The room was suffocating, the tension thick in the air. Dark sat motionless, his face hidden beneath the shadow of his hair. Leona sat beside him, her fingers nervously tapping on the armrest. Tracy stood near the window, her eyes fixed on the glass as if trying to hold herself together. The sterile lights overhead flickered slightly, casting long, eerie shadows across the principal's office.
Kurogami finally broke the silence, his voice cold and unrelenting.
Kurogami: (somber) Dark, after what happened last night... there's no choice. We have to expel you.
The words hit like a hammer, the room growing even heavier. Tracy turned around, her face pale, her voice trembling.
Tracy: (helpless) If there was something I could do, Dark, I would. But you... you killed a student... you destroyed parts of the academy...
Dark's fists clenched, his knuckles white. His voice was low, strained, almost as if it was painful for him to speak.
Dark: (whispering) If... if you were there... if you saw what happened to me...
Kurogami leaned forward, his voice sharp and cutting like a blade.
Kurogami: (stern) What we saw, Dark, was murder. You took someone's life. That's not something anyone else did. That was you.
Dark surged to his feet, his body trembling with barely restrained fury, but before he could respond, Leona grabbed his arm, holding him back with a firm grip.
Leona: (pleading) Please... Miss Tracy, Principal Kurogami, just give him time. He's been through so much. He needs time to recover from what happened.
Kurogami's eyes narrowed, his tone icy.
Kurogami: (disdain) Recover? From murder? There's no coming back from this, Leona. The footage is clear. He killed a student, and that's final.
Dark's chest heaved with anger, his face contorted in frustration. Without a word, he shoved Leona's hand away and stormed out of the office, the door slamming behind him. Leona hesitated, her eyes filling with tears before she rushed out after him.
Nine months later.
The scene shifted dramatically, plunging Dark into the heart of a hellish arena. The air was thick with heat and the stench of blood. Demonic entities snarled and rattled in cages around him, their glowing red eyes following his every move. Chains clinked and metal scraped against stone. The arena floor was a wasteland of shattered bones and blood-soaked sand.
An announcer's voice, deep and guttural, echoed through the arena.
Announcer: (booming) First round begins in five minutes! Dark versus Konji! Get ready!
Dark stood in the center of his cell, his body twisted and changed, horns now protruding from his head, his back lined with spikes. His skin burned with the black and red energy of Sukojo's influence. His voice, distorted and unfamiliar, trembled with confusion.
Dark: (frantic) What is this...? Where am I?
Nearby demons cackled and hissed, their voices harsh and mocking, but Dark understood them.
Demon 1: (mocking) You're in the Hellsplit Arena, fool. You're going to die here.
Another demon leaned against its bars, grinning wickedly as it gazed at Dark.
Demon 2: (snarling) He's Sukojo's vessel, eh? I'll rip him apart just to see how that feels.
Across from Dark, a hulking demon named One stood in his cell, his eyes glowing with malice. His sharp features, blackened skin, and flowing obsidian hair gave him a terrifying, otherworldly appearance. He smiled, baring razor-sharp teeth.
One: (menacing) I'll carve you up, boy. Rip your heart from your chest. I'll break you in half and savor every moment.
Dark's eyes flicked toward One, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. The gates of the cells began to creak open, and the chains rattled louder.
Flash to Nightmare
Suddenly, the world twisted. Dark jolted upright, now lying in his bed, drenched in sweat. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding in his chest. He sat up, clutching his head.
Dark: (shaky) Was... was that a dream? Or something more...?
He glanced down at his hands, checking his body for any signs of the horns and spikes from the arena. Nothing. His skin was normal, but his mind was racing. Something was still wrong.
A sharp, stabbing pain tore through his skull, and Dark stumbled into the bathroom, gripping the edge of the sink. He looked into the mirror, but his reflection was not his own. Blood dripped from his mouth, his face distorted into a nightmarish grin.
Dark: (panicked) What the hell...?
He wiped at his mouth, but when he looked at his hands, there was no blood. His reflection, however, smiled back at him, blood pouring from its lips. Then, Sukojo's voice slithered into his mind, venomous and mocking.
Sukojo: (mocking) Don't look at me, brat. Look at yourself. You're nothing. Just a puppet.
Dark staggered back, his chest heaving as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. He needed to get out—he needed to find Leona.
