Chapter 16: Unleashed Fury

As Kael attempted to gather himself after regaining consciousness, an unsettling tension lingered in the air. In a sudden surge of adrenaline, he decided to test the waters, launching an unexpected attack. Channeling the remnants of his waning Sword Aura, he lunged towards Tatsuya from behind.

However, before his strike could find its mark, Tatsuya, with astonishing agility and reflexes, reached for the sword resting on his back. In a fluid motion, he intercepted Kael's attack, halting the onslaught with a resounding clash of steel.

Kael's eyes widened in astonishment, his attempt thwarted by Tatsuya's swift counter. As their eyes met, Kael sensed an intense displeasure emanating from Tatsuya, his gaze simmering with restrained fury.

Suddenly, a chilling change rippled through the atmosphere. Tatsuya's aura shifted, enveloping him in an ominous shroud of pure black energy, reminiscent of an unyielding darkness that stifled the air around them.

Kael felt an unsettling pressure, akin to the suffocating suppression he had experienced during his encounter with Akuma.

The surge of Tatsuya's dark aura left Kael paralyzed, an overwhelming sense of power radiating from the enigmatic figure before him.

His attempt at confrontation had unraveled unforeseen depths of Tatsuya's strength, plunging him into a confrontation he hadn't anticipated.

As the dark aura encased Tatsuya, an air of palpable tension thickened, leaving Kael unnerved and uncertain of the unfolding events. In a voice etched with simmering rage, Tatsuya finally broke the tense silence.

"I am Tatsuya Ryūjin, a harbinger of the Black Lotus!" His words thundered, each syllable laden with a potent mix of fury and authority.

Before Kael could process Tatsuya's declaration, the atmosphere quivered with an abrupt surge of energy. With a swift invocation of the skill Blink Steps, Tatsuya vanished in an instant, leaving behind a trail of disconcerting darkness.

Kael staggered as an overwhelming surge of power emanated from a distance. His eyes widened in terror as he beheld a ghastly sight—Tatsuya stood amidst a mountain of mangled orc corpses, a grotesque monument to unfathomable violence.

Covered in the ghastly aftermath of the carnage, Tatsuya's countenance bore no traces of remorse or restraint. With a haunting intonation of a summoning incantation, an otherworldly resonance filled the air.

Suddenly, a colossal black dragon materialized, its imposing form casting an ominous shadow upon the blood-soaked ground. The ground trembled beneath its weight, and a chilling sense of dread settled over the scene.

Kael stood frozen, witnessing the terrifying spectacle before him, the magnitude of Tatsuya's power sending shivers down his spine. The summoned creature's piercing gaze met Kael's, and a sensation of primal fear gripped his soul.

"I am Tatsuya Ryūjin, the mightiest captain of the Black Lotus and closest to ascension as its new leader!" Tatsuya's declaration reverberated through the eerie silence, each word a chilling testament to his might.

In an unwavering voice that resonated with authority, he turned his gaze towards Kael, a disdainful edge underscoring his next words. "You, Kael, are but a mere fledgling, too feeble to face me in your current state. Grow stronger, then come seek me out for your reckoning."

However, to his dismay, It remained shrouded in enigmatic secrecy, denying Kael the insight he sought.

With a sense of urgency gnawing at him, Kael grappled with the realization that Tatsuya's strength far exceeded his own. The daunting task of overcoming this formidable adversary loomed large, and the lingering question of his own capabilities weighed heavily upon him.