Chapter 11: Runes Of The Katana Blade

The blood ocean under the blood-red sky roiled as Xiahou Anara and Joon hurtled toward each other, initiating a battle of deific proportions that would stain the chronicles of the martial world.

[4 minutes remaining]

Joon, his form low and bestial, charged with explosive ferocity. Claws extended, he raked at the air, creating slashes of corrosive black flames aiming to sear Anara's ethereal flesh. Meanwhile, Xiahou Anara, her movement a flash of grace and violence, parried with her bright glowing katana, each swing releasing arcs of blood-red energy that sliced through Joon's flames, redirecting the attacks skywards where they erupted in dark fireworks. Her blade, a fluid extension of her will, cut a deep gash across Joon's chest, the blood mingling instantly with the ocean beneath them.

Anara thought, 'For a human child..he's able to parry my attacks without getting blasted away…'

Rebounding from the initial exchange, Joon leapt high, somersaulting over Anara to avoid a sweeping cut. From above, he conjured his mace, bringing it down with a force that split the air. Anara spun, her wings flaring out to form a shield of blood, the mace crashing against it with a thunderous clash. The shockwave sent them both skittering across the water's surface, spraying crimson droplets into the air. Regaining her stance, Xiahou Anara advanced with a series of intricate slashes. Her katana wove patterns in the air, complex and brutally efficient, each stroke an artwork of deadly precision. Joon, dodging with acrobatic agility, felt the air whisk past his face with each near miss. He countered with a barrage of punches, his fists engulfed in acid-burning black flames, but Anara deflected each with the flat of her blade, her movements a mesmerizing dance of death.

As Anara pressed on, Joon's Ripped Tail whipped forward, lashing out like a dark serpent. Anara caught it with a swift motion of her katana, but not before the sharpened tip grazed her arm, drawing divine blood that sizzled upon contact with the mortal realm. The tiny wound did little but stoked the fury in her eyes, prompting her to advance with renewed brutality. Swinging his mace in wide, destructive arcs, Joon managed to create a buffer zone. Each impact against Anara's blade sent vibrant sparks flying, illuminating their grim battleground. Anara absorbed a blow directly, the force pushing her backward, her feet carving furrows in the blood sea. She shifted, using the momentum to enhance a spinning slash that aimed for Joon's side, the impact sending ripples through the surrounding air.

"Nice. You're adapting to me." Anara scoffed.

Joon thought, 'I see what she's doing. As of right now, I'm losing. Either she's trying to make me have confidence in myself to make me do things that are risky, or she means it.'

Joon feinted a direct attack, then dropped to all fours again, surging beneath Anara's guard. He unleashed a flurry of twisting kicks, enhanced by dark flames, forcing her to retreat. Each hit that landed sizzled against her skin, the smell of scorched divinity filling the air. But Anara was quick to regain her poise, replying with a horizontal cut that forced Joon to backflip away, narrowly avoiding a devastating blow.

'That actually burned me?! This kid has more power than I thought..' Anara thought.

Recovering from his evasion, Joon spat a stream of black flames directly at Anara. Rather than dodging, she sliced through the inferno, splitting the flames around her. From the divided fire, she stepped forward, unscathed, and drove her katana forward in a lunge aimed straight at Joon's heart. He twisted away, the tip of her blade grazing his rib, drawing yet more blood to mix with the crimson sea.

Joon, skidding backwards, felt the waves of blood under him, almost like they were talking to him.

Anara said, "This blood ocean is filled with the blood of those who the Blood Sect has eliminated."

"Why…why is it here?!"

"A trophy. To remind myself of how far we've come. Now..we've lost sight of it."

'Is she referring to the head? Or the entire Blood Sect?' Joon thought in curiosity.

