The city trembled under the weight of their clash, the night sky illuminated by bursts of dark energy. Xion charged at Kurai Chuku, his fists clenched with such force that blood began to seep from his knuckles. As he reached the towering demon, he delivered a devastating punch aimed squarely at its chest.
The impact sent Kurai crashing into a massive oak tree, splitting the trunk in half. Without hesitation, Xion lunged again, his rage fueling his movements. He landed another blow, hurling Kurai across the city. This time, the demon slammed into the side of a hill, carving a deep crater into the earth.
Kurai growled, its glowing eyes locking onto Xion. With inhuman speed, it vanished, reappearing behind him. Before Xion could react, the demon delivered a thunderous kick to his back, sending him hurtling through multiple high-rise buildings. Each collision sent concrete and glass flying in all directions, but when Xion emerged from the rubble, his expression remained unshaken.
He smirked, wiping dust from his face. "That all you got?"
Kurai roared, its massive form charging toward him like a freight train. Xion sprinted forward to meet it, his movements a blur. As the distance between them closed, he poured his energy into his fist, dark flames igniting around it. The sheer intensity of his power made the air vibrate.
With an earth-shaking roar, Xion struck Kurai with such force that the ground beneath them cratered. The demon was sent flying again, this time skidding across the battlefield before coming to a stop, motionless.
Xion didn't let up. He raised his hand, summoning a shimmering barrier around the demon. The barrier crackled with destructive energy, designed to crush anything trapped inside. Kurai snarled, slamming its fists against the translucent walls, but the barrier held firm.
For a moment, it seemed like Xion had won. But with a deafening roar, Kurai's immense power surged, shattering the barrier into shards of light. The backlash pushed Xion back a few steps, but his grin only widened.
"Not bad," Xion muttered. "But not good enough."
Before the demon could charge again, Xion extended his hand, channeling all of his energy into one final attack. The ground around him cracked, and the air grew heavy with power. As Kurai rushed forward, Xion lunged, his entire body glowing with raw energy.
The punch connected, a blinding shockwave erupting from the impact. Kurai froze, its form flickering like a dying flame. The demon let out a guttural roar before its body began to dissolve into ash, each particle scattering into the wind.
Xion stood amidst the destruction, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. The ashes of Kurai swirled around him, carried away by an unseen force.
"Pathetic," Xion muttered, wiping the blood from his fist. He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, where the ethereal stream system appeared once more.
[Congratulations, Xion. Kurai Chuku has been defeated. But this is only the beginning. Prepare yourself—greater challenges await.]
Xion rolled his shoulders, his grin returning. "Let them come. I'll destroy them all."
The winds carried away the last remnants of Kurai as Xion stood tall, ready for whatever came next.