Unexpected Encounter with Someone I don't remember

Seol-ah has been quite cheerful lately. I'm not too sure why. But she's been very motivated and has been practicing magic harder than before and studied harder too. Ah, now that you mention it, Seol-ah will soon go to Dayura academy in the Yurith Empire. But, naming an academy after the name of the planet? That's such a mundane name. Whatever. It's just a name. Speaking of names, I got mine after I killed all the people who experimented on me. I just gave myself a name after seeing a random arrangement of letter magnets on the floor. Speaking of experiments, it's about time I reveal their name. As I said before, they wanted to make the perfect human. And to do that, they did all those things to me. Surely there were better ways to create a "perfect human." A perfect human is fake. There's is no such thing as a perfect human. If you're going to try to make something nonexistent, at least make it less painful. Anyways, the people who researched and experimented on me are not just a single group, but a country called Jeoju. Ominous name. The king of that country was very greedy and issues and order to create the perfect human. Soon, that fervor spread to other countries and to around the world. But when they tried those experiments on other people, they couldn't endured it and would just die. I alone was their chance at creating the perfect human. I was swallowed by my rage and destroyed that world. That was the first world I destroyed. I don't regret what I did. But I don't think there will be a reason for me to do things like that anymore.

I should get going. I'm going to do some adventurer work again today. I can easily locate gates thanks to my clairvoyance through shadows, so all I need to do is go in and clear them. Up to now, I've only found C rank dungeons or lower. They're very weak and I can clear them with my eyes closed. This time, hopefully I can find a gate that can get me more money...

I close my eyes and look through my shadow. No, not my shadow, but through every other shadow in the country. Hm? I found one massive gate... it just formed? It's huge. It's as big as a 20 floor building in Earth. I think that gate will get me a lot of money.

I sink into my shadow and appear in front of the massive gate. I think I'm the first one to find this gate... I'll go in.

I step into the gate. Hm? Most dungeons are usually like the inside of a cave, but this one is different. It's like I'm in a palace. But the ceiling is extremely high. I almost can't see it. I walk deeper into the dungeon. Monsters in this place will get me a lot of money. Probably.

Oh? There they are. The first monsters I face in this gate are... knights? They're black knights. I don't sense any sentience in them though. They're just monsters that have a humanoid body. I dash at them and punch them. Hm..?!

It's not budging. Just like when I fought that Nightmare in my first dungeon. I don't know about their attack power, but these knights have defense comparable to a class 7 Nightmare. That's incredible. I step back to dodge the sword strike from that knight. The other knights surround me and they all close in on me. They all thrust and swing their blades at me repeatedly in high speed, but I dodge every one of them. They're very durable, but not too fast. Okay, I know how to defeat these knights. I create a sword with my shadow. Then I weave some hand signs.

[Flame Binding Jutsu.]

I trace the blade with my fingers and a red aura wraps my blade. Yup, that's ninjutsu. I learned it from one of the worlds I destroyed. It was a world dominated by Chakra, and they would use Chakra in interesting ways. I decided to copy them and now I'm even copying their sense of naming.

My blade brightens, even though it's made out of shadow. There's a red hue around it. When a knight swings its blade down at me vertically, I parry, no, cut through the knight's sword with mind.

SHIIING!

A clean cut. Without giving it a chance to dodge, I lopped off the knight's head with my blade. Oh? There's nothing in the armor. Maybe they're like ghosts. I continue slashing through all the knights. These knight's are durable, but as long as I know how to get past it, it's not hard. Ah, I'm getting lazy. Oh, I know.

I create a chair for me to sit back on and I create an exact copy of the knights using their shadows. Those shadows won't disappear as long as I'm alive. Or unless I make them disappear. The knights and my shadow knights start clashing. This is an interesting sight to behold. When a knight slashes through my shadow knight's arm, it regenerates instantly. As I watch the my shadows overpower those knights, I turn my head back up to look at the ceiling. It really is high.

I get up. I should hurry and clear this place. I expand my shadow and use a bunch of it to create more shadow knights. The ratio of my enemies to allies are now 1:20. My shadow knights start mowing down the enemies. I walk behind them as they clear the path for me. This is a breeze. Or so I thought.

