Shadow and Soul

The staff and students who were left at the school's vicinity approached Rakuzan's university, hoping to find some answers for their current situation. But when they got there, they were blocked by a barrier that prevented their entry.

They all yelled for help, but their voices were muffled by the invisible wall. To the people on the other side of the barrier, everything seemed normal. The barrier created an illusion to deceive those outside it, masking the chaos and destruction that had taken place. They had no choice. They were left with only one option. All they could do was pray and hope for the best.

****

Armstrong chased after Darius and intercepted him with a punch that Darius blocked. Armstrong's attack had no effect on Darius. It only stopped Darius's movement. The two muscular figures faced each other, their eyes locked in a fierce stare.

"I know fighting is unavoidable," Armstrong said, his voice low and serious.

"But before we start..."

"I want to know why..."

"What are you people after?" Armstrong asked, his tone demanding.

Darius remained silent, maintaining the serene atmosphere around him. He stood still for a while before answering Armstrong. "I refuse to give answers to false heroes," he said, his voice cold and disdainful.

"What do you--" Before Armstrong could finish his sentence, Darius interrupted him with a punch that released waves of force capable of sending the trees behind Armstrong tumbling. But his punch was easily blocked by Armstrong, who barely flinched.

"You're the strongest one here. I see..." Darius analyzed Armstrong's strength, his expression unchanged.

"I'll take care of you. There's no need for Kai to lift a finger against any of you," he said, his confidence unwavering.

"Sorry, I can't allow that. You're not getting past me," Armstrong said, taking a fighting stance, his muscles tensed.

In an instant, the two met in the middle, exchanging a barrage of punches. The impact from their fists sent shockwaves in different directions, cracking the ground and shattering the air. As their exchange continued, Darius began to lose the upper hand. He was strong, but Armstrong's strength surpassed his.

Armstrong delivered a blow to Darius's abdomen and sent him flying a few feet back. Darius landed on his feet, skidding on the dirt. He coughed out blood on his palm and raised his gaze to Armstrong, who was standing confidently in front of him.

"Is that all you've got?" Armstrong taunted, with a smile on his face.

"So this is the power of an A Rank..." Darius said, his eyes narrowing.

"I never thought I'd find someone as strong as me among you teachers," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Based on his muscular build, Darius's opponents had always assumed he was a fighter who relied on hand-to-hand combat and brute force. But Darius's greatest weapon was not his strength, but his ability.

"Come forth," Darius said quietly as he spread his arms like someone offering an embrace.

Darkness began to envelop the area around him, swallowing the light and the sound. This was Darius's ability, Umbral Projection. This dark ability allowed him to manifest and control shadowy constructs, creating deadly weapons and creatures formed from pure darkness.

These umbral entities could attack and defend, providing Darius with a versatile and formidable offensive capability. The shadows responded to his will, enabling him to strike with precision or cover entire areas in darkness, hiding his movements and intentions.

Armstrong noticed the darkness around them. He noticed Darius's presence fading. In such a situation, a fighter would become uneasy. But Armstrong was different. He responded with a loud laugh. "That's the spirit. Come at me with everything you've got," he said, his voice echoing in the dark.

A swarm of dark bats emerged from the darkness, flying towards Armstrong. They flew at a speed that even a Grade One, B Ranked, fighter would be unable to follow. Even Layla would have trouble with creatures moving at that speed. They continued to charge towards Armstrong endlessly, their wings flapping and their teeth bared.

But Armstrong was not fazed by the bats. He smashed them into pieces with his fists, sending bits of darkness flying in the air. To him, they all seemed to be moving in slow motion. He kept his smile while staring at Darius—who was still standing a few feet in front of him—with a calm expression.

"Is that all you've got?!" he asked again, taunting Darius.

In an instant, he saw a large axe, made of darkness, at point-blank range. It was being thrust towards his neck by Darius. Armstrong countered with an uppercut to the axe, canceling its momentum and disrupting Darius's balance. He felt the axe shatter under his punch, and he heard Darius grunt.

Darius frowned, a hint of frustration creeping into his serene demeanor. He decided to step up his game. After failing to sever Armstrong's neck, he immediately used his shadow manipulation to create a large scythe in his left arm. He swung it at Armstrong, aiming for his midsection, hoping to split him in one strike.

But Armstrong was not surprised by the scythe. He had seen it coming, and he was ready.

"Impressive," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It seems I might have to put in more effort," he said, his voice rising with excitement.

"I'd say his physical capabilities are on par with mine at 80%," he thought, his mind analyzing the situation.

"And from what I've seen, he's really tough. I hit him with all my might earlier, and all it did was make him cough blood," he thought, recalling the punch that had landed on Darius's stomach.

"And that was only because he was holding back then," he thought, remembering the smile that had appeared on Darius's face after the hit.

