Sunday morning arrived with the weight of impending destiny. Zororo woke at four AM, unable to sleep any longer. Three days remained until the duel with Kazuki, and every hour needed to count. He checked his system interface while still in bed, reviewing his current status.
[STATUS SCREEN]
NAME: Zororo Kurogami
LEVEL: 19
SYSTEM RANK: SSS (Villain)
HP: 1250/1250
MP: 1600/1600
STRENGTH: 45
AGILITY: 52
INTELLIGENCE: 58
CHARM: 43
LUCK: 16
INFAMY: 75
CORRUPTION: 1 (YUKARI SHIROGANE)
VILLAIN POINTS: 1310
The gap between his level nineteen and Kazuki's level twenty-eight was still substantial, but Zororo had advantages his SSS-Rank system, his legendary weapon, and the element of surprise regarding his true capabilities. Kazuki expected to face a B-Rank shadow user. Instead, he'd encounter something far more dangerous.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[TIME-LIMITED OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE]
[VILLAIN SHOP: EMERGENCY POWER-UP PACKAGE]
[COST: 1000 VP]
[CONTENTS: TEMPORARY STAT BOOST POTION, SKILL EVOLUTION SCROLL, LEGENDARY ARMOR PIECE]
[OFFER EXPIRES IN: 71 HOURS]
One thousand villain points for items that could make the difference between victory and defeat. Zororo didn't hesitate he purchased the package immediately.
[PURCHASE COMPLETE]
[REMAINING VP: 310]
[ITEMS TRANSFERRED TO SHADOW STORAGE]
Three items materialized in his shadow inventory. The stat boost potion would increase all his attributes by twenty percent for one hour enough time for a duel. The skill evolution scroll could upgrade any ability to its next tier. The armor piece was called "Shadow Sovereign's Mantle," providing both physical protection and enhancing shadow abilities by another fifteen percent.
Zororo examined the skill evolution scroll carefully. He could upgrade any of his current abilities, but which would provide the most advantage against Kazuki's ice techniques?
His Shadow Domain was already powerful, but evolving it could make the difference. He activated the scroll and selected Shadow Domain as the target.
[SKILL EVOLUTION INITIATED]
[SHADOW DOMAIN → ABYSSAL DOMINION]
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
[ABYSSAL DOMINION - LEVEL 1]
[DESCRIPTION: CREATE A POCKET DIMENSION OF ABSOLUTE DARKNESS WHERE YOU ARE GOD. ENEMIES INSIDE SUFFER -50% TO ALL STATS. YOU GAIN +100% TO ALL ABILITIES. REALITY WITHIN THE DOMAIN BENDS TO YOUR WILL.]
[DURATION: 3 MINUTES]
[COST: 500 MP]
[COOLDOWN: 30 MINUTES]
This was incredible. Three minutes of near-absolute advantage, enough to turn the tide against a superior opponent. But the high MP cost and long cooldown meant he could only use it once during the fight. Timing would be critical.
Zororo dressed and left the house quietly, heading back to Seika Academy's training grounds. He'd reserved a simulation room for the entire day expensive, but necessary.
When he arrived, he found an unexpected visitor waiting at the entrance.
Raikou Kaminari leaned against the building's wall, electricity crackling idly around her purple hair. Her golden eyes lit up when she spotted him.
"Kurogami! I've been waiting for you," she said with her characteristic grin. "Heard you're fighting Kazuki Shirogane in three days. That's ballsy. Stupid, but ballsy."
"What do you want, Raikou?" Zororo asked cautiously. The Thunder Goddess was unpredictable at the best of times.
"To help you train, obviously." She pushed off the wall and walked toward him. "Kazuki's an ice user, right? Ice is weak against lightning. I can help you develop tactics to exploit that."
"Why would you help me?"
Raikou's grin widened. "Because Kazuki's an arrogant asshole who needs someone to humble him. Plus, you're dating Yukari, and she's cool. And mostly because if you actually manage to beat him, it'll be the most entertaining thing to happen at this school in years."
Zororo considered her offer. Raikou was level twenty-two, experienced, and genuinely skilled. Her combat insights could be valuable. But she was also volatile and unpredictable.
"What's the catch?" he asked.
"No catch. Well, one small condition if you survive the duel with Kazuki, you fight me next. I want to test myself against whatever power let you solo that Shadow Knight."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[ALLIANCE OPPORTUNITY DETECTED]
[RAIKOU KAMINARI OFFERING TEMPORARY COOPERATION]
[RECOMMENDATION: ACCEPT]
[HIGH-LEVEL TRAINING PARTNER WILL ACCELERATE GROWTH]
"Deal," Zororo agreed. "But we train now. No time to waste."
They entered the simulation room together, and Raikou immediately took charge with the confidence of someone who lived for combat.
"First things first ice users rely on area control and gradual attrition. They freeze the battlefield, limit your movement, then pick you apart from range." Raikou activated the simulation system, creating an ice-covered arena. "Show me how you'd handle this environment."
Zororo activated his Shadow Monarch's Presence, and the shadows in the room responded to his will. Even the ice cast shadows that he could manipulate and use as anchor points for Shadow Step.
He demonstrated his mobility, teleporting across the frozen surface without losing traction. Raikou watched intently, occasionally throwing lightning bolts that forced him to adjust his movements mid-teleport.
"Not bad," she admitted. "Your shadow teleportation is top-tier. But here's the problem Kazuki will predict your teleport destinations and preemptively freeze those locations. Watch."
She began attacking with lightning while simultaneously marking certain shadow-rich areas with electrical charges. When Zororo tried to teleport to those spots, the residual electricity disrupted his technique, forcing him to abort or land elsewhere.
"See? He'll do the same thing with ice. You need to develop unpredictable patterns, maybe create multiple shadow anchors so he can't predict which one you'll use."
