[Warning: This chapter may be slightly more gruesome and a bit extra than the past chapters. You have been cautioned. This is an extra chapter by the way]
---
The tension was at an all-time high—no one was backing down. No one dared to move a finger or even breathe leisurely. The wind brushed against my skin, howling in my ears. The sky was dark, and the weather seemed unfavorable for us.
The first drop of rain fell from the clustered clouds, slow in my eyes, as if time had dragged to a crawl. As it splashed onto the nearby rock in front of me, Katerea and… moved. The three of us followed soon after. It was as if the very sky was weeping.
A barrage of spells rained down upon us. I dodged with relative ease while Serafall retaliated with her own. I, however, extended my hand forward, aiming at the tan-skinned devil. The sound of crackling electricity charged the air as lightning gathered at my fingertips. Locking onto her heart amidst the chaos, I intoned:
"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"
A white bolt of lightning shot from my finger, zigzagging in a seemingly random pattern—yet it never strayed from its target. Katerea abandoned her spell, shifting slightly to the left, but not fast enough.
A burning sensation seared through her shoulder, followed by a paralyzing shock spreading through her body. Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain, her sharp gaze flickering between the three of us, trying to predict our next move.
'What's the best way to deal with her?'
"I suggest you be careful, Rizevim," she warned.
"I am not as clumsy as you, Katherea, dear," Rizevim responded mockingly. "This tomfoolery has gone on for far too long."
She grumbled at his remark, but Rizevim's attention was elsewhere. He felt a gaze like daggers piercing his back. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand times over. Chuckling, he found it amusing that a mere worm would think death was a concept that applied to him.
Dark energy began gathering in his palm. It was light, yet eerily void—absorbing all illumination that touched it, twisting it into something unnatural.
I frowned at the battle unfolding. The blatant attempts on my life gnawed at my pride—not just as a warrior, but as a human and a Hollow.
"You finally acknowledge your true nature, Chief?"
A voice echoed in my mind.
'What are you talking about?'
'You always considered me part of you, but you never truly saw yourself for what you are. You separated us—me, the Hollow, and you, the human.'
My eyes widened as realization dawned.
'The truth is, only by accepting both—human and Hollow—can our powers truly merge as one.'
'I understand now, Yūzūi. I should have realized it sooner.'
'No need to be so hard on yourself. People always struggle to accept the darkest parts of themselves. They convince themselves they aren't entirely at fault. It's only natural.'
I let out a wry smile. If he was trying to comfort me, he was doing a terrible job at it.
'...'
With that, I sprinted forward at full speed, ready for the clash ahead. Rizevim followed suit, his spear poised. As we collided, the impact reverberated through my very bones, but I held firm.
Rizevim attempted a kick to my gut—I barely dodged. Donning my Hollow mask once more, I sent a flurry of slashes his way. He evaded at the last second. The entire exchange lasted no more than five seconds.
A fire spell hurtled toward me, its intense heat setting off alarms in my mind. But before it could reach me, a torrent of water crashed into it, extinguishing the flames in an explosion of mist.
In the dense mist, a figure shot forward, wielding a spear radiating a vivid green glow. In an instant, the weapon multiplied, forming a barrage of ethereal copies that streaked through the air, hurtling toward the three devils.
Natsumi, or better known as Yami was on the move. Her target—Katerea.
I tensed.
'Yūzūi, this is an all-out assault. The odds of dying here are high.'
'Are you suggesting we run?'
'If it comes to that, yes. But that doesn't mean it's our first choice.'
'You don't mean…'
I smirked. 'Y'know, I have never actually done that since the war started. Using my full power...'
A sudden attack forced me into action—I barely blocked a blow from a certain purple-haired Maou. His lips curled into a twisted grin.
"Not as strong as you thought you were, huh?" he sneered, folding his arms. "Some hotshot you turned out to be. What could a lowlife like you possibly do against the rightful rulers of this world?"
I remained silent, my expression hidden beneath my hair.
A concentrated Cero swirled within my Hollow mask. As I lifted my head, the menacing maw of the mask parted. The brown-haired devil's face twisted in shock—he had realized the danger, but a second too late.
Swoosh!
A miniature blast of energy was already upon him. Too fast. He had no time to dodge. Desperately, he raised a magic shield.
"Big mistake!"
Crack! Crack!
His eyes widened in horror as the attack shattered his shield like glass.
"Impossible!"
I gazed at him with contempt, "Your arrogance… shall be your downfall."
My warped voice echoed from all directions.
Then, the explosion engulfed him.
