Kozuna
My frozen fingers twitched out of nowhere. Even my eyelids started moving again. I noticed droplets of water on my fingers- the ice had begun to rapidly melt. Within moments, the ice block whooshed down to a puddle of water in the sand, and I dropped to my hands and knees, gasping for fresh air.
Flames continued crackling in the distance. They'd mostly died down in all but one direction. But there was more. My wraps were soaked, but my arms themselves were virtually pain-free. I pulled the bandaging away for a moment and peered at the wounds I'd received when I'd first battled Nikai.
The slashes have sealed shut. How did they heal? Also, why'd I suddenly thaw out?
My teeth chattered. I sluggishly took to my feet and pulled my arms together. Between the ice, my lack of movement, and the nighttime desert, the temperature had dropped well below freezing. I needed to build some body heat. And I knew just how to do it.
I turned toward the path of fresh destruction. Smoke billowed to the sky as far as the eye could see. I couldn't find Nikai or Mifune in the distance, wherever they were, but I knew which direction to go. And that was all the guidance I needed.
Senten swirled from my curse seal and shot to my feet quicker than ever. And the moment it burst, I rocketed out of the crater, flailing my arms until I roll-landed on a rooftop. My vision was shockingly clear, and suddenly, it dawned on me.
Mifune's ice must have special properties. No other reason my body feels so rejuvenated when I should be experiencing backlash, if anything. I know for sure he had another reason for freezing me, then! No way he'd turn his back on me without a thought!
I pushed forward and began regaining momentum, springing from rooftop to rooftop. I followed the long trail of destruction toward the northwestern section of The Primary.
***
Buggies sped down the battered streets. Attack choppers barreled through the smog. It seemed the entire city had mobilized to put Nikai down- to put a curse wielder down. They likely knew they'd be riding to their deaths. Wasn't like people had just forgotten about the Nazun situation, even if it got blamed on me.
Yet, I was moving faster.
I had to be careful. Many buildings had been flattened or worse. Those that still stood threatened to crumble the moment someone breathed on them the wrong way. I nearly fell through rooftops multiple times along the path of ruin. However, it didn't take me very long to catch up with Nikai. He was still inside his transformation, immobilized at the edge of The Primary. Mifune was nowhere in sight.
Nikai brooded silently, loomingover something almost indistinct. A blackened corpse lying flat against a rooftop. I could make out the shape a bit, but the body wasn't left with any distinguishable details.
Who is that? Why does Nikai look so transfixed on the body?
My glare narrowed. I tucked low and bolted over, scooping the body away as Nikai stood there motionless. My lips parted when I touched the tattered, broken torso of a child. I knew immediately who it was. Why Nikai wasn't moving. The kid's hair might've been gone, his skin might've been all but unrecognizable, and every feature that made the victim unique might've been incinerated. But there was no mistaking it.
I began hearing my own heavy breathing and nothing else. My vision started to blur as I slowly turned toward Nikai's shadowy transformation. It felt like he was waiting for my reaction. The sensitivity in my fingers had vanished by then, though. I couldn't feel even the tiniest pulse from Tyuyo.
Nikai would kill his own brother!? No matter all he's done- there's no way he would EVER stoop this low!
The whole of my body trembled in a fit of rage. "Nikai-"
I felt my hair start to stand and spark. Senten leaked into my eyes, granting my gaze a hue of blue, alongside a bright glow. I set aside Tyuyo's charred remains. In that instant, electricity erupted from every square inch of my body and blasted into Nikai's transformation within the blink of an eye.
But despite the vibrance of deep blue encasing him in a shocking irradiation, Nikai managed to withstand it. The electricity pulled down to one arm, empowering the rest of the lightning he'd stolen from me earlier.
"Heh, heh. Don't be so hasty, Kozuna."
My brow tightened in. I took a single step back, perturbed and on guard more than ever.
That doesn't sound like Nikai.
"Come on, Kozuna- don't just glare at me all day! Say something!"
Fixated on me, a sinister, jagged smile of crimson, shadow-like senten manifested across the transformation's face. It was accompanied by an equally-sinister laugh straight outta the deepest depths of hell.
"You wouldn't murder your brother, Nikai. No way in hell." I've heard Nikai speak behind the shadows before. I know for a fact this isn't him talking. But then- who could it be?" I know you're not Nikai. Who am I speaking with? What have you done with Nikai!?"
The bone-chilling, ominous laughter continued, but the crimson mouth of senten didn't shift an inch. And that didn't make it any better.
"Oh, Nikai's still in here, somewhere. He just isn't in control right now! Normally, he'd be the only one who could hear me inside his head. But I decided to take the reins. Now, the whole world can hear the glorious sound of my voice once more! "Nikai's transformation leaned closer as the crimson, shadow-eyes narrowed in on my curse seal. "That Shadow Seal of yours- now that I'm out of Nikai's head, everything is a bit clearer. Flash and Bolt. They're supposed to be separate, and they don't contain my counterparts. How curious."
