Chapter 214: Facing God!
Sonic gripped his sword with both hands.
Endless darkness gathered along the steel until the edge itself seemed to vanish into the night.
"Breath of Darkness, Fifth Form."
He swung.
A vast tide of darkness surged forward, swallowing the sky and everything beneath it.
"Sky Curtain!"
The black wave rolled across the ruins of City Z.
Then four figures appeared within the darkness.
Each one held a sword.
Each one attacked from a different direction.
"Breath of Darkness, First Form."
The four Sonic figures flashed forward at once.
"Scattered Flash Slash!"
Sword strikes converged from every angle.
Empty Void twisted his body and leapt away, escaping the closing net of attacks by the narrowest margin.
He landed in a safer area and looked back with a satisfied grin.
"Just as I expected."
His pale eyes gleamed with interest.
"Whether I judge you by our earlier exchange or by that attack, you are nothing like those fools who remained shackled by the framework of the Village."
As he spoke, Empty Void opened his mouth.
The darkness within it resembled a vast sea of stars.
He reached inside with his right hand and slowly pulled out a transparent cube.
The object was crystal clear, yet an indescribable pressure radiated from it.
Sonic recognised it immediately.
"That's the cube from the basement!"
Inside the sword, Asuramaru felt the pressure far more clearly than Sonic did.
The moment the cube appeared, a faint sense of danger spread through his mind.
"System, what is that?"
The answer came at once.
[Ding! That object is a Gate used by beings who have attained godhood.]
[Within the Myriad Realms, those who cross a certain threshold may ascend and become Gods.]
[Such beings possess the ability to traverse worlds. The Gate serves as a key that allows them to enter this world.]
[Anyone who touches the Gate will be drawn into the spiritual world of the God connected to it.]
Asuramaru immediately asked the question that mattered most.
"If Sonic touches it, can that God affect me?"
The system responded without delay.
[Ding! No.]
[To be precise, Host, you are also a genuine God. Your current power is merely inferior to that of the opposing entity.]
[The opposing God cannot affect you through the Gate.]
Hearing that answer, Asuramaru finally relaxed.
Then he turned his attention back to the battle.
Sonic did not know why Empty Void had brought out the cube, but his instincts warned him that it was dangerous.
He called out in his mind.
"Asuramaru, this man is not simple."
Sonic hesitated for the briefest moment before forcing out the next word.
"Please... lend me your power."
He rarely spoke so respectfully.
Asuramaru did not waste time mocking him.
Ittō Shura activated.
Demon Lord Possession followed.
Purple light spread across Sonic's body, forming a set of close fitting armor. A demonic mask covered his face as a circular purple halo manifested behind him.
At the same time, Asuramaru's Demon Power flooded into Sonic's limbs and bones.
The violent physical enhancement of Ittō Shura merged with the overwhelming power of Demon Lord Possession.
Sonic's aura began to rise.
Higher.
Higher still.
The air around him twisted beneath the pressure.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the final barrier shattered.
Sonic crossed beyond peak Dragon level.
He had entered the realm above Dragon.
"Heh heh heh..."
Empty Void stared at Sonic's transformed appearance with clear interest.
"So this is the power of Asuramaru?"
His grin widened.
"Fascinating."
Despite his relaxed tone, Empty Void reached over his shoulders and drew the two swords from his back.
That single action proved he was taking Sonic seriously.
For a moment, neither side moved.
The ruined city fell silent.
Then both vanished.
Two streaks of light collided above the street.
A thunderous impact tore through the Ghost Town.
Their figures crossed again and again, moving too quickly for ordinary eyes to follow.
In only a few breaths, the entirety of City Z had become their battlefield.
A casual swing from either sword erased everything in its path.
Buildings split apart.
Streets collapsed.
Darkness surged over the ruins, swallowing entire blocks before fading away.
Even Empty Void, whose strength had surpassed Dragon level, felt tremendous pressure.
The last person who had forced him to fight this seriously had been Blast.
"Should I expect nothing less from a God?"
Empty Void blocked another descending slash with both swords.
The collision shattered the ground hundreds of metres below them.
"The power you grant your chosen Sword Master is extraordinary."
"Enough talking."
Sonic forced Empty Void backward and raised his sword in one hand.
"Prepare to lose your head."
