Chapter 14 – Ryo vs Ghost

The wind was still when I stepped into the clearing.

The same temple ruins stood behind me, its broken walls lit by moonlight. I held a fresh blade—standard, sharp, and unfamiliar. Not mine yet. But it would do.

This was my third night returning to this place.

I had met Ghost here. A demon with a sword and own will.

And I wasn't done with him.

I raised my voice.

"Ghost-san! Come out! I brought you something."

No reply.

I held up the wrapped bento. "There's sweet egg and pickled radish. I made it myself!"

Silence. I let out a loud sigh.

"I swear I'll start singing if you don't show up!"

The wind stirred.

A ripple in the shadows. Then, from the treetops, he dropped soundlessly.

"You are... relentless."

Ghost landed with folded arms. His tattered cloak dragged behind him. His mask gleamed under the moon, half-hidden in the dark.

"I was hoping you'd get bored and leave."

"Nope," I said, smiling. "You're the coolest demon I've met. Probably the only one who hasn't tried to eat me."

"That can change."

"Sure," I shrugged. "But first, you promised me that you would train me."

"Fine but let me test your skills first"

"Sure, don't underestimate me."

He was quiet.

Then, with a sigh that sounded older than time, he unsheathed his sword.

"Fine. Impress me."

Duel Begins.

We took our stances. His stance was so good. Little to no opening at first.

We clashed.

His sword moved like wind—sharp, unpredictable, without mercy. I had to use everything I had. Every breath, every step, every inch of instinct.

"Shadow Breathing, First Form—Veiled Fang!"

I lunged. A flash of steel.

He blocked with ease.

"Second Form—Ghost Step!"

I vanished behind him and struck again. This time he moved a half-second slower. Still, he deflected my blade with the back of his.

"Your stance is flawed," he said calmly. "Your weight is off."

"I'll fix it after I win."

He chuckled.

Then vanished.

I turned too late. A slash grazed my shoulder.

I grunted and leapt back. "So that's your trick…"

"I don't need tricks," he said, reappearing behind a tree. "But vanishing keeps things interesting."

He disappeared again. Silent as death.

I shut my eyes.

Focused. The forest, the wind, the grass... I erased it all.

Then I felt it. A pulse in the air. A shift behind me.

I spun and blocked just in time.

He reappeared—eyes gleaming behind the mask.

"You can sense me, huh?"

"You're not as invisible as you think."

"And I suppose you are not that dumb as I think"

"Yeah, OBVIOUSLY", I yelled.

The fight escalated. Steel met steel again and again. His power far outmatched mine. But I didn't break. I adapted. I studied him.

After a series of rapid strikes, I saw it—his fingers slipped on the hilt. Just a hair for a… split second. This was it, the opening I needed.

The next time, I waited.

When it came, I struck hard.

Our blades locked, and I twisted.

Ghost lost his shape, staggered back, the continuous chain of attacks stopped , his mask cocked in surprise.

"You noticed that?"

"Yeah. Bad grip."

He stared at his hand.

"Huh. I never fixed this bad habit of mine. No one's ever lasted long enough to notice."

Then, he raised his blade high.

"Let's end it."

The moonlight twisted.

And the world disappeared.

I fell.

My body landed hard on a flat stone floor.

When I stood, I was no longer in the clearing.

I stood in a forest of towering, twisted trees. Their leaves shimmered like glass. The sky above was black—but in it hung a red moon. Massive, round, and glowing like blood. It was too close. Too still.

A presence formed before me.

Ghost hovered a few feet off the ground, his cloak billowing as if caught in a wind only he could feel.

His voice was deep now, heavy. "Welcome... to my Blood Demon Art."

He raised a hand. The red moon blinked, then shifted shape—crescent.

"I call it Eternal Nightmare."

"What... is this place?"

"A world created from my will. Here, I control everything. The air. The sky. Everything"

He landed.

And vanished.

A searing pain tore across my ribs.

I gasped. Stumbled.

Behind me—nothing.

I reached out with my senses. But they were… gone. Blunted. Broken.

I couldn't smell. Couldn't hear. Even touch felt distant.

My breath quickened.

Ghost's voice echoed, coming from nowhere.

"You've relied too much on those little tricks. What will you do now?"

Fear crept in. Real fear. The kind I hadn't felt since that night.

I dropped to one knee.

My blade trembled. I think he is manipulating my emotions and injecting fear.

"Come on, Ryo," I whispered. "Focus."

I closed my eyes.

Emptied everything. Pain, fear, sound, smell—gone. I stopped every senses of mine.

Only will remained.

If he could turn down my senses, I'd fight with something deeper.

I reached.

Past the noise. Past the fear.

And found it.

A thread. A flicker. A whisper of motion.

I moved.

With eyes shut, I stepped forward. My sword guided by instinct.

"Shadow Breathing... Third Form—Eclipse Fang."

I spun, blade flashing.

It struck.

A cry echoed.

I opened my eyes.

Ghost stood before me, mask cracked across the cheek, blood dripping down his side.

He stared at me.

"You... saw me."

"I felt you."

He didn't speak for a while.

Then, the world began to shake.

His Blood Demon Art shattered like glass.

And we were back.

The forest returned.

I collapsed on the dirt, lungs burning.

Ghost stood a few steps away, his shoulders rising and falling.

We said nothing for a while.

Then, he laughed.

A quiet, bitter laugh.

"You broke through my world."

"You gave me no choice."

He sheathed his blade.

"Why it broke though? Your Dream World."

"I need a lot of energy to maintain a world like that. I haven't ate human flesh or blood in a long time.", He replied.

"I brought food, want?"

"That won't help. Your will is too strong. I had trouble maintaining the Dream World because of your strong will"

"Told you, don't underestimate me."

"You know," he said, turning away, "when you first came, I thought you were just another loud kid."

"I'm still loud."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "But you're not just loud."

He walked toward the temple, then paused.

"Come back tomorrow. I'll teach you something."

My eyes widened. "You mean it?"

"You earned it."

The wind shifted.

He vanished into the darkness.

And for the first time, the silence he left behind didn't feel cold.

To Be Continued…