I stepped away from him, cautiously grabbing Tyuyo's remains.
The fuck is he talking about?
"You mean curses? And those are Flash and Bolt?"
"No, I don't mean 'curses.' Your foolish humanity dubbed Shadow Seals as curses. But we of the demons? We call them what they truly are. That seal of yours in particular is supposed to be special. It should be two individual seals, each carrying one of my counterparts. Yet, here we are, face to face, and you have one seal, and neither demon dwelling within. You're unable to draw out the full potential of your abilities. At least Nikai's power- the Shadow Behemoth- was blessed to be the genuine article! Moreover, he gets to be MY vessel!"
This thing is a demon. Curses have demonic roots, then.
"If having something like you inside would make me kill my loved ones, I would never want that power."
The demon laughed hysterically.
"Spare me the gallantry! I'm just curious. Why would someone who has two separate Shadow Seals packed into one lack the demons they're supposed to bear!? Perhaps they were stolen before your powers first awakened? Maybe you never received them, somehow? A shame. Finding the other seals that contain my fellow facets will be a pain."
Enough of this. The situation's escalated drastically. I've gotta stop this demon, but I also need to get Tyuyo's body far away from here. If there's a chance to save his life, I have to prioritize it. Hope Mifune's alright, too. Might need his help!
I didn't wait for another word. I gripped Tyuyo and gritted my teeth. I turned my back to the enemy for once and darted away, hearing the demon's devilish laughter in the background. It didn't seem he planned to give chase. The demon turned the Shadow Behemoth around and continued his departure from The Primary.
"Heh! Don't fret; that child is no longer any concern of mine, Kozuna! His life has already ended. If only you'd gotten here sooner! Maybe you could've saved the kid's life!"
Pure evil. I'll defeat that monster myself!
"It's not over 'till I say it's over," I muttered, springing away as far as I could.
Gotta find someone who can help Tyuyo!
***
"Kozuna!"
Hold on, Tyuyo! J-just- breathe! Just keep trying to breathe!
"Kozuna!"
My eyes lit up. Someone had called my name, and I stopped moving the moment I hit the next rooftop. I twisted around until I found the remains of a downed chopper. Several of my friends and allies, alongside Izanai, were there. Most of them lost the smile they'd gained when they saw me once they saw what I was carrying.
"Kozuna? W-what is that?" Anari slowly asked, eyes wide.
My lips pursed tightly. I stood there in silence, handing Tyuyo off to Yvira.
"Kozuna. What. Is. That?"
"Th-this is-" Yvira trembled. She dropped Tyuyo in a nervous fumble and backed away. "Tyuyo!"
Anari indignantly hurried to his side. "Wait- what?"
"If there's anything you can do to help him, Yvira, Zara, do it." My eyes quivered. I turned away from the group. "I'm goin' after Nikai. I have to put an end to this."
It's already gotten out of hand.
Izanai lifted an eyebrow. "Nikai?"
Yvira breathed deeply and unevenly, kneeling beside Tyuyo. Anari and Zara immediately moved to help. Izanai, however, dug his fingers into my shoulder, giving me a stern look.
"Just a minute."
I jerked myself free of the clan leader; I didn't wanna give him a single second of my time.
"You'd be wise to listen to what I have to say, Kozuna."
"What for? So you can give me another prison sentence? I don't give a shit what you've got to say. Keeping the people safe is my first priority, and right now, I need to-" I paused for a moment, shutting my shaky eyelids. "-I need to save Nikai."
Doesn't matter what they think of me. This Nikai situation is personal. First, I need to save him from himself. And then-
"'Save Nikai?' Have you burned through what little intelligence is left in that rotting, cursed brain of yours? Look around you, Kozuna. Look at my city! "Izanai flared his arms out, almost enticing me to listen. "Do you see the destruction!? The innocent lives lost? In what world do you believe your little buddy can be saved? He has no place among the Ozukashi anymore! You wanna save him from a fate of my determination? Then you'd better kill him yourself, Kozuna! And that's an order from your clan lord!"
Izanai's words stopped me in my tracks, prompting a response I couldn't give. I hadn't considered the angle of killing Nikai up until that point, even after all the death and destruction. I failed to look Izanai in the eyes. I couldn't bring myself to. I took to a running stance and began building senten in my soles.
Am I just being childish?
I shook my head violently.
Nikai had to watch his own power be used to kill his brother. He's just as much a victim. I know what I have to do.
I nearly took off, but stopped instantly when I heard Izanai speak again.
"Just so you know, Kozuna, I called in our special units mounted with the best anti-curse artillery we've got available. Once those trucks arrive, the group you see here will be pursuing Nikai to his demise. You'd better find a way to 'save' Nikai before we arrive. 'Cause for him, it's now a kill-on-sight order. But if you find the ice user, we need him alive."