Reality—Back at the Academy
Dark rushed downstairs, his feet barely touching the ground as he burst into the common room. Leona was sitting with Tier, both of them startled by his sudden entrance.
Dark: (strained) Morning...
His voice was shaky, betraying the fear gnawing at him. Leona eyed him carefully, concern evident in her expression.
Leona: (softly) Morning.
Tier: (casual) Hey, man. You alright? You look like shit.
Dark forced a weak smile, trying to shake off the lingering terror from his nightmare.
Dark: (nervous) Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well, I guess.
Tier narrowed his eyes, studying Dark's face with a hint of suspicion.
Tier: (serious) People are talking, man. They say something's off with you. What's going on?
Dark swallowed hard, his gaze flicking to Leona, who was watching him intently.
Leona: (gently) Dark... we need to talk. There's something you should know.
Tier leaned forward, his voice calm but firm.
Tier: Close your eyes, Dark.
Dark blinked in confusion, his heartbeat quickening.
Dark: (hesitant) What...?
Before he could protest, everything went dark.
When he opened his eyes, the world had changed. Dark was no longer in the academy; he was bound to the ground in the middle of the school's field, glowing ropes coiling around his arms and legs, holding him in place. He was stripped down to black shorts, his body trembling as dark energy crackled in the air around him.
Tier's voice cut through the haze, urgent and clear.
Tier: (firm) Dark, wake up.
Dark groaned, his head throbbing as his eyes fluttered open.
Dark: (groggy) Where... am I...?
Tier crouched beside him, his expression serious.
Tier: (calm) We're in the academy's field. We're going to test something. See what's inside you.
Dark blinked, confused.
Dark: (tense) Test what?
Leona's voice drifted over from behind Tier.
Leona: (softly) We need to know what's inside you. What's controlling you. We're going to see if we can awaken it.
Dark felt his heart sink, a wave of dread washing over him.
Dark: (warning) Don't... don't push it. You don't know what it can do. What I can do.
Tier placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him.
Tier: (reassuring) We've taken precautions. We found someone—someone who can help.
Leona: (supportive) A Multiversal Samurai, Dark. He's here to stop whatever's inside you.
Sukojo Awakens
Deep within Dark's mind, Sukojo sat on a throne of shadows, his face expressionless. But as soon as he heard the words "Multiversal Samurai," his lips twisted into a grin.
Sukojo: (amused) A Multiversal Samurai, hmm? This could be interesting.
The air around Dark shifted, black energy erupting from his body as Sukojo's influence took over. His voice twisted, becoming a dark, guttural version of Dark's own.
Sukojo: (malicious) RUN! RUN NOW!
But it was too late. Black and red energy swirled around Dark's form, transforming him into something unrecognizable. His face twisted into a devious smile, his eyes glowing with malevolent power.
Sukojo: (mocking) Where is this Multiversal Samurai? I'm eager to meet him.
Suddenly, from theedge of the field, a figure emerged, calm and composed, yet radiating an overwhelming sense of power. His hand rested on the hilt of a katana that glimmered faintly under the field's forcefield. He took slow, measured steps toward the center of the chaos, eyes locked onto Sukojo's twisted form.
Kukush: (steady) I am Kukush, the Multiversal Mugen Samurai. I've come to bring your reign to an end.
Sukojo's grin widened, dark energy swirling around him like a cloak.
Sukojo: (mocking) Finally. Let's see what you've got, Samurai. Show me if you're worth the legend.
Kukush remained unfazed, his hand tightening around the hilt of his katana. His gaze was sharp, unyielding, as he positioned himself into a fighting stance, the air around him growing heavier.
Sukojo: (amused) You think you can stop me? You're like an ant to me.
Before Sukojo could finish his taunt, Kukush struck. In a blur, his katana sliced through the air with incredible speed, faster than the eye could follow. The blade cut through Sukojo's body, severing him in half. Blood and entrails splattered across the ground in a grotesque display of brutality.
But Kukush knew better. As Sukojo's dismembered form began to pull itself back together, his mocking laughter filled the air.
Sukojo: (laughing) Moryo Korosu!
Dark energy surged, enveloping the pieces of his body, reassembling them like pieces of a puzzle. Within moments, Sukojo was whole again, standing with a twisted smile on his face, his eyes glowing brighter than ever.
