Arcane Awakening

As their energies collided with one another, eventually, Ren and Akari's clash had concluded.

Pushing his fist forwards, Ren had overpowered Akari's fist, as his arm took all the Arcane Energy imbued into his knuckle, expanding its range as he slammed it into Akari's face.

Of course, it didn't affect Akari in the slightest. However, Akari was very amused by Ren's ability to overpower him.

"Now how did you do that?" Akari inquired, moving Ren's fist away from his face.

"You even predicted it!"

Ren remained silent, moving back.

"I'm not going to talk to an animal like you."

Akari decided to grin menacingly, looking straight towards Ren.

"Well then, that's a surprise. And here I was thinking I'm human…"

Akari would then sigh, cracking his knuckles.

"Fight me with all you got. Because I won't hold back." Akari taunted, moving his arms into a fighting pose, spacing his legs out.

'He's lying. If he didn't hold back, I'd die in a single strike.' Thought Ren, before getting his fists ahead of him, placing his left leg forwards.

"Now come at me!" Akari shouted, motioning Ren towards him.

Ren dashed forwards, imbuing his fists with Arcane Energy. Akari tossed a very quick punch that caught Ren by surprise, staggering him for a moment.

But then, Ren quickly adjusted, taking his fist and slamming it back at Akari, who didn't even react to the attack. This was a very one-sided battle.

Akari grabbed Ren's head, before jumping very high up into the air, and tossing Ren inside of a nearby building. Akari followed by propelling himself through the air and towards the building, landing inside and looking towards Ren.

Ren seemed rageful, glaring straight towards Akari.

"You…you killed so many Arcanists. There's only like…thirty thousand of us only…or something."

"Nah, probably less." Akari taunts, laughing menacingly.

"Your leader was strong. He fought hand to hand with me."

"Well, I'm going to kill you. And Jian."

"Jian pissed you off that much, eh?" Akari chuckles, before imbuing his fists with Arcane Energy.

"Well, Ren Takahashi, I have only one goal right now." Akari spoke, sighing for a moment.

"I have to kill you."

"And I won't let you!" Ren responded, sprinting towards Akari.

"Try me, Ren Takahashi!" Akari shouted, shooting his fist towards Ren.

Ren ducked under, placing his palms on the ground as he kicked his legs backwards onto Akari's face.

Surprisingly, the attack managed to affect Akari, pushing him backwards from the impact.

'He's holding back…but why?' Ren thought standing back up.

The moonlight was able to light up the entirety of Japan, Ren stood proud as he looked towards Akari.

"I'm going to kill you!" Ren spoke calmly, looking at Akari.

Akari would conjure his staff, swinging it around him. There was a look of pure joy on Akari's eyes.

'Incredible. So, this is Ren Takahashi…'

Akari pointed the staff towards Ren, before smiling for a moment.

"You know, I'm Akira Ken's descendant."

Ren's eyebrows quickly rose, his eyes widening.

"You-what?"

Akari chuckled for a moment, slowly walking towards Ren.

"Akira Ken is my great, great, great, great, great grandfather."

"But…that's all I wanted to tell you. Because sadly, I'm out of time."

And at just that moment, Ren felt something weird…

Akari's spear had impaled him through his heart, as Ren froze in place, full of shock.

"I've had my playtime with you, goodbye, Ren Takahashi."

Ren began to vomit blood out of his mouth, as Akari summoned a portal behind himself, walking through it as he dissolved the spear.

"Boys! You can eat him up if you want to, I could care less." Akari taunted, walking into the portal and vanishing out.

The humanoid Rogues quickly got up towards Ren Takahashi, circling him.

Ren felt very dizzy, falling on the floor as he looked up, confused.

'Shit…is this what death feels like?' Ren thought, his vision beginning to fade away.

The giant hole in Ren's heart was visible. It began to beat slower and slower than before, as Ren's body began to break more and more.

'So…is this it? Am I just going to be another one of the Arcanists that died tonight?' Ren thought to himself, feeling a bit bitter at the fate that he had encountered.

'Shit.' Ren finally concluded, closing his eyes.

The Rogues quickly crouched down, tearing out bits and pieces of his skin as they began to digest Ren.