"I might be stronger and faster, but his defense is going to be a problem if I want to finish this early," he thought, realizing the challenge ahead of him.

He used his ki to enhance his speed and reflexes, and he ducked under the scythe, leaning back, and avoiding it by a hair's breadth. He felt the wind from the scythe's blade brush against his skin, and he saw the scythe's tip dig into the ground behind him. He grabbed the scythe's handle, and he pulled it out of Darius's grip.

The scythe disappeared as soon as it left Darius's hand. He looked at Darius with a mocking smile, as if he was amused. He was not afraid of his ability, and he thought that Darius was overestimating himself.

"Is that all you've got?" Armstrong repeated, his voice loud and confident.

"I'll admit, you're really strong," Darius said, his voice calm and composed.

"Stronger than I expected," he said, his voice honest and respectful.

"But I expect no less from a fighter with your rank. Unfortunately, you chose to become corrupted," he said, his voice cold and accusing.

Armstrong tried to figure out what Darius meant. He wondered what he meant by him being corrupt. He felt a surge of anger and curiosity, but he didn't let it show.

"Let's see how well you handle a numbers game," Darius said, his voice sinister and playful.

Darius knew he couldn't beat Armstrong quickly. He also knew he couldn't beat Armstrong at full strength. But he had an advantage. An ace up his sleeve. A way to drain Armstrong's stamina faster than his own while fighting.

The darkness around him began to split and take the shape of different creatures. Some resembled golems, some resembled wild cat-like magic beasts like the Gorgonix. Each creature had enough power to challenge Grade Three B Ranked magic beasts. He felt the darkness obey his commands, and he heard the creatures roar and growl.

He planned to make Armstrong fight these beasts and drain his stamina. Although the spell also affected the caster's stamina, for Darius, it was nothing compared to what Armstrong was losing while fighting the shadow creatures. Taking on many B Ranked magical beasts at once was no easy feat. He saw Armstrong's eyes widen, and he smiled.

Armstrong knew it was finally time. It was time for him to use his ability in their fight. "I'll also admit, you're strong. I don't think any of the others would've been able to beat you if you faced one of them," he said, his voice sincere and admiring.

Armstrong's hands became visibly covered with his aura. Darius noticed this but didn't react. He was confused.

"Is he focusing all his energy in his arms?" he thought, his mind puzzled.

"No, his speed still seems the same," he thought, his mind doubtful.

"Then what is that?" he thought, his mind curious.

One of the shadow creatures shaped like a gorilla with claws charged towards Armstrong with a slash. He dodged to the right and countered with a blow to the creature's chin. Armstrong's attack wasn't as intense as his previous hits. Even Darius could see this. It should've only been enough to heavily damage the creature but not kill it. He felt the impact of his punch, and he heard the creature's skull crack.

"What was that?" Darius muttered, trying to understand what Armstrong did.

It was Armstrong's ability, soul destruction. Armstrong was a ki manipulator who could harm his target's soul directly. This ability proved to be lethal against any opponent, regardless of their physical or magical defenses. By attacking the soul, Armstrong could inflict pain, damage, or even death with a single attack.

Darius felt a chill run down his spine. He realized he was facing a formidable enemy. He had to be careful not to let Armstrong touch him, or he would be doomed. He was yet to figure out Armstrong's ability, but he knew taking a hit from him at that moment would be fatal.

He decided to keep his distance and use his shadow creatures to distract and weaken Armstrong. He hoped to find an opening to strike him with his umbral weapons. He saw the shadow creatures swarm around Armstrong, trying to claw, bite, and crush him.

Armstrong closed the gap between them in an instant. Darius's eyes widened with surprise. "He got faster? He's been holding back?" he thought, his mind racing.

He had no time to dodge Armstrong's punch. It was too late. He raised his arm to block the attack. As soon as Armstrong's fist made contact with his arm, Darius felt a sharp and intense pain shoot through his body. It was like a thousand needles piercing his soul. It didn't have enough force to knock him off his feet, but it caused him enough pain to shatter his composure. He screamed in agony, and he felt his arm go numb.

Darius leaped away from Armstrong. He tried to move the arm he blocked the attack with, but he couldn't. He couldn't feel his right arm. It was as if it had been severed from his body. There were no visible wounds on it, but it was useless.

He looked at Armstrong, his eyes filled with fear and anger. "Your attack..." he said, his voice trembling.

"It's aimed at the spiritual body, isn't it?" Darius asked Armstrong, his voice accusing.

Armstrong smiled and replied, "You figured it out quicker than I thought," he said, his voice amused.

"But that's not going to change the fact that you can't beat me," he said, his voice confident.

He was about to charge towards Darius when they were interrupted by explosions coming from different sections of the island. They felt the ground shake, and they saw smoke and fire rising in the sky. A brief silence followed, then they heard footsteps of someone slowly approaching them. They turned their heads, and they saw a figure emerging from the smoke.