Leveraging his dark mace, Joon catapulted himself into the air, aiming to take the battle to a different plane. Anara followed suit, her wings beating a furious rhythm. Midair, they clashed again, mace against katana, the collisions sending shockwaves downward that parted the sea below. Joon managed to catch her shoulder with his tail, its sharp end momentarily sucking at her divine strength, even as her counter-slash sliced the mace's handle, nearly disarming him. As they descended in a spiral of violence, Joon lashed out with a desperate series of martial strikes, his movements a blur of shadows and flame. Anara countered each with the precision of a divine artisan, her blade a conductor's baton orchestrating a symphony of retaliatory strikes. When they hit the blood ocean, the impact sent a massive tidal wave crashing toward the distant horizon.

"AGH!" Joon exclaimed, being pushed back.

'She has so much power…if I were to devour her…could I even handle it all? Is that why the system was trying to keep me from devouring her? So much power…I can't hold all of that! My body isn't trained enough for it..! What is wrong with me? Actually getting excited to have more power? When I look at it now, it's dangerous!'

On the bloody shores, they exchanged rapid blows, parries and ripostes in quick succession. Joon's martial prowess shone as he ducked and weaved, his strikes becoming more animalistic, more unpredictable. Anara, however, matched his intensity, her blade movements creating an almost impenetrable defense, her offensive cuts so fast they appeared as mere flashes of light Joon roared, unleashing a full-body assault, his every limb ensconced in destructive dark flames. Anara, swirling like a blood-red tornado, met his fury head-on. Her blade sang through the air, deflecting his flames and carving paths of pain across his form. Blood and sweat mixed, the air thick with the iron tang of war.

'I gotta find an opening…there..?'

Finding a momentary opening, Joon grabbed Anara's wrist, halting a deadly thrust. Close-quarters now, their eyes locked in mutual ferocity. Joon head-butted the goddess, her blood halo flickering erratically, even as her knee drove into his stomach, forcing him back. Gasping from the blow, Joon tapped into the darkest corners of his power. The sea beneath them darkened, reflecting his mood, as he summoned a burst of black flames enveloping his body. Anara, undeterred, stepped through the fire, her katana ready to deliver a potentially fatal blow.

"You can't win like this, Joon." Anara said softly.

"I told you this was impossible!"

"And I told you nothing was impossible. Now defeat me. How strong is your resolve? How strong is your thirst for revenge..?"

"It's strong…but it's useless if I'm going up against a deity!"

The two figures, one cloaked in darkness, the other radiant with bloody light, clashed with renewed vigor. Every strike, block, and dodge was a testament to their skills and wills. The air around them crackled with energy, the blood ocean churned violently under their feet, and the sky seemed to darken with the intensity of their battle. Exhausted and equally wounded, they stood, barely arm's length apart. Joon's breathing was heavy, each exhale mingling with the steaming blood beneath them. Anara's glow dimmed with fatigue, her katana lowered but ready. In a mutual, unspoken agreement, they lunged one last time, a final effort to end the stalemate. Their weapons met with a forceful clang, sparks flying, illuminating their grim expressions one last time before they broke apart, the tension unresolved, their fates still entwined in the dance of blood and shadow.

'Why is she making me fight her…? I can't win. I'm doing this because I don't wanna die? I wanna be happy again?…I chose to fight back, was it the right decision? With the Head near me, what could I Have done back there? Did I even have a choice?'

Xiahou said, "This has gone on too long. For a mere human boy, you've done surprisingly well keeping up with me."

"No.."

The air thickened as Xiahou Anara's eyes ignited with a ferocious, otherworldly glow. She whispered an ancient incantation, her voice a harmonious yet terrifying chant. The runes upon her katana flared to life, crimson lights weaving complex patterns in the air. The sword now radiated a palpable power, its edge seeming to hum with bloodlust. She advanced towards Joon, who, sensing the escalation, braced himself against this new threat. With a swift motion, Anara struck the ground, her blade unleashing a cataclysmic wave of blood-red energy. The very earth beneath them erupted, sending shards of reality hurtling through the air. Joon, caught off-guard, was thrown backward, his body scarred by the energy's touch, his howls lost amidst the thunderous roar of the disrupted earth.

"Ah shit." Joon pouted.

Regaining her stance, Anara moved like a specter of war, her blade drawing intricate sigils in the air. Each sigil burst into violent life, targeting Joon with unerring precision. Joon dodged, rolled, and leapt, but each move was met with relentless pursuit by the blood sigils, carving deeper wounds with every strike, his flesh sizzling under their divine assault.

