I Became a Demon Sword and Traveled the Anime Worlds

While Suiryu searched desperately for a way to fight back, Gouketsu turned toward the three legged crows waiting beside the arena.

"You can begin as well."

The Monsters moved at once.

Screams erupted from the remaining martial artists.

Suiryu glanced toward the chaos from the corner of his eye, and cold sweat immediately ran down his back.

This is bad.

"Do not get distracted, boy."

Gouketsu's voice came from directly in front of him.

A massive fist followed.

Suiryu raised his arm to block, but the impact launched him across the arena.

He skidded along the broken floor before forcing himself back to his feet.

A sharp pain tore through his right arm.

Is it broken?

Before he could confirm it, Gouketsu appeared behind him.

A huge foot crashed down against Suiryu's body and drove him into the ground.

"Is that all you have?"

Gouketsu lifted his foot slightly.

"I will give you three seconds to stand."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

Before the count ended, Suiryu released every restraint on his body.

He exploded upward and threw himself into a desperate counterattack.

It changed nothing.

Every strike he launched was brushed aside.

Every opening he tried to create was crushed by overwhelming force.

Gouketsu battered him across the arena without the slightest difficulty.

When Suiryu was sent flying once more, he finally understood the truth.

He is too strong.

Speed, power, defence, experience.

Gouketsu surpassed him in every possible way.

Is this the strength of a Monster?

By then, only one other contestant remained standing at the edge of the arena.

Bakuzan.

Suiryu looked toward him and shouted, "It looks like we are the only two left!"

He wiped blood from his mouth.

"Come help me!"

Bakuzan responded with a cold laugh.

"Suiryu, after watching that fight, I finally realised something."

He stared at Suiryu with bitter resentment.

"You are stronger than I am."

"No matter how many times we fought, I would never be able to defeat you."

His smile twisted.

"And yet even someone like you is about to die."

"How ironic."

Bakuzan looked at Gouketsu with growing obsession.

"You reached the peak of humanity, but you still cannot defeat a Monster."

"You have shown me that humanity has limits."

He stepped toward the remaining monster cells.

"I have made my decision."

"You can stay here and wait for death."

Bakuzan scooped every remaining monster cell into his hands.

"I will cast aside my humanity!"

He swallowed them all at once.

Gouketsu watched with mild amusement.

"You ate every one?"

A cruel laugh escaped him.

"Greedy. Let us see whether your body can withstand that much power."

Bakuzan's body shuddered.

Then he collapsed face first onto the arena floor.

He lay there without moving.

Gouketsu glanced down at him.

"Dead already?"

His four eyes returned to Suiryu.

"It seems you are the only one left."

For the first time in his life, Suiryu felt genuine fear.

Then two figures rushed back into the arena.

Lightning Max and Snek, both battered from their earlier defeats, placed themselves between Suiryu and the Monsters.

"Do not get carried away!"

Lightning Max raised his fists.

"There are still two heroes here!"

He glanced back at Suiryu.

"Can you move?"

"You can still handle one of them, right?"

Suiryu stared at their backs.

These two had already been defeated.

They had every reason to run.

Yet they had returned.

Something stirred within Suiryu's despairing heart.

A faint spark of hope returned to his eyes.

"All right!"

The three moved together.

Lightning Max and Snek attacked from opposite sides while Suiryu drove straight through the centre.

Their coordinated assault tore through the three legged crows.

Within moments, all three Monsters collapsed.

Suiryu landed and immediately shouted, "Good. Now let us get out of here!"

But the two heroes behind him did not move.

Lightning Max faced Gouketsu.

"We will hold him back."

Snek nodded.

"Use that time to escape."

Suiryu stared at them in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?"

His voice trembled with urgency.

"You cannot defeat him!"

Gouketsu began walking toward them.

Each step caused the shattered arena to tremble.

Fear finally overwhelmed Suiryu.

He turned and ran.

Before he could reach the exit, an enormous figure appeared in his path.

Four fists rose above him.

"Where do you think you are going?"

The Monster grinned down at him.

"The real fun is only beginning!"

All four fists slammed down.

Suiryu was smashed into the arena floor, and a cloud of dust erupted around him.

Behind them, Gouketsu had already dealt with Lightning Max and Snek.

He looked toward the newly transformed Monster with some surprise.

"I truly found something valuable today."

His four eyes narrowed.

