Chapter 52: A Natural Talent

'I've never fought anything like this before!'

*Clash*

The monster pushed down on Aku's sword as he held it over him.

*Crack*

Aku's feet were then pushed into the ground, and it crumbled beneath him.

'Without a doubt, this monster has more raw strength than me!'

Aku's Aspect started to spark with black lightning showing around his body.

'A week ago, the very thought of controlling my Aspect felt impossible... but now, it's starting to all pay off even if just a little-'

*Swift*

Aku vanished, reappearing behind the monster before it could even process his shift.

'I've learned more than just how to knock over a tree!'

***

-Three days prior-

Aku sat in front of the tree, his eyes closed, fingers gripping the ground beneath him.

'I've chipped it...barely.'

He opened his eyes, disappointed, staring at the few, almost invisible marks on the tree's bark. His Aspect flickered darkly as he tried to mold it around his body again.

'The more I try, the more I realize I've been using this power my whole life, without knowing.'

He felt it, his Aspect, surrounding him like an extra layer of skin, subtle yet alive. Slowly, he placed his hand on the collar of his shirt and tore it off.

'It's like my soul... but I can see it, feel it, shape it.'

With a deep breath, his Shiryoku flared. The power wrapped around his arm, twisting like smoke. He pointed his right arm toward the tree, the word "bang" echoing in his mind. He forced his Aspect forward with everything he had, his body straining under the effort.

'It's not enough. It feels impossible to keep it together before it fizzles out.'

Another small chip cracked the tree. Aku collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, his muscles burning.

'Days of this…I've made no progress.'

Above, the night sky glittered, stars shining through the branches. He caught his breath, staring at the stars.

'What am I missing?'

*Snap.*

His head jerked up, his Shiryoku flaring instantly. He scanned the area.

'I can't let my guard down.'

Nothing moved in the woods, but his instincts continued to scream.

'This place is dangerous. Tarin left me alone here...trusting I could handle it.'

Then, the sound came an unnatural silence, a presence in the air, hanging over him. A creature, its shape like a spider but with the grotesque head of a boar, loomed above him, it had two sets of arms and a set of spider legs twitching unnervingly.

'I won't make him regret that decision.'

The monster lunged a beam of webbing shooting toward him. Aku barely dodged, the web grazing past his face as it slammed into the earth.

He looked up at the creature, a shiver crawling up his spine. Its body was monstrous, towering over him, and yet it was its hideousness that made his stomach turn.

'These things get grosser every day.'

Another web spear shot from its mouth. Aku's heart raced, and he braced himself.

'Wait…'

He didn't have time to think. The monster fired again.

*Swift.*

Aku leaped, his body moving faster than the eye could follow, landing high in the trees. He remembered the monster meat Tarin had given him. The effect.

'120%…'

A small, grim smile curled on Aku's lips as he dove down at a shocking speed, sinking his teeth deep into the monster's skull. Warm, thick blood flooded his mouth. The beast screeched in agony, but Aku hung on, his grip like a crab.

'Disgusting.'

The creature's body twisted, trying to shake him off. It kicked, hitting Aku with powerful force.

*Crash.*

Aku slammed against a tree, feeling his insides churn. His Aspect surged wildly as if it was rebelling against him. He gritted his teeth.

"Damn bastard…"

The sensation of black lightning crackled along his skin. His body was out of control.

'The dosage Tarin gave me…was nothing compared to what I just took.'

Monster meat could enhance the Demon Aspect, but only in small doses Tarin had known this fact and had been careful with his dosage. Aku had swallowed three tiny grains worth of the meat that morning at breakfast. Now, he had consumed hundreds.

'My Aspect...it's too much. If I don't control it...it'll kill me.'

Lightning crackled violently, enveloping him, and spiraling out of his body. His heart pounded in sync with the chaos.

'MORE!'

His Aspect surged, flaring outward, reaching as tall as the trees and farther than he could see. His Shiryoku was flying outwards like a burning flame. The monster before him froze in fear, its body trembling.

'It's part of me. I control it!'

His voice roared inside his head, louder than the chaos around him.

"MORE!"

The black lightning contracted back toward his body, almost like it was going to explode. His body was on the brink of breaking. The monster saw its chance.

'I...'

Suddenly everything halted. The lightning, the chaos, it all stopped. Aku's body went limp against the tree, an eerie stillness hanging in the air. The creature lunged.

*CRACK.*

Aku vanished in a flash, reappearing behind the monster. Dazed, but alive.

'It's an extension of me... that's the key!'

He struck, his fist crashing into the creature's side. The monster crumpled to the ground, its grotesque form twitching. Aku's body was alive with black lightning, sparking uncontrollably.

'It's like being a controller to a character in a game. Only...in this case, I am both!'

He remembered the moment before the monster attacked. How he used his Aspect to move his body at lightning-like speed. Using it as an extra limb, an extension of himself.

'But even that won't help me chop down this damn tree.'

Aku's Shiryoku flared again, sending him rocketing toward the fallen monster.