An arrow suddenly hits my shoulder. It didn't pierce completely, but it still got in a bit. Hm... archers? I use my shadows to recreate some shadow archers as well. Ah. I sense an attack. I told my head left. To anyone else, it may have just looked like me tilting my head for no reason. But what did was dodge a slash from an invisible enemy. Assassins? I'll make some of those too.

As I go deeper into the dungeon, more enemies appear. I recreate every new type of enemy I see with my shadows. I have like 6,000 shadows around me right now... I really don't need that much. I send them away and they all disappear. I can recreate them again whenever I want.

Suddenly, I sense danger from above. I jump backwards and I see a knight in white armor thrust down with his blade, destroying the floor and making it uneven. That's some destructive power. I'll copy this one too- hm? What the-? It's not working. Damn it. Did my recreation powers get limited by the seal? I thought I still have complete authority over all shadows, but... I guess not. No matter. I'll just kill this thing mysel-

Its blade is right next to my neck. It's swinging. This guy is fast. I quickly jump back and barely avoid it. I have a small wound on my neck. This thing actually got a hit in on me. Incredible. But... I have the higher speed.

I start dashing around at speeds so high I'm practically invisible. The knight isn't panicking. It's staying calm... is there a reason? Maybe it has a comrade hiding and waiting for the perfect moment to help it.

I dash in and swing my blade at its back, when I feel a sudden danger behind my back and I turn to block the blow. Huh? It's another black knight. But this one's armor is fancier than the others... and matching the white one. Are they like twinknights or something?

The black knight's blow knocks me back, but the white knight who had been behind my when I blocked the black knight's blow had the perfect change to attack me. It swings its blade and slashes my back. Ow. I have a large wound on my back now. I move away and create some distance between myself and the knights. Since calling them black knight and white knight is annoying, I'll call them Kuro and Shiro for now. Shiro charges at me in high speed and thrusts his blade at me. I jump up and land on his blade. I swing my blade at Shiro's neck but it's blocked by Kuro. Then Shiro removes its blade from under my feet and thrusts up. It slightly cuts my feet. I land on the floor, but as soon as I do, Kuro's heavy swing comes down on me. I block it with my sword, but Kuro's strength is insane. It creates a crater around me by just pressing me into the floor. Shiro then comes and slices my arm. It didn't get deep enough to lop if off but it weakened my grip on my sword and Kuro's heavy swing finally made contect and tore through my gut.

[Kuhk...!]

I've gotten weak. This is just sad. Neither Shiro nor Kuro let me rest. They continue showering me with attacks, and I dodge just in time. If I keep getting hit, they'll chain their attacks taking turns and I'll be left on the defensive. I guess I have to use more than just the miniscule amount of shadow energy I'm using right now. I create a sphere with my shadow. It's going to shoot a laser-

Shiro stepped in and sliced it in half. Shoot...! It's going to explo-

KWAGWAGANG!!!

Ah... crap. I got sent flying backwards to a pillar. That explosion did a bunch of damage to me just now. Geez, it's like Shiro was aiming for that. But at least, it seems I took down Shiro. The white armor is all broken and it's on the floor as if the person inside was raptured. Now I only need to deal with Kuro.

I get up and charge towards Kuro. Kuro is the heavy duty power type, while Shiro was the high speed mobility type. The thing about power types is, their attacks are useless as long as you can just dodge them. I dodge all of Kuro's swings and I weave some hands signs again. Tora, u, mi, I.

[Crystal Cavern jutsu.]

I slap my hand down onto the floor and a bunch of gigantic purple crystals come out of the floor and crush Kuro. It's stuck in place. But that's not the deadly thing about this jutsu. Any enemy touched by those crystals become crystals. And then... shatter.

KWANG!!

Kuro shattered. Phew. I haven't used jutsu in a while. I have a wound on my back, my neck, my gut, arm, leg... it's not like it hurts, but it's been a while since I've been this injured. Okay, time to go to the boss room....

