Just Allen and Amaterasu

"I crave much for that, Allen. You know how much I desire the c*ck of strong men..." her voice dropped, thick with hunger.

"Let's make this easy—be a gentleman and let me take your head."

A dangerous heat radiated from Amaterasu, thick enough to break the bonds in the air itself. The room steamed, droplets forming across surfaces from the sheer pressure of her aura.

Allen let out a raw scream under the crushing weight of her power in taughts. His limbs trembled violently, but he didn't give in to fear. That—was weakness. And Allen was no weakling.

Sparks of lightning danced in his eyes as his face carved itself into a demonic grin, one that matched the madness smirking on Amaterasu's.

"Then catch me." He grinned—and in an instant, he vanished.

Light exploded where he once stood. His body became a red flash—too fast for any normal eyes to trace. His cells fired on all cylinders. His thoughts raced at hyperspeed. His feet blasted through the wooden floor, leaving behind a scorch of black ashes as he shot up through the ceiling, crashing headfirst into the sky.

"Just as I thought," Amaterasu chuckled, leaping after him. "You want to do this the hard way."

Allen tore through the street, zig-zagging with blinding speed. Not only to escape her, but to avoid drawing attention. He couldn't afford a crowd. His eyes burned against the slicing wind, and his momentum carved the air like a missile.

He glanced back—and what he saw defied reason.

Amaterasu was right behind him. Her eyes flared with fury, blade clenched in white-hot fists, flames trailing in her wake.

"Damn it...!" Allen cursed, pushing himself even harder, bending around corners like a phantom.

But no matter what, she didn't fall off his tail.

"Come on, Allen! I'll do it quick—you won't feel a thing!" she shouted from behind, her voice haunting.

Allen skidded to a halt at an open space near the high walls of the Elf Clan. The place was wide, empty—blanketed with grass that swayed gently under moonlight.

"Made your decision?" Amaterasu asked, not slowing. Her blade flew straight for his neck. But Allen—seeing the motion in hyper-speed—was ready.

His fingers curled into a "C" as lightning charged between them, forming a shield.

He blocked the blow, but the impact sent him flying backward, skidding across the grass with a BOOM that scattered birds from distant trees.

His balance faltered before he caught himself. He created space. His heart pounded.

But Amaterasu wasn't done.

Her blade traced a glowing arc through the air as she took a low stance.

"Patient Flames... Hell's First Gate."

She slashed.

Out of nothing, fire surged forward. It wasn't normal—it wasn't natural. Allen felt it even before it reached him. His skin itched like billions of worms were sliding beneath it.

He leaped—high. Higher than needed. Anything to dodge those cursed flames. His eyes widened as he watched the fire touch the ground… and instead of burning it—

The grass didn't catch fire.

It withered. Turned pale. Nutrients sucked dry. Yet the leaves remained upright—dead, but still standing.

"Tch..." Allen hissed through his teeth.

No time to think. Midair, Amaterasu launched toward him again, blade ready.

"You're hesitating," she said coldly as she struck.

'She's right', Allen thought. 'I've been playing defense from the start.'

With no solid ground beneath him, most would call it checkmate—but Allen was no ordinary fighter.

He exploded a surge of lightning beneath his feet, launching higher and spinning midair effortlessly avioding her slash. He realigned behind her, feet pulsing with electric discharge.

"Activate ability: Black Tongue," he whispered to his system.

> [Command executed.]

[Gene Ability 'Black Tongue' has been activated.]

The system whispered the curse structure directly into his mind. No screen. No flash. Pure thought.

Amaterasu spun immediately, her stance stable midair, flames bursting beneath her like rockets.

Allen didn't block her counter swing.

Instead, he let the blade slice through his arm.

Veins tore. Flesh split. Blood poured.

But he smiled—a crunchy, defiant grin.

Amaterasu flinched.

Her blade stopped at his elbow—because couldn't go further. His arm regenerated in real time, the skin sealing itself perfectly, locking the blade inside his muscle.

She tried to pull back.

She couldn't.

Allen reeled his other fist back, but Amaterasu didn't flinch this time. She whispered another curse:

"Erasing Flames... Hell's Third Gate."

Fire crawled up her blade and leapt onto Allen's trapped arm.

And then—agony.

Not fire. Not pain. Oblivion.

