Ch 47 Final Shikigami

But Ichiro wasn't fazed as he appeared behind Ergo and delivered a horizontal slash to Ergo's neck. Ergo quickly noticed and grabbed Ichiro's hand, attempting to slam him to the ground. However, before Ergo could execute his plan, Ichiro cut off his own arm mid-swing and managed to break free from Ergo's grip.

Ichiro then looked at Ergo with eyes filled with delight and excitement. He released his cursed energy once again, concentrating it into a small sphere the size of a baseball. As Ichiro focused his energy, the air around him crackled with intensity. Ergo, realizing the imminent danger, decided to take action.

Ergo drew his great sword, the blade shimmering with positive energy, and hurled it at Ichiro with immense force. Ichiro easily parried the attack, his movements swift and precise. The great sword dissipated into a cloud of black smoke upon impact, scattering into the air.

To Ichiro's surprise, Ergo suddenly disappeared from his line of sight. Ichiro's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of his opponent. The battlefield was eerily silent, the tension thick in the air. Ichiro's heart raced as he scanned the area, ready for Ergo's next move

As Ichiro pondered where Ergo could be, his surroundings suddenly darkened. Looking up, he saw Ergo's dark, ominous form descending at incredible speed toward his location. Ichiro's eyes widened in anticipation, and he quickly jumped back, hurling one of his concentrated cursed energy spheres at Ergo in mid-air. The sphere crackled with potent energy as it shot toward the descending figure.

Ergo raised his right arm to block the attack. The concentrated cursed energy collided with his arm, and with a deafening explosion, his entire arm was blown to pieces. The force of the blast sent shockwaves through the area, causing the ground to tremble. Ichiro landed a few meters back, watching the aftermath of his attack with a mix of excitement and caution.

To his amazement, Ergo's arm began to regenerate almost immediately. Reverse cursed energy swirled around the injured area, weaving together a new arm. Within moments, Ergo's arm was fully restored, as if nothing had happened. Ichiro's eyes sparkled with excitement at the sight.

As Ergo's arm completely healed, he charged toward Ichiro's location with renewed ferocity. His dark form blurred with speed as he closed the distance. Ichiro readied himself, poised to slice Ergo in half as soon as he entered striking range. His eyes focused, muscles tensed, and his cursed energy surged through his body, preparing for the imminent clash.

But to Ichiro's astonishment, instead of a fist hurtling toward him, he was met with a massive great sword that materialized in Ergo's hand out of nowhere. The blade gleamed menacingly in the dim light, and its sheer size and power were overwhelming. Ichiro's eyes widened in surprise, and he barely managed to dodge the lethal strike, the blade grazing his chest and leaving a shallow cut.

Ergo's attack didn't stop there. With relentless aggression, he followed up with a vertical slash that Ichiro narrowly avoided by ducking and rolling to the side. The ground where Ichiro had stood moments ago was split open by the force of the blow, sending debris flying in all directions.

Ichiro quickly regained his footing, but Ergo was already upon him with a horizontal slash aimed at his midsection. Ichiro parried the attack with his blade, the clash of metal ringing out. The impact sent vibrations through Ichiro's arms, but he held firm.

Ergo's onslaught continued, a relentless series of powerful strikes and precise attacks that left Ichiro with little room to counterattack. Ichiro focused on parrying and blocking, his movements fluid yet strained as he tried to keep up with Ergo's relentless pace. Each clash of their blades sent sparks flying, and the force of each blow reverberated through the battlefield.

But ichiro is not just a sitting duck as he released his cursed energy, a surge of cursed energy enveloped Ergo, freezing the Shikigami in place. Ergo's movements halted abruptly, his form locked in an unnatural stillness. Ichiro seized this moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself as his wounds began to heal. The cursed energy flowed around him, accelerating his recovery until he felt strong enough to engage once more.

With renewed vigor, Ichiro lunged forward and delivered a powerful punch directly at Ergo's midsection. The impact sent shockwaves through Ergo's body, causing him to skid across the dry, cracked earth. Before Ergo could fully recover, Ichiro followed up with another punch, his fists driven by determination and adrenaline. Despite Ergo's attempts to counter, the cursed energy bound him in place again, leaving him vulnerable to Ichiro's relentless assault.

Each blow landed with force, each strike driven by Ichiro's resolve to defeat this formidable opponent. Ergo, though temporarily subdued by Ichiro's cursed energy, displayed remarkable resilience. Even after being knocked to the ground by Ichiro's onslaught, Ergo stood up without a trace of injury or fatigue. His dark form emanated an aura of unwavering strength and power.