They drilled this technique for hours. Zororo created networks of shadow marks across the arena, then rapidly chained teleports between them in random patterns. Raikou kept trying to predict and counter his movements, forcing him to develop increasingly complex strategies.
By midday, Zororo had improved his shadow mobility to the point where even Raikou struggled to track him.
"Damn, you learn fast," she said, breathing heavily from the exertion. "Most people take weeks to develop what you just did in a morning. Your system must have insane growth modifiers."
"Something like that," Zororo replied vaguely.
They broke for lunch, eating protein bars while reviewing combat footage the simulation room had recorded. Raikou provided analysis with surprising tactical depth beneath her battle-hungry exterior was a genuinely strategic mind.
"Your offense is solid," she observed. "That shadow blade technique is brutal up close. But your defense needs work. When Kazuki launches area-of-effect ice attacks, you won't always be able to teleport out. You need a defensive technique."
"Any suggestions?"
"Your shadow abilities can you solidify them into barriers?"
Zororo considered this. He'd never tried using shadows defensively, always focusing on mobility and offense. But theoretically, if he could create solid shadow weapons, he should be able to create shadow shields.
He focused his energy, visualizing shadows condensing into a protective barrier. Dark energy gathered in front of him, forming a translucent shield of crystallized darkness.
[NEW SKILL DISCOVERED: SHADOW AEGIS]
[DESCRIPTION: CREATE A BARRIER OF SOLIDIFIED SHADOW THAT ABSORBS DAMAGE]
[DURABILITY: SCALES WITH INTELLIGENCE STAT]
[COST: 150 MP]
"Holy shit, you just invented a new technique on the spot," Raikou said with genuine admiration. "Your system's adaptation ability is insane. What rank did you say you were again?"
"B-Rank," Zororo maintained the lie, though he suspected Raikou didn't believe him.
"Right. And I'm C-Rank." She laughed. "Whatever, keep your secrets. Let's test that shield."
The afternoon was spent stress-testing his new Shadow Aegis against Raikou's lightning attacks. The shield held remarkably well, absorbing several powerful strikes before shattering. Zororo learned to layer multiple shields and to reform them quickly after they broke.
As evening approached, another visitor arrived Yukari, carrying a equipment bag and wearing training clothes.
"I see you found a training partner," Yukari observed, eyeing Raikou with barely concealed wariness. The Thunder Goddess and Ice Princess had a complicated rivalry.
"Raikou's been helping me develop counters to ice techniques," Zororo explained.
"How generous of her," Yukari said coolly.
"Hey, I'm doing this for entertainment value, not out of the goodness of my heart," Raikou replied cheerfully. "Plus, I get to fight him after he beats Kazuki. Win-win."
"If he beats Kazuki," Yukari corrected.
"He will." Raikou's confidence was absolute. "I've been watching him train all day. Trust me, Kazuki's in for a surprise."
Yukari's expression softened slightly. Having Raikou's endorsement clearly meant something. "Fine. Then let's make sure he's as prepared as possible. Raikou, you handle offense training. I'll work on his defensive positioning and evasion patterns."
For the next four hours, Zororo was subjected to brutal combination training. Yukari and Raikou coordinated their attacks, forcing him to defend against ice and lightning simultaneously while looking for counterattack opportunities.
It was exhausting, painful, and incredibly effective.
By the time they finished, Zororo had gained another level.
[LEVEL UP! 19 → 20]
[MAJOR MILESTONE REACHED]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED]
[STATS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY]
Hitting level twenty unlocked several system features. His villain aura strengthened, his shadow abilities gained another passive boost, and most importantly, he unlocked a new ultimate technique.
[ULTIMATE SKILL UNLOCKED: SHADOW MONARCH'S JUDGMENT]
[DESCRIPTION: SUMMON THE FULL POWER OF YOUR VILLAIN SYSTEM FOR 30 SECONDS. ALL ABILITIES REACH MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. ENEMIES FEEL OVERWHELMING DREAD. REALITY ITSELF BENDS TO YOUR DARKNESS.]
[COST: ALL REMAINING MP]
[COOLDOWN: 24 HOURS]
[WARNING: EXTREME PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRAIN]
This was his trump card thirty seconds of absolute power that would drain him completely but could turn impossible situations into victories. Combined with his Abyssal Dominion and the temporary stat boost potion, he now had multiple powerful options for the duel.
"You just leveled up, didn't you?" Yukari observed. "Your presence changed. You feel... more dangerous."
"Level twenty," Zororo confirmed. "I think I'm as ready as I'm going to be."
Raikou clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to hurt. "Damn right you are! Kazuki's going to shit himself when he sees what you can really do."
They left the training facility together as night settled over the city. Zororo's body ached with exhaustion, but his mind was clear and focused.
Two days remained until the duel.
As they walked, Zororo's Shadow Sense detected that same presence he'd felt before someone watching from a distance with significant power. This time, however, the observer's attention felt different. Not hostile exactly, but intensely curious.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[POWERFUL OBSERVER DETECTED]
[LEVEL: UNKNOWN (VERY HIGH)]
[ASSESSMENT: NOT IMMEDIATELY HOSTILE]
[IDENTITY: UNKNOWN]
Whoever was watching him would reveal themselves eventually. For now, Zororo had more immediate concerns.
He checked his phone and found a message from an unknown number:
"Two days, Kurogami. I hope you've made peace with losing. The entire school will witness your defeat. Don't embarrass Yukari more than necessary. - K.S."
Kazuki's psychological warfare continued. But Zororo simply smiled and deleted the message.
Let Kazuki underestimate him. Let everyone expect an easy victory for the Shirogane heir.
The surprise would be all the more devastating.
[END OF CHAPTER 16]