"All Life Is The Same… We Are Born To Walk Through The Hell That Is Fate, Only To Be Met With The Inevitable Promise Of Death At The Inescapable End"
Back At The Dance Between Kaida And Hotoke!!!
Back Inside The Southern Tribe, Hotoke Summons His Uncharted Domain To Shift The Tide Of This Battle…
Hotoke(Slowly): Kyokai Ido: Kyoukai Mugen Jigoku (Boundary Of The Limitless Hell)!
Kaida(On Guard): ?!
Suddenly A Barrier Cutting Out A Small Part Of Space And Time Around Them Begins To Take Form… As Everything Around Them Turns Pitch Black.
Then The Sky Inside Of The Domain Turns Blood-Red With A Crimson Star At The Center, And Thorny Spikes Erupting From The Ground Protruding From A Blood-like Liquid.
And Suddenly, Screams Of Tormented And Dead Souls Echo Around The Domain With Black Spectral Soul's Flying Around The Sky With Glowing Yellow Eyes.
With Hotoke And Kaida Staring Each Other Down, As Hellfire Comes Directly Toward Kaida In An Attempt To Incinerate Her Soul…
However Due To Kaida's Ability To Control Fire And Even Absorb It's Properties, Her Flame Dancing Rends Her Body And Soul Immune To Fire Based Attacks.
Hotoke(Calmly): I Will Now Kill You Within This Realm… And You Will Die Like The Helpless Little Girl You Are…
Kaida(Internally, Hesitant): This Is The Realm Shift Technique, A Technique Many High Ranking Sorcerers Have Mastered… I Can't Use It Because It Requires The User To Have A Understanding Of Themselves And The True Essence Of Their Soul… So In Other Words…
Kaida(Internally, Hesitant): I May Not Make It Out Of This Fight Alive… Chikai, Mother… Lend Me Your Strength.
Kaida Takes A Deep Breath, Flames Spark Underneath Her Bare Feet As She Sweeps Her Right Foot On The Ground And Swinging Her Hands With Grace While Flames Ignite In Her Palms.
Hotoke Gestures His Hands As The Spikes In The Ground Shoot Up At Kaida And Attempt To Immobilize Her… As Kaida Slaps Away The Spikes And Kick Them… Snapping Them In Two As She Then Channels The Flames Generated From Her Body Into The Spikes…
Kaida(Focused, Chanting): Blaze Release: Flaming Thorne Prick Technique!!!
The Spikes Then Get Sent Flying Toward Hotoke As He Doesn't React And Allows The Spikes To Penetrate His Body… Hitting All Of His Spirit Energy Pressure Points…
Kaida's Eyes Widen, As Hotoke Looks At Her With Dead Eyes… And No Visible Reaction To The Thorns Attacking His Pressure Points.
Kaida Activates The Fire Imbued In The Spikes As They Begin To Ignite And Burn Through Hotoke's Body And Burn His Spirit Energy Flowing Through His Entire Body…
However…
Kaida(Confused, Eyes Widened): ?!
Hotoke(Slowly, Grim): Kaida… If You Think Such Cheap Tricks Are Enough To Kill Someone Who's Already Dead… Think Again.
Kaida(Eye Lids Lowered, Internally): Already Dead?! What The Hell Is He Talking Abo-
Kaida(Eyes Widened): ?!
Suddenly, Hotoke Rips Off His Upper Body Clothing As Intricate Black Curse Marks Are Shown Across His Torso… With Ancient Language Writing On Each Of His Arms…
And Small Skull's On The Back Of Each Of His Hands.
**Right Arm Reads**
"Boundless Rage"
**Left Arm Reads**
"Eternal Suffering"
Hotoke(Chanting, Grim): Soul's Of The Dead… Rise Once More, To Enjoy The Thrill Of Battle… And Devour The Living.
Suddenly, The Black Spectral Soul's Swirling In The Blood-red Sky Dive Toward Kaida. Their Howls Grow Louder, And Their Yellow Eyes Glow With An Intense Malice. They Circle Her, Whispering In A Forgotten Tongue, Their Voices Filled With Dread And Despair.
