The morning began in silence, the kind of silence that didn't feel natural.
Mist coiled lazily between the black trees, and the river beside their camp murmured softly as if afraid to speak too loudly. The campfire had burned down to embers, faint curls of smoke rising into the air.
Asura stretched wide, letting out a dramatic yawn that echoed through the camp like a warcry. "Today's the day! The Six-Blade Demon Style—reborn!"
He hopped up from his bedroll, his hair sticking out in every direction, his grin far too smug for someone who hadn't even brushed his teeth yet. He turned toward the rack where his six newly forged blades had been resting, practically vibrating with anticipation.
He froze.
"…Huh?"
Five of the slots were empty.
Only one sword remained.
And it wasn't his sword anymore.
The weapon pulsed faintly, as though breathing. Cracks of glowing purple lightning raced along the blade, carving jagged lines into its surface. The steel itself was pitch black, almost corroded, as if it had been pulled from the heart of something forbidden. Its aura sucked the light out of the air, casting long shadows despite the morning sun.
The hilt was wrapped in dark material lined with glowing purple veins, a braided cord swaying faintly as though caught in a phantom wind. The guard, ornate and reinforced, shimmered faintly with power—not fragile artistry, but elegance made for war.
Selene turned, holding a pot of water, and blinked. "…Young master. Where are the other five swords?"
Asura blinked back at her, finger raised. "…Okay, funny story. That is the other five swords."
Her expression didn't change. "…What?"
"They, uh… sorta…" He tapped his chin, grinning sheepishly. "…merged?"
Selene set the pot down slowly, her violet eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "Merged. Into one."
"Not just one," Asura corrected with mock grandeur, spreading his arms wide. "The One. Like, you know—Excalibur, Kurogetsu, the kind of weapon that makes history books rewrite themselves just by existing."
Selene's brows twitched. "…So the Six-Blade Demon Style has become the One-Blade Idiot Style."
"HEY!" Asura puffed out his cheeks. "Don't insult destiny!"
Selene pinched the bridge of her nose. "Destiny? Asura, it looks cursed. It looks like the kind of blade priests throw into volcanoes to seal away forever."
"…That's how you know it's powerful!" Asura shot back with a thumbs-up.
Selene just stared, deadpan. "…Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous."
Asura ignored her, crouching down before the blade. He reached out slowly, his reflection warping across the dark steel as if his face were being twisted into something monstrous. The faint pulses of purple lightning crawled across his fingers like curious snakes.
His heart hammered, but his grin widened. "…Alright. Let's see what you are now. Appraisal!"
His system flared before his eyes:
Appraisal Window
Name: Yamikami no Tsurugi (Blade of the Dark God)
Quality: Exotic
Type: Katana – Exotic / God-tier / Evolving Weapon
Traits:
Blade Devourer – Assimilates weapons it consumes, evolving endlessly.Chaotic Lightning – Infuses every strike with unstable purple lightning that tears through both matter and mana.Aura of Ruin – Passively drains light and weakens the will of lesser beings nearby.Exotic Resonance – Amplifies wielder's strength and techniques based on intent and willpower.God-tier Evolving Core – Locked. Requires True Demon Lord Awakening 100% to unlock true form.
The words practically glowed in his vision. Asura's jaw dropped, then he broke into wild laughter.
"Exotic! God-tier! Evolving!" He clutched his stomach, rolling on the ground in hysterics. "This isn't just a sword—it's a cheat code!"
Selene arched a brow. "You are laughing at a weapon that looks like it wants to eat your soul."
"Not laughing," he corrected, sitting up with a mad grin. "I'm celebrating. This is fate. Forget six blades—this one blade is six, ten, a hundred waiting to happen. Look at it, Selene! It's practically begging to be legendary."
Selene folded her arms. "Or begging to kill you in your sleep."
"Tomato, tomahto," Asura said with a shrug.
He picked it up carefully, and the weight felt different—not heavier, not lighter, but alive. Every breath he took, the blade pulsed faintly in his hands, like a second heartbeat syncing with his own.
Selene's gaze sharpened. "…Strange. Yesterday, I swore the Nightfang Katana was alive. Now… I don't feel it anymore."
Asura tilted his head, smirking. "Maybe it's just hiding."
Selene stared at him flatly. "…That's not funny."
"Hey, if it was dangerous, I'd know," he said with a bright grin. "Besides, if it does decide to eat me—don't worry. I'll let you scold me from the afterlife."
Selene muttered under her breath, "I already want to scold you into the afterlife."
