377 377. The illegitimate outcomes.

WARNING!

The story contains graphic depictions of violence, sexuality, strong language, and/or other mature themes.

[The Demon's God Pursuit: Arc 17]

Once upon a time, on Planet Earth, a young girl was born; the story goes that her identity was never adequately clarified, but she was effectively known as the 'Holy Light.'

Her title depicted the real life of one's planet. Humankind did not know the Dimensions that had appeared alongside her birth, only of the Spirits that had been destroyed or disappeared.

The woman... The Holy Light, the heir of all the inhabitants, was not born alone. The arrival of the Demon God, whose name was Rez, caused anarchy, and humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Humans terrified him because of his recklessness and hunger for blood, and Demons started to manifest all over the Earth and The World of Zero, alongside alternate races such as The Inner Fiends, The Shades, Wraiths, and Spirits.

To combat the challenge, a new breed of people has awakened, the 'Spiritual Duelists' and 'Substitute-Duelists,' who have been dubbed the "First Army to Face Evil."

With their Legendary Weapons, the Ginken. This swarm of humans increased the world's cleanliness to the greatest extent possible, overwhelming the Demons of various grades and placing their survival at risk.

But, after several years of waiting, the 'Holy Light' gave birth to a human child, a girl of theoretically greater worth than Zero herself, but unlikely to become the next 'Holy Light,' their Goddess gave the girl to a friendly family, and since her mother needed to participate in protecting the divinity, the girl's memories were wiped.

But there is another royalty trapped within the shadows that have been concealed for millennia, even longer than the birth of a Demon...

The only one who has beaten the 'Holy Light's own is the Fiend Lord. Its lurkers will undoubtedly be wiped out, and the newfound foe will ready the battlefield...

- Gyuma City, Friday, 10:08 am -

Tim was surrounded by about twenty participants, with an extra ten due to low tier rankings.

"Would you be able to eliminate everyone on your own? You won't be able to tackle them without your Ginken." Kaoru spoke while rotating the sword on his left hip.

Tim glanced about, spinning on the spot, unable to think of an escape route, but when he returned to face Kaoru and his couple, he became serious. "So... what was the point of all this training? Only to then murder me at the end?" Tim, carrying the 'Beta Terminating Weapon,' inquired perplexedly.

"Yes, it was the most straightforward way to gain your trust. If we hadn't done that, you'd never have put the Ginken on the table, let alone with it. As hot as the sword, we'd all be reduced to ashes. But, in order to give you a fighting chance, we let you use the 'Beta Terminating Weapon.' I'm curious to see how far you can get... To demonstrate your strength to us." Tim was irritated, but he tried to hide it, according to Kaoru.

"... I should've realized by the end that you'd turn me into a target... What a moron..." Tim spoke quietly while looking at the sword he was carrying. ("Beta Terminating Weapon... Made from the same steel as Ginken... I can't use 'Henshin', which would be the simplest way to destroy these people without a Ginken... But I can still handle the fire... But, am I competent enough to use the 'Universal' one? ") He asked himself, remembering the past.

Tim lifted his arms and lowered the knife in a moment, surprising everyone. "What's the deal? Is it everything there is to it? You're going to give up and let us murder you?" When smiling at him, Kaoru smiled.

"So, what do I do? I couldn't do anything about it, there's thirty of you... I don't mind if I die; at the very least, I have accomplished what I set out to achieve." Tim wanted to mention so as his expression was solemn.

("Is this the correct moment?") Tim's subconscious was haunted by a pernicious sound. "Yeah... Go ahead..." The people in front of Tim were perplexed at that point.

"Let's have some fun if you'll make it that much easier for us to kill you. Everybody! Prepare them!" When the weapons were set free and with that, the blades of the arms extended and within seconds, thirty blades went cutting Tim right through the middle of the chest, until a light emerged and the blood started to spew out.

All smiled at that time, though Tim's hair obscured and shaded the top of his face and forehead, and his eyes were closed.

"Some things, I suppose, can be provided... Okay, everybody, go get his arm and take it away from him." As soon as the swords were shortened, one of the duelists fell in front of Kaoru and stepped toward Tim.

"Sir, indeed." With it, the man reached for Tim's blade, briefly attempting to remove it, but just as he thought it would be easy, Tim tightened his hold on it. "W-What's going on? He still has the blade." When anyone else was taken aback, the guy chimed in.

"What are you talking about? He's still alive?!" But just as they were about to stab him again, Tim's scleras were blacked out with a substance that turned his both pupils yellow, and a treacherous aura started to form around his body.

"Come on, let's go! Hurry up and assassinate him!" As the duelists suddenly leaped from the brink, Tim's hair lifted as he swiftly looked ahead, whilst a group of people was still preparing to tackle him down, Tim's body rotated when he circularly thrust with his sword, from the front in a full circle.

While the thirteen Duelists who were around him were trapped in the flames and knocked aside, Tim saw the next duelist jump at him and pulled his right arm forward, blocking the assault.

