Chapter 56: The Monster in the Cave

*Splash*

Tarin watched as Aku fell into the pool of lava.

'I'll grab him fast so the burns are minimal still…this kid's abilities and trajectory of growth are insane. Reminds me of his Father…The Reaper of The Yami Clan. Wasn't anyone alive who could touch…'

Tarin began to walk forward as he and The Sister locked eyes she slowly backed down.

"Is he okay Tarin? I…I can't sense him at all."

"He'll be okay, maybe unconscious! I'm gonna bring him straight to Ms. Ezzy so don't you worry in the slightest!"

*TCHH*

'The kid doesn't know when to quit huh?'

A loud noise came from beneath the lava that grabbed everyone's attention. The Sister felt a sense of danger she had never experienced before.

'King?'

She asked herself, feeling a presence so horrendous and powerful.

*CRACK*

A streak of black lightning streaked out of the lava piercing The Sister's Heart. The Cave rumbled as the lighting that had struck her turned to a black crystal.

*Swift*

"WOW! You're actually kind of slow!"

A Crystalized Creature appeared behind The Sister with an Aspect so great it felt impossible to belong only to one.

*BOOM*

A large black and White flash occurs where The Sister was floating as she switched places with some lava below her.

'This power…It can't be…'

The smoke cleared from where the explosion was as Aku stood on streaks of black crystals as if they were stilts. His appearance however was nothing like his normal one. A black and sporadic crystal covered his body in different places, regenerating itself from the explosion it had just endured. Aku appeared to have been unconscious with his right eye rolled back, his Shiryoku resembled a black flame mixed with his Kuroi Inazuma. The aspect he was displaying felt otherworldly.

'It can't be the same Demon can it?'

Yaki looked at what appeared to be her brother.

'I don't feel Aku at all…'

"T..Tarin?"

Tarin turned to Yaki with a smile. A door opened up behind her suddenly.

"I'll handle this, you go tell Ms. Ezzy Aku and I will be home soon okay?"

Even if his smile was calming, Yaki knew something was wrong. She turned and walked through the door looking back at Tarin one last time as the door slammed.

'Please save him, Tarin.'

Tarin turned back to the two battling with a serious demeanor.

'I can't believe it…'

***

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The brat was struggling with you!"

The Sister felt a chunk of her side torn away by another attack. She summoned lava from the pool beneath her, letting it flow through her body, regenerating all of her injuries.

*Splurt*

Blood split out of The Sister's mouth.

'What?'

Her body began to convulse as her stomach and arms bubbled. She looked like she was gonna explode as Aku's crystalized body appeared behind her once more.

"You didn't expect me to leave anything in the lava you buried me in? Oh, you are inexperienced!"

Aku's crystallized body had infused Kuroi Inazuma throughout the lava pool, meaning that if the Sister merged it back with her body, it would activate at his will. In a desperate attempt to save her life, The Sister vomited up blood mixed with the lava she had absorbed. Her arms shot outward, causing all the lava in the cave to vanish. A sudden kick to her back sent The Sister flying forward, slamming onto the ground. Meanwhile, the crystals on Aku's body seemed to form an entirely new body around him. A new head emerged, and then, with a forceful burst, his mouth broke open as if speaking for the first time.

"I haven't enjoyed a battle in centuries, the smell of your blood!!! OHHH I can only imagine how you must taste?!"

The Crystalized body then got in a stance ready to attack as Aku's Aspect had now been infused with it.

"DIE!"

*CRASH*

*Swift*

The Crystallized Creature looked beneath her as The Sister was no longer there. It's body creaked and looked over in glee.

"Hehe, I see this will be rather fun!"

The Sister looked up expecting death…but was met with the kind eyes of her master.

"Tarin?"

He looked at her with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry…I didn't expect this to happen. Go ahead and rest. I'll take care of this one."

The Sister closed her eyes with a smile.

"He'll Handle it."

Tarin stood up as he looked over at the hunched-over creature.

"So I heard you haven't had a battle in centuries?"

Tarin stretched his arms.

"Oh, you heard that? Maybe I did let that slip!"

"Lucky for you…"

Tarin smiled as he threw his coat to the ground.

"You get to battle the strongest demon of this era!"

The Crystalized Creature's aspect roared throughout the cave as everything shook. Sparks of black lightning touched every inch of the cave almost.

"Tell me Demon what is your name?"

"My name is Tarin. So can you answer a question in return?"

*CLASH*

Tarin held onto the crystal sword made from The Creature's arm. He looked the creature in the eyes with a look of death.

"Is Aku Still in there?"

"HAHAHA, I like you!"

*CRACK*

The creature's right was torn clean off; it brought a moment of shock to the creature.

'Interesting…If I were to have my old body's techniques I could regenerate it in a second. This boy's Shiryoku ability is only now awakening and with me now just getting used to this body…do I have a chance?'

The Creature looked at the intimidating Tarin.

'LIKE THAT MATTERS LOOK AT HIM HE'S ASKING FOR A BATTLE!'

Tarin narrowly dodged a massive slash as the crystals morphed into a giant, razor-sharp knife. The crystals then reformed around the creature, elongating its legs, while sparks of lightning crackled at its feet, allowing it to leap from side to side with unpredictable speed.

"Heh"

Tarin chuckled under his breath.

*Swift*

"Enough games, where's the kid?"

The creature felt a grasp at its neck. One move and its head is gone.

"I wouldn't know, he was too weak to carry on so it's only natural one of us got to take over!"

'Us?'

Tarin slammed the Creature into the ground.

"Who are you?"

The Creature's Crystalized face fell apart as a smile was revealed on Aku's sleeping face.

"My name is Erith, Erith Longheart, The Monarch of the First World. The First Cursed Child!"

'I can't believe it…'

Tarin let go of the creature as he backed up slowly. A box formed around the two as Tarin formed a smile on his face.

"I hope that means I can go all out on you! Not so often I get the chance to do this!"

"All out huh?"

Erith reformed the crystal form around Aku's body with a spear this time in her right hand. The box closed as Tarin looked at Erith's Crystal form.

"ALL OUT? YOU DARE CHALLENGE THE STRONGEST DEMON IN HISTORY?"

Tarin chuckled.

"Yeah, I do."

*CLASH*

***

"I think I understand it now…"

Erith spoke as Aku's body lay on the ground, missing his left arm and leg. The black crystals scattered across the ground slowly dissolved into the air.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Tarin sat on a metal chair in front of her.

"This dimension of yours, that you took us in. It's nothing but a booster for you, isn't it? Even if I had hit you, it wouldn't have mattered here would it?"

"I like that idea but it is much more complex than that! All I will say is, in here...I am untouchable!"

Erith chuckled at his confidence.

"You're gonna die one day, with that confidence of yours!"

"I look forward to it! While you're here still I have one final question for the great Erith!"

He stood up and walked next to her to look down at her.

"If you were in your original body and in your glory days like me, which of us would win?"

She looked at him dying in laughter.

"HAHA, oh you bring me joy! It wouldn't be close!"

She smiled thinking back to her stoic stature of a figure, her long battle coat, and her long black hair. The thousands of bodies she had stacked over her past life.

"I would've killed you as soon as I laid eyes on you!"

Tarin smiled at the response.

"That's nice to hear!"

Erith watched as the bottom of Tarin's boot came crashing into Aku's face.

'You're lucky he was here brat!'

*Stomp*