*CRASH.*

In the center of the impact, Aku stood, surrounded by the wreckage of the creature's body. But the ground was mostly undisturbed.

'That black lightning...it's my Aspect in a physical form. Still, I've only begun to tap into it. It's more of an enhancement to Speed and Power. Like how I used it when I fought Yaki.'

He sighed, staring up at the night sky, frustration and exhaustion mixing inside him.

'It'd be nice to have a cool power like Tarin, or even my sister. Hell, even Gunther's Karada is more interesting than this.'

He stepped away from the monster's remains, walking back to the tree.

'But I'm getting stronger. Even I can't deny that.'

He focused, pushing his Aspect into his right hand.

'I'll learn what I need to, to knock this damn tree over.'

***

-Present Time, 0938, Salan-

Aku's Aspect started to show sparks of black lightning as he covered most of his body in it.

*Clash*

Aku's right foot slammed into Sister's right arm, sending her staggering back, her scaly face twisting in shock. As she struggled to regain her balance, Aku's Aspect surged, empowering his leg. The force behind his kick grew, driving her further back with crushing intensity.

'Die!'

*Crumble*

Aku's strike forced Sister to lose its footing, sending it skidding across the cave floor. A small smirk formed as he watched the struggle.

'This is easy…'

Aku's Aspect formed around his legs. He looked at the monster who caught its balance now nearly 20 feet away from him. He thought of Tarin for a moment.

'What's the catch here?'

*Swift*

'I see…'

The monster was now in front of Aku, its right arm swinging toward his face, just barely missing. Aku used his Aspect to help block the attack on his face as the force of the blow sent him into a backflip. He landed, sliding backward, his nose starting to bleed as he steadied himself.

'Even with me using my Aspect to take the brunt of the attack, it still caused a bloody nose?'

*Clash*

Aku's katana clashed with Sister's scaly left arm. With a roar, the monster swung its right arm down, forcing Aku to leap sideways. As he sailed through the air, he brought his katana down in a swift arc, aiming for Sister's neck.

'What?!'

His katana seemed to be held off by an invisible force.

'It's aspect control…'

Aku charged up his Aspect as black lighting sporadically sparked around his entire body. His Shiryoku burned outwards as his Aspect started to contain the black lightning around his arms. He smiled slightly.

'Is far weaker than mine!'

He infused the black lightning into the katana as it cut through Sister's Aspect. The monster in a moment of desperation leaped forward avoiding the slash by a hair.

'With this Aspect control and my new enhancing ability, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a blade again!'

Aku stood silently as the black lightning sparked around his body and katana.

'This feeling…I feel powerful'

He shot toward the monster in a blur of motion, his new shirt ignited from the sheer speed. The flames turned black almost instantly, merging with the crackling energy of his Aspect's lightning-like aura.

***

'Is…is that really my brother?'

Yaki watched in slight horror at her brother's dash at the monster far below.

"Does your brother scare you Yaki?"

Tarin asked Yaki an alarming question that she hadn't considered.

"I…I don't think so…"

She looked down with her left eye as the monster was being tagged left and right barely dodging Aku's attacks.

"Can I tell you something Yaki?"

Tarin's demeanor seemed more serious as he watched Aku's fight closely. Yaki looked towards Tarin with interest.

"What is it?"

"That technique Aku is using is a forbidden one among the Yami clan, it is called Kuroi Inazuma. It was a feared technique in the world that very few demons had access to because it could only be inherited, and even then some can't even wield it correctly. It was declared a forbidden technique after a user of it became rouge and was too strong to be dealt with by the clan through conventional means."

Yaki watches as her brother swiftly dodges the monster's attacks with ease.

"So that means…"

Yaki began to speak but choked on her words as the thought of her parents crept into her mind.

"Yes Yaki, Aku gained this ability through one of your ancestors."

Yaki looked over at her brother closely beneath her.

'Not once ever had I questioned about our parents because I knew Aku was all I had, but I am starting to wonder what our parents were like…were they demons like the world portrays, Aku must have known…'

Yaki looked back at Tarin climbing out of her thoughts.

"Tarin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know anything about my parents?"

Tarin was silent for a moment as he grinned widely.

"What kind of question is that? How would I know your parents, I just met the two of you on the side of the street after all."

He chuckled slightly.

"Besides I thought you didn't care for the demon world? Your parents must have been demons, you know that...right?"

Yaki fell silent once more.

"Yeah…I suppose you're right."

***

Aku charged up his katana with a streak of black lightning as he jumped towards Sister.

*Slice*

*Plop*

Sister's right arm fell off as Aku stood behind her looking at the monster with disgust. He could hear its heartbeat begin to heighten.

"Your heartbeat sounds faster than before."

His face had a death-like expression giving the monster chills. It let out a roar of anger in response as its arm grew back in an instant.

*Swift*

Aku appeared in an instant in front of Sister.

"You think having your arm back makes any of a difference to me?"

*Clank*

The monster caught Aku's blade with its left hand.