He then launched a stiff jab, which pushed the man back, at which point Tim spun around and swung his sword, while the cutter rubbed right into the man's face, at which point Tim stepped up and saw the next couple of men leaping from the side.

The first man swung his blade near his kneecaps, while the second slashed straight through his head.

When Tim vanished from the scene, the two men sliced themselves as they collided on the pavement, Tim swung his sword backward, summoning another cyclone of burning black fire as he caught it with both of his weapons.

Tim dashed away when a black line of fire was cast over the seven people as their bodies exploded blood, noticing that Tim had appeared at the very back of the men when standing up straight, and with complaints of agony, the seven bodies fell down to the floor, until Tim stood aside and turned his body to meet, Kaoru in his pair, seeing them irritated.

Tim's eyes eventually returned to normal, and his wound healed quickly as a result of the 'Fiendish' findings.

"What the heck is going on?! Not quite a scuff?!" When Nishi was preparing to kill him, Kaoru inquired. "Crap... This guy could cause us some problems!"

"Are you content? You've pierced my skin? How does it make you feel?" Tim wondered as he took a few steps forward, watching Kaoru and Nishi, along with Hagiwara, sharpen their swords.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. Sure, your 'Inner Fiend' could be alive with and connected to your soul! But it's not going to follow your orders!" Kaoru yelled, his blade poised in front of him. "Maybe... Who knows, maybe he was only feeling gracious." Tim spoke before coming to a halt several feet away from them.

"Please excuse me while I go in search of my Ginken. Alternatively, this sword can slash straight through..." When a blue fire started to emanate from Tim's sword, he said. "Do you think we're scared of that thing?" However, Tim's eyes grew bold at that time, and blue flames spouted outward.

"All right..." Finally, Tim's blade emitted a white flame that roared in front of him, putting everyone in the line of fire. "What the heck is going on?! You've got to be kidding me, right? Don't tell me you've kept your control of it from the first time you used it!" When Tim went for the bandages with his left arm, Kaoru screamed in terror.

When he realized his arm was fully healed. "You can't really be-" Tim, on the other hand, stepped in. "It always can be." He said this as he was planning to kill his rivals.

"Tell me now. Where did you keep the sword?" Tim pondered as he waited, towering over the others.

"... It's none of your business... Don't get your hopes up; we'll have it!" Nishi leaped forward, emerging in front of Tim, looking up at him and seeing him stood still, pointing forward, but right in that second, the moment Nishi swept with his blade, Tim's body flickered several times, in which moment Nishi could feel panic, suddenly Tim's body reappeared at the back of Nishi as the attacker felt vulnerable.

When a white slice was swept by his body, forcing his eyes to turn dead fish, which forcefully exploded Nishi's body blood and spewed it on the deck, Kaoru and Hagiwara were shocked and frightened, seeing Tim stand up straight, but the moment he entered the second stage, he flickered again.

"Afired Rush."

Finally, white cuts were burning left and right around Nishi's body, when he couldn't stop being hit aside, as well as a massive cut of whiteness, swept Nishi's chest when Tim appeared above him and began to front flip while cutting downward with white burning fire, which dug from Nishi's forehead, all the way to the mere bottom, the hip, until Tim circularly swept the sword forward, and cut Nishi.

Nishi collapsed over at that point, and his body started to sink into the pool of his blood.

And Tim's body stood behind the corpse, standing up straight, and the moment he shared gazes with both, Kaoru and Hagiwara turned around and tried to run, but when they were about to enter the entrance, Tim let them escape when he closed his eyes, and a woman landed next to him while standing up.

"So... you were among them?" Tim wondered if the lady tossed the suitcase at him, in which case he grabbed it. "You've been thinking about ways to boost the 'Universal Flame...' Then why did you come to them if you thought we were the best option?" Looking up at him, the woman inquired.

"... I wanted the fundamentals, but now that I have them, I can collaborate with you and the others..." Tim was washing the suitcase when he spoke. "You should have just called for the fundamentals..." The woman said, her blue her covering the right side of her cheek.

".... Risa... Why are you so enticed?" Looking at the sliding door, Tim was perplexed. "I'm not enticed... You've been mindful of their ruse, but why would you go that far?" Risa pondered, her arms softly lowered in her black turtleneck shirt.

"... I guess I just needed multiple perspectives on this 'Universal Flame'... no one else has a chance to use it... And I was mistaken; these cretins were dumb enough..." Tim claimed, tossing the suitcase, cracking open the lid, and reaching for the sword while staring at it.

"We're really just thankful you were there to pick up the suitcase." Tim frowned and took a step forward. "Were you aware of the suitcases?" When staring at him, she pondered. "I've read of them and seen them..." Tim spoke as he walked past Risa. "I guess you don't have much of a say..." She talked as she closed her eyes and followed him.

As long as the suitcase was in the blood pool.

"Furthermore, the letter was obviously written by a woman... Those three fools' prose was terrible... As a result, it was obvious that I had been sent the incorrect message..." Tim demonstrated as he walked down the stairs, while Risa stood at the top, looking down.

"So, I'm assuming you got the correct letter inside the food bag?" Tim confirmed when given a question.

To be continued...