Darkness erupted around him.
"You will become the stepping stone that carries me into the next realm!"
Ten shadows appeared across the battlefield.
Each one possessed Sonic's form.
Each one raised a sword and unleashed a different strike.
"Breath of Darkness, Tenth Form."
The ten figures converged.
"Ten Shadows Burial!"
"Heh heh heh. Interesting."
Empty Void's eyes moved across the approaching shadows.
"But that is all."
His body flickered.
In less than an instant, he identified the true Sonic among the ten figures.
Empty Void stepped aside and allowed the sword to pass beside him.
Within the surrounding darkness, the cube in his hand released a pale glow.
That light illuminated Sonic's true body.
Then Empty Void thrust his hand forward.
The crystal cube pressed against Sonic's right arm.
The moment they touched, the world spun.
Sonic disappeared from the ruined streets of City Z.
When his senses returned, he found himself standing upon an endless grassland.
A gentle breeze brushed across his cheeks.
The sky was clear.
The air was warm.
In front of him stood a young Flashy Flash.
Sonic had also returned to his younger appearance.
The strange thing was that he did not feel anything was wrong.
"Sonic, you're awake."
The young Flashy Flash stood with his arms folded, gazing toward the distant horizon.
"Fortunately, I escaped the Village with you."
A rare smile touched his face.
"We finally reached the Promised Land we always dreamed about."
Sonic stared around the grassland in confusion.
Then the tension slowly left his body.
"Flash..."
He pressed a hand against his forehead.
"I feel like I had a very long dream."
Flashy Flash turned around.
He extended his right hand toward Sonic and smiled.
"No matter what kind of nightmare it was, it could never be worse than living in that Village."
His expression softened.
"Starting today, the two of us will build our ideal Village here."
"Let's work together, Sonic."
Sonic looked at the offered hand.
Something deep within him hesitated.
But the scene before him was everything he had once wanted.
Freedom.
Peace.
A future beyond the Ninja Village.
Slowly, Sonic raised his hand.
Just as his fingers were about to touch Flashy Flash's palm, another hand seized his wrist.
It was fair and delicate.
A familiar voice rang beside him.
"Sonic, how much longer do you intend to remain lost?"
Sonic turned sharply.
A beautiful figure stood beside him, wearing a flowing purple and white evening gown that fluttered in the wind.
Long purple hair fell over his shoulders.
His crimson eyes stared forward with unmistakable displeasure.
It was Asuramaru.
The moment Sonic saw him, the fog clouding his mind shattered.
"Asuramaru?"
He looked around the grassland again, this time with growing alarm.
"Where are we?"
Before Asuramaru could answer, the young Flashy Flash spoke.
"I did not expect you to break through my spiritual barrier so quickly."
His smile vanished.
"It appears you are far stronger than I imagined."
The skin covering Flashy Flash's body began to peel away.
The grassland darkened.
The pleasant breeze died.
What stood before them was no longer human.
The figure transformed into a mass of twisted, withered flesh resembling ancient vines and dried bark. Its shape was barely humanoid, yet the aura radiating from it inspired fear at the most instinctive level.
The entity looked directly at Asuramaru.
"I have wanted to meet you for a long time."
Its voice echoed across the entire spiritual world.
"There is something I wish to know."
The twisted face leaned closer.
"Are you a native God of this world?"
Asuramaru did not answer.
"That is none of your concern."
The entity showed no anger.
"Since we are both Gods, I will offer you a warning."
Its presence expanded.
The endless grassland began to tremble.
"This world is already mine."
The sky cracked beneath the weight of its will.
"You would be wise not to interfere."
The pressure of God descended across the spiritual realm.
Mountains that had not existed moments before rose in the distance, only to crumble beneath the force.
The earth split apart.
The sky bent inward.
It was not merely an attack.
It was a declaration of absolute authority.
Asuramaru's crimson eyes narrowed.
Then his own divine pressure erupted.
The two forces collided.
The spiritual world shook violently.
Cracks spread across the sky like shattered glass. The grassland tore apart, and the entire realm groaned as though it might collapse at any moment.
Neither God retreated.
Sonic stood beside Asuramaru, staring at the confrontation before him.
For the first time, he understood his own weakness with absolute clarity.
Before these two beings, he was no different from an ant.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]