"Your Disaster Level may have reached Dragon, just like mine."

"Of course it has!"

The newcomer laughed wildly.

It was Bakuzan.

After monsterizing, his body had grown enormous. He resembled a monstrous ape with four powerful arms, each packed with enough muscle to crush stone.

"I knew I was special!"

Bakuzan looked down at Suiryu, who was still trying to push himself up.

He raised all four fists and brought them down again while laughing madly.

At that moment, Psykos assessed the situation through her distant puppet.

Then she delivered a warning.

"Gouketsu, it is time to retreat."

Her voice echoed in his mind.

"The Ninja King is likely close to defeat."

"Sonic still possesses a method of escape. If he withdraws from that battle and comes looking for you instead..."

"You will die."

Gouketsu's expression became serious.

"I understand."

He turned toward Bakuzan.

"Newcomer, we are returning to headquarters."

Bakuzan glared at him arrogantly.

"Do not give orders to Lord Bakuzan!"

He raised one fist and prepared to attack.

Gouketsu answered with a single punch.

Bakuzan's massive body was driven backward.

That one blow was enough to make him understand the enormous difference between them.

Gouketsu turned away without another glance.

"Keep your arrogance under control, newcomer."

"There are several Monsters stronger than you."

His eyes shifted briefly toward Bakuzan.

"I am one of them."

"Most of the others have already returned to headquarters, so do not claim that no one warned you."

Gouketsu headed toward the exit.

"If Sonic comes here, he can remove your head with one strike."

"If you value your life, come to City Z's Ghost Town."

"I will be waiting there."

With that, Gouketsu left the stadium.

Bakuzan remained frozen for a moment.

Then he turned toward Suiryu.

"Did you hear that?"

His expression was uneasy beneath the arrogance.

"Even a Monster like him was worried enough to retreat."

"And the Sonic he mentioned... could he mean Black Flash?"

Suiryu lay broken on the ground.

He no longer had the strength to resist.

Pride meant nothing now.

"Bakuzan..."

His voice came out weakly.

"Please let me go."

"I have no will left to fight."

Bakuzan's unease vanished.

A sinister grin spread across his face.

"That is exactly why I will not let you go."

He stepped closer.

"I love tormenting people weaker than me."

"That is why I always pursued strength."

Bakuzan spread his four arms, savouring the power surging through him.

"Now I have finally been liberated."

"I feel incredible!"

He raised one foot and kicked Suiryu's right leg.

Bone snapped.

Suiryu screamed in agony.

Bakuzan laughed even harder.

"Next, the other one."

He leaned down, enjoying every trace of pain on Suiryu's face.

"Even someone as strong as you can scream like that."

"What a waste that no one is here to see it."

"Young, talented, adored by the public, wealthy, surrounded by women, and free to live however you please."

Bakuzan's expression twisted with hatred.

"You truly were greedy enough to have everything."

He raised his foot again.

"First, I will settle every grievance between us."

"Then I will show you hell."

"After that, you can die."

He looked down at Suiryu's ruined body.

"How pathetic."

The pain and humiliation finally shattered something within Suiryu.

He dragged his broken body across the arena floor.

"Someone..."

His voice was faint at first.

Then desperation forced it louder.

"Someone help me!"

"There is a Monster here!"

He clawed at the ground, trying to pull himself away.

"Can anyone hear me?"

"A Monster is attacking me!"

His voice cracked.

"Please..."

Memories of the heroes he had once mocked flashed through his mind.

Men and women who risked their lives despite knowing they could lose.

People who stood between Monsters and the helpless.

Suiryu finally understood what he needed.

"A hero..."

Tears gathered in his eyes.

"That's right."

His voice rose into a desperate cry.

"Please, Hero!"

"Come save me!"

"There is a Monster here!"

"Hero!"

Bakuzan stood behind him, laughing.

"No one can hear you."

He raised his foot above Suiryu's head.

"You are going to die here."

Suiryu felt himself sinking into complete darkness.

It was cold.

Bottomless.

An abyss from which he would never return.

When people fall into darkness, they search for light.

No matter how distant it is.

No matter how faint.

As long as that light exists, hope remains.

"This is despair!"

Bakuzan grinned and brought his foot down.

At that moment, brilliant light tore through the darkness.

"Breath of Light, Third Form."

A radiant figure flashed across the arena.

"Roaming Light!"

.....

[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]

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