Episode 7 - "A Demon and The Heir"

Part 3 - The abyss Unleashed

The battlefield was unrecognizable—a wasteland of chaos and destruction stretching over 24 kilometers. Deep, jagged craters, some over 1,900 kilometers deep, marred the earth. The sky above churned with dark energy, a tempest born of the Abaasy Demon's relentless assault. Yet amidst this devastation, Ikaru stood unfazed, his hands folded casually, his katana still sheathed.

"Is that all you've got?" Ikaru's calm voice rang out, slicing through the storm of chaos. His blank, expressionless eyes seemed to mock the very existence of his opponent.

The Abaasy Demon roared in frustration, its wings beating furiously as it unleashed another barrage of deadly attacks. Black energy spheres, massive spikes, and waves of pure darkness hurtled toward Ikaru. Each attack tore through the landscape, carving out deeper craters and splitting the ground apart.

But Ikaru didn't flinch. His movements were fluid, almost effortless, as he dodged every attack. He danced through the onslaught like a shadow, evading the demon's strikes with precision that defied logic.

"How…?!" the demon snarled, its crimson eyes burning with rage. "How can you dodge everything?!"

Ikaru smirked faintly, his voice calm and mocking. "You're too predictable," he said, sidestepping another deadly spike. "For an entity that claims to be so powerful, you're surprisingly easy to read."

The demon's fury only grew. It slammed its claws into the ground, summoning a massive wave of black energy that surged toward Ikaru like a tidal wave. The earth trembled under the sheer force of the attack, but as the energy engulfed the area, Ikaru appeared unscathed, standing atop a jagged rock with the same calm expression.

"Still trying?" Ikaru asked, his tone dripping with amusement. "You're really desperate, aren't you?"

The demon let out a deafening roar, its voice shaking the heavens. "You dare mock me, human?! Fight me! Stop running like a coward!"

Ikaru tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. "Running? Is that what you think I'm doing?" He gestured around them with a casual wave. "Look at the mess you've made. All this destruction, and yet, you've accomplished nothing."

The demon's chest heaved with anger, its claws trembling as it launched another series of attacks. The ground beneath them crumbled further, the very air crackling with unstable energy. Yet Ikaru continued to dodge, his movements almost lazy as he weaved through the chaos.

His hands remained folded. His katana stayed untouched.

This infuriated the demon beyond measure. How could a mere human, who hadn't even drawn his weapon, mock him so effortlessly? How could he stand there, unscathed, amidst the chaos?

"ENOUGH!" the demon bellowed, its voice echoing across the wasteland. It hovered in the air, its crimson eyes glowing with unrestrained fury. "You think you're untouchable, don't you? You think you're superior?!"

Ikaru remained silent, his expression unreadable.

The demon descended, landing with a thunderous crash that shook the ground. It sneered at Ikaru, its voice dripping with venom. "What's wrong? Afraid to fight? Running with your tail between your legs?"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, something shifted.

Ikaru's faint smirk faded, replaced by a cold, emotionless expression. The air around him grew heavy—oppressively so. The pressure in the area changed suddenly, becoming dense and suffocating. It was as if the very fabric of reality bent under the weight of an unseen force.

The demon's mocking grin faltered. Its body trembled as an overwhelming force pressed down on it, forcing it to the ground. It tried to resist, but the pressure was too much. Its wings folded against its back as it collapsed flat on the ground, unable to move even an inch.

"What… is this…?" the demon rasped, its voice shaking with fear. Sweat poured down its face as a chilling sensation crept down its spine.

Ikaru descended slowly, his feet touching the shattered ground with an eerie grace. He approached the demon, his cold, blank eyes locked onto its trembling form.

"Thank you," Ikaru said, his voice low and steady. "Your provocation worked. Now, you'll get what you wanted."

He stopped a few steps away from the demon, towering over it like an unyielding force of nature. The demon's crimson eyes widened as it felt an unfamiliar emotion take hold.

Fear.

For the first time in eons, the Abaasy Demon felt true terror as it stared into the eyes of its opponent.

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The air around Ikaru calmed as he lowered the crushing pressure. The suffocating atmosphere lifted, but the tension remained as heavy as ever. Standing tall, his silhouette radiated an unearthly presence. His face was partially shadowed, but his glowing crimson eyes pierced through the darkness like twin beacons of malevolence.