I go in deeper into the dungeon and open what look like the gates to the boss room. When I do, I see a huge golden knight. He's two or three times bigger than Kuro. But why does he look kind of... familiar?

As soon as I open the gates, the golden knight- let's call this one Kin. Kin appears right in front of me as if he teleported and swings his blade at me. I just barely block it in the nick of time but I get blown away to another pillar.

[Kuhak!!]

Kin's power and speed is way above Kuro and Shiro. I should get serious. I jump back onto my feet and dash at Kin. I swing my sword at him, but he just blocks it with his ridiculously large sword. My blade is still enchanted by the flame binder jutsu I used earlier... and I can't penetrate his sword. It's durable. But I don't let that stop me. I summon another blade and swing it against his blade... but it doesn't budge. Kin has some absurd strength. I jump back and create some distance, but that distance is closed right away as Kin swings his blade and slices right through my chest.

[Gah...!!]

There's a hole in my chest. Shoot. Before he does anything more, I need to create more distance-

I get sliced again on my thigh.

[Tch.]

I use my shadow to shield me and I teleport a bit further away from him. Kin is fast, strong, and ruthless. If I want to beat him, maybe I'll try-

[So the great Manipulator has become this weak.]

....!!!! Why does he know that title? It's so old. There's no way anyone from this era should know... wait, how is this monster speaking? I didn't sense any humans...

[Did you really think you could live a peaceful life after what you did to all of us?]

...?! What is he talking about? I don't get it. Could it be? Has someone I killed in the past reincarnated into this monster? Or could someone be controlling this thing from afar?

[Who are you.]

[Of course you don't remember. I won't tell you. Try to remember on your own!!]

Kin appears right in front of me again, but I expected it. Until now, he's been shining from the right continuously. So this time, he's going to swing from the left. He wanted me to think he swings from the right as a habit but I can tell from subtle hints that it was on purpose. I duck and dodge his blade. Then I spin and kick his wrist as hard as I can, but Kin doesn't let go of his blade.

[To think that someone like you was once feared as the Cold Blooded Demon who destroyed entire worlds for entertainment...]

... he's definitely not from this era. He's from the past. Over 10,000 years ago. Wait a minute... I think I remember... oh...!!

[You. You're one of the 1000 members who teamed up to defeat me, aren't you?]

Kin claps.

[Oh, I didn't expect you to remember! That's right, I'm Brukt. The king of a world you annihilated, and one of the many men you killed.]

I see... no wonder he's so strong. Wait, no. I remember those 1000 being far stronger than this.

[Are you holding back?]

I can't see his expression because of his helmet. Stupid full body armors. There's probably nothing inside the armor. It's likely his soul was transmuted into the armor itself. But how?

[Unfortunately, no. After you killed me, I lost all my powers. Only a fraction of my powers was given back to me by- Oops! I'm not supposed to tell you.]

Tch. This Brukt... I don't remember which one he was, but his voice doesn't fit any of the 10 heroes. He's likely one of the ones who died off quickly.

[I'll end you for sure this time. Especially if you're trying to take away the like I have right now.]

[HAHAHAHAHAA!!!!]

His thunderous laugh booms through this massive hallway.

[It looks like you've found some kind of satisfaction in life?! But do you really think you deserve it?! After everything you've done!? A monster like you doesn't even deserve death! All you deserve is to get all your powers taken away, locked up in a small dark cell alone and punished eternally!! Your sins are great!! Far too great for any mortal!! And you dare have the audacity to live a peaceful life?!]

.... he may be right. But...

[Brukt. As far as I know, humans are impossibly selfish creatures. And I am a human. No matter what you say, or no matter what anyone says, I don't want to give up thenlifebI have right now.]

[Hah! Would you hear the Apathetic say something so ridiculous!! It pisses me off!!]

Brukt shouts loudly and starts glowing up. Is he in the middle of a power up right now? Be probably won't budge even if I try to attack him. I should use this time I have to prepare a lethal attack while uninterruption is more or less guaranteed.

I summon a black sphere from my shadow and compress it. More... and more... and more.... so much that the shadow goes from mass less to infinite mass to undefined mass. There. Just as Brukt finishes his transformation, I shoot the sphere at him. The sphere pierces through his armor and sucks it all in.

