The leader's sword pierced Ravihiro's back, the blade glowing with deadly energy. Haruno screamed, the sound piercing the air as she watched her brother stagger from the blow. Time seemed to slow, the battlefield becoming a blur of blood and death. Ravihiro stumbled forward, the searing pain radiating through his body, but something deeper stirred within him- something darker.
The leader smirked, confident in his victory as he twisted the sword. "Not so powerful now, are you?"
But Ravihiro's eyes snapped open,and something in them had changed. His usual fierce red glow, powered by his Ryugan, darkened, becoming a deep black. His expression twisted into something terrifying, something... unnatural. His lips curled into a sinister smile, one that sent a chill down the spine of everyone present.
From deep within, a voice echoed in Ravihiro's mind, dark and cold.
"You're weak, Ravihiro... But I'm not. Let me out. I'll end this in an instant."
It was the voice of demon-his other self, the dark persona that lurked beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to emerge.
Ravihiro's body twitched, his mind battling to suppress the demon within, but the pain, the rage, the bloodlust-it all fueled Kurohiro. And now, demon was clawing his way to the surface.
"Let me out!" The voice growled again, louder this time, and Ravihiro's body convulsed, his aura flaring up, black and twisted.
The leader's smug grin faltered as he saw the change in Ravihiro. "What... what is this?"
Ravihiro's voice came out deeper, darker, as if another being was speaking through him. "You wanted to see a monster? Then you'll see one."
In an instant, the energy around Ravihiro exploded. Black flames surged from his body, consuming the blade that was still lodged in his back. The leader stumbled back in shock, pulling the sword free, but the damage was already done.
Demon was awake.
With a burst of shadowy energy, Ravihiro shot forward, faster than before. His movements were no longer precise and calculated; they were wild, brutal, driven by raw power and rage. The Kageha, his shadow blade, twisted in his hands, becoming longer, darker, more savage.
The leader barely had time to react before Ravihiro-no,demon-was upon him. The black sword slashed through the air, and before the leader could raise his defenses, his arm was severed clean off. Blood sprayed, and the leader let out a scream of agony.
But demon wasn't done. He grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off the ground with terrifying ease, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee. "You thought you could kill me?"demon's voice was mocking, dripping with venom. "Pathetic."
The leader gasped for air, his remaining arm flailing as he tried to escape demon's grip, but it was useless. The black flames surrounding demon body began to seep into the leader's flesh, burning him from the inside out.
The other cultivators who had been fighting froze in terror, watching in horror as their leader was reduced to a charred husk in demon 's hands. The fear in their eyes was palpable, but they couldn't move, couldn't flee.
demon dropped the lifeless body to the ground, his cold eyes turning to the remaining enemies. "Run if you want. It won't make a difference."
He moved like a shadow, slicing through the cultivators with ease. Each swing of his sword brought death, each step closer to them increased the terror in their hearts. Blood splattered across the ground, and soon, the once-elite force of cultivators was nothing more than a pile of corpses.
Haruno, still watching from the edge of the battlefield, felt her heart race. She had seen Ravihiro fight before, but this... this was something else. This wasn't her brother. This wasn't Ravihiro at all.
This was Kurohiro.
The demon turned, his dark eyes locking onto Haruno. For a moment, she thought he would attack her too,
Ravihiro looking onto Haruno. For a moment, she thought he would attack her too, the coldness in his gaze making her blood run cold. But then, he blinked, and the darkness began to fade. The black flames receded, and Ravihiro's usual fierce red eyes returned.
He dropped to his knees, panting, the battle having taken its toll on his body. The aura of demon was gone, but the damage had been done. The bodies of their enemies lay scattered around him, and Ravihiro's sword dripped with blood.
Haruno rushed forward, kneeling beside her brother. "Ravihiro!" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Ravihiro didn't respond for a moment, his eyes distant, as if hewas still battling the demon within. Finally, he looked up at her, exhaustion weighing heavily on his features.
"I... I didn't mean..." Ravihiro began, but his voice trailed off. He didn't need to explain. Haruno had seen it all.
As she knelt beside him, the weight of what had just happened sinking in, she couldn't help but wonder.
When does a boy become a man?
Her mind answered once more, quietly, as if it had always known the truth.
A boy becomes a man when he confronts the darkness inside him. But the true question is, does he control it... or does it control him?
As the blood-soaked scene lay behind them, Ravihiro stood slowly, wiping the blood from his sword. He looked toward the horizon, his mind clouded with thoughts of what he had become-and what he was still becoming.
But before he could say anything, the ground beneath them trembled. A deep rumble echoed through the forest, the earth shifting violently. Something... someone was approaching.
Kurohiro's voice echoed in the back of Ravihiro's mind, dark and eager.