As both Ichiro and Ergo advanced towards each other with purposeful strides, the ground beneath them seemed to tremble in acknowledgment of their formidable presence. Each step echoed their determination and skill, setting a tense atmosphere thick with anticipation.

Suddenly, both combatants vanished from view, their movements obscured by a flurry of sparks and clashes that reverberated through the air. The intensity of their confrontation escalated swiftly. Ergo, with swift and calculated precision, unleashed a horizontal slash aimed directly at Ichiro. Reacting with swift reflexes, Ichiro intercepted the attack with a resounding block, his stance unwavering against Ergo's relentless assault.

But Ergo, displaying unexpected cunning, abruptly diverted his sword's trajectory mid-swing, catching Ichiro off guard. The blade whizzed past Ichiro, narrowly missing its intended mark and leaving him momentarily stunned by the unforeseen maneuver.

Seizing the opportunity, Ergo swiftly closed the distance between them, his hand darting out to grasp Ichiro's head in a vice-like grip. With his other arm drawn back, Ergo prepared to deliver a devastating blow to Ichiro's face. However, Ichiro's instincts kicked in with lightning speed. In a deft maneuver, he guided Ergo's descending fist towards his other arm, intercepting the attack and leveraging the force to break free from Ergo's grasp.

Ichiro seized a moment of opportunity. With precision and determination, he launched a swift attack aimed at Ergo's right leg. The strike landed true, causing Ergo to stumble momentarily, his balance disrupted by the force of the blow.

Ichiro, recognizing the danger of Ergo's reverse cursed energy gathering on his leg, swiftly moved to exploit the opening. He aimed to deliver a vertical slash to sever Ergo's leg, but before he could execute his plan, Ergo capitalized on Ichiro's exposed side. With a calculated strike, Ergo's attack connected, sending Ichiro skidding across the ground.

Despite the setback, Ichiro's resilience and quick reflexes came into play. He regained his footing swiftly, the determination in his eyes undimmed. Sprinting back toward Ergo, Ichiro unleashed a powerful horizontal slash aimed at Ergo's head.

Ergo, on his knees and facing the imminent threat, raised his arm in a desperate attempt to block the incoming sword. However, Ichiro's strategy was one of deception. At the last moment, he altered the trajectory of his strike, redirecting the blade toward Ergo's left leg instead. The sword sliced through, severing Ergo's leg and causing him to fall to the ground.

With Ergo now vulnerable and incapacitated, Ichiro pressed his advantage. He followed up with an upward slash aimed at Ergo's head, the blade cleaving through the air with deadly precision. The strike was devastatingly effective, separating Ergo's head from his body in a swift and decisive motion.

But Ichiro's assault did not end there. Fueled by adrenaline and determination to ensure victory, he unleashed a relentless barrage of slashes upon Ergo's body. Each strike cut through flesh and sinew, reducing Ergo's form to a mangled heap of dismembered pieces scattered across the battlefield.

The air around them crackled with the remnants of cursed energy and the palpable tension of battle, now subsiding as Ichiro stood amidst the aftermath, breathing heavily. His eyes surveyed the scene, confirming Ergo's defeat with a mix of relief and somber reflection on the intensity of their conflict.

"Whew, that was harder than I imagined, but I can't just let my guard down, especially since Ergo is akin to Mahoraga. I doubt cutting him to pieces would be enough," Ichiro muttered to himself, his voice tinged with caution and contemplation.

Turning back to where Ergo lay defeated, Ichiro was taken aback to find Ergo standing on his own two legs, seemingly unaffected by the brutal onslaught he had just endured. Ergo held his massive great sword confidently in his left hand, emitting an aura of resilience and unwavering determination.

Ichiro stood there, astonished by Ergo's sudden resurgence. As the rings hovering above Ergo's head began to rotate ominously. The second ring's spike slowly moved to the right, aligning with the number 2 engraved at the large ring's base, indicating some mysterious countdown or activation. Simultaneously, the smaller ring adjacent to it began its own subtle motion, its significance still shrouded in mystery.

The sight both mesmerized and unnerved Ichiro. Despite his exhaustive efforts to defeat Ergo, the Shikigami stood before him with renewed vigor, suggesting there was more to Ergo's resilience than met the eye. Ichiro tightened his grip on his sword, steeling himself for whatever challenges or surprises Ergo might unleash next in their intense battle.

A/N to those who are confused the bigger ring represent the 12 lives of ergo, the second one represent how many live ergo loss by pointing at a new number, say if it points to number 4 it means that ergo has lost 3 of his lives, as for the smaller ring it represents the timer it will revolve around the ring at exactly 30 minutes