Kodak's group 2:15 AM...
Kodak walked through the empty streets, holding the same blade he had hung up in his room. Ashiro tapped his shoulder, getting Kodak's attention. "So why did you get that blade? It's so damn old and overused." Kodak replied with a calm and collected look. "Your vision is lacking, Ashiro. This blade is sharper than anything you could create with modern metals. It's more durable than even tungsten steel." Kodak unsheathed the blade, a mysterious aura emanating from it. This intrigues Ashiro deeply, as he feels a chill down his spine. "Jeez, that aura from the blade sends chills down my spine. Hell, look at Dad. He hates just looking at the blade."
Satsujin looked at the geom blade, chills went down his spine as he glared at the blade. "Put that damn thing away, Kodak. Just having that thing out makes Jashi more pissed as we speak." Kodak ignored Satsujin, pointing towards the revenant spirits. "Look, those monsters are too scared even to approach us with this blade. So just ignore Jashi and try to find any survivors lurking around." Kodak sheathed the blade as the revenant spirits shivered in fear from Kodak, looking at the aura emitting from him.
Satsujin then sensed something as a shockwave of revenant echoed throughout the town, the mere power and force behind it made Satsujin go flying, Ashiro caught his father and planted his feet into the ground as he felt a shield of kinetic energy surround them both. Kodak then walked through the shockwave and smirked a little bit. "Who's having a party without me?" He ran through the dense energy filling the air as Kodak ran through the streets filled with mangled and unrecognizable corpses of revenant spirits.
[23 Revenant Spirits detected: 12 D-Ranks, 7 C-Ranks, 3 B-Ranks, 1 A-Rank!]
Kodak then sensed a familiar, yet different energy. Within the air, it was Fumiko's revenant emitting throughout the air. What was even more shocking was the fact that Kodak could sense more clearly. "(Looks like her attack canceled out the problem with our sensory techniques we can use.)" Kodak then saw Fumiko, the moonlight shining on her as she held the greatsword tightly, protecting Kyoka's unconscious body as Kodak walked closer. "Fumiko, is she okay?" He said, referencing Kyoka. Fumiko's voice was tired and quiet as her blade dripped with blood from the revenant spirits she had killed. "Alive." Kodak smiled in relief, but that closure was shattered by the horrific sight of Akemi's lifeless body stripped of some of its flesh. Kodak gritted his teeth in anger and slowly raised his fist, slamming it into the ground. The rubble of the asphalt flew around them as Kodak stood in silent anger. "(Dammit! How many more of those undeserving of this chaos have to die!)"
Kodak then felt a tug on his jacket, looking down to see Fumiko looking at him with hope. "Let us stop this madness and take over these savage beasts." He smiled softly at Fumiko's words and felt something radiating within himself.
[3rd Formation is near completion!]
Kodak's eyes lingered on the message and smirked at it with an overwhelming sense of confidence. "(Nice, looks like all that fight with the various revenant spirits leveled Ashiro, Satsujin, and me pretty well.)"
Kodak then snapped his fingers, opening up his stats shown by the system.
[Stats are being shown!]
Name: Kodak Kawanari
Title: Adept Revenant User
Strength: 20K
Speed: 30K
Revenant Pool: 20K
Revenant Output: 25K
Revenant Proficiency: 20K
Kinetic Energy Pool: 18K
Skills: Combat Sense, Bodily Shockwave, Wingless Flight, Aura Applications, Aura Adapter, Kinetic Charge, and Expansion.
Innate Techniques: Kinetic Energy Formations, Destructive Battle Arts (65%), ???
Formations Unlocked: Charge and Burst Impact, Kinetic Wave Burst.
Kodak looked at the stats, smirking at them in astonishment, but the innate technique with three question marks confused him deeply. "(What does it mean? Does it mean there's more than just Destructive Battle Arts?")
Kodak then dismissed the stats and closed the message, focusing his attention on Fumiko. Kodak then places his hands gently on her, bringing Fumiko into a warm and comforting embrace. The feeling that they shared was heavenly, time felt slowed down as Kodak and Fumiko looked into each other's eyes.
Ashiro and Satsujin saw the shield of kinetic energy from around them disappear, as the atmosphere's wind hit their skin with a cool feeling of the dark sky. Multiple revenant spirits rush at them. Satsujin shrouds his body in a revenant aura, extending it into a radial aura, crushing all the revenant spirits around them. Ashiro then opens up his hand, showing the system.
