The shuttle in the second dimension

Chapter 171: The Birth of a Demon (Two in One)

　Before Kurogane Ikki even landed, the masked figure was already at his side. The iron rod, so fast that it was impossible to catch it and contained a violent force, came crashing down fiercely. However, at the last moment, Kurogane Ikki once again used his secret sword [Circle] (which uses circular motion to rebound the opponent's attack force), still intending to rebound this attack.

　However, compared to before, his movements this time were faster and more decisive. When the masked man's second attack landed, he bounced back the force of the masked man's previous attack, canceling each other out.

　"Faster~~~Kurogatsu-kun~~~" Laughing, the masked man began to speed up his attacks. Although, under the pressure of the masked man, Kurogane Ikki's speed in using [Circle] became faster and faster, Kurogane Ikki's face became worse and worse, because he knew that his secret sword [Circle] needed to rotate his body to rebound the force, so each attack would always lag behind, and if he continued, he would again not be able to keep up with the masked man's attack rhythm.

　The fact was just as Kurogane Ikki had thought, his secret sword could no longer keep up with the masked man's increasingly rapid attack rhythm. Upon realizing this, Kurogane Ikki's expression suddenly changed, as if he had made some important decision.

　The next moment, a blue flame ignited from Kurogane Ikki's body. At the same time, his slash turned into a pitch-black flash and directly met the attack of the masked man.

　The iron rod and the katana collided with each other, but this time, when Kurogane Ikki received the rod containing violent power, he did not immediately rotate himself and use his secret sword [Circle].

　Feeling the impact of the iron rod in his hand, the masked man raised his eyebrows behind the mask. He knew that his strength was rebounded by the opponent. The opponent was not stopping to use his secret sword, but changed the form to use it.

　"That's amazing, Mr. Black Iron. You actually reconstructed your own moves on the battlefield. This talent is truly amazing." The masked man praised while continuing to wave the iron rod in his hand.

　Just as the masked man had said, after realizing that his original secret sword, [Circle], could no longer keep up with the rhythm of battle, Kurogane Ikki resolved to reconstruct this secret sword style. He no longer adhered to the original circular motion cycle, but instead used his muscles to circulate force, instantly channeling that force into his own strikes and rebounding it back at the opponent. To achieve this, his entire body could not be stiff, otherwise the force channeled into his muscles would explode directly within him. Therefore, he had to allow his muscles to relax endlessly, to a state as if in liquid form. Achieving this was extremely difficult, especially in combat, which was why the masked man was amazed.

　However, despite being amazed, the masked man's attacks did not stop, but became even faster, so fast that even Kurogane Ikki, who had already used [One Sword Shura] and improved the secret sword, still felt the suffocating pressure.

　Kurogane Ikki could clearly sense that the masked man's strength was constantly improving, but unlike before, the masked man always displayed a level of strength superior to his own. Only as he improved would he improve his own strength, keeping his strength always superior to his own. This meticulous control of his own strength always amazed Kurogane Ikki, but this time was different. This time, the masked man had been continuously improving his own strength from the beginning of the battle, forcing him to keep up with him.

　Although he didn't understand why the other party did this, the masked man's deadly attacks left Ikki Kurogane no time to think. He could only passively accept it and force himself to squeeze out his potential to make himself faster and stronger.

　In the fierce battle, Ikki Kurogane could feel that he was improving at a terrifying speed, but for some reason, the words of the masked man suddenly appeared in his mind.

　'I feel like I'm almost at the top.'

　Ikki Kurogane didn't know why he recalled these words in the midst of a life-and-death battle, but the next moment, he finally understood what the masked man meant by "it's reached the top".

　While vigorously swinging the [Yin Iron] in his hand, Ikki Kurogane lost his balance and took a step back.

　Although it was just a small step back, it completely disrupted Ikki Kurogane's rhythm, causing him to fly out after hastily taking the stick from the masked man.

　"Just now..." His trembling eyes revealed the restlessness in Kurogane Ikki's heart, and the reason why he lost his composure was that just before he lost his balance, he saw——

　In a dark cave, dark chains wrapped around his body like poisonous snakes, tightly binding him and making him unable to move.

　He thought that the fleeting scene was just an illusion, but when he found that he could not keep up with the opponent's rhythm, he found that the dark chain was pulling him tightly, making it impossible for him to advance even a little bit.

　“—We’ve reached the top—”

　In his mind, those three ordinary words made Ikki Kurogane feel that fate was full of malice.

　"So, this is what it means to have reached the top? I never thought that, in the end, I would still be constrained by my own talent." While wailing miserably in his heart, Kurogane Ikki felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and then he found that his vision was rapidly shifting backwards.