'I can't keep up!'

Joon, growing desperate, charged forward, attempting to overwhelm Anara with brute strength. But Anara, with a mere flick of her wrist, sent a blade of concentrated blood energy slicing through the air, a direct and brutal counter. It struck Joon across the chest, slamming him into the blood-soaked ground, creating a crater around his fallen form. Struggling to his feet, Joon's eyes were filled with a mix of fury and disbelief. Anara, her form a blur, appeared before him, her katana pointed at his throat. She executed a series of stabs, each paired with a rune that exploded on contact, blasting Joon backward with each hit, his roars of anguish echoing into the void. Anara raised her katana skywards, and the runes along the blade cascaded a melody of destruction. From the heavens, spears of blood energy rained down, targeting Joon with precision engineered by the gods. Each hit was a hammer stroke of devastation, pounding Joon into submission, his attempts to escape or counter becoming feeble in the wake of Anara's divine onslaught.

Summoning more power, Anara slashed horizontally, cutting through the fabric of space. From the tear, chains of glowing red energy emerged, latching onto Joon, binding his limbs, and draining his strength. Joon thrashed and roared but found himself increasingly powerless against the binding runes that constricted with every movement, pulling him towards Anara.

Joon coughed out blood, "I can't..I can't do it.."

Anara scoffed, "Stop saying you can't. Your path to revenge and growth will halt every time you doubt yourself."

With Joon bound and kneeling, Anara unleashed a final barrage. Her katana moved with devastating elegance, each strike a masterpiece of martial prowess, guided by her unrelenting will. The air around Joon became a storm of slashes, each imbued with catastrophic power, tearing at his flesh and spirit.

Joon's form began to visibly weaken, the accumulation of damage too much for even his formidable strength to bear. Anara, her expression a mask of serene fury, stepped closer, her katana blazing with a light that seemed to drown out the surrounding chaos, symbolizing the impending end.

With a final graceful sweep of her katana, Anara stood before the fallen Joon, his body marred by battlescar runes, steaming with the power they emitted. Dropping his mace, Joon collapsed onto his knees, his head bowed in defeat. Above them, the blood-red sky seemed to pulse in approval, recognizing the victor in this brutal dance of death.

Anara said, "You have failed? Are you giving up now? I will kill you here myself if that's the case."

Joon couldn't talk, he was breathing heavily in defeat, not knowing what to do next.

"I can't do shit anyway.."

[2 minutes remaining]

A tear shed from his eye, and he tried to think of the puppies, Hana, and the sect leaders to give him strength, but he couldn't find strength from it.

'2 minutes…is this it for me? Mom..dad…pups…Hana…I'm sorry. Fucking sect leaders…you'll die eventually. I Apologize to you guys for not being good enough, and for not being the one to kill you all. The system told me to find a way into hell to get you pups. But it's over now. What did I do wrong?  How can I grow from it? Eh. It's not like I can learn from it anyway. It's over.'

In the aftermath of Anara's wrathful symphony of blood-stricken runes, the once-vivid ocean of blood around them seemed a shallow echo of its former self, its force spent against Joon's battered form. Yet, within Joon, something defiant still stirred. Grappling against the pull of great defeat, he painfully regained his footing, his eyes darkly glittering with an unquenched fire.

'Wait…I can devour things. Things that are dead, or things I killed. The ocean of blood, remnants of people whom the Blood Sect have taken down. If I devour that…can I get stronger? No, I can't, I've only been able to devour a body, blood shouldn't work, right? I have no choice but to try!'

Joon asked his system, "Hey..will it work?0

[The key to development is growth in itself. Once you learn to trust your instincts and capabilities, the system will unlock more for you]

"So you're basically telling me…I have to fuck around and find out..? Fine."

Anara thought, 'I sense another presence here…another deity? It's presence is divine…but dark! Who is it? Who is the boy talking to?'

