Ghaib landed, looking down at Shikar amidst the debris with cold, pitying eyes. "Are you finished already?"
Suddenly, in a split second, a rock was hurled from within the rubble like a cannonball. It whistled past Ghaib's face with terrifying speed, catching him off guard, and he smiled with a hint of dread. A heavy, rhythmic thumping echoed through the ruins. With sharp, intense eyes, Shikar emerged from the wreckage, calm and composed, his body coated in blood.
He whispered in a low, dangerous tone, "I will not finish until I have killed you." He raised his sword, pointing it directly at Ghaib. "Prepare for your death."
A deep inhale, a sharp exhale; the air around them grew heavy, unnervingly still, and ominous.
Activation: Soul-Severing Technique.
A terrifying sound echoed through the surroundings—a sound like a child's weeping blended with the screams of demons.
"The Soul-Severing Technique allows me to drain my opponent's energy. If I touch you with the tip of my blade, every ounce of energy in that area will be siphoned away instantly. You will be unable to channel energy to that spot, and you will not be able to heal it. If I touch your shoulder, your entire arm will be paralyzed, rendered useless. I am severing both soul and flesh with a single strike. This is a technique used by the Soul-Killer Clan to exterminate the very essence of spirits themselves. Prepare yourself, Ghaib. You shall meet your fate now."
Then, he whispered to himself, This technique drains me severely, as it uses my own soul as fuel. I cannot maintain it for more than ten minutes. I must end this duel within this timeframe.
Ghaib erupted in laughter, clutching his head. "Ah, I know you are strong; you won't be defeated easily. Very well, I will show you what true terror is."
Activation: Summoning of the Six Shadows. Zarkath, Master of the Black Rift, Ruler of the Chains of Death.
As Ghaib spoke, dense, pitch-black darkness erupted around him. Voices of tormented demons shrieked from unfathomable depths, accompanied by the eerie cries of unrecognizable beasts. The ground behind him cracked open, revealing a massive black rift, swirling like a gateway to hell.
Two hands, skin pale and ghastly like a corpse exhumed from the void, gripped the edges of the rift. Then, the body began to emerge with a terrifying slowness.
It was a demon of unnatural form, its body forged like a war statue, muscles taut as if crafted from living metal. It stood on two legs with a deadly steadiness. Its eyes existed, yet they were sewn shut with thick black threads. Embedded into its left arm was a sword, fused to its bone as if it were an inseparable part of its anatomy. The moment it fully materialized, it unleashed a deafening roar, producing sonic waves that tore the very air asunder.
Shikar's body shook violently; his eardrums burst, and blood trickled down his cheeks, leaving him paralyzed in shock. His eyes locked, and terror crept into his veins.
Ghaib laughed mockingly and whispered, "Are you afraid?"
"We are members of the Six Shadows Clan. Six individuals carry this power. Should one of the summoners fall, the summoning ability immediately transfers to another who carries the blood of the clan. This summoning technique is the most dangerous in the world of Malisora."
Zarkath took a single step, and the ground beneath him shuddered; the air around him trembled as if Death itself had stepped forward. He moved until he stood directly behind Ghaib, a shadow clinging to him.
Ghaib whispered calmly, "So, tell me, Shikar, what will you do now?"
Silence descended, broken only by Shikar's labored breathing. Terror was clawing at his heart as he stared at Ghaib. I haven't even finished off the first, and now the second has arrived. I must focus. A single strike of my sword, and the tables will turn in my favor.
On the other side, Ghaib sat with cold composure, resting his chin on his palm with a sinister smile, gesturing with his finger toward Shikar.
In the blink of an eye, the air was torn asunder. Zarkath lunged with insane speed, his blade descending toward Shikar's head. Shikar parried the attack at the final moment, but the pressure was monstrous; the ground beneath his feet shattered from the sheer force. But Zarkath gave him no reprieve; he struck with his right hand, a punch that sent Shikar flying like a cannonball.
Damn it, I must mitigate the damage! Shikar whispered, coating his feet in energy to collide with the back of a building, rebounding like an arrow straight back at Zarkath.
Zarkath, in turn, surged forward with blinding velocity.
The blades clashed in mid-air, causing a shockwave that leveled the nearby buildings. Zarkath attempted to follow up with another punch, but this time, Shikar whispered, "Not this time." He grabbed the demon's fist and delivered a kick charged with concentrated energy, hurling Zarkath into a neighboring building.
Shikar did not waste a second. He drew his sword and unleashed his technique: One-Sword Style: Soul-Cleaving.
A black wave of energy shot forth, cleaving the building and Zarkath in two. Shikar smiled for a moment, watching the upper half of the demon slide down, but the smile vanished, replaced by a paralyzing dread. Zarkath, with only half a body, grabbed himself with one hand and reattached the severed torso as if nothing had happened. Not a drop of blood fell; not a sign of pain appeared.
Ghaib sighed as he stood up slowly, his expression shifting to gravity. "It seems I underestimated you. I shall engage in this fight seriously, in respect of your strength."
Shikar replied with a piercing gaze, "I don't care. I will kill you and your demon at the same time."
Ghaib laughed. "Try it, if you can."
Shikar whispered with a terrifying look, "Very well. I will show you."
Shikar lunged toward Ghaib. Ghaib's very essence shuddered. Damn it, one touch from that sword and my energy will be finished. Ghaib threw his arms wide, unleashing hundreds of slashing blades that filled the horizon, but Shikar pierced through them with exceptional skill and attacked head-on.
Ghaib whispered to himself, No, no... one touch, and I will be in trouble.
"Zarkath!" Ghaib screamed.
Zarkath launched himself with lightning speed toward Shikar, his blade poised to strike. Shikar noted Zarkath's approach and raised his sword to defend. But as the blades were about to collide, Shikar twisted in a terrifying spiral maneuver, delivering a lightning-fast strike that severed Zarkath's arm completely.
He didn't stop there. Coating his foot with energy, he delivered a kick to the demon's chest with such force that it sent him crashing into the ground, leaving a deep crater. Then, the unexpected happened: the severed arm did not return. Instead, it began to evaporate, turning into black ash scattered by the wind. The regenerative ability had failed against the power of the Soul-Severing.
Shikar's energy surged in a frightening manner, and the features of a true demon etched themselves onto his face as he fixed his gaze upon the trembling Ghaib.
"Now, prepare yourself. You shall be the second to fall."