[Element Selection: Flame!]
[Elemental Discharge: Firestorm!]
Ashiro watches as the flames spread across his body, the red-orange shade of fire engulfing his body. The bright burning light gathers around him, creating a burst of shining flames that shoot out of his body. Ashiro felt an aggressive feeling emanating throughout his body, causing him to yell in excitement. "BURN AWAY YOU UGLY BASTARDS!" The crushed revenant spirits held down by Satsujin's radial squirm in fear of the oncoming flames, but he stares at them as a finger is placed over his lips, shushing their cries for nonexistent help. "Shh, just let yourselves die while we are still peaceful." The blazing flames turn the spirits to ashes, as Ashiro senses Kodak's revenant emanating a couple of feet away from him, prompting him to run in the direction he could sense Kodak's revenant. "Kodak!" His voice called out, looking for his best friend amidst the chaotic scenery of swarming revenant spirits.
Ashiro then found Kodal fighting alongside Fumiko as they tore through the countless revenant spirits throughout the streets. Kodak's kinetic energy surged widely throughout the destroyed streets, and a confident smile spread across his face as he unleashed another wave of kinetic energy.
[2nd Kinetic Formation: Kinetic Wave Burst!]
The dark tone of purple energy sweeps through the streets as multiple revenant spirits get caught up in the blast, dying almost immediately. Not even bones or blood were left from the aftermath of the intense blast of kinetic energy. Fumiko then swung her sword, unleashing a devastating slash of lunar energy towards the group of revenant spirits.
[1st Formation: Twin Striking Moonslasher Activated!]
Lunar energy envelopes the blade as energy slashes exit the blade, delivering devastating damage to the revenant spirits around them. Kodak then felt the bodily shockwave technique resonating deep within his body.
[Bodily Shockwave and Kinetic Energy are reacting to each other!]
Kodak then charged a bodily shockwave, combining it with the kinetic energy dwelling in his body. The power coming off was amazing, nothing like he had ever seen or felt before.
[Skill: Kinetic Shockwave Created!]
Kodak slams his fist into the ground, causing a massive shockwave of kinetic energy to disperse throughout the area. Bodies of dead revenant spirits drop from the sky, and as they land, blood splatters from the landing. Organs and bodily fluids fly everywhere as Kodak raises his arms, and a surge of madness breaks through his normally composed exterior, transforming his demeanor into one of chaotic intensity.
Kodak then shakes his head, hearing Kiko's voice. "Don't let the mania take over your emotions, control it and refine it to be your level of power." Kodak tightly grips his hand and breathes deeply, telling himself to calm his mind and steel his resolve. "If I lose control, then what is the point of this journey?"
Fumiko tugs on his arm, asking for a hug. Kodak smirks at her cute behavior and brings her in for another warm embrace. Ashiro then yells out to Kodak, warning him of the unexpected danger. "WATCH OUT!"
Kodak then feels the combat sense skill screaming out to him,"(Killing Intent!?)" He grabs Fumiko by the waist and jumps high into the air, landing on a nearby rooftop of a house. His feet land as he checks his phone.
5:45 AM
He then felt a similar sensation from a few seconds ago, grabbing whatever was behind him and throwing Fumiko off the roof with a bubble of kinetic energy protecting her. Kodak then looks with an expression of shock plastered over his face.
It was Kyoka, and she had revenant coursing through her entire body, but something seemed off. Her mind seemed scrambled and chaotic from Kodak's perspective.
Kyoka then slashed her hand widely in the air, missing Kodak completely as blood dripped from her hands.
Kodak looked at the blood, confused, but then combat sense screamed in his mind as he looked up and a sea of arrows formed by revenant stood above him. Kodak then charged up his kinetic energy, expanding it across hundreds of feet to prevent the oncoming onslaught that preyed upon him and the others.
[Skill: Kinetic Shield Activated!]
Kodak's nose bled as he felt the backlash from using this much kinetic energy, but he didn't care about the consequences. All that he could do right now was ignore this pathetic pain.
Kyoka mindlessly attacked the kinetic shield, not able to pierce it even slightly. Kodak gritted his teeth with annoyance, detected in his voice.
