but he fought against it, his resolve burning brighter than the malaise that sought to consume him. He took a deep breath, summoning the lightning that crackled in his veins, and channeled it into his katana. The blade glowed with a blinding blue light, the air humming with the static charge.
Nitish dashed forward, his movements blurring with the speed of Thunder Breathing. He slashed at Sloth, the blade tearing through the demon's sluggish form with the force of a lightning strike. Sloth's eyes widened, the slow, dull gaze replaced by a flash of shock as the katana cleaved through his neck, severing head from body in one clean stroke. Sloth's aura dissipated, the lethargic grip on Nitish's mind fading into nothingness.
Nitish landed lightly, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but his spirit unbroken. He glanced at the remaining sins, the demons of Wrath, Greed, and Lust still standing but visibly shaken. The others had fallen—Envy, Gluttony, Pride, and Sloth—each one a testament to Nitish's unyielding determination and the sheer force of will that had carried him through the fight.
Lust, her composure cracking, took a hesitant step back, her sword dipping slightly as doubt crept into her eyes. "What are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and awe. "No human should be able to do this…"