Chapter 46: Path of the Shura (Part 2)

Do you want power?

Yes I said to him...

Do you want to get out of this God forsaken planet?

Yes! I screamed.

Do you want to bring down those who oppressed you!? Give back all the pain you have suffered!?

YES!! I kept saying yes towards him, I treated him like a savior, a ticket out of this wretched place.

That was the first thing the man told Haruki,

He gave him an ideal, a cause, a purpose instead of just simply trying to survive...

To give back the pain...

It took a tragedy for humans to speak up, he has always thought it was childish...

Bound hands crushed under the weight of the world's feet.

He sold me a broken dream, With lies stained with blood.

I believed him for the longest time unable to see the madness beneath his eyes.

All along he was leading me to a path no one could come back from.

Good thing I met 'her' , She showed me there's more to life than hatred and anger.

But that man didn't want that...

in the path of shura, attachments were unneeded, He tried to control me...

I don't want to be controlled, So I killed him...

The man who saved me...

After an arduous battle, both of us covered in each other's blood.

I walked towards him as he lay on his own pool of blood.

I strangled him to death just with my hands, it felt like he let me...

It was a strange sensation. Something so tremendous done by something so simple... The first ten seconds were uncomfortable, a feeling of limbo, then you tense up, He struggles for a bit, but it all disappeared in the background along with everything else...

That moment stayed with me, I thought I'd feel guilty killing the man who saved me, but oddly enough I don't.

What I felt was disappointment, the strongest man I knew died just like that. I came to a realization that in the end people are just people.

When it comes down to it, Everyone was just as vulnerable as I was...

It felt like he wanted to tell me that, No one is exempt from death.

The only thing that was different was the way people handled those vulnerabilities.

I sealed that part of me deep along with that deep seated hatred within my psyche.

I thought I would never have to show it again...

My vulnerability, I called it a mask, Tried to make myself believe that it's not me...

But how to I take off a mask when it stops being a mask, When it's as much as a part of me as I am?

Haruki slowly brushed his hair backwards.

*Fuuuu*

He breathed, As he glared at Eris...

His killing intent was like a flood, drowning all those that surrounded him.

Everyone felt it brush past their skin.

Eris frowned, clearly this was like a different opponent for her, Her entire being was being bore down by the immense pressure.

She was grinning, For the first time in years she felt what it was like... to feel fear, to feel like the edge of the blade was pointed in her direction.

Haruki laughed as he spoke, "I always thought that this part of me was going to be cured as long as I let go of my Hatred... But I was wrong... I'm just as much of a battle junkie just like he was...

In the end I can't throw away the part of me that was the most human of all...

My desire for power and conflict."

Eris laughed, "Hahahahaha, I get it now... this was what corvus must've felt... He was excited to meet a battle junkie just like him."

She dashed towards Haruki and clashed blades with him.

"You warmongers really think the same!"

Haruki met her with his mournful vengeance, He was using his own style. Not the skills he devoured.

Haruki grinned at Eris's remark, "Then why are you grinning from ear to ear then?"

Eris stepped back, she held her mouth, and felt that it was tilted upwards into a full blown smile.

Haruki thought that Even her crazy grin was beautiful, "Shame that I have to ruin that pretty face of yours..."

Eris locked blades with him once more, the speed of their blades surpassed the speed before it.

"I am more than a pretty face!!"

She screamed towards him as she slashed towards his face.

Haruki caught the blade between his palms.

Eris was surprised, it was her fastest speed and yet he saw through it.

Aergia on the background was getting impatient, She had her dolls killed for nothing...

She thought to herself, 'This bitch Eris could've killed him earlier, why the fuck is she dragging this on?'

Aergia bellowed towards the both of them, "Why do you fight so hard to defend the humans!? Human history is written in a litany of bloodshed over government and afterlife!!"

Haruki spoke as he defended from Eris's strikes, "It's not about saving them, it's about what I'm going to lose if I back down."

Aergia scoffed, as she was once like that... but when she lost her creations all she felt was cold indifference.

He steadied his stance He sheathed his blade, It was an iaido stance, but something was different.

The Aura he exuded disappeared as soon as he sheathed his blade. But the pressure remained.

Eris ignored the alarm bells ringing inside her head to run, as she dashed towards Haruki.

<<Shura 1st Form - Bladestorm>>

Countless slashes covered the entire area, a dazzling radiance emanated from his strikes, As if the space itself twisted, it was like cutting space.