"Kiko, what can I do to make Kyoka stop absorbing the mania around us?" Kodak spoke into the mindscape, wanting a merciful answer to the problem at hand. Kiko paused, her brow furrowed in deep concentration as she weighed her options. She scanned the room, searching for a strategy that would allow Kodak to confront his friend without inflicting harm or risking her life. The air was thick with tension as she contemplated every possible scenario within this moment. Until a thought struck Kiko's mind and she began to explain to Kodak the plan. "If you're able to grab hold of her and place your palm directly on her forehead and sternum, you'll be able to perform a technique called: Maniacal Absorption."
Kodak looked at Kiko, confused for a moment. "You're only telling me this now!?" He yelled at her, thinking about how important this technique was and why she didn't tell him sooner.
Kiko shook her head in frustration, lashing out her obvious frustration towards Kodak. "The reason I didn't tell was because this technique is unpredictable when it comes to absorbing mania, hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this killed you!" Her tone was stressed and anxious from Kodak's eyes, but he ignored it and spoke up to Kiko with confidence radiating from his eyes. "Tell me what to do, Kiko."
She looked at him, shocked and released a breath of annoyance, showing how much Kiko hated Kodak's stubborn nature. "You are an idiot, Kodak." He smirked at her response and looked back at Kyok as she shattered the kinetic shield. He then felt an immense pain shoot through his entire body, almost like something was breaking. He groaned in response to the pain his body was in, but as this happened, Kyoka rushed down at him, screaming like a rabid animal. He then smirked as she rushed him, grabbing her by her jacket and slamming her to the ground. Kinetic energy merged with the slamming motion of the attack as Kodak's palm struck Kyoka's forehead and sternum, a warning then popped up from the system as he felt the mania coursing throughout his body.
[Warning! Mania is entering your body!]
[Anymore absorption is at risk of corruption with the system!]
[Continue? Y/N]
Many feelings rushed through Kodak's mind as he absorbed more and more mania from Kyoka, mainly the painful memories she was feeling projected into his mind and body. The feeling of losing her younger sibling, even having fought so damn hard to protect those she cherished. Tears from Kodak's face fell from his face as Kyoka's eyes went from the voided pupils to her normal red eyes that reflected her burning determination. She looked at Kodak, absorbing the mania and panic plastered over her face as Kodak groaned in pain from the massive amounts of painful memories entering his head.
She tried moving his hands, wanting him to stop this. "STOP, I'M JUST DEAD WEIGHT KODAK!" Her eyes filled with sorrow as she tried to move his hands. Ashiro then rushed towards them, pinning Kyoka's hands to the ground. His voice was comforting to Kyoka as she heard him speak to her in such a soft yet firm tone. "Please, don't say you're dead weight. I for one think that you set the bar way too low for such a strong woman such as yourself." Ashiro then smiled at Kyoka as her eyes widened at the response. A bright red blush beamed across her face as she looked away and stopped resisting the help Kodak was trying to offer her. "J-just don't die on me Kodak."
He smiled at her response and began absorbing even more mania, his eyes became completely black. Kodak then groaned in pain as all the mania had been absorbed into his body. "Geugh!" His breathing became slower, most likely from the negative energy flowing through him. His body felt physically weaker, but a thought struck his mind as he communicated through the mindscape with Kiko. "Is it possible to use meditation for the mania within my body?"
Kiko thought for a moment, she always wondered why out of all the power sources, the revenant was. Why was mania the least usable? "I don't know. But it should work if you treat it like revenant, but only more negative." Kodak smirked and slowly rose from the ground, and got into the meditation position for the circulation process. The mania swiftly moved around his body, following the paths of his two revenant cores. Each time they passed through his core, the meditation got easier. Kodak's body felt vastly stronger as a message from the system rang in front of his eyes.
[Conditions met!]
[Mania is being transformed into something new!]
Kodak's eyes widened at the message as Kiko saw it as well. "Kodak, you dog! You did it!" He smirked at Kiko within the mindscape, focusing on it more and more. "(COME ON I NEED TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS!)" The mania circulated even faster now as the others watched in awe. Satsujin's eyes widened as Jashi spoke in his mindscape. "Looks like the brat has evolved the old ways of revenant. How long until you think I'll learn those ways and bring him down, Satsujin?" Jashi's tone was mocking and looking for something to enrage Satsujin, but he ignored him and looked at Kodak with hope. His voice muttered under his breath as Satsujin looked at Kodak with a certain light igniting within his eyes. "You are becoming something great, aren't you, Kodak?"
