AWAKENING

Both man and beast rush at each other with Wazuki jumping over the tiger's claws and punching the exoskeleton, cracking it once more. The tiger roars once more in an attempt to stun Wazuki but ultimately fails for a second time.

"That does not work on me."

This was because of the training that Wazuki had to endure while under the tutelage of his father, Mikoto which in his father's words, "Fear breeds inconsistency."

By quelling their emotions, the Hyakki family have primed themselves to properly carry out their missions without fail.

Wazuki picks up his greatsword and rushes towards the beast in an attempt to strike it once more but briefly pauses due to a memory which appears in his head which shows a female with white hair smiling at him. Using this chance the Saber Tiger swings his tail at Wazuki, who does not get sent flying by the attack due to instinctively wrapping his arm around the tail in an attempt to stand his ground.

Wazuki spits out blood and jumps back holding his stomach.

The Saber Tiger then takes a couple steps back then charges at Wazuki, breaking the ground underneath it. It does not extend its claws and everyone knew what it was going to do. The beast would try to thrust at Wazuki.

Marlin, who was waiting for an opening, decides to act now.

"Kibe, now!"

"Right!"

Kibe bounces from a tree, heading towards the monster with his longsword which has been imbued with the light affinity while Marlin grabs Wazuki and throws him into some shrubs, readying his sword. Initially, Kibe holds off the attack until he loses mana and takes a full force charge from the beast, launching him away, headed towards a tree. Marlin sees this and switches Excalibur to that of a rapier and catches Kibe using Chi Stride.

"We have to take it down fast!"

Marlin tries to think of a plan but realizes he has no time to think about one.

Kibe reaffirms this.

"Let's just go!"

"Yeah, sure."

Thus the two boys raise their weapons and run at the beast one more.

…

Lining a path towards his unconscious body, Shinji lays there, unable to wake up. He finds himself walking around in his mind until he sees a door which appears out of nowhere. He walks towards the door and opens it, being greeted by a fully furnished room with bookshelves that are adorned with various large books, tables that have been decorated with plates and silverware and a red carpet which leads to a throne that someone is currently occupying.

"You seem to be very relaxed for a member of my household to be sleeping while there is something that is to be done, Shinji."

"...I am doing my best, …Mother?!"

Seated on the throne is none other than the Matriarch of the Yumiko Family, Asmodeus Yumiko. She is a beautiful woman with snow-white hair with white horns with purple tips that protrude from her head. Her skin was pale, yet pure with no blemishes in sight. She sat there holding a book in her hands.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"I was not expecting anyone!"

"Aside from that, I have been watching your fight and notice that you are underwhelming."

Shinji scratches his head, mumbling.

"Rubbing it in will not help me."

"I heard that, Shinji"

"I apologize!"

Asmodeus gets up and walks towards a bookshelf, stowing away the book she was reading.

"Why do you give him such a hard time? You never speak to others like that."

"Huh? Who?"

"The masked boy who is helping you fight that beast."

Shinji's facial expression changes to that of confusion. Seeing this, Asmodeus sighs and takes out a different book, handing it to Shinji.

"Have you forgotten? I brought you into my house as my son even though you are not my biological child and yet I raised you as one of my own, correct?"

"...Yes, I am aware."

The book she gives him shows the memories that she speaks about which surprises Shinji at first.

"Exactly, and even though I did this, the rest of your siblings, except Haru and Yata bullied you for simply being different. I went as far as dying my own hair to make you feel better."

Shinji lowers his head.

"Raise your head, son. I am not trying to break you down. I just hope you take a look at your past before analyzing others."

"Yes, I apologize."

Asmodeus smiles and rubs Shinji's head, raising it.

"Good. Allow me to help you."

A purple energy emits from Asmodeus' palm and begins to envelop Shinji. His dark chi floods the room as he begins to dematerialize.

"I expect you to win, Shinji. I will not settle for anything less."

Shinji begins to wake up as small marks begin to appear on his skin and his eyes glow crimson red.

…

With his famed sword stabbing into the ground to hold him up, Marlin stands there, bloody. Kibe lies unconscious, in critical condition.

"Dammit!"

(This thing should have gone down by now! Is it some sort of evolved Saber Tiger?)

The Saber Tiger rushes towards Marlin, aiming to bite at his head but gets drop-kicked by Shinji. Noticing the changes that have happened to himself, Shinji smirks. He then looks at Marlin, saying nothing at first but eventually speaking.

"Don't just stand there. Go help Dragon Boy with his injuries."

Marlin, surprised by Shinji's strength, grits his teeth and runs towards Kibe.

Shinji stares down the beast who is noticeably injured. He utilizes his dark magic affinity to form a ball of condensed magic and shoots it at the Saber Tiger's hind legs and hitting a previous wound which was made.

"Darkness Shot!"

For the first time since the fight has started, the Saber Beast roars in agony. Shinji, on the other hand channels his dark chi temporarily, so much so that Muto can feel it and stares in the direction for a couple minutes.

"Let us hope I was right about you, kid."

He empowers himself with the chi to amplify his current abilities even further.

His previous life flashes before his eyes, depicting his days as the Lord of Darkness, the sole reason for all evil in his previous world due to uncontrollable circumstances. He slaps his face and focuses on what is in front of him.

(I will not go back to that life. I will take what I remember and reshape this life I have been given.)

"Repent. You are the first one to have angered the Dark Lord this much in fifteen years."

With that he rushes at the beast, axe-kicking it in the head and completely shattering the mask then grabbing Wazuki's broken longsword and imbuing it with dark chi then slashing the beast diagonally, hitting it's front right leg. He then shoots a blast at the beast which launches it further away. Once it gets back up, it tries to roar at Shinji, who brushes it off.

"It's not that I am not scared, it's that I fear my mother more."

He then begins the onslaught against this beast, which makes it bleed in multiple places.

"Assassin's Bane."

To make it worse, two arrows fly out of nowhere and hit it in the eyes which are now exposed. Shinji sees Wazuki on a tree holding his bow, panting heavily.

"Quaking Wrath! Mountain Smash!"

Marlin jumps up and smashes the Saber Tiger into the ground and in the distance, a beam of light can be seen which appears to have been charging for a long time. The blast releases and hits the beast in its underbelly.

With that, the group has successfully taken down the Armored Saber Beast.