Hell on Earth

The air between us seemed to freeze for a moment, our eyes locked in a terrifying standoff-

"What the hell are you doing?" Jigoku asked impatiently.

"Oh...I thought we were having a cool moment-"

"I'm here to fucking kill you."

"That's fair."

A trickle of sweat ran down my face. In my state, I probably couldn't even take on Zenmetsu. I had to figure out a way to escape...

...huh?

I was on my back, vision blurry. There was a warm, wet feeling against my stomach. What? How had I gotten here? I extended my hand to touch my stomach, and when I pulled it back to observe, it was drenched in blood. Standing over me- was Jigoku. He glared at me with an expression of rage. "Take this seriously." I gritted my teeth.

I slammed an electric foot into the ground, propelling me backward, before kicking onto my feet unsteadily. I steeled myself, and stood up straight, drawing my blade of Calamity from a burst of electricity. Jigoku...sheathed his blade. In a fit of rage, I yelled. "Am I that easy, huh? Don't even need your sword?" Jigoku wiped my blood from its otherwise pristine edge.

"Nah," Jihoku said, tossing it to the ground. "I just don't wanna get it dirty." he sneered. Furrowing my brow in anger, I lunged forward, electricity arcing across my body, swinging my sword. Jigoku simply outstretched his arm, meeting my blade with his hand with staggering speed. "Gairashi."

Upon uttering this single word, a blast of unseen energy hurled me in the opposite direction. Quivering, I made an attempt to stand, only for my efforts to be met with the crunch of my bones as they buckled under their own weight. I screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground. "...damnit..." 

Crunch, Crunch.

He was getting closer. My mind raced to find a solution- a way out. 

None arrived.

I gnashed my teeth. "damnit..." I made another attempt, this time slamming my right arm into the ground. The pain exploded in an uproar of excruciation- but I ignored it. Blood trickled from my mouth. "Damnit!" I slammed my left hand into the ground, this time coughing a spray of blood. "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!!" I could feel every process in my body straining as I rose to my feet. Not shaking this time. Holding my ground. I didn't know where my friends were. I didn't know what took down the Ukipok. I didn't have the slightest fucking clue what was happening- but I did know one thing.

I wouldn't lose my friends again.

25%

The residual blast of Calamity cloak bore a crater below me- its overwhelming force causing the earth itself to buckle. In a display of shining red sparks, two vermillion wings outstretched from my back encompassing the area between me and Jigoku. The very beat of my heart was audible, amplified by raw energy.

Jigoku stared at me, unmoving- before bursting into laughter. I arched my eyebrows, eyes burning with anger. Jigoku rightened himself, quelling his cackle. "Many apologies," he said. "I meant no mockery. I'm just so happy," he extended his hand, red sparks jumping from it. "That the man who killed my mother is a worthy opponent!" His hand exploded in red energy. "RISE!!" he yelled. "HELLCUTTER!!" Energy swirls and immolates about his hand, before sharpening in a resounding, KLANG, forming into a pure-red sword. "I'll kill you," he said. "And it will be slow, painful, and agonizing. I'll make sure you regret ever steeping foot on this island.

I sharpened my vision. I didn't give a fuck what he said. If he was fast enough to strike me without me even realizing it, I had to focus on his soul. I had to see his movements.

The right.

In a swift movement, I slid to the left, dodging clear from his lunging pierce-

Blood dripped down my face. That was when the pain hit. I hadn't been fast enough. I had dodged the brunt of the attack, sure, but he had slashed a clean cut through my forehead. I recovered quickly, ignoring the pain, and sliding around to his side- but he was much too fast.

He pivoted on his heel, meeting me face to face. He slammed his palm into my chest. "Homura: Push!!" Pulled as if a magnet, I was thrown tumbling into the air. He gave me no time to recover though. He vaulted into the air directly above me, blade poised to strike. Hastily, I clapped my hands. "Tsukime!!" Upon my command, the waifu shimmered into existence between us- only to explode into a blast of red sparks under Jigoku's blade. "Shit."

As jigoku's blade came upon me, I was expecting a slashing pain- but it didn't come. What came was much worse. As his blade decscended upon me...it passed right through me. And then it sliced through my soul. It was a pain unlike anything I had ever felt before- agonizing. The sheer force of the attack slammed me into the ground below.

My body wavered, a temporary feeling of nothingness washed over me. 

"NO!!"

In a flash of electricity, I shot upward. My mind was in a state of pandemonium, my pupils dilated. Landing almost gracefully beside me, Jigoku once again lunged forward. I really couldn't catch a break. 

Left.

With all my might, I pushed to the right- a sound reminiscent of a sonic boom exploding from where I had once stood. 

I stood there for but a moment before smiling wickedly. He hadn't so much as grazed me-

I shouldn't've stopped. His blade once again pierced straight through my chest- blood bursting outward from my back. But I didn't move. I grabbed the collar of his jacket, slamming his head against mine, before kicking him away-

He met my foot with his own, before jabbing his unoccupied hand into my stomach with insane force- actually piercing through. With one swift motion, he threw me away from him, my blood staining the battlefield a deep red. 

My body was in a state of crisis. I had even been using Tamajutsu to defend-

Wait a fucking minute.

Back in Neo City, Senpai had healed back her entire NECK with Tamajutsu. Yuji had only taught me how to defend with Tamajutsu, not to heal. I close my eyes, focusing on Jigoku's soul, as well as my own. His signature wavered for a moment, before completely disappearing from my radar. 

Behind.

I dodged, his blade digging into my side. I paid no mind to the attack, and simply focused on the wound. I poured my soul into this area, urging its flames toward it.

The right...and left?

I jumped into the air, making an attempt to dodge both assailants. That fucking bitch. He hand thrown his sword from the left, and used his otherworldly speed to attack from the right as well.

As I vaulted out of the way of his attack, I felt the strength of my legs waver, before almost completely falling out. I had barely dodged. Both attacks had cut to the bone. I continued to focus on the wounds...until in a satisfying blaze of flaming soul, they began to seal. Skin stitched itself back together, muscle tangling back into order- bone cracking back into place. As I landed back on the ground, I opened my eyes. It was the same terrain as before, Jigoku standing unphased in front of me. Though I had healed the wounds and could now move droves better- the pain wasn't gone. I still hadn't perfected it. 

I locked eyes with Jigoku, a petty smile on my face. "C'mon. That all you got?"