Kodak then felt a great energy surging throughout his body, the kinetic energy felt stronger and even more destructive. But more importantly, it felt more like an energy source rather than Kodak needing to gather it from a different energy source.
[Both revenant cores are leveling up!]
Kodak felt something within him awaken as the mania combined with his revenant pool.
[Stats are increasing drastically!]
[New cores are created!]
Kodak looked at the message, standing up as a new aura was radiating around him, and the air felt dense near him. Yet, the others felt safe when near Kodak's presence. Fumiko walked over, sensing the sudden change in Kodak. "You absorbed the mania from Kyoka and combined it with your revenant!?" Fumiko's surprised tone echoed through the empty streets. "I mean, how fucking insane just are you!?" Kodak chuckled at Fumiko's compliments, but then another message from the system appeared.
[Destructive Energy Created!]
[Cores: Destructive Energy Core!]
Kodak then pressed the screen that showed more information about destructive energy. "Open description."
[Destructive Energy: By combining both mania and revenant, you turn the energy into a pure energy source of destruction, giving the user even more potent abilities to be unlocked in the future!]
[Kinetic Energy Formations --> Destructive Martial Formations!]
Kodak smirked at the message and opened the stats menu within the system, surprising him more drastically than before.
Name: Kodak Kawanari
Rank: A-Rank (High)
Title: Partial Destructive Ruler
Strength: 60K
Speed: 50K
Destructive Energy Pool: 50K
Destructive Energy Output: 40K
Destructive Energy Proficiency: 30K
Innate technique: Destructive Energy, Destructive battle arts (90%)
Skills: Wingless Flight, Combat Sense, Bodily Shockwave, Aura Applications, Aura Adapter, Destructive Martial Formations.
Formations Unlocked: Formations 1-3 are usable.
Kodak dismissed the stats, swiping his hand across the screen of the system. "Ashiro, come here." He called Ashiro, wanting him to do something for him. "I need you to protect my body." Ashiro's face flexed with confusion. "Why the hell do you need me for that!?"
Kodak then quickly explained why he needed Ashiro's help. "I'm going into my mindscape, I'm gonna try to figure out my new abilities. Plus, I don't wanna attract any attention."
Kodak then heard Kiko's voice within his mindscape, calling to him. "Come." His eyes blacked out as he fell to the ground. Ashiro immediately rushes towards Kodak's falling body, catching it right before it makes contact with the blood-stained ground. "Jeez, can you go a day without fainting?" He looked around the area, his eyes locking onto the rooftop of a tall building miles away from them. "Fumiko, where's a good spot to hide at?"
Satsujin then jumped into the air, suspending his body with radial aura below his feet. He looked across the city before briefly looking at the untouched conditions of the Kawanari house. He slowly descended from the sky, floating down towards the others. "There's a house that's been untouched. I don't know why, but that could be our base."
Ashiro then bends his legs deeply, about the jump across the city, and into the Kawanari household. But as he began to jump, a blade flew straight towards Satsujin at blinding speeds, piercing right through his chest. Blood leaks from his chest, covering the already blood-soaked streets. Ashiro canceled the jump and ran towards his father, screaming for his father. "DAD!" He still held Kodak's unconscious body as Akari rushed over with Kyoka to shield Satsujin's body.
Fumiko looked around, seeing a shadowy figure from the rooftop that Ashiro had looked at earlier. "HEY!" She screamed at the mysterious figure from the building, rushing towards it. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?"
[Skill: Blade of the Moonlight Horizon Activated!]
Fumiko gripped her blade tightly as she saw the shadowy figure fleeting across the rooftops.
[1st Formation: Twin Striking Moonslasher Activated Strongly!]
Lunar energy from the attack rips through the buildings the figure fled on, falling through the destroyed rooftop. Fumiko noticed immediately, rushing through the house and grabbing the figure by its dark cloak. "Tell me who you are!" Fumiko's eyes glistened with rage as her greatsword was held at the neck of Satsujin's attacker. The figure then lifted its hood, revealing Shiro Kawanari. "Surprised much?" He said as Fumiko's eyes looked at his face of Shiro, was he alive?!
