The lake beneath them trembled as the clash between Xzavier and Hageshi erupted once again. The air was heavy with the weight of their raw, unleashed powers. The tremors of their attacks sent ripples through the air, and the ground cracked beneath their feet, splintering into jagged fragments. It was no longer the battle between two young men striving to prove their worth—it was the battle of gods in the making.
Hageshi, with his newly acquired Aku no eye, was far from the person he once was. The battle-hardened warrior of old, the friend of Xzavier, had been consumed. Consumed by Gimori Aku no's power—his greed, his thirst for domination. That ancient darkness had crawled under Hageshi's skin, corrupted his soul, and taken his will.
But Xzavier... Xzavier was different. Though not completely free of his own darkness, there was a purity to his will—a strength forged in his desire to protect, to keep those he cared for safe. And it was that purity, that unwavering heart, that set him apart from the monsters that had been born from darkness.
The two were locked in a clash of ideals, each swinging their weapons with devastating force, their Legendary Arts colliding in mid-air, leaving massive craters and explosions in their wake. Frost, dark energy, and lightning shattered the very fabric of space.
But everything changed when Hageshi's Aku no eye flared, revealing a terrifying transformation. Black veins spread like rivers of corruption around the eye, pulsing with dark power, while a sickly dark aura began to envelop him. He was no longer the Hageshi Xzavier had once known.
And then, Xzavier charged.
It was in that moment, as Xzavier's Shadow Blade cut through the air, that Hageshi didn't see his friend. No, his eyes glazed over, and the Aku no eye saw something else entirely.
It saw the Omni, the Titanus Sarutobi, charging at him.
A great, horrifying monster of power, a being whose mere presence could obliterate worlds. The vision terrified Hageshi to his core.
His body froze. His feet stayed planted, even as Xzavier's assault drew nearer. The memories of Hageshi's time training, his friendship with Xzavier, all of it seemed like distant echoes as his mind was overrun.
And then, it happened.
A voice, slick and deceptive, echoed within his mind. A voice that had no mercy.
It was Gimori Aku no.
"Crush him. You must crush him, Hageshi. He is not worth your time. Only power matters."
The words twisted within Hageshi's heart. He struggled—fighting back against the urge to obey, the weakness in his chest betraying him.
But the voice was overpowering. It was Gimori's will, and it was all-consuming.
In the end, Hageshi gave in.
"Yes, Master," he muttered, the words escaping his lips like an unholy prayer.
His Aku no eye flared again, this time with even more intensity. The black veins spread further, turning his skin pale as the dark aura took over him completely. Hageshi was no longer Hageshi—he was an extension of Gimori Aku no's will.
He was now a puppet.
But even as the Aku no eye took control, the sky cracked—like a physical manifestation of their battle—when Yagumi arrived, his Grim Reaper Blades in hand.
Yagumi had been corrupted by the same power as Hageshi, his once-proud form twisted into something monstrous. But, even with all the corruption, he still held onto some semblance of his former self. He threw the Grim Reaper blades toward Hageshi, gritting his teeth.
"Take them, Hageshi," Yagumi's voice rasped. "You've earned them. Use them well."
With a fierce growl, Hageshi caught the blades, feeling the surge of dark energy coursing through them. He now wielded two blades, both infused with the power of Gimori Aku no. It made him even more dangerous. His grip tightened, his expression hardened into something cold.
Meanwhile, Raijin, the Thunder Warrior, stood on the sidelines, watching with helpless eyes. His heart ached for the man who had once been his closest ally—Hageshi. Raijin's hands trembled as he clutched the Thunder Blade, a weapon that once belonged to him. But now it had to be used to stop his fallen friend.
Raijin's grief was palpable as he threw the Thunder Blade toward Xzavier, his voice breaking. "Please, Xzavier… save him. Save him before it's too late."
Xzavier caught the blade in mid-air, feeling its immense power and rage.
For a brief moment, their eyes met. Raijin's pain mirrored in Xzavier's heart, and the weight of this battle settled deeper.
And then, the battle resumed.
Xzavier, wielding both the Shadow Blade and the Thunder Blade, met Hageshi head-on. Their Legendary Arts collided once more—shattering the world around them as they fought.
"Legendary Art: Thunderstorm Wrath!" Raijin's Thunder Blade crackled with energy as Xzavier wielded it, sending a surge of lightning through Hageshi's aura.
"Legendary Art: Frost Fang Oblivion!" Hageshi retaliated, the Grim Reaper blades crackling with frigid energy, sending freezing shockwaves through the ground.
The clash of their powers was devastating. The lake cracked beneath their feet, sending waves crashing against the distant shores.
But the true turning point came when Xzavier's Ascension Mark erupted. Streaks of lightning, glowing with intense white light, formed a new mark on his neck. It was a divine sign of ascension, a power that transcended his previous limits.
Xzavier's strength grew.
"Legendary Art: Celestial Thunderstrike!" The air became thick with electricity, the sky boiling with pure energy as Xzavier summoned a storm of raw lightning that came down with the fury of the heavens.
The storm engulfed Hageshi, but the corrupted warrior did not falter.
"I WILL NOT FALL!"
Hageshi raised his Grim Reaper blades and launched a counterattack.
"Legendary Art: Frostbite Eclipse!" The blades shone brightly, and a dark eclipse formed around them, sending icy shockwaves that clashed with Xzavier's thunder.
The ground split under the force, the air hummed with pure power, and every moment felt like an eternity.
For a brief second, there was silence.
And then…
With a single, decisive strike, Xzavier's Thunder Blade cut through the dark mist, slicing through the air and landing a devastating blow on Hageshi's side.
The ground rumbled as Hageshi staggered back, breathing heavily. His Aku no eye was flickering, regenerating. But Xzavier was not finished yet.
With his Sacred Eye glowing, Xzavier raised his Shadow Blade for one final strike.
And with that, he brought it down.
The force of the blow sent Hageshi crashing to the ground, his body sprawling across the sand, barely conscious.
But even as Hageshi lay there, defeated, his Aku no eye began to regenerate him. The darkness surged, and his body twitched, unwilling to accept defeat.
"I'll crush you, Xzavier," Hageshi whispered, his voice trembling with the last vestiges of his humanity. "I'll come back… and I'll make you regret this."
With a final act of defiance, Hageshi opened a portal, his body vanishing into the swirling vortex as he swore to crush Xzavier once and for all.
---
Meanwhile, in the Demon Tower, a familiar figure awaited.
Gimori Aku no, having watched the battle from afar, smiled.
His plan had succeeded.
Hageshi had become his perfect vessel. And now, with his new ally, nothing would stand in their way.
Gimori now had two puppets, two lapdogs, two pawns.
The war had just begun.