Eris Blocked multiple strikes, but She had tiny cuts all over her body.

"Wow... color me impressed Miss Eris... you managed to block your vitals..."

Eris smirked, "Hehehehehehe, this is the first time I have been wounded like this!"

She excitedly dashed towards Haruki once more.

He blocked her flurry of attacks.

Haruki grinned, "Oh! Don't worry baby... I'll be taking more of your firsts later..."

Eris tilted her head, but she ignored it and steadied her stance.

"It seems this time were equally matched.."

Eris noticed that Haruki was different this time... He was like a different person.

"Indeed a perfect match..."

Haruki said as he jumped upwards, and sent a downward thrust towards Eris, "Hmph! But not quite there yet!"

Aergia was pissed as she observed the two, "Are you two trying to kill each other or not!? for fucks sake!!"

Eris glared at Aergia for interrupting her, "Stop interfering! This is between me and him!"

Haruki immediately attacked Eris while she was distracted, "Hey! Don't you think you're ignoring your date a little too much?"

Eris raised her hands to block, causing her body to sink down. Using the force of his attack, Eris pushed high into the air before smashing her elbow directly onto Haruki stomach like a clap of thunder.

*Bang!*

But Haruki didn't step back not one bit, He was even grinning.

Although his body sank as his center of gravity was forced to it's lowest critical point. Meanwhile, Eris landed down on the ground. She distanced herself slightly, then took advantage of Haruki's shifted center of gravity.

Bang...

Her spinning kick landed directly onto Haruki's chest.

He flew over ten meters over the booming impact. This caused him to stagger a few steps.

"What? can't bear to part with me?" Haruki smilingly said.

Eris tilted her head as she wondered what he meant.

"You could've taken that chance to kill me..."

Eris's smile widened, grinning from ear to ear as if she finally met her match.

"It would be a shame to end it early..."

She dashed once more towards his direction.

Haruki steadied his stance and sheathed his blade once more,

*Fuuuhh*

He took a deep breath once more to calm him down. If he didn't he wouldn't be able to control himself right now. He opened his eyes and struck at the approach of Eris towards him.

<<Shura 2nd Form - Hundred Petals>>

Eris slashed overhead, But her strike was met, Then 8 strikes from every direction came at her continuously.

*Clang clang clang!!!*

She parried off all his strikes, Every time she blocks an attack, it gets heavier. It was like another attack was stacked on one another.

Eris parried off the final strike, surprisingly she felt like she knows this fighting style.

"The way you fight... I must admit it is beautiful... and somehow it feels nostalgic.

No wasted movement, just the Pinnacle of skill and experience... unlike those Orthodox skills you copied from others, They were all predictable.

But this? This is something new... It makes my spine shiver, It feels like if I make one wrong move and I'm dead..."

Eris said as she pointed her blade towards him.

Haruki laughed, "Then why are you smiling?"

Eris held her face once more, "hehe... hehehehe.... Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Not relying on external factors such as semblance or magic... just simple and unadorned oppression through skill and techniques."

A weird smile appeared on her face, She suddenly charged towards Haruki. A firm and ferocious fist was blocked by Haruki with a single hand.

Shockwave emanated from the clash.

Creating a dust cloud, They both took advantage of this as they clashed their blades to one another.

The entire exchange only lasted for a few seconds, but everyone who was watching... were stunned. They finally understood the meaning of 'Disparity'. This was the power of the sinners, and of the man named Kazama Haruki.

Ozpin narrowed his eyes, he thought to himself. 'So this is his true skill...Not bad'

Qrow and Winter were slack jawed, Winter thought that she has trained enough, so this time she won't give him trouble but the gap was widened once more.

She didn't want to be a burden, The same went for the others... His women especially, They wanted to see through this battle and observe. They wanted to get some ideas, so when the next sinners come knocking they won't be giving him extra worries... but extra confidence.

Haruki was Smiling like a lunatic, He yearned for this!

No unnecessary theatrics, no magic, no semblance...

The sinners truly are on a whole new Level...

This feeling was the best!

This was the kind of battle he thirsted for!

Eris remembered her past battles, She had always used the minimum amount of skill to kill them, This was the first time she had to give everything.

To be able to unleash the same kind of attack after every clash, it showed that her opponent really took her seriously.

A fight where they both showed their fighting capabilities without holding anything back.

