231 Slash.2 Slash Dog/Dog God of the Fallen

In a large parking lot that was attached to the venue—.

It was a place that was devoid of any presences because the game was currently in progress, but a Grim Reaper with an indescribable aura appeared. Ikuse Tobio and the black dog Jin sprang out from the shadow of a car. The powerful Grim Reaper said

<<—A dog huh.>>

"That's right, a dog."

Tobio immediately understood that the Grim Reaper that had appeared before him was an executive-class Grim Reaper who served under Thanatos. The quality of the aura that covered his entire body was clearly different from that of a normal Grim Reaper. The Grim Reaper drew his scythe out of his own shadow as he said

<<Now that your master Azazel is gone, there should be no reason for you to stand here, right?>>

"He is a comrade whom I once fought alongside. Is that not enough of a reason for me to fight against you?"

Tobio also took out a scythe from his own shadow. His weapon also happened to be a scythe.

<<Even if your enemy is a god?>>

Tobio shrugged in response to the Grim Reaper's question.

"Sometimes I cut gods as well."

Spinning the scythe around in his hand, Tobio said

"Besides, Vali seems to be enjoying his battle right now, so I couldn't possibly allow you to disturb him."

<<Are you trying to claim that you're related to that Hakuryuukou who has the dirty blood of Lucifer in him? Even if you're bluffing, you should be more reasonable. That blood is cursed. One day, it could result in your death.>>

Indeed. That youth was always quite reckless. But every time, he would remember the words that Azazel had said.

"They're a bunch of troublesome children. But…"

All of the shadows in Tobio's surroundings began to distort. And then twisted blades began to stretch out from those shadows. Somehow, the entire area had turned into a world that was filled with a countless number of sharp blades.

"—Don't make irresponsible remarks about Vali, Grim Reaper-san."

The Grim Reaper lifted his scythe, and emitted a tremendous aura from his body.

<<Your soul shall be harvested by me.>>

"Let me ask you something instead. —Have you ever considered the possibility of your own soul being harvested?"

After both sides got into their stances, there was a moment of silence. In an instant — the figures of the two people and the black dog disappeared, and the crisp sound of colliding metal was heard in the sky above the carpark over and over again. Leaving behind a dark afterimage, Tobio wielded the scythe and slashed it at the Grim Reaper from a variety of angles. The Grim Reaper released aura at Tobio, but he couldn't hit with any accuracy, and all he did was cause the cars on the ground to be destroyed. The Grim Reaper was also good at this kind of high-speed battle, and was gradually able to cope with Tobio's offense. In spite of this, the Grim Reaper had to face both Tobio and the black dog as enemies at the same time. Jin held a short blade in its mouth, and it matched its attacks with Tobio to engage in an aggressive combined assault. If Tobio's attack missed, Jin's strike would immediately compensate. The two of them didn't clash at all, and even their breathing was in sync — no, the two of them acted as if they were a single entity, and their combined attacks became a unified assault. The Grim Reaper was finally able to land a blow on Tobio, but the part that should have been cut melted into the shadows. Was it a clone? Or was he the shadow itself—. The Grim Reaper was unable to make an immediate judgment.

<<This is no longer something that a human should be capable of. So you're already that deep into the Sacred Gear?>>

The Grim Reaper decided. The Grim Reaper swung his scythe out at the approaching Jin, but Jin evaded it with lightning speed, and then swung a sharp blade at him. The Grim Reaper immediately retreated backwards — but he was unable to completely dodge, and his cloak was cut open. Tobio decided that there was no point in dragging things out any further, and so he recited the chant in order to decide the outcome in an instant—. —Indeed, the hunt of darkness was about to begin. Shadows, black fog, and darkness assembled all around Ikuse Tobio. Various kinds of darkness gathered around him, and sharp blades protruded out from his surroundings. Quietly and deeply, curse-like words were woven together into a chant.

<<—Behowlest the slaying of one thousand mortals>>

Tobio and Jin became shrouded in darkness. The jet-black haze spread, and then covered everything in the surrounding area.

<<—Besingest the slaying of ten thousand goblins>>

His limbs gradually dissolved into the darkness, and turned into something with an irregular shape.

<<—Mine name, immersed in deepest darkness, tis the Imitation God traversing the Polar Night>>

Tobio's body assimilated with the darkness, and then he said—.

<<—O ye, perishest by mine own black blade>>

This was a ritual that turned something with a human shape into a thing that differed from a human.

<<—Fools ye art, oh deformed Creator God>>

After Ikuse Tobio recited the final verse, the black dog Jin let out a clear howl—.

Aoooooooohhh….

What appeared in front of the Grim Reaper was a God of the Blade in a humanoid shape wearing a cloak of darkness—. A hunter who was tailed by a large <<Dog>> of darkness appeared—. —Balance Breaker, Night Celestial Slash Dogs. The Grim Reaper couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

<<I see…it's no wonder that you're considered to be one of the abnormal people among the Longinus possessors.>>

[No, I believe that the majority of the Longinus possessors of this generation are abnormal.]

After saying so, Tobio's figure disappeared. The Grim Reaper sensed a presence, and so he swung his scythe behind him — but all that was left was the residual darkness.

[Too slow.]

Slash Dog was equipped with a scythe in each hand — Tobio slashed down with them to form the shape of a cross. Although the Grim Reaper had managed to evade that attack, it was still far from enough. Zah! —With that sound, the Grim Reaper felt the very soul in his body being cut. The aura that was released by Slash Dog's scythes could penetrate even the inside of a Grim Reaper's body. At the same time, Jin chased from behind and swung a sharp blade, tearing through the Grim Reaper's body. The blade that Jin held had cursed words engraved onto it, and that curse spread within the Grim Reapers body like fire, destroying the Grim Reaper from within. Facing the immobile Grim Reaper, Tobio took the two scythes and transformed them into a single massive scythe, and swiftly swung it down.

<<...! A god of death…being killed…!>>

[This is a blade that is said to be capable of cutting even a god, so that's only natural. —No matter who my opponent is, I will definitely be able to cut them.]

Tobio slashed his scythe down vertically, while Jin flicked its blade horizontally. The Grim Reaper was torn asunder in the shape of a cross—.

<<You dog…!>>

[That's right, a dog. But, instead of fangs, everything is cut apart by—]

As the Grim Reaper disappeared, Tobio, the Slash Dog, and his clone Jin stood side by side.

[This <<blade>>.]

This was the moment in which a Grim Reaper's soul was cut and harvested—. After Tobio killed Thanatos' executive-class Grim Reaper, he felt a mighty aura in the sky above the venue. It was probably the arrival of Thanatos himself. —But, this was a calculation that had already been accounted for in the combat plan. Ravel Phoenix had devised a strategy to deal with the attack of a god. Moreover, the reference for it came from the battle against the Evil God Loki—. What happened when Loki appeared in front of the Two Heavenly Dragons again? The answer had been deployed there. As he looked up into the distance, he saw Thanatos appear in the sky above the stadium whilst emitting a tremendous aura. However, in the next instant, a large transportation magic circle appeared in the sky above the venue. And then, Thanatos was caught within it—.

[Now then, I'm leaving the rest up to you. Sekiryuutei.]

The opponent who was an ultimate-class Grim Reaper had been entrusted to the youth who had the protection of a Dragon God—. A group of Grim Reapers with an unsettling aura appeared nearby Tobio again. Their numbers could easily exceed a hundred. The battle between Slash Dog and the Grim Reapers would have to continue—.