Crimson Killing Intent

A pressure i never felt before came from the weak and miserable Mamoru, in the many years of my life, i never felt something like that before, it was a killing intent without any power behind it, yet it was so pure that it was completely overwhelming, different from any other killing intent i felt before, it had not even a inch of mana in it, it was much more intense, as if I a mouse being cornered by a dragon, honestly, the only thing keeping me from shaking in fear was this burning excitement i felt from finally seeing the potential he had.

"This is what I was waiting for Mamoru"

"... Don't call me by that name, I'm still not worthy of using it"

He answered back at me while looking down, the expression he made was weak, but the killing intent he released got even more intense, i was ready to see his next movement, but he did something i didn't expect, he lifted his right empty hand to the sky.

"What are you..."

"OUROBOROS"

The odd words i heard only once we're said and the next instant, i could feel it, a storm of mana was gathered on the palm of his right hand, but it wasn't his own mana, the rocks, the animals, the air and even the mana flowing out of my body, sucking little residual mana from everything around him, he focused it all on his hand, from his hand the mana surrounded his completely, tainting it completely black, only the red eyes could be seen inside the black mana.

"Yes, i Don't have a soul core, i can't generate mana at all, but i can still do something about it"

The mana dispersed the moment he said those words, what appeared from within it was the figure of Mamoru but now his clothes changed completely, jet black pants, his white shirt was fixed and a black coat with a hood covering his head took place from his torn jacket, under his sleeves, i could notice that he had silver bracelets, at first i honestly believed he just did that to change his appearance but that idea was rejected right away as a faint silver aura covered his hands.

"... I see, so that was your plan all along"

The power to create holy weapons of the hero, the power to unite material he have with his man and the environment's residual mana to make many artifacts that simply break the logic of magic artifacts, that's why it's called "Holy" after all.

"Let's see how well you do now that you have proper equipment"

He didn't answer to my words and simply did the same stance from before, but this time he stepped firmly on the ground and for the first time, he smirked, revealing his lightly yellow fang as the crimson eyes flashed, before i could understand completely what he did, he once again appeared behind me, this time i blocked his blow with my sword, but the moment our eyes would met, be disappeared again, he appeared behind me again, and it blocked his sword with my sheath, but a sudden mana blast was released by his sword, it was not particularly strong, but it was enough to surprisingly explode my sheath and push me away, i managed to stay standing from the sudden attack but he continued his unstoppable storm of attacks, appearing at different directions to attack, disappear, and appear to strike again, his strength was close to 5 times it's original, his reaction speed was 4 times what it was before and now he could release mana blasts every 15 seconds, such a leap of power was surprising but not overwhelming, but his appearaning and disappearing power together with that insane killing intent were really frightening.

"I see, your new costume improved your physical capabilities to overcome the gap in power we have and these bracelets collect residual mana for a explosive mana blast strike, cleaver, but even so, you are not capable of defeating me!"

"I know, that's why the word distraction is the best to describe this fight master"

Vanishing from my sight one last time, his killing intent also vanished, what for a instant made me lose completely his presence, in that single instant, he grabbed me by my shoulder, the only thing I saw after that was the blue sky.

"What in the..."

It took a second for me to realize what he did, the moment he touched me, i was sent high in the sky, how he tossed me so high without me noticing was completely unthinkable to me, but knowing that death would hit me once i hit the ground, i adjusted my body on midair to face the ground.

"You cleaver brat, you really did it this time"

I could see the ground, to be more specific, it was the only thing I could see, i was so high in the sky that if I waited for a 30 seconds, i would hit the ground and turn into a squashed tomato.

"I have to say, you really have what it needs to fight, i admit that"

Yet, i was not called the Sword Master for nothing, i focused a considerable amount of my mana into my sword to the point of it becoming pure blue light, i took a stance in midair and started.

"Oni-do..."

I didn't even dream that i would use a actually sword skill against him, and not to show him the difference in power between we but to actually save my own life, the wind swallowed my words together with the skull's name as if to mock me from such a thing, but my sword did what it intended to, a storm of sword blows directed against the ground made a high wind pressure that slowed down My falling speed, swing after swing, i fell lighter, as if gravity was a illusion, but the scars left on the ground under me revealed how much effort i put in each swing, yet the danger didn't stop, so i continued blow after blow untill I finally felt it was a safe distance for me to land.

"Don't forget about me!!!"

The moment I relaxed, that absurd killing intent kicked in again, i had only a moment to move my eyes to his direction when the fist with a storming quantity of mana came to my face, all i could see was that silver mana explode and my body being sent flying to a rock, the momentum of the fall was lost, but the surprise strike hit me with full power.

"I still have my own pride... Never, never ever look down on me, you fucking bastard!!!"

His roar echoed through the cliffs unshakable.

"... Yeah, it was my mistake"

Putting a hand on my jaw, i could feel the hot blood coming down from it, i had around 3 teeth broken by that punch, yet i still smiled while spitting blood as I released my mana completely, my jaw stopped bleeding instantly as I stared at him with my green glowing eyes finally revealed, making the rock that i was leaning on get vaporized and the ground under my feet crack

"Congratulations, you managed to punch me Mamoru... No, you told me not to call you that correct? How should I call you then 13rd Hero?"