#Himorah The Hunter, hahaha, She may be trouble for you, Do you think you can handle her?" the voice hissed, its tone venomous and insistent, Let me in, swordsman, she is a tricky one#
"You should shut up and let me handle this," Genkei growled back, gritting his teeth.
The voice in his head chuckled darkly, though it was not exactly "in his head"—it had its own presence, its own weight.
#You will die a painful and slow death, swordsman,# it whispered with sinister glee.
"Are you done talking? Just Shut Up!" Genkei roared aloud, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
Asakai glanced at him from where he struggled to regain his footing. "Who are you talking to?" he muttered, bewildered,
but his words were cut short as Himorah closed the distance between them in an instant.
Her bladed fingers struck like lightning, impaling him clean through the stomach.
"Whooo!" Asakai gasped, the force of her blow staggering.
"I forgot to thank you for leading me to my prize," Himorah sneered, her smile cruel and triumphant.
She withdrew her hand with a sickening squelch, letting Asakai crumple to the ground, his blood pooling around him.
Himorah turned her piercing gaze to Genkei, who had already taken a defensive stance. Her laughter rang out, mocking and arrogant.
"You? This frail, aging man?" she said, her voice dripping with contempt.
"How could someone like you earn such a reputation in the demon world? Slayer of the Demon King? Killer of demons? Hah! You're a joke!"
She flexed her bladed fingers, letting them stretch unnaturally to cover the distance between them.
With a wicked grin, she lashed out. Genkei parried the attack with practiced precision, leaping out of range.
But Himorah was relentless. She teleported behind him in a blur, aiming to drive her claws through his back.
Genkei spun just in time, evading her strike and countering with a slash of his own. She narrowly dodged but managed to land
a solid kick to his ribs, sending him skidding back.
"I must say," she said, her voice filled with mocking admiration, "you're better than I expected. But not good enough!"
With a scream of rage, she unleashed a torrent of red lightning from her palms. The crackling energy surged toward Genkei,
threatening to obliterate everything in its path. But Genkei summoned the protective force of the White Dragon Serpent,
its shimmering energy coiling around him and deflecting the blast.
Himorah's patience snapped. She let out an inhuman shriek, her attacks growing wild and reckless as she sent wave after wave of demon
lightning toward him. The ground erupted in flames and smoke around them, but Genkei stood firm, parrying each strike with unwavering focus.
The voice cackled . #You've left an opening, She'll carve your head off and mount it as a trophy!#
But this was no mistake. Genkei had set a trap, luring her in. Himorah, blinded by rage, fell for it. She lunged forward, aiming for the killing blow,
but Genkei's sword was already waiting. With a swift, precise strike, he drove his blade through her heart.
"Hah! You're…" Himorah began, but her words faltered. Her body convulsed as her form disintegrated, burning into bright red ashes.
Moments later, she was gone, her essence scattered into the wind.
Genkei sheathed his sword with a steady hand, but his moment of calm was interrupted by a weak, pained voice.
"Help me… please… anyone…" Asakai's voice was faint, barely audible.
The voice within Genkei growled, dripping with malice.
#Let him die. He's a hunter, just like the rest of them. He'll come for you again. His death is honorable. put your sword through his heart and be done with it.#
Genkei clenched his fists. He knew the voice was right—Asakai was a threat. But something inside him refused to abandon the man to his fate.
"Now Why would I do, Why would I ever listen to you, demon?" Genkei muttered under his breath. Ignoring the voice's protests, he knelt down and lifted Asakai onto his back.
The swordsman groaned weakly, but he clung to life.
Genkei tightened his grip and began walking, leaving the ruined battlefield behind.