The flesh didn't just burn—it disappeared. Not even ash remained.

"Haaaa!" Allen screamed, his voice raw, and with one brutal motion, he severed his own arm at the shoulder, saving himself from the creeping annihilation.

He fell back, blood spraying—but his instincts were awake, and Amaterasu was far from done.

She landed slowly, eyes locked onto him like a predator sizing up its kill. She drew a perfect circle in the air with her blade, flames trailing behind it.

"Pain is death... in the form of seconds, minutes, and hours," she said softly. "It doesn't just destroy your body, Allen—it unravels your soul. Let me free you from that disease."

Fire encircled her feet, burning outward in a perfect ring.

Her blade pointed directly at Allen. Her eyes glowed white from within the flames, burning straight into his soul.

The sun began to rise. The natural heat only added to the battlefield's blazing air.

The clash, the heat, the explosions—they drew the attention of the entire Elf Clan.

But none dared approach. Entering that fight would be suicide. Even madmen knew better.

Far off, atop the palace veranda, Kealion watched silently. The other elders stood beside him, uncertain, but tense.

"We should send backup... This might be our only chance," Garric said, eyes narrow.

"Let her handle it," Kealion said, retreating back into the palace. "If there are casualties—then we'll intervene."

Back on the battlefield, Allen was running out of options.

He couldn't fight her up close—not with those unnatural flames. But he didn't want to end her at same time. Whether or not she was Sky-Ranked, he had a system that could only be described as a major cheat.

He wanted to end it without a fatal blow.

Amaterasu stood before him—no longer a woman, but a living inferno. From head to toe, cloaked in flame. Only her white-hot eyes remained visible, like twin stars inside a demon.

"Dead Life... Hell's Fifth Gate."

She didn't move.

She didn't swing.

The temperature spiked.

The air sizzled. It felt like the whole world was being cooked.

From the scorched ground beneath her, creatures began to rise.

Infernals.

Black-skinned. Flaming eyes. Empty skulls. Twin horns. Their mouths stretched impossibly wide, filled with teeth and their tounge sticked outside their mouth like sweating dogs.

They charged at Allen.

"What the—" Allen cursed, backpedaling to dodge a flaming punch. He retaliated with a lightning-powered strike that tore through the first creature's chest, vaporizing it.

But behind it—more.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Endless.

Sweat poured down his face.

An amused yet terrified grin spread across his lips.

"DON'T MOVE," he whispered to his system.

> [Executing Cursed Word — Level Two Upper: "Don't Move."]

[Target: Time within 50 meters radius.]

[Warning: Target's power immense. Curse duration limited to 1 second.]

[Cursed Word Activated.]

Time froze.

The infernals halted mid-charge.

Amaterasu's mouth was wide open mid-command.

The world around 50meters paused—like a video stopped in time.

"One second is enough."

Lightning surged across Allen's body.

He rocketed through the arena, obliterating every infernal with a single electrified punch.

And when he reached Amaterasu—he didn't strike.

He touched her forehead gently, and whispered:

"HIBERNATE."

> [Executing Cursed Word — Level One Lower: "Hibernate."]

[Target: Amaterasu]

[Duration: One hour.]

Time resumed.

The explosion of hellborn creatures behind him filled the air with fire and screams.

Amaterasu collapsed, flames vanishing from her body. Her breathing deepened.

She was asleep. Peacefully asleep.

For Level One Curses, the power-to-effort ratio was absurd. They required little aura—and were devastating hard to counter even by the highest tops.

"That's handled," Allen said, exhaling deeply. The heat within him began to cool.

"I need to leave here immediately."

But his instincts flared.

He turned—

BOOM!

Something massive slammed into his head, sending him crashing into the ground

The last thing he saw through his fading vision...

Was Kealion, standing above him.

"Take him to the palace gaol," Kealion ordered Garric. "I have questions when he wakes up."

"Elder Kealion, she isn't unconscious," Cealen said, checking Amaterasu's pulse. "She's... sleeping."

Kealion narrowed his eyes.

'How can Amaterasu sleep mid-battle?' he thought grimly. 'What ability did he just use?'

"Make sure she's cared for." He turned to watch Garric lift Allen's unconscious weight.

"This one... will serve as bait for those pesky vampires."