He glanced at the Abaasy Demon, who remained slumped on the ground, trembling. "Now," Ikaru said, his voice as cold as ice, "the real fight begins."

With a deliberate motion, Ikaru drew his katana from its sheath. The blade glinted momentarily before being enveloped by a dark, swirling fog that seemed to devour the light around it. The abyss itself seemed to cling to the weapon, amplifying its deadly aura.

"Fight me properly," Ikaru commanded, his tone flat yet filled with an undercurrent of authority. "No more games."

The demon growled, regaining some of its composure. It rose from the ground, its wings unfurling as it bared its jagged teeth. "You're arrogant, human. I'll tear you apart!"

Ikaru smirked faintly, his glowing eyes narrowing. "Let's see you try."

The fight began.

The demon launched itself at Ikaru, moving with a speed that would have been impossible for any mortal to follow. Claws infused with black energy swiped at Ikaru, leaving trails of destruction in their wake. But Ikaru met every strike head-on, his katana moving with an elegance and precision that bordered on otherworldly.

With each clash, shockwaves erupted, shaking the ruined landscape and sending tremors through the earth. The ground beneath them cracked and crumbled, and the sky above seemed to ripple as their battle intensified.

The demon's attacks were relentless—dark energy spheres, razor-sharp claws, and spikes conjured from the void. But Ikaru's katana cut through them all effortlessly, the dark fog surrounding his blade consuming the demon's energy as if it were nothing.

"You're fast," Ikaru admitted, dodging another ferocious strike, "but not fast enough."

The demon roared in frustration, pushing its speed to the limit. Their movements became a blur, their battle transcending human perception. The two combatants moved at speeds nearing the speed of light, their blows creating ripples in space itself. Every clash of their attacks sent massive shockwaves radiating outward, shaking the very core of the earth.

From a distance, it looked like two streaks of energy—one black, one crimson—colliding over and over again. The intensity of their battle was enough to cause mountains in the distance to crumble and rivers to boil away.

But while the demon fought with all its might, desperation fueling its every move, Ikaru was calm. His movements were precise, almost casual, as if he were toying with his opponent.

"You're disappointing," Ikaru said, his voice carrying through the chaos. "I expected more from an Abaasy Demon."

The demon snarled, launching a barrage of dark energy spheres in rapid succession. Each sphere was powerful enough to erase entire cities, but Ikaru sliced through them effortlessly, his katana leaving trails of darkness in the air.

"You've fought for an hour now," Ikaru remarked, his tone mocking. "And yet, you haven't even managed to make me draw on my true strength."

The demon faltered for a moment, its crimson eyes widening. "What… what are you saying?"

Ikaru stopped mid-air, his katana resting casually at his side. His crimson eyes glowed brighter as he stared down the demon. "I've only been using two percent of my power," he said coldly.

The demon's heart sank, a chill running down its spine. "Two… percent?" it repeated, disbelief etched across its face.

Ikaru smirked. "Yes. And even then, you can't touch me. How pathetic."

The demon roared in rage, its body surging with dark energy as it prepared for one final, desperate assault. "Don't mock me, human! I'll destroy you!"

Ikaru sighed, shaking his head. "This isn't even a fight," he muttered. "But I suppose I should at least give you a taste of real power."

He raised his katana, the dark fog around it intensifying. The very air around him seemed to warp and distort as he prepared to unleash his next move.

"Welcome," Ikaru said, his voice echoing ominously, "to the Empty Space."

With a single slash of his katana, the world around them seemed to vanish. The ruined landscape, the sky, the earth—all of it was replaced by an infinite void of nothingness. A space without light, sound, or matter. An endless abyss where even the concept of existence felt meaningless.

The demon's eyes widened in terror as it found itself floating in the void. "W-what is this?!" it cried, its voice trembling.

"An empty space," Ikaru explained calmly. "A place where there's nothing. No escape. No hope. Just… emptiness."

The demon thrashed wildly, trying to summon its powers, but nothing worked. Its attacks dissipated into the void, swallowed by the infinite emptiness.

Ikaru floated before it, his katana resting on his shoulder. "Now," he said, his voice cold and merciless, "let's see how long you can survive in this endless abyss."