⚠Warning:
This chapter contains violence and brutal⚠
◈ ELSEWHERE
The night sky was filled with stars, but Syafi couldn't shake off a deep sense of unease. He had tried calling Dzeth multiple times, but there was no answer. That wasn't normal.
"Where the hell is he?" Syafi muttered, his brow furrowing.
Getting up from his bed, he grabbed his jacket and stepped out of the house. His instincts were screaming something was wrong.
-
◈ INSIDE THE SHIFT CURSED'S DOMAIN
The air was heavy. The scent of iron from spilled blood lingered in the eerie space. The walls seemed to breathe, shifting slowly as if they were alive.
Dzeth groaned, his body battered and bleeding from the thorn-covered floor. Every movement sent sharp pain through his limbs.
Across from him, Shift Cursed tightened its grip around Syiro's neck. The young hunter flailed, his mouth open in a silent scream as he struggled to breathe.
"I love watching humans suffer," Shift Cursed sneered, its red eyes gleaming.
Syiro gasped, his face turning blue, his hands and feet thrashing violently.
"No!" Dzeth gritted his teeth, fighting against the thorns constricting his body. Summoning his remaining strength, he slammed his body against the ground. A sharp cracking sound echoed as the thorns shattered.
His body, however, was still weak. He attempted to use Bloodbane Drain Arts to heal, but the technique worked too slowly.
Shift Cursed laughed before throwing Syiro into the air.
CRACK!
Syiro's body flew backward before crashing into a spiked wall.
SPLURT!
A thorn impaled his stomach. Blood sprayed out.
"Arghh!!" Syiro's scream pierced the air, his face twisted in unbearable pain.
Dzeth's eyes widened.
"Syirooo!"
Shift Cursed roared with laughter, enjoying the agony he had inflicted.
A wave of fury exploded inside Dzeth. Forcing himself to his feet, he clenched his Heavenly Dagger. His blue eyes burned with sheer determination.
-
◈ BATTLE AGAINST SHIFT CURSED
Dzeth dashed forward, swinging the Heavenly Dagger at full speed. Shift Cursed dodged effortlessly and retaliated by making thorns sprout from the walls.
Dzeth narrowly avoided them, though one managed to graze his cheek. Blood dripped onto the floor.
Their battle raged on, each attack pushing the other to their limits. Dzeth tried to stab Shift Cursed, but the entity used its Room Technique to create an endless maze of doors.
Every time Dzeth opened a door, he found himself facing yet another door. Syiro, still weak, tried to help by opening one as well, but it only made the space more chaotic.
"You're not leaving this place alive," Shift Cursed's voice echoed menacingly.
-
◈ DIVINE SUMMON
Dzeth knew he needed more power. Without hesitation, he activated Exchange Hunter Technique, switching to Divine Hunter Technique.
"I'm ending this now!"
A golden glow erupted from his body. With a wave of his hand, he summoned Crimson Paladin, Emperor Cursed, and Hydro Paladin in their Divine Change forms.
Shift Cursed only laughed at their arrival.
"Hah! You think they'll save you?"
Dzeth didn't reply. Instead, he charged forward, leading the three summoned entities into battle.
-
◈ A LONG, BRUTAL FIGHT
Crimson Paladin unleashed a flurry of slashes, his blade glowing red and gold. Shift Cursed countered by erecting a barrier of razor-sharp thorns. Emperor Cursed lunged, claws gleaming, but thorned vines shot from the floor, slashing through its body.
Dzeth attacked relentlessly, his movements blending with the chaos of the fight. Each strike and counter sent shockwaves through the crumbling battlefield.
After an exhausting exchange, Crimson Paladin and Emperor Cursed were finally defeated.
Only Dzeth and Hydro Paladin remained.
-
◈ THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
Hydro Paladin unleashed torrents of water, but Shift Cursed retaliated by summoning a massive wave of thorns that tore through his armor, reducing it to pieces.
Dzeth watched in silence before activating Exchange Hunter Technique once more this time, switching to Limitless Hunter Technique.
He felt Limitless Energy surge through his veins, restoring his stamina.
"No matter how much you twist this space..." Dzeth clenched his fists. "...I'll break it all!"
With that, he attacked using only his fists. His relentless punches slammed into Shift Cursed, bruising and breaking its form.
The fight dragged on, both warriors covered in wounds. Shift Cursed's movements became sluggish, signaling its exhaustion.
Dzeth saw his chance.
He activated Maximum Positive, creating a swirling vortex of energy. It began sucking everything inside thorns, distorted space, and even Shift Cursed itself.
"No! This is impossible!" the cursed being shrieked.
Without hesitation, Dzeth unleashed his final attack Maximum Negative Reversal.
BOOOOM!!
A massive explosion of Infinity Purple engulfed the entire chamber, its radiant violet energy consuming everything.
As the dust settled, nothing remained.
Shift Cursed had been completely obliterated.
-
◈ AFTERMATH
The twisted domain finally returned to its normal state. The underground chamber, once a warped nightmare, was now just a ruined basement.
Suddenly, Dzeth's phone buzzed. The signal had finally been restored.
[ Incoming Call:Syafi ]
Dzeth answered, his voice ragged but steady.
"I just finished fighting Shift Cursed Grade EX. I'm at a building on the outskirts of the city, basement level."
"Stay there! I'm coming!" Syafi's voice was filled with urgency.
Dzeth didn't respond. His gaze turned toward Syiro, who was still lying motionless in a pool of blood.
He staggered forward, kneeling beside his injured friend. Pressing his hand against Syiro's wounds, he activated Bloodbane Drain Arts, but his body was too weak. The technique wasn't strong enough to fully heal Syiro.
"I won't let you die here..." Dzeth gritted his teeth, pouring every last ounce of energy into the technique.
His vision blurred.
His head grew heavy.
And finally, he collapsed onto the floor.
-
TO BE CONTINUED...»