　"He was knocked away."

　After falling heavily to the ground, Ikki Kurogane struggled to get up, but his severely injured body made it very difficult for him to get up. He fell several times during the process. It took him more than a minute to get up from the ground, and the time of [One Sword Shura] was also used up within that minute.

　The masked man seemed to feel sorry for Ikki Kurogane, watching him struggle to get up from the ground without doing anything.

　“Hehehe~~~~”

　After getting up, Kurogane Ikki began to laugh.

　"So this is what you mean by 'reaching the top'~~~" Kurogane Ikki said self-deprecatingly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Honestly, it really makes me feel hopeless. I didn't expect that in the end, I would still be constrained by my own talent."

　"What, you gave up? That's right, the time for [One Sword Shura] has come, and you no longer have the strength to continue struggling (hx). However, you should have some premonition this time. I will not let you go after you are exhausted this time." With a grim smile, the masked man raised the iron rod in his hand to the top of his head. At the same time, the iron rod began to extend. Judging from the masked man's appearance, it seemed that he wanted to give Kurogane Ikki the final blow.

　"Give up!?" Spitting out the remaining blood in his mouth, Ikki Kurogane grinned and laughed fearlessly.

　"What a joke! So many people are waiting for me to go back, how can I die here!!!"

　“Move now!!!!” Roaring, Ikki Kurogane drove his shaky body and took steps as heavy as iron, launching a final resistance against the masked man.

　Looking at Kurogane Ikki rushing towards him, the masked man shook his head.

　"Even after this, you still refuse to give up? Mr. Kurogane~~~" Laughing, the masked man swung the extended iron rod in his hand and smashed it down hard at Kurogane Ikki.

　With every step he took, Kurogane Ikki could feel his body's violent protest, but he could only force himself to ignore the protests. He didn't want to give up just like that. He still wanted to go back. His teachers, his friends and his sister were all waiting for him to go back. He couldn't die here, so he would not give up even if there was a tiny bit of hope.

　-

　When he saw the pitch-black chains that bound him, Ikki Kurogane might have been confused at first, but when he recalled what the masked man said, Ikki Kurogane knew clearly in his heart that those were the shackles imposed on him by fate, and that pitch-black cave was his end.

　What a match, with the F-level talent, I said to myself at that time (hx).

　Ikki Kurogane knew that he had squeezed out all his potential and reached the peak of his potential. He should be satisfied and give up.

　But are you truly satisfied? Is it time to give up?

　No, not really, he wasn't satisfied yet and he didn't want to give up.

　Reached the top? Bound by fate? Unable to advance any further?

　"Since I've reached the top, I'll break that (hx) top. Since I'm bound by the shackles of fate, I'll cut through them." With a roar in his heart, Kurogane Ikki began to struggle, trying to break free from the shackles fate had placed on him. Even if the chains chafed his skin, tore his muscles, and pressed against his bones, he didn't give up. Even if fate kept telling him that this was the limit, that this was his end, he didn't give up, he kept struggling.

　"If I give up here, if I die here, how can I be worthy of the teachers and friends who have always supported me, how can I be worthy of my sister who has always cared for me, how can I be worthy of the desire in my heart to survive, how can I be worthy of my obsession with the sword! ! ! !"

　With the belief burning in his heart, even if his body was broken into pieces, Ikki Kurogane never gave up fighting against fate.

　click-

　A slight cracking sound came from the chain, followed by a series of cracking sounds one after another.

　“Ohh ...

　The next moment, the pitch-black chains began to break and the dark cave began to melt away.

　The blue flames ignited on Kurogane Ikki's body again, and Kurogane Ikki, who looked like a Rakshasa returned from hell, instantly appeared in front of Kurogane Ikki.

　At that moment, the crimson light on Kurogane Ikki's body blossomed to its fullest.

　From the very beginning, the masked man was observing Ikki Kurogane, from the beginning of the battle, to his progress, to when he reached the end and was bound by fate, to when he refused to give up and struggled under the constraints of fate, to when he broke free from the constraints of fate, he had been watching it all.

　"So - this is how a true demon is born~~~~" the masked man said with emotion.

　The next moment, Kurogane Ikki passed him by.

　pat-

　That was the sound made by the mask falling to the ground.

　At the last moment, the masked man retracted the iron rod that was raised above his head and blocked it in front of himself. However, it was finally cut off by Kurogane Ikki's slash, and the monkey mask on the masked man's face was also cut off.

　Looking at the mask that was split into two halves on the ground, and the iron rod in his hand that had been cut into two, the masked man remained silent.

　Kurogane Ikki, who was standing behind the masked man, was leaning on the [Yin Iron] to barely support himself and turned around.