One moment, he stood defiant. The next, he was caught in the violent outburst—torn apart, shredded to nothing.
His agonized roar echoed through the battlefield.
"I refuse! I refuse to let this be my end!"
But no matter how he struggled, he could not escape. Not a speck of dust remained. Not even the tattered remains of his clothes.
A sudden wave of dread overcame me. 'Isn't he—'
"And that is what performance looks like."
My eyes widened in disbelief. I tried to move, but my body refused to respond. Glancing down, I saw a magic circle beneath my feet—the symbol of Asmodeus.
Pain erupted in my chest. Blood trailed from my lips. I watched in horror as a hand protruded through my torso, fingers wrapped around a still-pulsing heart, veins clinging desperately to life.
Turning my head, I locked eyes with a purple-haired man—Cruesary. His expression twisted into a sadistic grin as he tightened his grip.
The pain intensified. A sharp grunt escaped my lips. From the distance, I caught sight of Katerea, her chest swelling with pride as she watched my suffering.
"Hisashi!" Serafall's voice rang out, thick with desperation. She nearly abandoned her spell. She composed herself before she could do anything rash.
Can't say tge same for Yami, she was just about ready to step in.
I clenched my obsidian sword, frustration flashing through me. I was careless—but I learn from my mistakes.
"Focus, Serafall! Yami, get your head back in the game! This is war!" I barked.
Cruesary's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Still barking orders like that. Admirable of you." He tightening his grip around my heart, causing me to faltered a bit. "I thought you'd entertain me a little longer, but I see now—this is your limit. How disappointing."
He squeezed again. But this time, there was no sound, no reaction. A flicker of confusion crossed his face.
'Too easy... far too easy.'
I turned to face him, my lips curling into a grin. "That heart. Do you really think I need that?"
Cruesary's eyes widened as if staring at a lunatic. I flooded my body with Hollow Chakra, my eyes darkening as the transformation took hold.
"You... you're insane!"
"Everyone's got a few screws loose, pal!"
With that, I crushed his hand in my grip, forcing my obsidian blade deeper into my own chest. Cruesary's body tensed with pain, but his fingers clung stubbornly to the heart. With a final, brutal yank...
My heart was torn free– There was nothing but a empty hole were it once was. The fact that I am still moving is miracle, much less how I am still sane right now. But then, being a Hollow had it's perks.
For a moment, I stood still. Then—without hesitation—I moved.
A blur of motion. A flash of steel.
Blood splattered through the air as an arm soared skyward, severed clean from its owner. Warm, thick droplets painted my face.
I didn't care.
Before Cruesary could react, my knee drove into his gut with crushing force. His body crumpled forward, just as my hand speared through his chest.
Puchi!
His breath hitched. Fear filled his eyes.
"W-what are you?" he rasped.
I met his gaze, my voice cold as steel.
"Me? I am human… a human who lost his heart to grief, sorrow, despair, and most of all—primal rage."
Rizevim launched himself at me, probably wanting to take advantage of my bind.
'I am not dumb nor stupid to let you do that.' I raised my hand towards him before I calmly intoned:
"Bakudō #81: Danku."
A transparent, rectangular barrier materialized in front of me, shimmering with a faint glow. The air vibrated as Rizevim crashed into it head-on, his momentum slamming against the invisible force. Despite his strength, his acceleration was not enough to break through entirely, leaving him momentarily halted in mid-air.
Cruesary collapsed to his knees, his life slipping away.
"Descorrer!"
Darkness swallowed him whole.
"I think it's time we worked together now that we have the upper hand!" I shouted as I prepared myself.
As I gazed down at my chest, blood poured out a bit. "That is gonna be a problem. Even though I wanted them to drop their hairs, that was dangerous."
Hollow energy gather at the hole before I was completely back to normal. My heart was beating yet again and I was still standing.
"At least they don't have my heart. Would have been a disaster." I whispered to myself.
I don't wanna come across a Devil-Hollow Hybrid... That would be a pain in the ass.
---
So, the poll is still on people. The first 7 vomment a world of their choice, that world will appear in the poll.
So far, no one has ever given me anything so Im'ma stick the worlds I chose. Only 3-5 will be chosen depending on the number of votes and how difficult integrating them to the novel would be.
We currently have
1. The Eminence in Shadow
2. The Misfit Of The Demon King Academy
3. Quintessential Quantipulets
...
etc (7 more to be added, please coment here)
The poll will end after this war. In otherwords, it would take sometime. I mean we already made progress with one Maou down right?
Also, Hisashi is the kind of person who depends on unknown variable to win a battle. This time, he made full use of his regenerative ability.