"The Dragon's Last Dance Against Death Begins"
Kaida And Hotoke Stand Off, For Their Final Battle!!!
Hotoke(Grim): Since You Wish To Die So Badly, Then I'll Grant You're Wish… Girl!!!
Hotoke Rushes Up To Kaida, His Figure Vanishing Momentarily… In The Blink Of An Eye, He Appears In Behind Kaida, And Throws Two Fingers At Her Neck!!!
Kaida Takes A Deep Breath, And Quickly Turns Around And Slaps His Arm To The Side… And Summons Flames On Her Palms, which She Then Slaps Him On His Side, Which Sends Him Back A Little!!!
Women In The Distance(Surprised, Hopeful): It's Kaida… Chikai's Younger Sister, She's Come Back For Us!
Meanwhile, Hotoke Grunts In Pain… As Kaida Sweeps Her Feet Across The Ground, Blue Flames Forming Underneath Her Feet… As She Enters Her Fighting Stance!
Hotoke(Grunting, Annoyed): Don't Get Cocky, You Goddamned Brat!
Hotoke Then Runs Up To Kaida And Tries To Kick Her Leg… Kaida However Quickly Backs Her Leg Up, And Throws Her Other Leg In To Kick Hotoke In His Side!
Hotoke Catches Her Leg, But Before He Can Even Do Anything… Kaida Brings Her Other Leg In To Kick Him In His Face!
Woman(Surprised): She's, Actually Beating Him!!!
Kaida's Kick Sends Hotoke Flying Back Into An Already Burning Hut…
Kaida(Serious, Urgent): You Three, Get To The Flame Faction's Village… Follow The Path Down The Woods!
Hotoke Then Gets Up, And Before Kaida Can Perceive Him… He Fly's Full Force Into Kaida And Punches Her In The Stomach, Sending Her Flying Into The Air!
As Kaida Focuses Her Eyes, She Looks Around And Doesn't See Hotoke… Then Suddenly, Above Her Hotoke Drops Down… Attempting To Land A Kick, Then Suddenly, Hotoke Looks To His Left And Sees A Boiling Beam Of Blood Coming His Way… Which Pierces Through His Shoulder!!!
Hotoke Looks Down To The Left, To See Jason Himself Who Had Shot The Technique At Him!
Jason(Internally, Focused): Selene Taught Me This Technique Months Ago, Yet I Still Can't Increase Its Damage To The Same As Her's.
Jason Then Blink's And As He Opens His Eyes, Suddenly Hotoke Disappears…
Jason Quickly Turns His Head, As Hotoke Appears Behind Him And Thrusts His Arm Straight Through Jason's Chest!!!
Jason(Coughing Up Blood, Eyes Widened): ACK!!!
Jason Then Gets Sent Flying Straight Back To The Ground, And Crashes Into A Dojo!
As He Stands Up, His Chest Instantly Regenerates… And He Looks Around In The Dark Dojo, And Suddenly… A Staff Is Thrown Straight At Him.
Jason(Sighing, Unsheathing Sword): This Is Pointless Ya Know?
Azreal Then Steps Through The Shadows, Holding Onto Some Blades Connected To Chains Wrapped Around Both His Arms.
Azreal(Scoffing): If You Truly Wish To Save People, Why Do You Cling To Life Knowing That The Longer You Live, The More People Will Suffer??? I Wish To Hear You're Answer.
Jason(Eyes Determined, Firm): If I Die, Who's To Say Malum Won't Eventually Be Revived Yet Again, And Just Continue This Cycle Of Curses Caused By People's Lust For Power???
Jason(Serious, Eyes Gazing Into Azreal's): Tell Me Which Would You Prefer? Me Getting Rid Of All Those Who Bring Chaos And Death To Innocent People, And Then Die Alongside Them… Or Die Now, Even Though I'm The Only Shot This World Has At Survival For What's To Come?
Azreal(Pacing Around The Room, Slowly): What Do You Mean, What's To Come?
Jason(Looking Down): Do You Honestly Think, That Even If I Die Right Now, And Take Malum With Me… That This'll All Be Over?! You Say That While People Such As The Grand Elder, Deimos And Adira… Even The Corrupt Tribe Leaders Such As Hotoke Out There Still Walk Around Using Their Power To Control People?
Azreal(Scoffing): I Am Azreal… Hunter Of A Hundred, My Sole Purpose For Existing Is To Kill Demons And Devils Alike… Why Should I Work With One, Viewed As Evil By The Entire Universe?
Jason(Holding Up Sword, Gaze Intensified): I Don't View Myself As Good, Even Though It Was Malum Who's Possessing My Body That Killed All Those People And Children… I'm Still At Fault For All Those Lives Lost, So Yeah. I Am Evil, Evil Who Doesn't Deserve Ta Live.
Jason(Serious): But Sometimes, You Should Use Evil To Defeat Evil… And If I Were You, I Would Choose The Lesser Of Two Evils.