*Swift*

Aku's katana was left in the monster's left hand as he vanished from its sight. In an instant, he reappeared, kicking the creature hard in the back, and sending it rolling forward. Aku watched coldly as Sister tumbled, the flames from before now perfectly synchronized with his Kuroi Inazuma. He had complete control of the fight.

*Scratches*

Sister catches its footing by clawing at the ground with its right hand, it slithers upwards staring down where Aku had just been. However, he was no longer there.

*Swift*

Aku slammed down both fists on the monster's head as it let go of his Katana. Using his Aspect, he grabbed back the katana into his right hand.

"Die."

He said coldly as he slammed the katana down.

*Crash*

*Lightning crackles*

He left a small crater in the ground as his aspect had fully infused into that attack. However, the attack had only met contact with the ground.

***

"I can barely tell what is happening."

Yaki watched as her brother kept disappearing right before her eyes.

"Your brother is moving at supersonic speeds, with his already great physical enhancements he got from his Shiryoku, an ability like Kuroi Inazuma makes your brother extremely hard to keep up with."

Tarin watched closely at Aku as he missed his swing.

'She copied his ability, interesting.'

"Su…supersonic speeds?"

"Yaki?"

Tarin turned towards her.

"Yes?"

"I want you to watch this."

"How…what do you mean?"

Yaki looked at him worriedly.

"Take it off, just for a moment."

'Take IT off? No way, no way! I can't do that, I don't want to see through the eyes of a demon!'

"Yaki."

Tarin's warmness interrupted her thoughts.

"Trust me okay?"

"...okay."

Yaki slowly placed her hand over the eyepatch, taking it off gently. Her right eye was closed, but she slowly began to open it, revealing her Shiryoku as its black fog hallowed out through the white lines. She closed her left eye and looked back at Aku. Her sense felt off as she could see her brother Demon Aspect in its true horror. His Aspect flared as she could see it move as if it was being manipulated by something, by someone, by.

'Aku…'

***

'...'

Aku looked over at The Monster displeasingly, who was now far away from him, almost on the other side of the lengthy cave. It was catching what seemed to be its breath.

'It charged up its Aspect like mine for a straight shot slither at a speed I couldn't have accounted for…annoying.'

Aku then infused his Katana with his Aspect as he positioned himself in a striking position.

'It copied me…'

His aspect flared up as it sporadically sparked lighting around him and his katana. He let go of his katana as it started to fall towards the ground vertically with the tip facing the ground.

*CRACKLE*

Aku disappeared in a blur of black lightning sparks as the tip of the blade came in contact with the ground.

"I thought I was clear…"

Aku stood behind the Monster facing away from it.

"I said,"

Aku's blade then disappeared in a flash of lightning.

*Slice*

",Die."

Aku said coldly, catching his Katana on his right side. The monster then turned its head, looking far up into the cave's ceiling. It locked eyes with Tarin as its body fell apart into halves down the middle.

***

"Impressive!"

Tarin smiled as he continued to watch. Aku began to walk away from the monster's body. Yaki, too, observed through her Shiryoku.

'That seemed easy for Aku…has he become stronger?'

Tarin interrupted her thoughts with a slight sigh.

"You know? It took me two years of constant fighting to defeat The Sister's first form. Of course, I was a bit younger than you."

Yaki looked over at Tarin with interest now.

"What do you mean, first form?"

***

Aku walks farther from the corpse of the monster he had killed.

'I wonder how I get out of here?'

*Bubbling*

Aku turned around holding his Katana tightly, looking back at the monster's body.

'What the?'

Both halves of the monster were bubbling and transforming into two completely separate things.

'I figured there was more to this…'

***

"The second form of the Sister splits its body into two different bodies, they are essentially like sisters! They look alike but nothing like the form prior, they look more humanoid with scally faces and horns being the only two things showing they are still monsters. There is no factor of the monsters to tell them apart."

Tarin explained to Yaki what was happening.

"Wouldn't splitting its body make it weaker?"

"You'd think so, but in this case imagine The Sister's first form as a shell or a bag holding two very valuable items. Once that shell breaks or that bag opens it shows the true treasure. In this case, when she goes into her 2nd form both of the variants are twice as powerful than the prior one."

'Twice as strong!?'

Yaki looked back at Aku who was now watching the Sister transform.

'Can Aku handle that much at once?'

"Also! They each harbor their own unique ability but they hide which one can do what almost perfectly."

Tarin smiled in anticipation.

"What are their abilities?"

Yaki asked.

"Watch closely to find out!"

*BOOM*

***

*BOOM*

Aku was pushed back by an unforeseen force, he caught himself digging his katana into the ground.

'Just what is going on?'

Aku looked through the dust cloud around him, struggling to see clearly.

*Swift*

Aku dodged two attacks just barely as two girls who looked to be around his age appeared in front of him. Yet they had orange and blue horns with bluish scales on their bodies.

'I get it now!'

Aku's Shiryoku flowed out with the challenge at hand. His Aspect began to rage throughout the cave.

"Do you think two is enough?"

Aku smiled as he jumped backward dodging another attack.

"It might be too much!"

The sisters said in cohesion.