A/n: Haha long time no chapter release...will be uploading 3 today. Cooking the plot too hard.
After the battle, I was drained but alive. The Soul Seed had grown empowering me exponentially; its presence was demonic yet divine. Truly like a mystery or puzzle which can be solved without gathering all its pieces.
"What's this feeling….like I'm incomplete right now?" I ask myself unsure, feeling weak and lacking. But before I could think or observe more about this there was an ambush for me.
Typical demon Strategy.
The encounter was in a cavern choked with sulfurous smoke and shifting shadows. This time, the demons were bigger—hulking brutes with armored hides and brutal claws. I couldn't rely on speed alone. I had to adapt.
I centered myself, drawing deep from my ki reserves. The energy inside me hummed in harmony, intertwining with the curse energy and the demonic energy from Soul Seed. I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the balance between the three forces. When I opened them, my movements were ten times more fluid and precise.
A massive demon charged, swinging a stone club the size of a boulder. I sidestepped, feeling the rush of air as the weapon smashed into the cavern wall, sending shards flying. Channeling my powers into my fists, I struck the demon's exposed side, the impact cracking its armor and sending tremors through its body.
The fight dragged on, a brutal dance of blows and parries. Each time the Soul Seed flared, I felt it learning, adapting—growing stronger with every strike. When the demon finally fell, I collapsed to one knee, my body screaming for rest, but my spirit burning with a newfound hunger for power.
Later same night
The fire crackled softly as we settled around the small camp deep within the Demon Realm's twisted forest.
Bayonetta and Seiko sat opposite me, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames. Despite the uneasy alliance between us, I needed to speak — to voice the gnawing emptiness I couldn't shake.
"I feel… incomplete," I admitted quietly, my gaze fixed on the dying embers. "Like no matter how much power I summon—curse energy, ki, this Soul Seed of Sparda won't give me all powers—I'm still lacking something crucial: a conductor or spark. It's as if I'm only half a weapon, and the other half is missing."
Bayonetta raised an eyebrow at my terminology, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "You're not wrong, darling. Sparda wasn't just any demon knight—he was the demon knight. The strongest of them all. His legend is carved into the very fabric of this realm." Seiko nodded, folding her arms.
"Sparda's power wasn't contained in a single form. He divided his soul into three devil arms—three legendary swords: the Devil Blade Sparda, Rebellion, and Yamato. Each held a fragment of his strength and will."
The names resonated deeply within me, stirring something I hadn't realized I was searching for. "So these swords…" I said slowly, "they're more than weapons. They're parts of Sparda's soul?" Bayonetta's eyes gleamed with knowing.
"Exactly. To truly awaken the power within you, you need more than just the Soul Seed. You need to reclaim those blades. They're scattered now, each wielded by powerful demon lords who guard their portions of Sparda's legacy fiercely." Seiko's voice was steady, but grave.
"Finding them will be easy but retrieving them may not be so. These demon lords aren't just strong—they're cunning and ruthless. But if you want to stand a chance against Mundus and Argosax, you'll need the complete strength of Sparda's legacy." I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of their words settle in. The path ahead was more dangerous than I'd imagined, but now it was clearer.
"Then that's what I'll do. I'll find these three devil arms—Devil Blade Sparda, Rebellion, and Yamato—and bring them together. Only then will I be whole." Bayonetta leaned back, a sly smile curving her lips.
"Finally, you're thinking like a true demon knight." Seiko gave a nod of approval. "We'll help you. For now, your journey to reclaim Sparda's soul has truly begun." As the flames flickered and the night deepened, I felt a renewed purpose. The missing pieces of my power were out there, waiting to be claimed. And with Bayonetta and Seiko by my side, I was ready to face whatever demons stood between me and those legendary blades.
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Days blurred into nights as I pushed myself harder. I sought out stronger foes, hunting demons that had once terrified me. Each battle was a test: could I control the overwhelming power surging inside? Could I blend my curse energy, ki, and the demonic essence into a single, unstoppable force. Hell Yeah.
A/n: The combination/synergy use of Ki, demonic essence and curse energy will be called Arcanium. Also not a master but learned.
One night, I faced a demon that shimmered with dark flames, a creature born of pure malice. Its eyes locked onto mine, and I knew this was a challenge unlike any other. As it lunged, I summoned the full force of my Arcanium to erect a radiant barrier, specifically a thorny barrier around me.
Arcanium was not as complex as curse energy in nature but not the easiest in nature to manipulate freely so it took some effort and stamina.
The demon's fire met my barrier with a deafening roar. Sparks flew, the ground cracked beneath us, but I held firm still as the temperature rose and things around started to melt. Then, with a shout, I passed a wave of energy onto the barrier—to unleash all the thorns at him with pin point accuracy—that sent the demon hurtling backward.