[Gaaaaaarrrrghhhh!!!!!]

Yes... the armor is getting sucked in and becoming nothing. The last pieces finally get sucked in, and he's finally dead. That move was pretty useful in a lot of situations when I used to destroy planets... though I can't make that tiny blackhole any bigger, it's still one of the best things I can do right now. Should I give it a name? Nah... shouting out the name of a move is like warning your enemy. Oh, but maybe it can be used as a mechanism to deceive the enemy into thinking a bit attack is coming. Maybe I will name it after all-

KWADEEEUUDEUK!!

[Kurgh...!!]

A blade tears through my torso. I can see my lower body. Crap. I got careless.

[Haaaahahahahaha!!!!! Look at you, getting so careless!! Did you think that I would die from that?!]

Tch... Brukt, you tenacious cockroach... how did you even survive that? No, I should worry about myself more. I can live with only half my body, but then Brukt is going to beat me to a pulp. I manipulate my shadow to try to reattach my body, but Brukt cuts if off.

[Hahaha!!!! Not workiiiing!!!]

He thrusts the blade into my neck. His blade is so wide that that thrust basically just cut my head off.

[Kurgh...!! Kahak..!!!]

I cough up blood. This is bad. I need a plan... okay. Got it. When he removes the blade, I'll reattach my neck. And then, I'll teleport to my lower half, reattach, and start battling again. If that black hole move wasn't enough, what can possibly kill him?

Brukt takes out his blade from my neck to swing down again, but I reattach my neck and teleport to my lower half. I reattach myself temporarily with my shadow and take out two short blades... no, 10 daggers of shadows. I hold 2 of them and they rest of them I can control like a psychic with my shadows. The 8 floating daggers zoom into Brukt, but he swats it away. Even so, the Daggers continue to slice him bit by bit, every chance they get. Brukt sighs and gathers white energy into his blade... I think I know what he's trying to do. But it's fine. I was waiting for him to do that. I weave some handsigns as Brukt swings his blade and a slash of pure energy gets shot at me. I stretch my shadow up to act as a shield, but that's just an act. The shadow opens up as a portal and the slash enters it. Then the slash comes out of Brukt's shadow and slices him in half.

[Kuaaaaghh!!!]

I can't let my guard down. Even if the armor is destroyed, he is still alive. I need to completely erase his soul. It would be nice if he just surrenders and leaves...

[Rrraaaaah!!!!]

The armor reattaches itself and Brukt runs towards me gathering white energy into his blade again. When he's about to unleash the energy, I just expand his shadow and wrap it around him and his shadow, containing the explosion inside and delivering all the damage to Brukt. What's this? It's like he's getting impatient. I'm starting to see more openings.

[I'll kill youuuuu!!!!!]

Bruk breaks out of my shadows that were binding him and start powering up again. Okay, that's time for me. Destroying his bodybwon't work, so I'll go for his soul.

I weave hand signs at high speed.

[Soul Striking Path!]

I beam of light shoots at Brukt as he powers up. The beam hits him, and he shouts painfully.

[AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!]

It looks like its working. But just one attack won't kill his soul. I need to keep looking for openings to use that jutsu...

[You bastaaaaarrrrd!!!!!]

Brukt's energy increases even higher. He appears right behind me and punches me towards the sky.

[Kugh...!!!!]

Before I go any higher, he appears right above my and kicks me down into the floor, creating a massive crater.

[Kuhak...!!]

Brukt falls down on top of me with him holding his sword pointing down. It tears into my gut, making me lose even more blood.

[Aaaakk!!!]

[How does that feel, huh?! Painful??! It's painful isn't it?! This dungeon is designed after my kingdom!! All those knights, mages, archers... all of them!! They were my people!! And even my two sons... you killed them brutally!! You monster!! You devil!!!]

Brukt starts shouting on top of his lungs as he continues brutally slashing my body.

He's lost his cool. I'm taking a lot of damage, but if he's lost rationality this much, my chances of killing him and leaving this place alive go up very high. I grit my teeth.