Amid the ruins of the battlefield, where the fallen monarch of this ruined world still knelt, a sinister transformation began to unfold. Joon stared into the remnants of the blood ocean, his breath ragged but growing steadier and deeper with each inhale. 

'I got one shot at this.'

A primal understanding flickered through his visage, and he extended his hand, his fingers twitching like the legs of a spider dancing to the tune of an unseen puppeteer. 

The blood ocean responded as if alive, its essence beginning to swirl, drawn inexplicably to Joon's outstretched limb. The colors of deep red and abyssal black mingled in his arm, wrapping it in shadows and flames while countless spiraling red eyes opened along the limb, gazing into the void with hungry anticipation. Spikes, sharp as the shattered edges of reality, sprouted from his flesh, crafting a silhouette of terror. As this harrowing display unfolded, the entirety of the blood ocean was devoured, sucked into the voracious maw of Joon's transformed arm. The landscape themselves seemed to shudder at this monumental consumption, the skies still bleeding red above, swirling furiously with black clouds as if the heavens themselves mourned the ocean's demise.

Anara gasped, "What?!"

Now standing in a desolate expanse that was once a turbulent sea of power, Joon revealed a menacing smile, the energy within him not just replenished but magnified, morphed by the blood ocean's vast reserves. His entire being vibrated with a dark, potent force, the air around him thrumming with the weight of newfound power. Joon lifted his nightmarish arm, examining it with a psychotic appreciation as the spikes twitched slightly, responsive to his malevolent will. He then turned his gaze to Anara, who watched, her expression unreadable yet undeniably sharpened with a warrior's respect and a hint of concern for the unleashed horrors yet to come

[Strength, Speed, Agility, Defense, and Qi increased by 80%. 2 skills unlocked. Blood Coil - Can form any part of your body into a sharp bone like structure, which causes a 40% destruction increase with all attacks along with it. Remnant Summon - Can summon enemies you have defeated before to fight for you, but only for 30 seconds, they're stats from when they were alive will be increased by 3. You have also gained over 100+ skills. But due to the qi limitations on your young body, you will access all of these skills when your body and qi grows along with it. An overload of skills will surely kill you]

"Haha! It worked!" Joon smiled in happiness. "But why does it work? Doesn't the skill only let me devour dead bodies?"

As Joon stood amidst the now desolate landscape where the vast ocean of blood had once roiled, the raw power coursing through his altered limb, a flicker of confusion passed across his battle-worn visage. This sudden, dark might seemed to stretch beyond the usual limits of the "Assassin of Gluttony" skill, which was primed to absorb power solely from the bodies of the slain. Joon's gaze shifted to his internal system, seeking understanding, his mind racing to connect this anomalous surge to his known abilities:

[Joon, your primary function through the Assassin of Gluttony involves the absorption of residual energies from deceased adversaries. Typically, this is restricted to direct physical remnants. However, significant exceptions are present, rooted in the essence and potential of what is consumed. In your recent encounter, you absorbed the entirety of a blood ocean which, though not constituted of bodies per se, carried an extensive concentration of demonic qi accumulated from fallen foes whose blood was harvested by the Blood Sect.]

[The blood ocean was not mere fluid; it comprised highly concentrated demonic qi harvested from numerous fallen enemies over countless battles. These enemies had indulged deeply in dark arts, seeking formidable powers through malevolent means. Their demise at the hands of Anara's Blood Sect caused their blood - saturated with accumulated power and qi - to coalesce into a potent reservoir of raw, chaotic energy. When you, Joon, engaged in the absorption of this ocean, your Assassin of Gluttony skill tapped into this rich reservoir of demonic qi. While not directly assimilating 'bodies,' the intense energy contained within the blood effectively mimicked the essences normally obtained from physical remains. Your unique ability adapted to harness this qi, transforming and amplifying the absorbed energy into a form compatible with your existing powers. The reclaimed demonic qi from the blood ocean has now fused with your innate energy, creating a hybrid vigor. This synergy has not only enhanced your physical attributes—strength, speed, and resilience—but also your qi manipulation capabilities, allowing you more profound control and a greater scale of power output. The transformation of your arm signifies this merger, manifesting both the visual and functional attributes of the power absorbed.]