Kaida(Panicking, Internally): What The Hell Is This?!
Hotoke(Slowly Walking Toward Kaida, Grim): You Can See Them Can't You?…
Suddenly The Faces Of The Spectral Soul's Begin To Warp To Resemble That Of Kaida's Late Sister And Many Other Women From The Southern Tribe Two Years Ago…
Kaida(Dreadful, Panicking): Chikai?!
Hotoke(Menacingly, Malicious): The Souls Of The People Your Weakness Killed… You Hid Behind A Wall Of Fear And Left Your Sister To Fight By Herself Because You Are And Always Will Be A Coward Who Can Never Become Her Own Leader…
Kaida(Panicking, Internally): I… I Didn-
Hotoke(Grim): And Just Like How You Weren't Strong Enough To Defeat Me Like Your Sister… You Ran To Seek Out Malum's Vessel In Hopes That "It" Would Help You Fight A Battle That You Are Two Weak To Put An End To Yourself.
Kaida Then Begins Spinning Around Rapidly, Creating A Rotating Flaming Barrier Around Her Which Send's The Soul's Flying Backwards… As The One Which Resemble's Chikai Lunges At Her, It's Claws Outstretched To Tear At Her Flesh.
Kaida Leaps Into The Air, Spinning As Her Feet Become Engulfed In Flames…
Kaida(Focused): Phoenix Style: Searing Wing Ascension!
With A Swift Motion, Kaida's Fire Flares, Forming Massive Wings Of Flame That Slash Through The Spectral Spirits, Disintegrating Them On Contact. Kaida Then Opens Her Mouth And Inhales The Heat In The Air…
Kaida(Internally, Focused): The Heat In The Air Is So Strong, It's Hard To Breath… It Feel's As If It's Burning My Lungs Every Time I Breath!
Hotoke Then Focuses His Spirit Energy At His Feet… As He Jumps Up, The Ground Beneath Him Erupts With Lava Rising Up!
Almost Reaching Kaida, As She Lets Out A Breath… The Heat In Her Body Burning Off The Clothes On Her Torso… Leaving The Bandages Covering Her Chest…
Kaida(Internally, Exhaling): Heatwave!!!
Suddenly, A Sum Of Fire Shoots Out Of Kaida's Mouth Directly At Hotoke… Hotoke Dodges But Just Barely, As The Heatwave Causes A Massive Explosion Causing The Barrier Enclosing The Domain To Crack!
Hotoke Reaches Kaida As The Two Clash Fist, The Spirit Energy Within Each Of Their Fist Clashing And Mixing, Causing A Chain Reaction Upon Impact As An Explosion Envelops The Entire Time-Space Domain…
Kaida And Hotoke Continue Their Clash, Their Fists Causing Ruptures In The Space Around Them… As Kaida Finally Manages To Land A Punch On Hotoke, But…
Kaida(Grunting, Surprised): ?!
Kaida(Grunting, Surprised): It Didn't Even Damage Him?! In Fact… I Don't Feel His Soul In His Body!
Hotoke Then Places His Hand In Front Of Kaida's Face… His Face Expressed With Nothingness…
Hotoke(Grim, Unfazed): You're Thinking… Why Aren't Any Of My Attacks Affecting Him?! I Can Feel Doubt And Fear Seeping Into Your Mind, As Many Thoughts And Strategies Cloud Your Mind.
Hotoke(Grim): This Is My Domain… You Are Powerless Here! Try As Many Attacks As You Wish… And Burn Away You're Spirit Energy, Wasting It On Wishful Thinking Of Killing A Soul That's Already Dead.
Kaida(Grunting, Serious): What The Hell Do You Mean, A Soul That's Already Dead?!!
Hotoke(Sighing): Something So Simple To Understand, Yet You Cannot Grasp Its True Meaning.
Kaida(Shouting, Panicking): What The Hell're You Talking About?!!
