Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

The second day of the competition had begun, and in a different corner of the pocket world, a different kind of storm was brewing. Barak Raizen moved through the forest like a specter of death, his golden eyes now tainted with a sinister gleam. His black hair had grown longer, unkempt, whipping around his face in the wind. His expression was a mask of cold fury, his jaw set, his teeth grinding in silent rage.

He had changed. The demon seed had taken root, and its influence had spread through his body like wildfire. His muscles were denser, his reflexes sharper, his senses more acute. He could feel the ambient prana in the air, the life force of every creature within a mile radius. And he hungered for it.

A pack of Dire Wolves emerged from the underbrush, their eyes glowing with bestial intelligence. There were eight of them, their bodies lean and powerful, their fangs dripping with saliva. They circled him, low growls rumbling from their throats.

Barak smiled. It was not a warm smile. It was the smile of a predator that had found its prey.

He moved.

His body blurred, black lightning crackling around his limbs. He appeared before the lead wolf, his hand already extended. His fingers closed around its throat, and he squeezed. The wolf’s eyes bulged, its body convulsing as dark energy flowed from it into him. He dropped the husk and turned to the others.

"[Black Lightning: Storm Surge.]"

A wave of dark electricity erupted from his body, spreading outward in a crackling ring. The wolves were caught in the blast, their bodies seizing, their fur singed. They collapsed, twitching, their essences flowing into him.

He did not stop.

He plunged deeper into the forest, his sword appearing in his hand. It was not the same blade he had wielded before. It was darker, its edge humming with malevolent energy. He had forged it in the fires of his own hatred, and it responded to his will like an extension of his body.

A Thunder Rhino charged at him, its horn crackling with lightning. Barak did not dodge. He planted his feet, raised his sword, and swung. The blade met the horn, and the impact sent shockwaves through the air. The rhino was pushed back, its horn cracked, its body smoking. Barak pressed the attack, his sword raining down blow after blow.

"[Black Lightning: Executioner’s Edge.]"

His blade, now wreathed in dark electricity, sliced through the rhino’s thick hide like paper. The creature bellowed, its body convulsing, and then it fell. Its essence flowed into him, and he felt his strength grow.

He moved on.

A flock of Sky Raptors descended from above, their screeches piercing the air. Barak looked up, his eyes gleaming with dark light. He raised his hand, and black lightning gathered in his palm.

"[Thundercloud: Annihilation.]"

A bolt of black lightning shot upward, branching into a dozen smaller bolts. They struck the raptors, one by one, their bodies exploding in a shower of feathers and dark energy. Barak absorbed their essences, his power growing with each kill.

He continued his rampage, moving through the forest like a force of nature. He fought with a cold, brutal efficiency, his swordsmanship refined to a razor’s edge. Each strike was precise, each movement economical. He wasted no energy, no motion. He was a killing machine, devoid of emotion, driven only by his insatiable hunger for power.

A Shadow Panther, its form barely visible in the darkness, stalked him. It was stealthy, silent, deadly. But Barak had already sensed it. He turned, his sword already swinging, and caught the creature mid-lunge. The blade pierced its heart, and it dissolved into shadow.

"Pathetic," he muttered, his voice hollow.

He continued deeper into the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Monsters of all shapes and sizes fell before him. He fought a Giant Scorpion, its tail dripping with venom. He countered with a wave of black lightning that turned its exoskeleton to ash. He fought a Hydra, its heads snapping at him from all directions. He severed each one with a single, precise strike, then finished the beast with a bolt of dark energy that consumed its body.

His points climbed, but he did not care about the competition. He cared only about power. He could feel the demon seed pulsing within him, feeding on his rage, growing stronger with every kill. He was becoming something greater, something that would terrify them all.

A massive creature, a Mountain Troll, rose from a cave, its body covered in thick stone armor. It roared, and the ground shook. Barak smiled, his eyes gleaming with dark anticipation.

"Finally," he said. "A challenge."

The troll charged, its club swinging in a wide arc. Barak met it head-on, his sword clashing against the stone weapon. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and the ground beneath them cracked. Barak was pushed back, his boots skidding across the earth.

He gritted his teeth. "[Black Lightning: Gravity Pulse.]"

A wave of dark energy erupted from his body, increasing the gravitational pull around the troll. It stumbled, its movements slowing, its club dropping to the ground. Barak seized the opportunity, his sword finding its throat.

"[Executioner’s Edge.]"

The blade sliced through the troll’s neck, and its body crumbled to ash. Its essence flowed into him, and he felt his strength surge. He had reached a new level of power. He was closer than ever to his goal.

He stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving, his eyes blazing. The forest was silent, the monsters had fled. He was alone, surrounded by the bodies of his enemies.

"I will find you, Nero," he whispered, his voice cold and hollow. "I will crush you. I will take everything from you, just as you took everything from me."

The demon seed pulsed within him, a dark promise of things to come. The carnival of slaughter had begun, and Barak Raizen was its star performer.

°°°

In another location, Nero who was about to face an extremely powerful monster stopped in his track because he could feel intense hatred coming his way.

’’Huh! Such intense hatred, who might you be.’’ Nero was not surprised, just amused, whoever it was, he would face them soon and he had an idea who it was after thinking through.