'It makes sense…Anara mentioned earlier about the Luminous Vanguard, how they get rid of the tainted areas of demonic qi, meaning that it does linger around, even on the bodies and essence of life. And me..having demonic qi in me, it had to have resonated with the demon qi lingering around the blood ocean. And I absorbed it all. Demonic qi doesn't affect me like it does others, making them weaker. If demons have demonic qi which slightly empowers them as well, coursing through their beings, then it can empower me too. I have power from the pups, and they are demonic beings who empower hell as well, of course…demonic qi is my ally..'

Joon smiled more, saying, "I'm smiling…"

Xiahou Anara said, "There we go. Now then, our fight will be legendary. Don't let me down. Being able to find ways out of situations, and being able to capitalize upon defeat, that is the nature of a true assassin."

Joon thought, 'I have plenty of skills backed up in the system, and the only way I can get them is if I get stronger and grow with my qi and body. I can do this. I'll kill her..'

The scene, thick with the scent of a storm yet unborn, held a quiet before the inevitable resurgence of their conflict. Both warriors stood amidst the desolation, the red skies an ominous backdrop for the impending clash, acknowledging the other not just as a foe but a true nemesis worthy of their fullest fury. The battle was far from over; instead, it was reborn, like a phoenix rising from ashes—more terrifying, more unpredictable, and far more personal.

Not one to cede ground, Joon manifested another colossal blood familiar, this time opting for two centaurs, doubling the threat. They stormed towards Anara, hooves pounding the ground, raising clouds of debris. Anara, eyes narrowed, leapt high, her form a silhouette against the gnarled red sky. With a graceful flip, she came down, her katana splitting the air, cutting through one centaur and then striking hard against the second. Each explodes in a shower of gory effusion, showering the landscape with dark red.

As the blood rained down, Joon met Anara's charge. This time, his punches enveloped in black flames met her rune-imbued slashes. Sparks flew as acid flame clashed against the slashing katana, the air hissing and popping in a frenzy of elemental fury. Joon spun, landing a kick that Anara narrowly blocked with her katana hilt, the impact vibrating through her bones.

Retaliating from the block, Anara aimed a swift kick at Joon's midriff, but Joon, with serpentine agility, dodged, his ripped tail lashing out to wrap around her leg. With a powerful tug, he attempted to throw her off balance, but Anara's nimbleness turned the potential fall into a controlled roll, from which she launched another flurry of rune-augmented strikes, her blade singing a deadly tune through the air.

Recovering from her assault, Joon's arm morphed, darkness coalescing into a gigantic, spike-studded mace again, swinging it with earth-shattering force towards Anara. She summoned a massive blood shield that burst upon impact, the resulting explosion throwing both combatants apart, skidding back through the ruins of their battlefield.

Joon, now visibly wearied but undeterred, charged with a primal scream. His spikes elongated, aiming to ensnare and impale. Anara, her focus like a honed blade, sidestepped before delivering a spinning slash aimed at his limb. The strike was true, severing part of the spiked mass, which regrew almost instantly, indicating the relentless nature of their duel. Joon, driven by fury and desperation, channeled every facet of his power into a cataclysmic blow, his entire form a vortex of shadow and flame. Anara responded by plunging deep into the essence of her blood qi-rune arts, her katana radiating an almost blinding light. As they collided, the impact resonated like the crash of titans, a shockwave blasting outward, rending the sky further, leveling what remained of the jagged landscape around them.

The battle continued with Joon shaping blood spears from bones coming from his hands, his corrupted blood being explosive upon impact. He hurled them towards Anara, who spun like a top, her movements a blur, dodging each with uncanny agility. Blood droplets from the spears painted the air in a macabre spray as they detonated behind her. Anara retaliated, stepping into the heart of the maelstrom, her body slicing through the air, a red ribbon unfurling from her katana. It snapped viciously towards Joon, who caught it with a bone shield, the collision spraying a mist of blood across his spectral armor.