Hotoke Then Plants His Palm Onto Kaida's Stomach As The Rune Symbol On His Palm Spreads To Kaida's Body…
Kaida Tries To Move Her Arms, But…
Kaida(Internally): I Can't Move My Body?!
Hotoke(Serious): The Brain Sends Signals Through Out The Body In Order For You To Be Able To Move Your Limbs… If I Kill All Energy And Disrupt The Signals In Your Body, You Are Dead.
Hotoke(Serious): In Order To Emerge Victorious In Battle, You Must Understand What It Means To Truly Be Dead, But Someone Who Hasn't Lived A Life Of Truth, Can Never Understand Death… So Allow Me To Teach You.
Hotoke Then Lands A Heavy Punch Onto Kaida's Stomach Which Sends Her Flying Back into The Ground… As He Then Appears On Top Of Her In The Blink Of An Eye… And Stomps Her Into The Ground…
Hotoke(Grim): Since Your Body Is Temporarily Dead, You Cannot Feel Any Pain… Lucky For You, You Can Die A Painless Death.
Hotoke Then Summons A Sword With Dark And Shadow Like Aura Formed As The Blade…
As He Lowers It To Kaida's Stomach, And It Goes Clean Through… The Curse Mark Extending Throughout Her Body… As She Lets Out A Heaven Piercing Scream…
As Hotoke Goes For The Finishing Blow… Suddenly, A Familiar Katana Crept Upon His Neck…
Hotoke's Eyes Shift Behind Him, As He Grunts…
Jason(Coldly): That's No Way For A Father To Treat His Own Kid.
Jason Waste's No More Energy On Words And Then Kicks Away Hotoke… And Sends Him Crashing Through The Barrier Encasing The Domain, Ultimtely Destroying It And Bringing Them Back To The Southern Tribe.
As Hotoke Stands Up And Looks Around… Suddenly, Jason And Kaida Are Already Gone.
Hotoke(Grunting/Calmly): Dammit… We Need To Make Our Move Soon.
Suddenly, Hotoke Look's Behind Him As He Feel's An Ominous spirit Energy And See's None Other Than Yaku Standing Behind Him…
Hotoke(Grim): Where The Hell Have You Been All This Time?
Yaku(Grinning, Nonchalantly): Me? I Wanted To Join in On The Battle, But You And Asami Hogged All The Spotlight… By The Way, I Was Betting Against You Winning Against Malum's Vessel And Your Kid… hahaha.
Hotoke(Coldly): You Seem To Be Enjoying Yourself… Think This Is A Game? Listen. I Already Distrust You… So Tell Me…
Hotoke Then Stands Right Beside Yaku, Facing The Opposite Direction while Close To His Ear.
Hotoke(Coldly): Should I Kill You Here And Now… Or Should I Trust That You Aren't A Threat?!
Yaku's Eyes Then Drop… As His Smile Then Changes To A Frown, Taking On A More Serious Expression.
Yaku(Nonchalant): Do What You Think Is Best… But If I Were You. I Wouldn't Trust Me Either… The Real Question Is…
Yaku(Nonchalant): Let's Make A Bet… Who Do You Think Would Win… You, Or Me?
Yaku(Coldly): If You Think You're Up For It, I Await Your Challenge.
Then Yaku Walks Forward… His Unserious And Nonchalant Expression Returns, As An Ominous And unreadable Smile Creeps Back Onto His Face Once More…
Yaku(Chuckling): I'm Just Messin Man… Calm Down… After All, There's No Way I Could Beat You In A Fight… But That Would Be A Great Gamble To Bet On Wouldn't You Say?
Yaku(Calmly): I'm Gonna Head Off Now, And Investigate Deimos And Asura's Whereabouts And letcha Know If I Find Anything.
Hotoke Turns As He Watches Yaku Walk Off… An Expression Of Uncertainty Etches His Face…
Distrust Between Two Tribe Leaders, How Will This Effect Their Teamwork Going Forward… And What Is The Mystery That Surrounds Yaku?!!
To Be Continued In Chapter 66…