P.S= #6: The Boy Who Wants To Become The Strongest

Her arrival was abrupt, her presence filled with ominous intent. She declared with a chilling tone, "I have come for your head, Cory Silva."

Cory's bewilderment was evident, and he responded, "You have come for my head. What does that even mean, and who are you?"

With unwavering determination, Naima identified herself, "I'm Naima Summer. You, Coryeil, have a wet worth of ₩☆5,328,000."

In a dramatic twist, Naima swiftly retrieved her phone, the glow of its screen illuminating her intent. She displayed a digital poster featuring Cory, a stark revelation of his precarious situation. The image bore his likeness, his name, and below it his net worth, in the top right corner, the ominous insignia of the number #53 yet one crucial detail was conspicuously absent—his rank.

Kiyomizu, equally baffled, reacted to the revelation, "He has a net worth of ₩☆5,328,000?"

Ava, the voice of reason, chimed in, her doubts palpable, "He shouldn't have one, let alone one so high."

Naima, however, was not one to waste time. She lunged at Cory with deadly intent. Quick to act, Cory reacted by seizing a young boy and propelling him into the safety of Kiyomizu's care.

"Get him somewhere safe now," Cory urged Kiyomizu.

Kiyomizu didn't hesitate, responding with a sense of urgency, "Right. Are you coming, Ava?"

Ava, resolved to witness the unfolding events, declined, "No, I will stay here and see how this turns out."

Cory's sword clashed with Naima's blade, producing a shower of sparks that illuminated the intensity of their confrontation. Each move they made seemed like a choreographed.

"Listen, I'm the good guy. The elders are the bad guys." said Cory

In an instant, Naima executed a swift kick that sent Cory crashing through a nearby wall, eliciting screams from the startled bystanders. Without wasting a moment, Cory sprang back to his feet, ready to resume the battle.

 "Since you won't listen to me, I'll have to make you listen." said Cory

With a graceful fluidity, Cory unsheathed a second sword and held both behind his right shoulder, ready for a special technique.

Cory, whispering to himself "Tiger Sword Style: Tiger Slash!!."

Cory dashes towards Naima the blades whistled through the air as Cory swung them towards Naima's head.

CLING!!

Naima managed to block his attack skillfully, showcasing her remarkable combat prowess. Cory couldn't help but smile; he understood that overcoming Naima wouldn't be as simple as launching a single attack.

"You're strong," Cory admitted with a grin.

In response, Naima chuckled heartily.

 "Of course I am. I have a net worth of ₩☆1,000,000." said Naima 

Breaking away from their blade lock, they lunged at each other, their swords moving in a mesmerizing flurry of strikes and parries.

CLING!!,CLING!!, CLING!!, CLING!!.

Amid this fierce exchange, Cory couldn't ignore the uncanny resemblance between Naima and Arthur, not just in their physical strength but also in their unyielding determination.

The swords clashed in a frenetic exchange, and sparks flew as Cory and Naima engaged in a fierce duel.

Cory's mind flashed back to the training sessions with his grandpa, Raphael. The sound of clashing wooden swords echoed in his memory, and he heard Raphael's voice encouraging him to keep his guard up.

"Cory, keep your hands up," Raphael's words of guidance reverberated in his mind. However, despite his best efforts, Cory found himself on the ground, frustration etched across his face.

"Why can't I win?" Cory muttered as he looked up at Arthur, who stood over him with an air of superiority.

Arthur responded with a hint of arrogance, "Because I've been doing this longer than you, loser."

Raphael intervened, offering a valuable lesson to his grandson. "Cory, one can't become stronger without training and facing failures. The strongest slayers have all experienced defeats, but what sets them apart is their unwavering determination and refusal to give up."

Cory, determined to overcome his shortcomings, asked, "So you're saying that if I train hard and never give up, I can beat Arthur?"

Raphael chuckled, his belief in Cory unwavering. "Haha, not just Arthur, but you can become the strongest slayer this world has ever seen because you're my grandson, and I believe in you."

A smirking Arthur leaned down to Cory and whispered, "Second strongest, because I'll always be stronger than you, loser."

Cory retorted with confidence, "Not a chance, dummy. When I'm done, not even Haru can beat me."

Back in the present, Naima caught Cory off-guard with a swift thrust, causing him to stumble backward.

Naima taunted him, "I don't know how your bounty is higher than mine when you're nobody and weaker than me."

Cory managed to regain his footing, panting heavily but unwavering in his resolve. He declared with determination, "You're wrong. I'm Coryeil Silva, the man destined to become one of the Five Heavenly Generals and the strongest Slayer, even if it means challenging the entire Slayer System."

Naima scoffed at his confidence, retorting, "Don't think you're special just because you want to defy the elders. Many have tried, including me. To earn a place among the Five Heavenly Generals, you must be chosen, and as for being the strongest Slayer, don't even get me started. If you're struggling to defeat me, can you honestly imagine taking on Nathaniel Natsu?"

Perplexed, Cory inquired, "Nathaniel Natsu? Who's that?"

Naima shook her head in disbelief, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You aim to become the world's strongest Slayer, yet you don't even know the current titleholder. Nathaniel Natsu is the man who bears the mantle of the strongest Heavenly General, boasting a staggering net worth of ₩☆100,902,000,000. Even the elders hold him in fear. So, give up."

Cory's unwavering determination remained resolute, and he scoffed at the notion of surrender. "That's just nonsense. I'll never give up. I'll rise to become the mightiest Slayer and Heavenly General, and I'll start by defeating you."

Naima retorted, "All you do is talk."

Cory replied with determination, "Just watch me."

Cory sheathed his second sword and adopted a distinctive stance The Phoenix Stance positioning his sword in front of him.

Naima, too, assumed her Dragon Stance, mirroring Cory's posture. However, her left hand was positioned above her right, and her feet were close together, distinguishing her stance from Cory's.

As they stood ready to face off, an unsettling presence loomed above the city. A B-Class Ayakashi descended with thunderous force.

BOOOOOOM!!

Both Cory and Naima diverted their attention to the impact, but the thick smoke obscured their view. However, the rhythmic sounds of footsteps echoed from the smoky veil.

TEP! TEP! TEP!

From within the haze emerged an enigmatic figure, shrouded in an aura of menace. The stranger confronted them with a pointed question.

"Earlier, you spoke of challenging the Slayer System, but have you forgotten about the Ayakashies? Humans, have you grown so complacent to believe that we are no longer a threat?"