Joon leaped skyward, seemingly absorbing bloodied moisture from the clouds; his descent was like a meteor, aiming directly at Anara. She raised her sword, catching him mid-fall, and both plunged into the cracked earth, creating a crater rimmed with ejected, scorched blood-soil.

Anara, within the crater's depths, channeled her qi, sending pulses through the puddles of blood around them that exploded beneath Joon's feet, sending him tumbling but he twisted in air, landing with predatory grace. With deft hand motions, Anara drew runes that turned droplets of airborne blood into razor-sharp blades swirling around her. Joon, embracing the chaos, sprinted forward, his body weaving through the deadly storm, each near miss slicing garments and skin.

Joon's arms morphed into elongated bones, piercing through Anara's swirling blade barrier to grasp her. She countered by concentrating her blood magic, turning the very air he breathed into a viscous, slowing mass that he violently dispelled with a shout of raw power.

At close range, Anara manipulated her own blood to erupt from the ground like vines. As they wrapped around Joon, he turned his limbs into serrated bone saws, cutting through the binds, each sever spewing plumes of blood that rained down on them both.

'He's keeping up…but due to the wound in his chest…he's slowing down! But he refuses to 

Anara, engulfed in the spear storm, unfurled her energy into the form of a phoenix. Surging upwards, she scattered the spears, her phoenix cry reverberating as it sent blood-drenched feathers raining down, which Joon incinerated with a demonic pulse.

Plunging from her phoenix form, Anara descended like a falcon, sword aimed heartward. Joon, his blood electrified by anticipation, met her descent with an upward surge, his fists encased in bone gauntlets, primed to shatter her blade. They collided with cataclysmic force at the center of their battlefield—the impacts sending out layers of blood-infused shockwaves. Both stood unyielding, their eyes locked, qi and blood weaving erratically around them, setting the stage for the next sequence of their immortal dance.

Each moment of the battle was charged with a palpable ferocity, their surroundings painted in the visceral hues of their violent confluence. Bone merged with blood, qi with carnage, neither warrior yielding as they redefined the very essence of conflict under the blood-dimmed sky, their saga continuing unabated. As the dust settled, there stood Anara, panting, katana pointed groundward, a tapestry of wounds across her form but eyes alight with the fire of victory. Across from her, Joon collapsed to his knees, his strength finally waned, his breaths shallow and ragged. In his fall lay not just defeat but a grudging respect for the warrior who bested him, a testament to the ferocious beauty and brutal poetry of their combat.

Joon, on his knees, coughed, "I..."

[30 seconds left]

Joon looked up smiling, "I lost…but I was strong enough to last against you! You were going all out, right?!"

Joon gasped, and he saw Anara had plunged her own katana into her own chest.

"You.." Joon said.

Anara smiled, "You lost, about to die, and yet, you're happy..why?"

"Because…I had more power than before, and I wasn't totally powerless against you this time!" Joon smiled. "That was refreshing. I saw my potential there. But why did you.."

"I wanted to see how far you'd go, much you're filling to fight for what you want. And you went this far…even though you lost. Even with the power you gained, you lost. Even though you developed mid fight, you lost. But you still didn't give up or doubt yourself. That was all I needed. Even though yes, I did try and really kill you, your perseverance didn't allow it. I won the battle, but You've won this war. You don't have long, I sense your life fading from your eyes, your regeneration really wasn't fast enough. Hurry and devour me, and you'll live."

Joon thought, '…I won't hesitate! Xiahou Anara…thank you.'

Joon's arm was prepared, covered in spiraling red eyes, black and red flame shadows, and red spikes, and then he asked her, "Why do you want me to really destroy the Blood Sect altogether?"

"They forgot our ways. The ocean of blood is bodies from most former Blood sect members who became lustful with my power, and even tried to harness demonic qi with it. I figure it's the same with the Head, he is mysteriously corrupt, and he has most of my power, so defeating him will be hard. Be smart about this."

"Don't worry. I will."

And just like that, his arm began to devour the goddess of blood.

Due to the fact he devoured the blood ocean and demonic qi, he's raised his chances of survival from around 30% to 50%.