Asura leaned closer to the blade, golden eyes gleaming. "Yamikami no Tsurugi… the Blade of the Dark God, huh? Guess I'll just have to live up to the name."
The sword pulsed faintly, as if in agreement.
Selene tossed a piece of bread at his head. "Live up to eating breakfast first, idiot, before that thing eats you."
Asura caught it without even looking, still staring at the blade with a grin sharp enough to match its edge.
"…Not even gods are ready for me now."
The blade pulsed again. This time, Selene actually shivered.
✦ The First Test of Yamikami
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
Even the wind seemed to avoid the silver-haired boy as he stepped into the clearing, his new blade resting across his shoulder. Purple lightning danced faintly across the dark steel, cracks of unstable energy buzzing like whispers of chaos.
Asura's grin was feral.
"Alright, Yamikami no Tsurugi. Let's see what you can really do."
Behind him, Selene stood tense, her hand resting on her dagger. Her violet eyes narrowed at the weapon, unease bleeding into her otherwise calm expression.
"Young master… don't get reckless. That blade isn't normal."
Asura winked over his shoulder. "Since when have I not been reckless?"
Selene muttered, "…That's exactly the problem."
The ground trembled as shapes began to emerge from the treeline. Mana Beetles at first—hundreds of them—mandibles clicking, eyes glowing green in the shadows. The swarm moved like a tide, chittering so loudly it drowned out the night birds.
Asura planted his feet, raising the blade with both hands.
"Appraisal says you're Exotic, God-tier, and evolving. So prove it. Show me you're worthy."
The beetles rushed forward in a wave of black and green.
Asura swung.
The blade didn't just cut—it erased. A line of space itself split in front of him, the beetles in its path dissolving into violet dust as purple lightning exploded outward. The ground cracked open, trees splintered, and the very air howled as if screaming from the force.
Selene flinched, shielding her face from the shockwave. When she lowered her arm, her eyes widened.
"…That wasn't a strike. That was a calamity."
Asura stared at the blade, still crackling in his hand, his grin widening. "Hahaha! It's alive—it's feeding on my intent. The more I want destruction, the more it gives me!"
The beetles hesitated, their swarm faltering for the first time. Then, as if driven mad by fear, they surged again—twice as fast, twice as many.
Asura's golden eyes burned. "Good. More fuel."
He raised the sword high. Purple lightning condensed around the blade, building until the ground itself quivered under the pressure. His system flared violently:
Skill Created!
Yamikami Style – Chaotic Severance
(Consumes unstable demonic lightning. High risk of backlash. Damage: ???)
Asura roared, swinging down.
The sky split.
Not the clouds—the sky itself. A jagged tear ripped open above the clearing as a torrent of chaotic lightning crashed downward, obliterating everything in sight. The beetles were vaporized. The earth was carved into trenches so deep their bottoms glowed with molten stone. The trees ignited in purple fire that refused to die even when the wind howled against it.
And at the center of it all stood Asura, breathing hard, his body trembling. The sword pulsed in his hands like a second heartbeat—wild, unstable, demanding more.
Selene's voice broke through the crackle of flames.
"Enough! You'll kill yourself!"
Asura forced the blade down, slamming the tip into the dirt. The lightning sputtered and hissed, fading reluctantly. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his brow.
He looked at his trembling hands, then at the smoking crater that had once been a forest. Slowly, his grin returned.
"…This is insane."
His system chimed again:
EXP Gained!
Level 300 → Level 305
New Skill Acquired: Chaotic Lightning Manipulation (Beginner).
Yamikami no Tsurugi Resonance Increased.
Asura laughed breathlessly, running a hand through his messy silver hair.
"Selene… this sword isn't just strong. It's unstoppable."
Selene approached slowly, her violet eyes fixed on the weapon. "No, young master. That blade is not unstoppable. It is uncontrollable. And if you keep wielding it like this… it won't be the monsters that fall. It will be you."
Asura smirked, though his hand still shook faintly as he rested the weapon against his shoulder.
"Then I'll just have to get strong enough to control it."
The blade pulsed again, as though laughing with him.
Selene's lips pressed into a thin line. For the first time since she had met him, she was not just worried. She was afraid.
✦ The Aftermath of Yamikami
The flames still smoldered in the crater. Asura stood at the edge, Yamikami no Tsurugi humming faintly in his grip like it was pleased with the destruction.
But his grin slowly faded into a pout.
"…Man. I really wanted my Six-Blade Demon Style."
He squatted down, poking at the dirt with the tip of the blade, sulking like a kid who just dropped his ice cream. "I had the poses ready, the lines ready, even the 'glasses-push glint' moment for when I revealed it. Six blades, baby! Six! That's double than what that Pirate Hunter had and cooler than anything in anime!"
