Kurayami stood tall on the arena, facing Hanae Shimizu.
She was known to be one of the best in the elite class, a disciplined and ambitious student, capable of using impressive elemental magic.
Their eyes met, and the tension became almost palpable.
Kurayami (thought): "I must win, not only to prove my worth, but also to honor Madam Kuroda's training."
His heart racing.
He knew this fight wouldn't be easy, but he had no choice but to give it everything he had.
Hanae, for her part, remained calm, her face impassive.
But inside, she was evaluating Kurayami's every move.
Hanae (thought): "I don't know what he's capable of, but after what he showed against Mr. Ken, I have to take this fight very seriously"
His eyes narrowed in concentration.
The director, standing on the observation platform, scanned the arena with his piercing eyes before giving the order:
Director: "Start!"
He said in a deep voice that resonated throughout the arena.
Hanae didn't waste a second.
She formed an orb of pure aether in her hands, a sphere of luminous energy with bluish reflections.
In a flash, she leapt towards Kurayami, her attack ready to strike.
Kurayami sensed the intensity of his approach and reacted with surprising speed.
Before the attack hit him, his body disappeared in a cloud of flowing shadow, immediately reappearing behind Hanae.
His movements were as fluid as water, but his gaze burned with fierce determination.
Kurayami (whispers): "Appears… Kurotsuchi…"
His katana materialized in front of him in an explosion of purple light, vibrating with a dark, heavy energy.
Hanae, sensing the danger emanating from this blade, hurriedly turned around, but the aura emanating from Kurayami's katana was so overwhelming that she felt her legs tremble slightly.
Hanae (thought): "This… This is much more powerful than I imagined…"
From the top of the stands, Ms. Kuroda observed the scene, a proud smile on her lips.
Ms.Kuroda (thought): "He has already mastered the appearance of his katana. A good start, but he's going to have to learn how to use it better."
The aura that enveloped Kurayami continued to grow, radiating around him.
The pressure was so much that even Hanae, used to intense fights, had difficulty staying on her feet.
She didn't back down though.
Realizing that she had to take the lead, she channeled her aether and summoned an immense water dragon.
The creature snaked above the arena, its scales glinting in the daylight.
In one fluid motion, the dragon opened its jaws, spewing a high-pressure stream of water towards Kurayami.
The roar of the attack echoed throughout the arena, and the power of the water was such that even spectators could feel its force.
Kurayami, still calm, raised his katana just in time to intercept the jet.
But the power of the attack was such that it threw him violently backwards, cracking the stone beneath his feet.
He rolled several meters before stopping, his body shaking from the impact.
Kurayami (thought): "If I hadn't managed to stop him, I would probably be dead."
Hanae, seeing her opponent on the ground, thought it was over.
She approached slowly, cautiously, but convinced that she had won.
However, just as she was about to proclaim her triumph, a movement caught her attention.
Kurayami, his clothes in tatters and his body covered in scratches, slowly stood up.
His eyes burned with determination.
Kurayami (whispers): "I won't fall so easily…"
With a jump, he launched into the attack.
He faked a left katana swing, hoping to fool Hanae.
The latter, trapped by the feint, prepared her defense, but Kurayami disappeared in a flash of shadow, reappearing on her right.
Before she could react, he swung his katana into the air and delivered a direct punch to her face.
Hanae, destabilized, was thrown backwards by the violence of the blow, her body rolling on the floor of the arena.
Kurayami leapt into the air to retrieve his katana, but at that moment, something inside him snapped.
A vision suddenly came over him.
Kurayami found himself in a completely black world, where only a faint flickering light shone in the darkness.
His body was chained, pulled in all directions by imposing chains.
The air was heavy, oppressive, and he felt a threatening presence around him.
???: "Free me, Kurayami…"
A voice whispered in the darkness, deep and hypnotizing
He searched for the source of the voice, but all he saw was black.
Kurayami: "Who are you?"
???: "I am you, Kurayami. We are linked, you and me. Take me… take your katana, and we will be free…"
In front of him, Kurotsuchi, his katana, appeared floating in the air, enveloped in an ominous purple glow.
Kurayami felt a strange connection with this entity.
The power he felt was immeasurable, but he hesitated.
Kurayami (thought): "This strength... it exceeds me..."
Back in the arena, Kurayami gripped the hilt of his katana tightly.
His eyes had become darker, and a menacing energy emanated from him.
The aura of his katana merged now with its own power.
The air around him crackled with black and purple energy, and his mana had taken on an almost tangible form, surrounding his body in a terrifying halo.
The atmosphere changed suddenly.
Kurayami's aether had become so powerful that everyone in the arena, spectators and fighters alike, were forced to bend their knees under the pressure.
Ms. Kuroda, still from the stands, smirked.
Ms. Kuroda (thought): "I was wondering when he was finally going to do his little show."
Kurayami, in the air in the middle of the arena, reached out his hand towards Hanae, still on the ground, her katana still in hand.
Kurayami: "Explose, Kurotsuchi!"
A gigantic ball of fire, tinged with black and purple, appeared before him, spinning with devouring intensity.
A gigantic ball of fire appeared before him, black and purple, spinning with devouring intensity.
The heat emanating from this ball was suffocating, burning the air around it.
With a swing of his katana, Kurayami sent the attack directly at Hanae.
Hanae tried to react, forming a barrier of water around herself to protect herself.
But the fireball exploded on contact, destroying his defense in an instant.
She was thrown out of the arena with incredible violence.
His body hit the ground, motionless, unable to continue the fight.
Silence reigned over the arena for a moment, before the murmurs of the spectators were heard.
Kurayami, panting, covered in sweat and wounds, remained standing, his katana in hand, victorious.
In the stands, teachers and students were stunned by the power that Kurayami had just demonstrated.
Mrs. Kuroda, proud of her student, looked at Kurayami with admiration.
The fight was over, but Kurayami knew it was only the beginning.