Fumiko tried to ignore the fact that Shiro, Kodak's father, was alive. "You have to be an illusion. There's no other way you'd be alive. Unless you're being controlled by something else!" Her blade pressed harder at his neck, blood leaked from his neck as a look of unseriousness covered Shiro's face. "Jeez, you gonna kill now or what?"
His hand smacked the blade, stabbing it straight into Fumiko's stomach. She felt the speed and power behind it. No one else was able to do that like Shiro Kawanari. The blade pierced through Fumiko, and blood dripped from the blade, staining the wooden floors of the house they stood in at this very moment. Shiro mocked her playfully. "Wow! I have never seen a more pathetic Haruka family than you ever! Congrats on being fucking useless, little girl."
Fumiko tore the blade out of her stomach, and Shiro scoffed at her. "Jeez, do you wanna die that badly?" But to his surprise, she began to heal. "Wait a minute, you've unlocked agony, haven't you? Good job. At least you're not completely useless."
Fumiko then rushed at Shiro, sending him flying across multiple houses and even stabbing her blade through his chest multiple times. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The blade pierced again and again as Shiro still had that unimpressed look on his face. "Jeez, just fucking quit it. You know it's pointless to fight me, right?" His palm struck Fumiko straight to the sternum, knocking the wind right out of her lungs as she stumbled back to catch her breath. "Just give it up!" Pillars of flames then light up around them both as Ashiro appears from the flames, punching through it and in Shiro's face. "How are you alive!?"
Shiro just brushed off the question and pushed Ashiro back. "You both are so boring. Now let me see my son." He dashed out of the house, stumbling upon Kodak's body on the streets, guarded by Akari and Kyoka. "Don't come any closer!" Kyoka shouted as a red tone of revenant aura shrouded her body. Shiro looked at her, surprised a little bit. "Wow, didn't think you'd be a successor of Jiki-ketsu, nice job done."
He then backhanded Kyoka, knocking her to the ground. Her head hits the ground as her eyes go black. Ashiro then dashed from out of the rubble, rocks, and other known stones surrounding his body.
[2nd Elemental Formation: Seismic Rocker!]
The street below Ashiro rupts from him as the stone pillars stab straight through Shiro. Ashiro then jumps in the air, activating an elemental discharge.
[Elemental Discharge: Firestorm Activated strongly!]
A blaze of flames rips through the stone pillars, burning away at the flesh of Shiro. Ashiro doesn't let up, though, as he then begins punching Shiro again and again with the same flames shrouding his body.
[1st Elemental Formation: Fiery Fury Activated!]
Flames burst from each impact, getting more violent as the punches land. Ashiro then screams in anger at Shiro. "LEAVE US ALONE YOU DEADBEAT!" Flames then start dying down as Shiro grabs Ashiro and throws him off him. He then looks over Ashiro, about to throw a punch, but his twitches last second, and his fist crashes into the ground. A mere few inches away from Ashiro's face. "Fine then. Just count yourselves lucky. Just know I won't be so merciful next time." His voice echoed with a steeled resolve as he disappeared into thin air. Fumiko walked over to Satsujin, projecting her agony to him and healing the wound that the blade made.
Satsujin's eyes slowly open as he sees Ashiro and the others looming over him, wanting him to wake up. "Back up, or do you want me to die sooner?" The others smile at Satsujin wakes up. "Ashiro, get Kodak to the Kawanari house, it's the only safe place within this town."
Ashiro looks at his father, a bit confused by his statement. "What made you make that assumption, Dad?" Satsujin rolled his eyes in annoyance, but answered Ashiro still. "Answer me this, how could a house in the middle of a small warzone be unscathed from the oncoming destruction?" Ashiro's eyes widened in surprise, thinking about it deeply. "It could have something within it protecting or even shielding it from the revenant spirits!"
Satsujin smirked at his son's response, snapping his fingers. "Exactly, Ashiro. So get moving!" Ashiro nodded towards Satsujin and picked up Kodak's body, running across the town at blinding speeds.
Satsujin slowly stood up from the hard ground of the streets, looking at the destruction around him and the others. "Keep a lookout for any others. You never know when we'll find the others in this chaos." Satsujin's eyes then glitched as a twisted smile crept on his face, walking away from the others.