She advanced, Haruki met her with the same speed. The atmosphere suddenly turned calm. Not knowing what the two of them were thinking.

The only that mattered right now was the opponent in front of them.

"Such a shame... Let me ask you this Kazama Haruki... if you don't care about world domination... why do you still fight?"

She asked him, Haruki shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't give a fuck about saving the world or joining hands to become part of your clown posse... but I do have a code...

First of all, gluttony attacked Ruby, then that fucker Corvus stabbed my Cinder..."

Then he pointed his fingers towards Eris then at Aergia that was standing on the corner.

"Then you and that crazy woman ruined my dinner date with Neo...

An eye for an eye, and a life for you fuckers constantly ruining my dates...."

Aergia was amused, She has never met a man like this before.

"You amuse me! At first you know I thought you were going to talk about world Peace and how nice it is to just love one another!!!"

Haruki laughed along with her, "Hahahahaha!! I have seen and experienced so many things... And I know damn well none of this crap is going to work...

I have heard so many monologues from People be it, Evil, Good, or somewhere in between...

They all say the same crap just on two opposite extremes."

Aergia smiled, "Are you saying that you know where to stand to change the world?"

Haruki sighed and shook his head, "Everyday we change the world... Be it good or evil. But to change the world in a way that means anything? Hahahahaha fucking hell, It never happens all at once, It's slow, Methodical, Exhausting.

No one has the stomach for it..."

Aergia's laughter echoed throughout the battlefield, "Is submission not preferable to extinction?"

Haruki shook his head, "Extinction is never an option for me... But let me loop back the question towards you... Why do you fight? What's the point?"

Eris was silent, But she won't tell him the motivation behind her actions at least not yet, They glared at each other as they continued to clash once more.

Aergia took this chance to speak up, "Our reason? That question probably would have a dozen different answers, The sins and sinners would give you a different one each time...

But mine? sure... I'll tell you what's mine, I have been fascinated by genetics all my life... Even if I had to experiment on humans, I didn't care...

Genetic modification is a project great in scope. Scientifically brilliant but morally wrong. Although I'm not saying that I feel guilty from my actions... responsible sure, but it's hard to see the bigger picture behind the tall pile of corpses behind my past...

But I'm willing to shoulder that burden, To make that sacrifice...

You see Humanity has become stagnant, complacent by their own attainments.

But my goal is different, I want to create something beyond humanity!! No more race difference, No more borders, You won't be ostracized because you're a little different...

You won't feel pain!!

No more conflict, No more disease!

I can create paradise!! And I'm more than willing to eliminate all of Remnants current occupants for it..."

Haruki shook his head and said, "I've heard enough crazy talk to know that's what a super villain sounds like..."

Aergia laughed madly, "Me? A villain? Sure!! Whatever! I don't care if you see me as a villain now, but you will be thanking me in the long run!! I will create a Utopia!!!"

Haruki smirked, "Then let me tell you why I fight for peace! I haven't slept with all of my women yet!! So I won't die now!!"

Then suddenly a rumble echoed from a distance.

Aergia looked at Eris, "Hahahahahaha You truly amuse me!!! But sadly... it's time to part. Eris it's time! Let's go!"

Eris was a little reluctant to go, but they have better things to do...

"See you around, don't die on me now..."

She said as she jumped on top of a building.

"Wha- - Hey! Come back here!!!"

Haruki tried to chase after Aergia and Eris. He activated lightning form, but Aergia's trap was activated a huge electric death wall stood between them.

Then He was blocked by A tall dark shadow. As he looked up he saw Corvus, well his zombie form at least.

Aergia said from a distance, "Hahahahahaha!! if you manage to survive this I wouldn't mind giving you a reward!!

You truly touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding. There is a realm of existence so far beyond our own you can't even imagine it!

I am beyond your understanding!! Sinner!? A label created by you people to quantify our crimes...

Your lives are meaningless, measured in decades and years, you wither and die. We are eternal, the Pinnacle of existence.

Before us you are nothing! Your extinction is inevitable...

You killed corvus!?

Hmph!

Confidence built from ignorance!!

We shall meet Again Kazama Haruki!

Make sure you're a little stronger then..."

Aergia and Eris disappeared into the shadows leaving Haruki and A Corvus that was sewn together with Grimm.

Hulking and Menacing Glaring towards him. And Behind him were a legion of Grimm.