So, they saw Mifune. But- Anari and Yvira- are they on board with Izanai's plan, too?
"He's got a name, you know. And he's not your tool, Izanai." I've already deduced that much. The reason he was imprisoned to begin with had nothing to do with being a criminal. "He's human, just like you and me. I'll save Nikai, and I'll make sure Mifune has his freedom."
"Don't attempt to oppose me, Kozuna. Your chances of freedom are slipping, as is."
"Kozuna?"
My inner rage dissipated for just a second.
Yvira?
"He… He's already gone."
My eyes fidgeted for a second, there. I couldn't bring myself to take another look at Tyuyo's corpse.
"I'm going."
We were cursed from birth. Fools like Izanai could never understand the position we were thrown into.
***
I've gotta do it! I know I can do it! He's not beyond saving- not yet!
By the time I'd left everyone behind, the demon controlling Nikai and the Shadow Behemoth had departed from The Primary altogether. Picking up the trail again wasn't difficult, though, not with the enormous, burning footprints left in the sand. And without buildings or bystanders in the way, the demon had closed the distance to Centra Highlands quickly.
But why was he headed that way? What was he planning?
He'd nearly arrived at the buggy lifts- the place where the whole journey began. But with my insane speed, it didn't take long to catch up. I zipped in and stopped short, crackling electricity around my palm loudly to get that fuckass demon's attention. I watched the Shadow Behemoth stop moving for a few seconds before the head inevitably turned back toward me.
I glared up at the Behemoth, twitching with an unmatched fury. "Miss me?"
"Bah. I'd hoped you would've wisened up and pissed off, Kozuna. You're in far over your head."
"Not a chance. We've got some unfinished business, demon."
"What exactly is it that you believe you're entitled to, Kozuna? "The demon scoffed to himself. "Well, we do have some time before the Hanakai show. I'd love to see what you're capable of. And it's always satisfying to destroy more ignorant humans."
"Happy to oblige-"
A sudden burst of ice struck the dirt to my right, and from above came a certain someone.
"Oh, you're alive, too. Lovely." The demon took a deep breath. "The two of you are teammates again? Didn't you just betray Kozuna a little while ago, Mifune? Kozuna, do you really trust him?"
Nice try, jackass.
The two of us smirked instantly, without even exchanging glances.
I cracked my knuckles. "If Mifune had betrayed me, I'd be dead right now. But you know what, demon? I feel better than ever!"
"What he said." Mifune stretched his arms out. "Freezing Kozuna was the best move. Got Nikai's trust, got him away from the city, and as a bonus, Kozuna's not beaten to hell anymore! And NOW I don't have to hold back anymore, ya idiot!"
With a half-cocked groan, the demon widened his shadowy claws and motioned for us to come at him. And I didn't waste a second.
Leaping ahead, I combined my abilities into a single strike. Vast amounts of thundering electricity, coupled with the extreme explosive force of my superspeed, made for a devastating, direct blow.
Flashbolt Burst!
It was a singular kick, yet it not only shattered the bone armor but also left an indent in the shadow cloak. However, joining my powers together made my throbbing heartbeat spike. My blood boiled so hot that it felt like I was burning on the inside. Steam even drifted from my skin.
I bounced back to Mifune's side and slide-landed to one knee, breathing heavily. I tried not to show it, though.
Using Flash and Bolt simultaneously is even tougher than switching back and forth. Way more straining than I imagined. But it doesn't matter! The guy by my side isn't some weakling, and neither is our foe! Even if it hurts, I've gotta rise to the challenge!
"You stole my electricity, sure. But you mentioned my having two curses. I mean- Shadow Seals. Whatever the fuck you call 'em. Bolt alone may not be effective, but if I combine it with Flash, then I know I can take you down!"
"The fuck?" Mifune shot a weird glance at me, and then directly to my seal. "Two curses?"
The demon chuckled internally as the Shadow Behemoth's bone armor reformed. "Oooh, you're entertaining- inconsequential- but entertaining." He raised his electricity-crackling claw to the sky and called down a storm of black thunderbolts. "Take notes! I'll show you how to REALLY wield your powers, Kozuna!"
Mifune slammed his palms into the sand, generating a thick wave of ice from the ground up. It curved overhead, acting as a thickened barrier to protect us from my destructive, stolen power.
"Kozuna! We gotta coordinate ourselves to kick his ass! Your Flash curse is our greatest weapon right now! It's the only thing he can't seem to steal!"
"Wait- why can't he steal it?"
Mifune didn't take his glare away from the Shadow Behemoth for a moment. "I'll explain later, idiot! Concentrate! I'll back you up, so you'd better not run outta steam now!"
I scoffed and got back to my feet. "No worries. Let's do this!"
No longer in the city, the limitations for our battle had disappeared. No citizens, no homes- nothing that could become collateral damage. Our battlefield was wide open. It seemed we'd reached the final trial.
Toppling a demon.
And saving Nikai…