Demon recovered quickly as his demonic aura flared, snarling, but I was also ready. Reading his Ki I got a glimpse of what he was about to do.
[Full-Counter]
Creating a barrier with [Arcanium] in front of me with a property that reflects all incoming attacks, the demon launched its strongest flame which at first engulfed the barrier but was reverted back. The fight was barely brutal, slightly pushing me to the edge of exhaustion.
As I have yet to master [Arcanium] although I have a hang of it now and more control like aura. When the demon finally fell, I felt something inside me as if something was calling me.
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Next month
Converting the vast distance, the castle loomed closer, dark and imposing against the blood-red sky.
The journey with my so-called allies was nearing its end.
Bayonetta and Seiko—two names that echoed with betrayal and uneasy trust.
Training wasn't just about raw combat anymore. I had spent countless hours in meditation, mastering the three forces within me—into a seamless whole.
No longer were these separate powers to be unleashed recklessly or used only to reinforce my body or shield me with barriers.
Now, control, precision, and technique were the goal.
This day was different. Deep within an ancient ruin, surrounded by crumbling pillars etched with forgotten runes, I closed my eyes and reached inward. Seiko had told me a demon here was powerful enough to force my next evolution.
Defeating it would be the key before I could confront the demon lords who guarded the devil arms of Sparda.
The Soul Seed pulsed in response, hunger and power thrumming through my veins. It intertwined with my ki, its fiery essence calming the turbulent curse energy.
Then came the chaotic whispers, voices clawing at the edges of my mind—tempting, threatening. I steadied myself.
Time seemed to slow. I balanced the three forces, close now to mastery, weaving them into a new form: Arcanium. This was more than power; it was a fusion of magic, spirit, and raw strength—potent and refined. Imagination and emotion became my keys, unlocking potential hidden deep within.
Suddenly, the ruin trembled. Stone cracked, dust fell in showers. From the shadows emerged a massive demon guardian, summoned by the energy I radiated deliberately—a test, a challenge.
I rose, calm and focused. I read his ki like a map, anticipating his assault, preparing my counter.
The battle was fierce, brutal, and unlike any before.The demon charged with a roar that shook the air, claws slashing through the dust.
I moved with fluid precision, the Soul Seed blooming fully around me—a dark, radiant armor shimmering with power. Each strike I made carried devastating force, precise and unyielding.The curse energy lent a brutal edge, sharp and wild, cutting through the demon's thick hide. Meanwhile, my ki refined every motion—speed, endurance, reflexes—turning me into a perfect weapon.
The guardian swung a massive arm, aiming to crush me, but I sidestepped effortlessly. Channeling Arcanium, I struck his exposed side, a blast of energy scarred his flesh, leaving cracks glowing with dark light. The demon howled, enraged, swinging again with blistering speed. I parried and countered, the dance of battle weaving through the ruin's broken pillars.
The air around us crackled with power, shadows and light intertwining as the Soul Seed flared in response to the fight's intensity. At one moment, the guardian caught me off guard, slamming me into a pillar.
Pain exploded through my ribs, but I clenched my teeth and focused. The Arcanium surged within me like a tidal wave.
A/n: I'm now sure how to make it work but will figure it out soon.
Summoning every ounce of Arcanium energy, I released a concentrated blast—Its shape was like a spear with great stabbing power—that pierced the demon's chest.
The guardian staggered, its form flickering with cracks of energy, but it was far from dead. It roared, summoning a tempest of shadow flames that swirled toward me like a living storm.
I dove through the inferno, the dark armor absorbing much of the heat, ki guiding my movements with calculated grace.
The curse energy reinforces me from the worst of the flames, burning but not consuming. Closing the distance, I unleashed a flurry of strikes, each blow empowered by the Arcanium's perfect fusion at fatal spots.
The demon staggered again, faltering as my previous attack spread like poison through his defenses, the Soul Seed's light blazing brighter with every hit. Finally, with a roar of triumph, I drove my hand into the guardian's heart.
A shockwave of energy rippled through the ruin as the demon dissolved into shadows slowly, leaving only silence and dust. Breathing heavily, I stood tall.
The Arcanium settled, its glow dimming but still present—a new layer of power had been refining inside me. This was no longer raw strength or scattered energies.
This was mastery. Control. Precision. Technique.
Ahead lay the castle of demon lords, guardians of the devil arms—Devil Blade Sparda, Rebellion, and Yamato.
Each one would be stronger, deadlier.
But now, with the Arcanium getting more deadlier within me, I was ready. The war for the Demon Realm was about to reach a new and terrible height.
And I would not falter.
Not now.
Not ever.