　"Ikki, congratulations on entering the realm of demons." Turning around, the masked man congratulated.

　"Why is it you—" Looking at the familiar face in front of him, Ikki Kurogane showed an expression of disbelief.

　“——Lin Xuan!!!”

Chapter 172

　"Why is it you—Lin Xuan!!"

　Looking at the true face of the masked man, Kurogane Ikki's trembling pupils were filled with disbelief.

　"Why, are you surprised?" Lin Xuan threw the broken iron rod in his hand behind him, clapped his hands up and down, and asked.

　Slowly sitting on the ground with the help of [Yin Tie], Kurogane Ikki let out a heavy breath, "How can I not be surprised?"

　"Yes, it's really surprising to find out that the person who has always wanted to kill me is my friend." After saying that, Lin Xuan also sat down directly on the dusty ground like Hatt Ikki.

　"Actually, you didn't want to kill me from the beginning, otherwise I would have died long ago, and there would be no chance for me to survive until now." Looking at Lin Xuan in front of him, Kurogane Ikki frowned and said.

　"This can be interpreted as me toying with you." Lin Xuan not only did not explain his behavior, but instead began to make false accusations. "I made you believe that I would not kill you, and after you believed this fact, I killed you, making you feel deep despair."

　"I don't rule out this idea, but after I knew it was you, I knew you wouldn't do that." Although Lin Xuan was discrediting himself, Kurogane Ikki still believed in Lin Xuan.

　"Oh?" Raising his eyebrows, Lin Xuan looked at Kurogane Ikki with interest.

　"You won't make Shizuku sad."

　"Hmph." With a light snort (hx), Lin Xuan did not refute Kurogane Ikki, which was equivalent to tacitly acquiescing to this fact.

　"..."

　"..."

　After that, the two of them fell into silence for about a minute or two.

　Looking at Kurogane Ikki, Lin Xuan uttered two words without any context.

　"Demon."

　"Demon? What is that?" Kurogane Ikki looked puzzled by this unfamiliar new word.

　"It's you. You are the devil now." Lin Xuan replied with a mysterious smile.

　"Me?" Kurogane Ikki became more and more confused as Lin Xuan spoke more and more, and he didn't understand what Lin Xuan was talking about anymore.

　"You should have felt it just now, the end of yourself."

　"Yeah, I felt it." When Lin Xuan mentioned the previous situation, Kurogane Ikki's mind appeared the scene of him being bound in the cave by pitch-black chains.

　"Magic power is a force beyond common sense, and the total amount of magic power of a swordsman is determined when he is born, and it cannot be changed. This also means that the limit that a swordsman can reach in his lifetime is also determined. That is the shackles imposed on the swordsman by fate. Just like you, even if you have a strong talent in swordsmanship, you will ultimately be restricted by your F-level talent. And the existence that can break through that shackle and break its own limit, we call it - a demon." While explaining to Kurogane Ikki, Lin Xuan looked Kurogane Ikki up and down.

　"That's also why, even after you'd exhausted all your magic power, you still had enough left to use [One Blade Rakshasa] at the very end."

　"Demon." Looking down at his hands, Ikki Kurogane murmured.

　"After becoming a demon, you are no longer bound by fate and can increase your magic power through training."

　"What!?" Kurogane Ikki exclaimed, looking at Lin Xuan in astonishment. Throughout his life, the common sense that 'one's innate magic power limit remains unchanged' had always been ingrained in his mind. The sudden increase in magic power had already overturned this common sense, but now Lin Xuan's words shattered it even more.

　"Demons are like this, so you don't need to be surprised. But--" Having said this, Lin Xuan paused and his face became a little serious.

　"I hope you can keep the existence of the demon a secret. I think you should be able to imagine the danger that would arise if the demon's existence were to be exposed."

　After Lin Xuan's words, Kurogane Ikki immediately understood that his ability to reach this level was due, on the one hand, to his long-cultivated willpower, and, on the other hand, to the pressure of death cast upon him by Lin Xuan. Thus, it was by chance that he had entered the realm of demons. If demons became known to others, then in order to cultivate them, there would likely be organizations that would force some swordsmen to exhaust human potential and undergo murderous training.

　"I can see the hope of becoming a demon in you, so I'm forcing you through the shadow of death. But even so, I'm not sure whether you can become a demon. It all depends on your own luck. Therefore, there is no such thing as mass production of true demons. However, in order to prevent any more crazy people from trying, the existence of demons can only be concealed."

　"I understand." Nodding, Ikki Kurogane agreed with Lin Xuan's point of view, but then he looked at Lin Xuan in confusion and asked.

　"Are you a demon, then?"