Azreal Then Swings His Blade That's Attached To The Chains On His Arms At Jason… Which Jason Dodges, But The Chain Wraps Around One Of The Pillars Holding Up The Dojo, Azreal Pulls The Chain As The Ceiling Above Jason Falls…
Jason Dodges Again, But Azreal Then Appears In Front Of Jason And Kicks Him In The Stomach!
Jason(Internally, Grunting): Those Chains Wrapped Around His Arms, This Weapon Is The Type You Would Use For Long Ranged… In This Small Space, He's Putting Himself At A Disadvantage! It Must Be A Weapon That Packs A Shit Ton'a Power!
Azreal Throws The Blade Directly At Jason, However Jason Catches The Chain Attached To It And Yanks On It, Pulling Azreal Up To Him!!!
Jason Then Lands A Powerful Punch On Azreal's Face Which Sends Him Flying Outside And Through Multiple Buildings!
Meanwhile, Over At Another Section Of The Southern Tribe… Aaliyah, Selene And Aria All Continue Guiding The Children To Safety, As Hundreds Of Sorcerers Surround Them!!!
Child(Crying, Voice Cracking): Ohmigod!!!
One Of The Sorcerers Launches A Fireball At Them, While Aaliyah Stomps The Ground Which Causes The Ground Beneath Them To Rise Around Them, Closing Them In And Blocking The Fireball!
Selene Then Jumps Out!!!
Selene(Chanting, Voice Calm): Supreme Art: Hazy Moon Technique.
An Ethereal Moon Appears Above The Area… As Hazy Mist Begins Rolling In…
Moon-Like Orbs Begin Circling Around Selene, Rapidly… As The Divine Energy Radiating From Selene…
Selene Then Extends Her Arms, One Hand Above The Other… As The Spinning Moon-Like Orbs All Go In Between Her Hands, And Merge Forming A Powerful Spiraling Orb.
Selene Then Fires The Technique At The Sorcerer, The Beam Moves At Speed's Surpassing Even Light…
Before They Can Even Put Their Defenses Up… The Technique Explodes, Kocking All The Sorcerers Unconscious!
Selene(Serious): If I Were Trying To Kill The Lot Of Ya… That Technique Would've Destroyed Every Last One Of You… Though I Should Kill You For Attacking These Kids.
Aria(Internally, Evacuating Kids): Miss Selene's Kinda Scary When She's Pissed! That Technique She Used Wasn't Even At Max Output, Yet It Did That Much?!
Fifteen Minutes Later, The Three Then Meet Up With The Women Of The Southern Tribe!!! The Kids See Their Parents, And Rush Up To Them… Giving Them Hugs, The Parents Embracing Their Kids.
Boy(Sobbing, Tears Of Joy): Momma… Sis!
Woman(Crying, Eyes Closed): My Babies… I'm Here!
Woman(Crying, Looking Up): Thank You Three… So Much!
Aaliyah(Slightly Smiling): Your All Welcome, Now We Need To Get You All Out Of Here… It's Not Safe Here.
Woman(Tense): Wait! Kaida Is Still Fighting Hotoke!
Suddenly, Everyone Comes To A Pause… The Gravity Becomes Heavier, As Everyone Drops To Their Knees!
As Hotoke And Kaida Drop To The Ground, A Streak Of Red Light… And Black Light, Drop Down Sending A Shockwave Through The Area!
Kaida Drops To Her Knees, Her Face Covered With Scars And Blood… And Strands Of Her Hair Covering Her Eyes… While Hotoke Stands In Front Of Her, His Red And Black Haori Down… Revealing The Black Curse Mark Pattern, Flowing Across His Torso And Both His Arms.
**Hotoke's Left Arm**
永遠の苦しみ(Eternal Suffering)
**Right Arm**
無限の怒り(Limitless Rage)
Hotoke(Chanting, Firm): Tamashii No Mon! (Gate Of The Soul)
Kaida(On Guard, Eyes Focused): ?!
Suddenly, A Portal Opens On Hotoke's Stomach… As Spectral Spirits With Yellow Eyes Fly Out, And Directly At Kaida!!!
Kaida Swiftly Dodges, Sliding On The Ground With The Blue Flames Beneath Her Feet! A Spirit Grabs A Hold Of Kaida's Shoulder And Screams In Her Ear!!!
Kaida(Grunting, Eyes Widened): Shit!!!
Kaida Then Puts Her Fingers At The Spirit's Head, With Blue Flames Casing Them… As She The Fires, The Blue Flames Consume The Spirit!
Hotoke(Running Toward Kaida, Internally): Her Technique's Have Improved… She Managed To Burn Away An Intangible Spirit In One Shot! I Have To Hurry Up, And Kill Her!
Hotoke(Reaching Hand Out, Running Toward Kaida): Saisei No Yiba! (Blade Of Rebirth)
Hotoke Then Absorbs The Departed Spirits As They Form Into A Dark Red Spectral Blade In His Hand!!!
He Then Slashes Through The Air, And Sends Out A Projectile Slash Toward Kaida, Moving At Speeds Faster Than Light!
Kaida Gets Low To The Ground And Barely Dodges, As The Energy From The Blade Cuts Her Hair Shorter… And Slices Right Through Buildings In The Area!