The sword pulsed in his hand, purple lightning cracking as though mocking him.
"Don't you laugh at me," Asura grumbled. "You ate my dream."
Selene crossed her arms behind him, one eyebrow twitching. "You are sulking… over dramatic poses?"
"Yes," Asura said flatly.
He stood, brushing off his robes, trying to shake it off. "Fine. Whatever. If I can't have six swords, then I'll make something even better. Let's see… oh! Armament Willforce! Like in anime—the black armor coating, total defense, total offense."
He clenched his fists, focusing hard. Nothing happened.
He clenched harder, veins bulging on his forehead. Still nothing.
Selene tilted her head. "Are you… constipated?"
"NO!" Asura snapped, sweat beading as he tried harder. "I'm unlocking the power of sheer willpower! Don't you get it!?"
Silence. The only sound was the faint crackle of Yamikami's unstable energy.
Finally, Asura groaned, flopping backwards into the dirt with his arms spread.
"Okay. Plan B: Conqueror's Will. Overpowering aura, knocks out everyone weaker than me, makes enemies faint instantly. Instant anime boss vibes. Easy win."
He sat up dramatically, golden eyes glowing faintly. He took a deep breath—
"BOOM!"
…Nothing.
He coughed awkwardly. "Right. Probably just on cooldown."
Selene pinched the bridge of her nose. "Young master… those sound less like skills and more like children's bedtime stories."
"Stories," Asura repeated, grinning. "That's what they all say… until the protagonist does it anyway."
The sword pulsed again, almost as if agreeing with his nonsense.
Selene sighed so deeply it echoed across the ruined clearing. "…You are going to be the death of me."
Asura puffed out his chest, striking a ridiculous "serious anime" pose with Yamikami glowing behind him.
"Correction: I'm going to be the death of the world!"
The purple lightning popped violently, nearly knocking him on his butt again.
"…Still counts," he muttered.
✦ The King's Unease
The Demon King sat upon his throne of black stone, still as a statue. The torches lining the hall flickered violently, bending toward the east, where his grandson was meant to be carrying out his first mission.
The air itself quivered, carrying a foreign pulse. A jagged vibration of mana, sharp and wrong, like steel ground against bone. It was power… but not natural. It was alive.
Crimson eyes narrowed. His claw tapped once against the throne, and the obsidian cracked beneath the sound.
"…So," he rumbled, voice echoing into the silence, "the boy has done it."
The aura was wild. Devouring. Something never meant to exist in this world. Yet faintly, unmistakably—it resonated with Asura's mana.
For the first time in centuries, unease crawled through the Demon King's chest. His jaw tightened, but his grin was sharp. "My grandson has awakened something forbidden. A blade that carries hunger."
He leaned forward, horns catching the firelight, shadows stretching long across the throne room.
"But…" His voice softened, almost like a growl. "He carries her blood as well. He will not fall."
The flames roared higher, as if bending to his will. The entire hall seemed to quake under the unspoken oath.
"If that blade dares to consume him…" His eyes burned like molten suns. "…then I will tear it apart with my own hands."
Meanwhile, in the forest—
"Armament Willforce!" Asura shouted, stomping the ground so hard dirt flew everywhere. He flexed his arm like an overexcited anime hero. "Behold! The spirit armor of my soul!"
…Nothing.
Selene pinched the bridge of her nose. "Young master, you're just… flexing at your elbow."
"It's part of the ritual!" Asura shot back, puffing his chest. "Look, they always scream power names before it works. It's dramatic build-up. You wouldn't understand."
He whipped out Yamikami no Tsurugi with a flourish, purple lightning snaking violently down the blade. The cursed steel hummed like a living beast.
"Conqueror's Will!" he bellowed. "Bow before my kingly aura!"
Another pause. Silence.
Then, randomly, a tree a hundred feet away split down the middle with a deafening crack, purple lightning blasting through it.
Selene jumped back, hand at her dagger. "…That was not your shouting."
Asura froze, then grinned ear to ear. "Ha! See? It works! I am the chosen one!"
He struck another pose, pretending his nonexistent cape fluttered in the wind.
Selene groaned, muttering under her breath, "One day, you'll blow our cover with these theatrics…"
The blade pulsed in his hand, unstable lightning crawling along its edge. Its presence radiated menace, but somehow—it almost felt like it was mocking her, enjoying the boy's antics.
And far away, the Demon King's crimson eyes burned hotter.
"…Asura. That blade will either carve the future… or end it."