They quickly bit down on his organs, tearing them to pieces and swallowing them whole. They ripped out his eyes, his ears, his limbs, anything they could eat. They plucked his bones out and chewed on them, eating everything they could.

However, Ren's heart began to beat again. A shocking twist as it slowly beat. Its rhythm couldn't be mistaken.

'Thump Thump…Thump Thump…Thump Thump.'

The Rogues paused, speaking their language as they slowly walked back, curious at this revelation.

Ren's body slowly began to heal again. The missing organs reformed, his bones were being created again, and the hole in his heart was sealed.

Slowly, Ren's body began to float as an ominous colorful aura surrounded him, and in just an instant, his eyes opened as he gasped.

A gigantic explosion of Arcane Energy followed as Ren fell back down onto the floor, catching himself.

'What the fuck just happened?' He thought, looking at his palms.

'It felt like I died…no, I did die. I could feel them eating me whole…it was disgusting…'

Ren's eyes moved up, staring at each of the Rogues.

'They're just staring at me…but…why do I feel so energized? I feel full of energy, and not just any energy either…I'm full of Arcane Energy.'

The Rogues began to speak their language, very shocked themselves.

'What's more…I feel like I have something new…something special.'

One of the Rogues quickly dashed at Ren, aiming to kill him in one blow.

'Huh? Oh, shit!' Ren quickly placed his hands in front of him to block it.

As soon as the Rogue touched Ren's body, its arm was crushed, as if Ren was a metal wall.

'H-H-Holy fucking shit! What the hell is going on?'

The Rogue screamed in pain, and Ren took the opportunity to capitalize. He imbued his fist with Arcane Energy, slamming it forwards.

The moment his fist collided with the Rogue's body, it instantly crushed the Rogue's chest, killing it instantly.

'What? There's no way I just did that…how come I got so strong?'

The other Rogues were confused. They spoke in their language further.

'But what's more…my body keeps giving me this weird urge to…channel my Arcane Energy backwards? Why is that…'

Ren decided to follow, and he found himself conjuring up a bright and yet dark colored purple orb.

'Holy shit! What's that?'

It quickly moved in front of him, and the Rogues were being pulled towards it.

'Huh? It's pulling them in?'

The Rogues soon began to orbit the orb, and it seemed like they were trying to escape.

'I have no clue what's going on…but if I really am that strong…then surely I can kill them all?'

Ren quickly dashed forwards, imbuing his fists with Arcane Energy as he slammed it into one of the Rogues. It died in an instant.

Ren kept going after every Rogue, one after another. None of them could even put up a fight. Soon, he had every Rogue killed except for one.

'Jian…but this time, it's going to be different. He's not going to win this time.'

The purple orb had then dissolved, leaving Jian tired and out of breath as Ren glared at him.

'And now, my body wants me to channel my Arcane Energy directly? What would that do?'

Pointing his palms forwards, Ren channeled his Arcane Energy forwards. The moment he did that, Jian was instantly pulled in front of him.

'Holy shi-'

Ren took the opportunity and punched Jian without any Arcane Energy. And yet that alone seemed to really hurt him, sending him flying back.

"Ren Takahashi…how did you do that?"

'I have no clue…but I can't tell him that.'

"This…this is my vengeance. You bastard. I'm going to kill you!"

Jian shouted in fear, quickly standing up to his feet and attempting to run away.

"That won't help you."

Ren placed a single palm up and channeled his Arcane Energy directly. And just like that, Jian was pulled towards Ren.

'So that does pull him in…'

Ren would then slam his fist into Jian's stomach, staggering him as he fell to his knees.

"Ren Takahashi…spare me!"

Ren looked down at Jian, with a lack of remorse in his eyes.

"Monsters like you deserve a fate worse than death." Ren responded, kicking Jian's head forwards.

"And I'll dedicate myself to making sure you suffer!"

Ren grabbed Jian's head, before slamming him with his own fist. He did it again, and again, and again. Jian was screaming in pain, green blood pouring out of his skull.

"I'll be your biggest nightmare, even after I kill you." Ren taunts, before bringing his fist back.

He imbued his fist with as much Arcane Energy as he could, bringing it forward and beheading Jian with a single strike.

He stood in silence, green blood covering his body.

"Serves you right." He commented, looking at Jian's headless body as it fell to the ground.