Kukush: (thinking) He regenerates... as I expected.
Without hesitation, Kukush charged again, his katana flashing through the air. But this time, Sukojo's dark aura lashed out like living tendrils, catching the blade mid-swing and pushing Kukush back.
Sukojo: (mocking) Is that all you've got, Samurai?
Sukojo surged forward, his speed blinding, as he grabbed Kukush by the throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
Sukojo: (disdain) You disappoint me.
With a flick of his wrist, Sukojo hurled Kukush across the field, the force sending him crashing into the forcefield with a bone-crunching impact. Before Kukush could regain his footing, Sukojo was on him, fist engulfed in dark energy, driving it straight into Kukush's chest. The impact was so powerful that it sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, the earth beneath them cracking from the force.
Sukojo: (sneering) I've faced gods, warriors, beings far beyond your understanding... and you think you stand a chance?
Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted. Tier had thrown a bomb directly at Sukojo's back. The explosion engulfed Sukojo, tearing apart his head and body, leaving only his legs standing. Blood sprayed into the air, and the ground was slick with viscera.
But before anyone could react, Sukojo's headless body began to reassemble itself. His eyeball floated grotesquely back into place, tendons and muscles knitting themselves together in a macabre dance of regeneration.
Sukojo: (casual) Noru Korosu.
In an instant, a spectral blade of dark energy lashed out from Sukojo's hand, severing Tier's right arm at the shoulder. The sickening sound of tearing flesh filled the air, followed by Tier's agonized scream. Blood spurted from the wound as Tier collapsed, clutching the stump where his arm had been.
Leona rushed to Tier's side, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the bleeding. Her eyes darted back to Sukojo, who was now walking toward the forcefield, seemingly unbothered by the carnage around him.
Sukojo: (annoyed) This forcefield... how irritating.
He placed his hand on the glowing barrier and pressed, dark energy crackling against the surface. But the forcefield held, repelling him with a sharp burst of energy that sent Sukojo stumbling backward.
Sukojo: (intrigued) Black Matter?
Tier, his voice strained from the pain, gritted his teeth and spoke through heavy breaths.
Tier: (pained) Yeah... only 20% of space has it. You're not getting out.
Sukojo: (amused) Well, well... I haven't seen Black Matter in ages. You've surprised me.
He paused, a twisted smile crossing his face as he looked at Tier, Leona, and Kukush.
Sukojo: (smirking) But you're still trapped in here with me.
He began to walk toward them, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Sukojo: (mocking) I could kill you now, but where's the fun in that?
He turned his gaze toward Dark's unconscious body, a dark gleam in his eyes.
Sukojo: (cold) No... I'm going to wait. I'll wait until you all help awaken the true power within him. And when that happens... you'll see just how terrifying the real darkness can be.
Sukojo's malevolent laughter echoed through the field as he collapsed to the ground, letting Dark's body fall into unconsciousness once more.
Leona, panicked and trembling, rushed to Dark's side. She lifted his head gently, tears falling onto his face as his eyes fluttered open. The soft glow of life returning to him.
Leona: (whispering) Dark... Dark... please... wake up.
Dark blinked slowly, his eyes meeting hers, filled with exhaustion and confusion.
Leona: (softly) Welcome back...
Dark looked around at the destruction, the blood, the broken bodies of his friends, and his face twisted with guilt. His voice was broken, barely more than a whisper.
Dark: (shattered) What... have I... done...?
Nature appeared beside him, her expression sorrowful but calm.
Nature: (gently) It wasn't you, Dark. It was something ancient, something that has existed long before your time.
Tier, holding his wounded arm, nodded weakly.
Tier: (softly) We're fine... but...
Tier's voice cracked with emotion.
Tier: One of us... wasn't so lucky.
Dark's eyes widened as he scanned the field, seeing a bloodied corpse in the distance. His heart sank as tears filled his eyes.
Dark: (desperate) No... no, please...
He stumbled to his feet, his body shaking with rage and sorrow. He turned toward the wall of the field, his fist clenching with fury. With a roar, Dark slammed his fist into the wall, shattering it with a single, devastating blow. Blood dripped from his knuckles as he collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face.
Dark: (screaming) Damn you, Sukojo! DAMN YOU!
As the dust settled, the scene faded to black, and the chapter came to a somber end.
End of Chapter 5.