A few hours had passed, and by that time the sun was rising, the cold, midnight air had only grown colder, and snow had reached knee-level.
"So, you're telling me, the governor has the Divine Item you need to enter this 'Starless Void'?" Rei asked, riding on an extremely displeased white tiger's back, "And here I was, thinking things weren't going to be needlessly complicated…"
"It won't be that hard to get it," Duran replied, "He's trapped himself in the caverns. The problem is, though, that he may learn of the Luminous Branch's capabilities."
"What are the capabilities of the Luminous Branch?" Bōshi asked, "Like, what does it do?"
"Well, it comes from a place called, the Jade Sea. Which… isn't the best of places to be. Let's just say, from there sprout rivers of jaded blood that contain even the flesh of experienced swordsmen and warriors from across the lands, and the Luminous Branch itself, well..."
"I guess you could call it a key for a 'spatial door'. Allowing you access to places you absolutely cannot venture into. Places that can change you. That is why people most of the time avoid those types of items. But, and especially for me, such is the price of knowledge."
"Huh?"
"What is this?" Hinote asked as they stood before a great iron gate, leading deep into an enormous stone wall.
"The Underground Ruins of the Devil's Citadel," Duran responded, "Where the governor hid himself. It was found long ago by him and is said to be an abyss, where the most vile of creatures lie."
For some reason, from those words, Shuku was reminded of the chasmic pit he was thrown into for so long during his youth.
"Let us head in, and head in quickly."
•••
"Ugh… I can't see a thing!"
"Me neither!"
"Hinote! Rei! Shut the fuck up!" Kyōji yelled, "You've been moaning about that for the past thirty minutes!"
"…Hmph," Rei muttered, "Such crude words are only befitting of a dog."
The underground ruins were dark and treacherous, yet huge enough to even fit in Duran with ease. The rock that made up the cavernous walls was pitch black, and for some reason, somewhat soft. It felt like they were walking on piles of bodies.
"Quickly. The stench of death draws near."
Following Duran's words, the young leaders, as well as Shuku, Nuru and Lilac entered the actual abyss and saw a black hell.
"It's so dark…"
"Don't worry."
Rei ignited his blue fire, and they could all experience the sight of this ebony hell for themselves, and, they were all left speechless. Below the black cliff on which they stood, they barely managed to see an opaque sea of murky, thick and bloody water that seemed to be full of beasts, beasts that they had never seen before.
This black sea expanded beyond what the eye could see.
However, Shuku saw a few monsters which he was familiar with. He was especially familiar with the Wyrm, which wandered around the closest side of this black sea. But, this Wyrm was bigger, largest and far more fearsome than any other beast he had ever seen so far.
"Gah!"
Suddenly, it turned its head in their direction, and so did the other beasts too. They smelled the scent of fresh meat, that they have been longing for since the day they were born in this black hell.
"They've spotted us. Let's go." Duran told the others before he bellowed towards all the fearsome beasts in the area.
They awakened at once.
Duran jumped down, collecting all the force and power in his punch as he could, before landing and killing several of these hellish beasts at once. His followers joined soon after, slaughtering all the beasts they could.
"Ha! I've been waiting for this!" Kyōji cried out, as he charged forth and manhandled the first beast he laid his eyes on.
The others followed suit, and yet, Shuku remained at the top of the black cliff, with, of course, Seiji.
Something doesn't feel right. Those beasts are unnaturally strong. And, there's something I feel in the black sea, that… almost resonates with something within me.
Shuku shook himself out of his thoughts.
"No… I shouldn't be afraid, no matter what it is. I won't die here."
With those words, Shuku leapt with force, and while summoning his katana from the blood-split from the beasts, he unleashed a whirlwind of sword slashes, reducing a large area around him to dust.
Then, in front of him only remained a Wyrm. Coincidentally enough, it was the same beast he had noticed, stalking one side of the black sea.
The beast that seemed like the fusion of a serpent and a horned four-legged beast charged, roaring obscenely, and smashed the ground to bits, spewing strange dark matter and a gaseous substance from the ground.
"Urgh…"
Shuku dashed forward, clashing with the Wyrm. Its sharp claws barely scraped and gashed his skin, while his blade sliced through its scaly fur countless times, yet it remained unaffected.
How?! Shuku thought, as he gritted his teeth in frustration, I thought I could do this… What happened to the excruciating pain I went through, and the countless scars that I have that remind me of the deaths that were by my hands?! Still, I haven't yet gained the strength to graze my Father, let alone kill him!
"No, I WILL succeed!" Shuku yelled.
He impaled the Wyrm with his katana and forced it into the beast's body even further. The Wyrm clawed at his body ferociously, but he ignored it, as his Eyes of Wrath were to be revealed once more, in their full glory.
"Bathing" in the split blood of this black hell, he created a crimson moon once more. And with the arrival of that red moon, flesh contorted, bones melted, and the brain was reduced to sludge. That was the power of the Bloodmark, the power he had yet to fully realise and utilize.
Then, with one final slash, the Wyrm's body was left as nothing but the remains of smouldering flesh.
"Ah, so that's the oldest's power?" Rei murmured, as blue flames consumed one of the last horned bats, "Back when I first met him, I truly thought he was just a fool who acted tough. Good to know that, no matter what, the son of an Oni is also an Oni."
"Though, I don't think he can…" Rei cut himself off, as he noticed Duran and the Arcane Seekers approach the black sea.
"This is it," Duran spoke, "A large and powerful maelstrom which the previous governor escaped into. It has corroded the land and distorted everything. It is something that has seeped through that veil of the unknown."
"And, it is also something…"
"…That even Destined Ones find hard to escape."
Unexpectedly, in a sudden, planned motion of action, Duran thrust Shuku, Rei and Nuru into the depths of the black sea, leaving them to be garbled and distorted, in turn sending them to a strange place warped in space.
And, such power to warp the perception of space itself could only belong to one of such items, the Divine Items, and specifically, the Luminous Branch, which was in the hands of a man who took the form of vengeance. With the body of a black beast, with eyes as red as a sea of blood and a blackened body that covered entire mountains, he was a manifestation of hatred.
Wracked wholly with helpless fear, and yet, he tried his utmost to shield that vulnerability with a bout of crazed anger.