The Rampaging Beast
After Yusuko regained consciousness, a terrifying aura began to emanate from him. Yusuko grabbed his sword, and his eyes turned red. His veins were bulging, and his massive sword was covered in ice.
It was as if a warrior had risen from the dead.
Yusuko charged at me with everything he had, trying to kill me. With every strike of his sword, ice exploded violently. I managed to dodge all his blows easily, but if it were someone else, their body would've been sliced in half with a single strike.
The battle between the two intensified.
Akayama held the upper hand, regardless of how seriously Yusuko took the fight. Akayama was fighting mockingly, and it was obvious—he didn't respond to a single blow, only dodging all the attacks with ease. Until Yusuko stood still, seriousness etched on his face, his hands wrapped in energy, and he quickly unleashed a devastating strike. The blow was powerful enough to pierce through four mountains. The dust covered the area due to the force of the blow, and Akayama didn't appear at all.
After a while, Yusuko thought he had killed Akayama, so he decided to leave. But suddenly, in a blink, Yusuko was surrounded by a circle of flames. His eyes widened when he saw that Akayama hadn't been scratched—not even once.
Akayama smiled as a blood-red aura surrounded him, signaling a terrifying power on the verge of exploding.
Anger appeared on Yusuko's face, a powerful energy began to pour from him, and the ice began surrounding him. The fire circle that had surrounded him froze completely.
Akayama moved at an incredible speed and initiated an attack on Yusuko. In a flash, Akayama dodged Yusuko's strike and punched him in the face, causing Yusuko to fall to the ground.
Yusuko was shocked; he realized he couldn't defeat Akayama and knew there was only one option left.
The ground began to shake entirely. I felt that this aura was not a human's—it was the aura of a beast. I looked at Yusuko and found that his form had begun to change. He had sharp fangs, and his hands—and every part of his body—were covered in ice.
I took a fighting stance, realizing that the battle from now on would be entirely different.
Ice began to erupt from everywhere, sharp as honed swords. Yusuko approached me, and with his hand covered in ice, he delivered a powerful blow toward me.
I couldn't dodge it, but I managed to block it.
Yusuko tried to repeat the strike, but this time I decided to release a part of my power, and I was able to withstand the second blow—which was even stronger than the first—by clashing with him with a strike of equal force.
Yusuko raised both his hands, and the blow was aimed directly at me. He struck the ground with great force, causing it to split beneath my feet. Rocks tumbled down, but I managed to escape at the last moment. However, just as my feet settled, he suddenly appeared before me and delivered a direct blow to my chest.
But this time... I couldn't dodge it. Not even block it.
Blood flew from my mouth, and I coughed violently as I staggered backward. I drew my sword, and the red aura around me intensified in density and savagery. Yusuko tried to retreat a step, but I appeared before him with lightning speed, my sword in hand, now seemingly covered in blood.
The true clash between us began—sword against sword. The pressure from our strikes was destroying the surroundings. With every clash, Yusuko began to spit out a little more blood, little by little.
He launched icy arrows toward me, which I easily dodged, then moved behind him instantly. At that moment, I discovered his weak point... With a focused strike, a red aura burst from my sword toward his chest—the only area not covered in ice.
Yusuko's Perspective:
Yusuko thought to himself:
It seems I will die in this battle...
From the beginning, I felt that the one before me was not merely human... but a ruler. But now? He's more dangerous than a ruler.
I must know what this being truly is...
Signs of frustration and despair appeared on his face. He realized that throughout the battle, he had been completely helpless.
He was fighting a monster with no connection to humanity...
Every strike he delivered was either blocked or dodged with ease.
At that moment, Yusuko understood the true gap in their power.
Yusuko unleashed all his strength and wrapped his sword with energy. He laughed hysterically and said:
"It seems this is the end."
I drew my sword and decided to show my full power.
At that moment, as Yusuko attacked Akayama, time seemed to slow for him... as if everything moved in extreme slow motion. He sank into his thoughts, and his past flooded before his eyes — how he had sacrificed everything for the empire's prosperity, how loyalty had been his guide. Yet in the end...
He was betrayed.
Betrayed by the emperor himself.
He realized then that the rulers had never cared for humanity, and that everything he had done... was meaningless.
And just before the clash, Yusuko remembered the first and most important law of the samurai: Die with honor.
A terrifying collision occurred between Yusuko and Akayama.
The sky changed, and the earth was on the brink of collapse.
Both were spitting blood from the sheer pressure. Yusuko released his full power, while Akayama used only a quarter of his.
Suddenly... a massive explosion roared.
And in the blink of an eye, Akayama split Yusuko's body in half with his sword.
With the same strike, seven mountains behind him split apart, showing the terror hidden within that power.
Yusuko's blood drenched Akayama's entire body. Akayama smiled faintly and said in a cold voice:
"You shouldn't have been so hasty."