[I summon a blinding death, an absolute despair.... I offer my blood, take my sacrifice, manifest...!! Devour the soul of mine enemy!]

I draw a strange symbol on the floor with my blood.

[!!!!!]

Brukt cautiously steps back and then jumps back a hug leap. He created a lot of distance between us. That was a bluff, you idiot.

I weave hand signs once again.

[Soul Striking Path.]

A shiny beam of light shoots towards Brukt again. He dodges this time, but he's still wary of his surroundings. He doesn't know that blood offering thing I said was a bluff. And he doesn't know that the trajectory of this beam can be bent.

I bend the trajectory of the beam and shoot straight into the center of the armor.

[Kuaaaaaaaah!!!!]

Haah... haah... it sucks when you're fighting someone weaker than you when almost all of your powers are sealed... tch.

I probably can't even make shadow clones right now... whatever. I need to kill this bastard first. I weave hand signs once again, but Brukt closes the gap between us this time and slashes my chest.

[Urk...!!]

[You bastaaaaard!!! Stop struggling and just dieeeeee!!!!!]

I can feel the hatred from his soul. Even when he's just a soul possessing an armor, I can feel just how much he hates me. His hatred runs deep. Brukt's entire body glows white and now he's wrapped up completely in energy. I don't know what kind of power his world used, but that white light seems dangerous. I should avoi-

[Puhak!!]

A punch straight to the gut I was punched and shot straight into the ceiling.

[Kugh...!!]

I fall down from the ceiling, but Brukt won't let me fall and he starts hitting me around. He hits me towards one direction, goes faster than I am in that direction, and punches me again from there.

[Urgh...!!]

I weave handsigns midair.

[Oh no you don't!!]

Brukt appears right in front of me to punch me.

Good. I fooled him. Multiple beams of light shine and shoot into Brukt.

[Kraaaaaaaagh!!!!!!!]

I never needed to weave hand signs to use the move. It was just to fool him. And obviously, I don't need to say the name of the move either.

[You.... you...!!!!!]

Oh? The golden armor that was Brukt is starting to fade away. Did I kill his soul? Did I finally win?

[You bastard!! Just you wait!!! He's not going to stay sti-]

Brukt is cut off by a man. He appeared out of nowhere. He's wearing a full body robe and a hood. The man's hand touches Brukt's soul.

[UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!]

A painful scream. One similar to the ones I used to let out a lot.

[STOP IT!!! STOP IIIIIT!!! PLEAAAASE!!!!]

[Hey, hey~ you're the one babbling about us against our orders~ you deserve the punishment, fattass.]

Is he calling him that because the armor was wide? The man's voice is kind of high and light, like he's joking.

[NOOOOOOO!!! PLEASE!! SAVE M-]

FWOOSH

.... his soul is gone. He can't go to heaven or he'll anymore. He's completely ceased to exist.

[.... who are you? Are you an enemy?]

[Hm~ oh, look who it is... isn't this the infamous "Great Sinner"? Wow, look at how weak you've become. If you'd won that battle 10,000 years ago, we might have even invited you to join our ranks... too bad you couldn't do it.]

[... what are you talking about?]

I can't see his face because of the hood. No... eventually parts the hood isn't covering, it's blurred out as if I were in a comic.

[Oh, you don't know, right? All that stuff you did..... there are others who have done the same. I'll leave it at that.]

[... what? There are others who have killed as much as I have...?]

[Pfft, haha! You sound surprised! Well, we killed a lot more than you have!]

[Wha- how-]

[Okay, no more questions. I'm a busy man, so stop bothering me. Bye~]

[Hey. Wait.]

[Haaah..... you really don't understand, do you...?]

Suddenly, I feel overwhelming force pressing down on me, making me crash into the ground.

[Khaak..!!!]

My bones got all crushed and my organs got all mixed. I lost even more blood....

[You're supposed to be begging me for your life right now. After all, I am the great one who can governs the end of life....]

I can't even hear what he's saying.... I'm losing consciousness....

[Well, "Great Sinner," it looks like you got involved in our business. If you wanna live, you'd best run as far as you can~]

Ah... I can't....

And then I blacked out.