Kaida(Grunting, Internally): Those Curse Marks On His Body… That's What He Used Against Me Before! In The State That He's In Right Now, I Can't Kill Him.
Kaida Then Puts Makes A Hand Seal, Resembling A Bird.
Kaida(Firm): Honō no Hōō Jutsu (Blazing Phoenix Art!!!
Blue Flames Then Emerge From Kaida's Body And Rises Up Above Her, And Form Into A Blue Blazing Phoenix, With Yellow Eyes!
Kaida Then Spills Out Red Fire From Her Finger Tips, And Swings It Around!!!
Kaida(Serious): Flame Whip Technique!
Kaida Then Swings The Flaming Whip At Hotoke And Grabs Him, She Then Pulls Him Up And Slams Him Into The Ground!
Before Hotoke Can Even React, The Blazing Phoenix Drops Down Onto Him With Rapid Speeds!!!
Hotoke(Grunting): Dammit!
As The Phoenix Crashes Into Hotoke, A Massive Explosion Covering The Entire Sky Erupts!
Aria(Watching, Tense): I Can Still Sense His Spirit Energy!
Woman(Watching, Shaking): Why Is She Fighting Him By Herself? Shouldn't You Three Be Helping Her???
Aaliyah(Shaking Head, Firm): We Can't Do That. If We Step In, We'd Just Be Getting In Kaida's Way, And She'd Never Become Her Own Leader If We Kept Helping Her… Also, She Asked Us To Protect You All… And Leave Him To Her.
Child(Scared): *Shaking*
Aria(Looking Down, Smiling): Don't Worry… Kaida's Going To Win.
The Child Looks At Aria's Eyes… The Bright Eyes Of An Angel, Sparks Hope Into The Soul Who's Nearly Lost All Hope!
The Smoke Clears, As Kaida Drops Down On One Knee… Looking Ahead Of Her, While Letting Out Ragged Breaths.
Kaida(On Guard, Focused): That Can't Have Been Enough To Kill Him-
Hotoke(Grinning, Ominously): Kyokai Ido: Kyoukai Mugen Jigoku (Boundary Of The Limitless Hell)!
Kaida(Eyes Widened, Grunting): !!!
The Environment Around Them Begins To Shift… Everyone Stands In Fear, As All The People Around Kaida And Hotoke Begin Getting Dragged Into The Sub-Space Alongside Them!
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…
Kaida(Firm, Grunting): You Rotten Piece Of Shit!
Hotoke(Voice Slow, And Chilling): Now We're In My Domain… You Can't Protect Them, And Fight Me At The Same Time!!! You'd Better Act Fast!
Kaida(Eyes Widened): ?!!
The Spectral Sprits In the Sky Then Begin Flying Straight Down Toward The Women And Children, They All Scream In Terror And Fear… Kaida Attempts To Shield Them, However Hotoke Intercepts Her And Punches Her Back Into A Stone Wall!!!
Kaida(Panicking): No… Dammit!!!
Before The Souls Can Reach The Civilians… Aria Puts Her Hands Up, And Shoots Out A Bright White Beam Of Light From Her Hand's. Which disintegrates The Spirits.
Hotoke(Unsettlingly calm): How Lucky Of You Girl… Once Again Unable To Protect Any-
Before Hotoke Can Even Finish His Sentence, Kaida Immediately Teleports In Front Of Him, And Punches Him In The Face… The Fire In Her Eyes Burning Brighter With Rage!
Unwilling To Relent, Kaida Sends A Barrage Of Fire Coated Punches Into Hotoke… And Suddenly, He Coughs Up Blood!
Hotoke(Coughing): Hak!!!
Hotoke(On One Knee, Internally): What?!! I'm Coughing Up Blood? Impossible… She Shouldn't Be Able To Harm M- I Get It Now. Those Blue Flames, This Whole Time, They've Been Attacking My Soul… Is She Aware Of The Fact That I Can't Maintain This "Dead Soul Form" For Too Long?!
Kaida(Slowly Walking Up To Hotoke, Firm): After Our Last Two Battles, I've Had Time To Memorize And Analyze You're Abilities, Also Befo- No, Never mind… You'll Find Out Soon Enough!
Hotoke(Grunting, Blood boiling): YOU BITCH!!!
Hotoke Rushes Up To Kaida Recklessly, Kaida Then Lands A Powerful Knee To His Stomach, As He Coughs Up More Blood!
And Sends Him Flying Back… Hotoke Keeps His Balance On The Ground…
Hotoke(Internally, Looking At Curse Mark's): Four More Minutes… I'll Have To Stall Her Until Then!
Hotoke Then Dashes Straight Toward Kaida' Bypassing Her Perception… He Appears Behind Her, And Plants His Hand On The Back Of Her Neck… And Suddenly, She Feels A Throbbing Sensation, As She Kicks At Him, And He Flips Away!
Kaida(Rubbing Neck, Serious): What The Hell Was That?!
Hotoke(Grinning, Eyes Darkening): Tell Me Kaida… Do You Wish To Know How You Die?!
To Be Continued, In Chapter 77…